Pastor prosecuted for helping girl escape court-imposed lesbian ‘mother’
The greatest threat is a Christianity that has marginalized and compromised Jesus’ teaching on marriage
At least two Mennonites who helped in the escape have decided to turn state’s evidence in the trial, testifying against Kenneth Miller, who has not cooperated with the prosecution.
Education’s effect on religion
The single most important factor regarding belief change was religious practice as an teenager:
As so often happens, truth is stranger than fiction. While thinkers from the Enlightenment onwards expected education to cause a decrease in religion, history and science have told a much more complex story. Such thinkers may not like the results of Hill’s empirical study, but what can they do? After all, they’re the ones who claim to trust science.
How should a pastor respond when he is complimented about his sermon?
We can give God glory with our lips in response, but inside be welling up with pride.
Regardless the comment, if it was meant to encourage you, thank them for their encouraging words. Be grateful that however small, simple, or even shallow the comment, someone took the time to share their thoughts with you
Did God Really Say? A review of a compilation edited by David Garner
"To disobey God’s Word is to disobey him. To trust God’s Word is to trust him. To hear the Word is to hear him” - B. B. Warfield
Did God Really Say? is a compilation of seminar lectures given at the Virginia Beach 2011 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of America. The messages have been converted into essay form, making up the different chapters of the book. So the PCA does not take this doctrine for granted either. It was incumbent for them to pull together some of their finest scholars from Covenant Seminary, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary (Phil.) to give these messages to the leaders of the church. One thousand points for the PCA on that one!
The 2012 election: Why abortion trumps other issues
A society that has fewer abortions but protects the legal killing of unborn humans is still deeply immoral
Should pastors challenge church members who support politicians sworn to protect elective abortion? Yes and no. They should challenge believers and nonbelievers alike with the truth that elective abortion unjustly takes the life of a defenseless human being -- and that truth should impact who we support.
Ravenous Sheep
Most of us have a rather distorted, city-fied understanding of sheep.
“The hardest thing about being a pastor is not being poorly paid. If that needs to be fixed and you can, please do. The hardest thing about being a pastor isn’t the long hours… The hardest thing isn’t the lack of respect in the church and the world over his calling. If you can help there, please do."
Some Advice for Youth Ministers
I hope your church is past the myth that the best ministers are young and hip.
You may be a very godly and theological person, even very experienced in ministry, but if the parents in the congregation feel weird about you, your ministry to young people will never get off the ground. Don’t expect trust to just happen because of your qualifications, and don’t resent parents when they don’t give it. Just get to work earning it.
How Rick Warren Harnessed the Power of Social Habits
And why—after plunging into depression—Saddleback's pastor now pushes spiritual habits through 'The Power of Habit' concept.
For years, he had suffered from anxiety attacks and occasional bouts of melancholy that friends told him sounded like mild depressions. But it had never hit this bad before. The next day, Warren and his family began driving to Arizona, where his wife's family had a house. Slowly, he recuperated. Some days, he would sleep for twelve hours and then take a walk through the desert, praying, trying to understand why these panic attacks were threatening to undo everything he had worked so hard to build.
Some Reflections on Peter Enns and The Evolution of Adam
Enns…is far too romantic about the reliability of mainstream scientific consensus
Hans Madueme is assistant professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and Themelios book review editor for systematic theology and bioethics. He recently completed his thesis, “The Evolution of Sin: Sin, Theistic Evolution, and the Biological Question—A Theological Account” (PhD diss., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2012).
HHS mandate: An attack on all people of faith
We must be free to put our faith into action in the public square.
For the first time in our country’s history, we will have to impose religious tests on those we employ and those we help, in order to maintain our status as exempt religious employers.