Did you know that the Bible tells us that there are certain things we shouldn’t even talk about? The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5: “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (5:3). Nine verses later, Paul adds: “For it is shameful … Continue reading Some Things Shouldn’t Even Be Talked About (Ephesians 5:3,12)
Category: Culture
The Unimportance of Cool
I’m not cool. Even the title of this post is uncool. At least I could have used a strong noun in my title like insignificance, or triviality, or inconsequentiality instead of unimportance! I’m really not cool. I frequently ask my college students to let me know if I’m acting in a truly uncool manner, mostly … Continue reading The Unimportance of Cool
10 Ways to Love Your Spouse When You’re Not Together
Happy Valentine's Day! A few years ago, Biola’s Center for Marriage and Relationships asked Trudi and me to come up with a list of ways to love our spouse when we’re not together. Yes! It is possible to love our husband or wife—not just feel love—even when we’re apart. I’ll start by listing ten ways … Continue reading 10 Ways to Love Your Spouse When You’re Not Together
Seven Favorite Christian Books of 2024
Happy New Year to each of you! I hope that 2025 is a wonderful year for you, full of many moments when you experience God’s multifaceted grace. I also hope that 2025 is a year when you can read some good books. Here are seven of my favorites from 2024 (presented in the order I … Continue reading Seven Favorite Christian Books of 2024
Joy to the World Isn’t a Christmas Song? Questioning an Urban Legend
It has become trendy in recent years to publicly proclaim that Joy to the World was not originally written as a song about Christ’s First Coming, but rather was composed as a forward-looking celebration of Christ’s future Second Coming. Have you encountered this assertion? See, for example, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE—a few examples among … Continue reading Joy to the World Isn’t a Christmas Song? Questioning an Urban Legend
Misunderstanding Genre in Biblical Studies: A Summary of Recent Developments
I just finished reading Andrew Judd’s new book, Modern Genre Theory: An Introduction for Biblical Studies. Judd’s goal was to introduce advanced graduate students and biblical scholars (who are not genre specialists) to recent discussions about genre. Everyone who knows anything about studying the Bible knows that properly identifying what kind of literature you’re reading … Continue reading Misunderstanding Genre in Biblical Studies: A Summary of Recent Developments
What Would Happen if You Became a Christian? A Thought Experiment
Let me invite you into a thought experiment. What if you became a Christian? What would change? I’m talking about an actual disciple of Jesus, not a Christian in name only. What would be different if you became a Christian?[1] If you became a Christian, you would automatically become a spiritual brother or sister with … Continue reading What Would Happen if You Became a Christian? A Thought Experiment
Six Biblical Emphases That Also Happen To Be Political
Certain biblical themes are increasingly becoming political—at least in many people’s minds. But keep in mind that all six of the biblical themes I will list below were biblical long before they became political (in the sense most of us think of politics). Furthermore, all of these themes are clear and emphasized in the Bible. … Continue reading Six Biblical Emphases That Also Happen To Be Political
Teenagers and Parental Hypocrisy: Seven Suggestions
I raised four daughters. That is to say, together with my highly-committed and sensible wife, Trudi, I raised four daughters. I must admit, though, that sometimes it feels like they raised me. Nothing highlights one’s sinful tendencies more effectively than raising children. Every parent reading right now knows what I mean. The relationship between teenagers … Continue reading Teenagers and Parental Hypocrisy: Seven Suggestions
25 Questions a Christian Woman Should Ask Herself When a Man Starts to Show Interest
(Note: Trudi and I wrote this blog post together.) We’re not relationships experts. Certainly not. But we raised four daughters and we’ve talked to a lot of college-aged women about relationships over the years. Here’s a list of 25 questions we sometimes share with Christian young women who are evaluating the possibility of a relationship … Continue reading 25 Questions a Christian Woman Should Ask Herself When a Man Starts to Show Interest
Kindle Afresh 