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Gospel vs. Legalism
What is the difference between legalism and the gospel? Legalism (or Moralism) says God looks at how well we keep the law. The Gospel says we are hidden in Christ. So God sees how well Jesus kept the Law (perfectly), all his works, and his death on our behalf. Consequently, because we are hidden in…
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3 Requirements of True Discipleship
Discipleship requires at least three things or its not true discipleship: 1. Gospel centered 2. Empowerment by the Spirit 3. Authentic Community
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Ministry Diagnosis Questions
As a pastor it is not only requisite to be a student of God’s Word, but it is also essential to be a student of the people to whom I preach and teach. This is true for any church or ministry leader. If we do not know the Bible, and sound doctrine, we have nothing…
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Preaching the Gospel to Ourselves Each and Every Day
C.J. Mahaney reminds us of the importance and benefits of preaching the gospel to ourselves each and every day.
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5 Obedience Killing Lies
No doubt in my mind, it is one of the more difficult aspects of living in line with the gospel. Is it about grace, or is it about obedience? If I say “both” – which I do – then how does this not add a requirement of works to the gospel requirement of faith alone…
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Hurt People Hurt People
There is an old expression that has long stuck in my mind: “Hurt people, hurt people.” In other words, those who are hurting often lash out in some way and hurt others around them; and those who lash out are often themselves hurting on the inside. Sometimes the offending individual is self-aware, but often the hurt…
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Heaven Peeper Recants His Story
Not long ago I wrote expressing my skepticism about the claims depicted in the heart tugging film Heaven is For Real. I have no doubts about the reality of heaven, it is just the claims of the boy who claimed to have visited heaven that I found dubious. It is nothing personal about him. I…
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To Stop It or Not to Stop It, That is a Question
The ministry web site, ChurchLeaders.com, reported news of an unfortunate event in Colorado, and then asked the provocative rhetorical question: “How would you have handled it?” After a little thought I decided I would take a stab at taking the question, taking it beyond the mere rhetorical, and actually trying to answer it – albeit…
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Why Do People Find the Gospel Unbelieveable?
Why do people find the gospel unbelievable? That’s the question Jonathan Dodson askes. There is a sense in which people find the gospel unbelievable because it is incredibly good news that boggles the imagination. And yet I suspect that it is probably not this that makes much evangelistic desire and effort unfruitful. Dodson offers his…
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Bob Newhart: Just Stop It
During the NCAA Championship football game last night, between Oregon and Ohio State, comedian Bob Newhart unexpectedly began trending on Twitter and Facebook. Likely this was because of the games referee, who had an uncanny resemblance to Newhart – a much more buff Bob Newhart. When I first noticed this resemblance I did not say…
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New City Catechism
Over the weekend I spent some time reviewing the relatively new New City Catechism. While it has been around for a couple years now, and I had heard about it even prior to it’s original publication, I had not really given it much attention, until now. I was impressed by the combination of depth and…
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Three Times a Month
Thom Rainer recently noted that there has been a marked change in the measure of comitment the average Christian had to his or her church. At least there has been a change in one measurable detail: An active church member 15 years ago attended church three times a week. Now it’s three times a month…
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Is Bigger Really Better?
No matter how much I have grown to despise the discussion, it seems I cannot avoid it entirely. Almost any conversation about church, it seems, inevitably gravitates in some form toward the Bigger is Better or Great Things Come in Small Packages debate. It is not always an actual debate. In fact it is probably…
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Gospel Wakefulness
One of the more helpful works I have read concerning gospel-centered Christianity is Jared Wilson‘s Gospel Wakefulness. Perhaps most insightful to me was Jared’s point that gospel-centeredness can be explained but cannot be taught. In other words, it requires a grace of the holy spirit. I do not think this realization moves gospel-centeredness into a…
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