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
culture
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!
Plantinga Quote
“If we know the characteristic sins of the age, we can guess its foolish and fashionable assumptions— that morality is simply a matter of personal taste,that all silences need to be filled up with human chatter or background music,that 760 percent of the American people are victims,that it is better to feel than to think,that … Continue reading Plantinga Quote
God Entranced 