Does an Elder/Deacon/Pastor Have to be Married? Many intelligent, educated, biblical commentators who have addressed the words “…the husband of one wife…”, found in 1 Timothy 3:2, 12; and Titus 1:6-9, have reached the same conclusion that I, and many I know, have. That conclusion is, “husband of one wife” does NOT mean that an elder or pastor has to be married. The phrase simply means that if a man is married, then he needs to exercise marital fidelity, be... Read more
Romans 12:16-18: “Be of the same mind toward one another… If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” One translation states it, “Live in harmony with each other.” We get our English word “arm” from the same Greek root as “h-a-r-m-o-n-y.” The stem word is harmos, which means “joint.” Just as your “arm” is connected to your shoulder at its “joint.” They are working together, working in harmony. In a similar fashion, when... Read more
Are you sick of it yet? I am. As a bible teacher, writer, and former preacher there are a few topics I have purposefully stayed away from. Politics is one of them. However, given the whirlwind of hurricane activity in connection to this year’s election I felt that for the first time in over 23 years I needed to say something. This is not going to be the usual article taking a pro or con position for either candidate. I’m... Read more
For some reason this day of celebration often gets overlooked. Often times the month will pass by without anyone having remembered the special day. I'm sure several reasons can be cited for this: we just get busy with life; minutes turn into hours, hours into days, days into weeks, and pretty soon the month has slipped by. And rarely is the pastor going to mention it himself, I mean think about how that would come across. “Congregation, don't forget to show me appreciation this month.” Read more
3 Good Reasons Evangelicals Should Vote For Donald Trump Read more
It is rather amusing and bewildering all at the same time how a basic statement like “we must choose the lesser of two evils” can survive in a nation that legitimately has no idea how to discern good from evil to begin with. Take the latest Trump fiasco, for example: people have lambasted a man (rightfully so) for his lewd, crude, and downright nasty comments toward women – yet were some of the very same 125 million ilk that purchased... Read more
Have you ever been scared? I mean really, really terrified? I’m not talking about being startled by a scene in a horror movie or just a sense of anxiety from the uncertainty of something, but have you ever been affected by fear to an extent that it immobilized you? If not in a literal, physical sense at least a mental and/or emotional sense? I have. As a matter of fact, in the interest of full disclosure, I’ve been involved in... Read more
In the new film Birth of a Nation, based on the real life story of Nat Turner, we see both sides of the coin. In the film, starring, produced, and directed by Nate Parker, we see young Nat being taught to read by his master’s daughter. He grows up to be a preacher, which is good when he is able to minister to his people, but is damaging when he is made to preach obedience to other slaves by his master and a conniving white preacher. Read more
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA - Concert-goers were surpised when theologian and author John Piper appeared on stage at a local Naughty By Nature concert. Shockingly, not only did Dr. Piper make an appearance but he also joined the group on stage and demonstrated some DJ-ing skills. Read more
You’ve heard it said “you are where you come from”, and I’m convinced that environmental influences of your youth, in part, make you who you are today. Eli and Peyton Manning grew up their whole lives around football. It’s no wonder, then, they each became Super Bowl MVPs. It’s what they knew. So what does that say for a kid who grew up in a large church, under the preaching of published theologians and seminary professors in the reformed tradition,... Read more
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