I recommend books, music, and very rarely movies. Task may be the first series I've ever recommended on my blog. But I think it's worth it. Disclaimer: The series is about an FBI task force and motorcycle gangs. So, expect violence and lots of language. Lots of it. There is no nudity, very little sexual … Continue reading “Task”
Cutting Room Floor: The Only Truly Hopeless Place
A few years ago I read, with a group for the church, Dante's Divine Comedy. It was one of the more difficult reads I've ever plowed through. The poem has three parts (each with multiple cantos): Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. In Canto 3 of Inferno, Dante passes through the Gates of Hell, which bear the … Continue reading Cutting Room Floor: The Only Truly Hopeless Place
Cutting Room Thorn: Thorns that Choke
Last week I had the chance to unpack the Parable of the Sower and Jesus' related conversation (Mark 4:1-20) about the purpose of parables. I did not spend much time discussing the nature of each soil, though I did not entirely skip it. Some hearers of the gospel are like hard ground (the path) that … Continue reading Cutting Room Thorn: Thorns that Choke
Cutting Room Floor: Love of Money and God’s Presence
This week, I preached from Joshua 1 where Joshua received his commission from the Lord to lead Israel into the Promised Land. Along with this commission comes the charge, "be strong and courageous", a charge repeated three times. This charge to be courageous is grounded, primarily, in the fact that Joshua was not being sent … Continue reading Cutting Room Floor: Love of Money and God’s Presence
Book Review: “Who’s Afraid of Christian Nationalism,” by Mark David Hall
A friend asked me to read this recent book (2024) by Mark D. Hall, a professor in the School of Government at Regent University. The book is helpful in some areas, a bit too shallow in others, and outright deficient in one. Let me begin by summarizing Hall's central thesis: Christian Nationalism is an unchristian, … Continue reading Book Review: “Who’s Afraid of Christian Nationalism,” by Mark David Hall