This post is not my opinion on a video, constitutional law, civil rights, etc. This post is me, as a pastor, weighing in on theology. I have seen pastors recently cite Romans 13 as if it were the answer to all the questions we might have about how we interact with the state. Some seem … Continue reading Romans 13 isn’t the only relevant text
culture
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
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
Cutting Room Floor: Two Mistakes.
Yesterday I preached from Psalm 120, the first of the Psalms of Ascent, or Pilgrim Songs. I made the point that this psalm is written for exiles/sojourners - "Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!" Both tribes mentioned were far from Jerusalem, hostile, foreign peoples. According to Peter, we … Continue reading Cutting Room Floor: Two Mistakes.
Then they will know that I am the Lord!
The Bible is a living, breathing book. I've been reading it most of my life, and I'm still surprised by it. I taught Exodus in an adult class this past fall, and that allowed me to see a connection with Ezekiel, which I'm currently reading in my private devotional time. In Exodus, you might think … Continue reading Then they will know that I am the Lord!
God Entranced 