I’m picking up here where I left off in my last post, Judas Verses Peter (Part 2). If Judas couldn’t be forgiven, I’d argue that it is only because he wouldn’t allow for it. If Judas is in hell, I’m not sure it’s because God is getting his revenge. At most I would suggest it
Category: Christian Living
We Can’t Judge and Love Simultaneously
I love Greg Boyd’s proposition that we can’t judge (condemn) and love people at the same time. Obviously many Christians feel a very strong compulsion to condemn sin. Where does this come from? Probably two places. First, much of the Old Testament stresses holiness in the form of outward signs and actions. If people don’t
Spiritual Growth
I believe that spiritual growth is a journey, and the journey is not always straight forward. I believe that spiritual transformation is a slow, gradual process, measured more in terms of years rather than days and weeks. (So be patient.) I believe that spiritual growth happens best when we are continually, repeatedly reminded of God’s
Religious Trauma Syndrome
I expect this topic to be controversial. I have observed that at times people confuse a criticism of something done in the name of Christ with a criticism of God himself. But this fails to recognize that we are imperfect, and that we can make mistakes and do the wrong thing even when we are
Follow and Share—The Basics of Following and Sharing Jesus (Live Event)
I am teaching a one evening overview on following and sharing Jesus (a.k.a. discipleship). The focus will be on learning simple ways to share Jesus with others. It is taking place on Wednesday, March 11th at 6:45 p.m. at The Gathering in Carmel (624B S Rangeline Road, Carmel, IN 46032). My hope is that any
Jesus is for the People — Aaron Pelsue Band at The Vogue
Back in December I went to see the Aaron Pelsue Band (often a worship band) play at the Vogue (a local bar and music venue) along with several other hard rock bands. It would probably be difficult for me to describe the atmosphere there. The first band on the bill was a bit rougher in
Do We Assume God’s Role in Evangelism?
A while ago I was reading a book (The Divine Conspiracy I believe) which talked about God being in charge and in control of your life. It caused me to think, “How often do we take charge of something which is God’s responsibility?” This starts in our own lives. How often do we try and
Do You Know What is Biblical?
Evangelicals talk about being biblical a lot. Do you know what is and isn’t biblical? I find that many Christians don’t actually know the Bible that well. Too often when a Christian talks about biblical, what they actually have in mind is something which they heard a speaker or author say is biblical. On top
Worrying About Giving the Appearance of Sin Is Not Biblical
I’ve addressed this before but it has come up again. I think it’s worth revisiting. The idea that Christians should avoid appearing like they might be sinning is (in my impression) a widely held belief among conservative evangelicals. Since this is my background, I was surprised to discover not too long ago that this idea
Questions: Honoring Truth
Which is more honoring to the Bible and truth? Spending significant time studying the Bible as well as many other resources in order to try and understand it as best as possible? Or defending our beliefs against any questions and/or examination because we’ve already determined the truth? photo credit: ccsdteacher via photopin cc