There is no official church doctrine on the end times. It is a matter of dispute. However, there does seem to be a consensus  among all different corners of the Christian world today among Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, and thankfully more and more evangelical theologians all the time: dispensationalism is an erroneous teaching. [*NOTE: I changed this paragraph after so many comments focused on the words “Christian heresy.” I think calling dispensationalism a Christian heresy is a... Read more

How are we supposed to read the bible? Is the bible self-interpreting? Or do we have to be taught how to read it? Who decides which reading of the bible is correct and where did they get this authority? Why do some people say “the bible says,” constantly in order to prove their opinion about what the bible says is correct? Is there more than one meaning behind certain texts? Just a few bible questions to set up another hilarious... Read more

So, fifteen years ago today I was a nervous wreck. I was about to be married. I wasn’t nervous about marrying Kristin, she and I were good, I was just nervous about the ceremony. For all of the countless hours I’ve spent on a stage, I still am nervous when it comes to formal ceremonial stuff; things you have to dress up for and act all prim and proper. I can pull it off, but I don’t like to. When... Read more

I confess that I finally got new jeans that seem to fit – American Eagle… strange. I confess that on the family outing to the mall to buy jeans I spent exactly 48 seconds in Abercrombie & Fitch and nearly threw up. First of all the music is way too loud. Second, the clothing is way over priced. Third, the 12 year old working there completely ignored us while she obsessed over her hair in the mirror. Fourth, the semi-erotic... Read more

According to the official LDS church statistics for 2011 there are now over 6 million Mormons living in the United States. That’s 2% of the population. The church has lately been described as of the fastest-growing faiths in the country. Between 1990 and 2008 the LDS church claims to have grown by 30%, which is an astonishing rate – over twice the growth of the population in general. Independent research shows that the total number is closer to 4.4 million,... Read more

Here is a great blog post by my used to be kid-next-door neighbor. Keith’s all grown up and, has some interesting things to say here. Nice word, Keith.Here are a couple of pull quotes: “I know I can be a bully about my opinions and leanings. I don’t want to be. I want to be part of the conversation and conversations are different than arguments.” “When people say they are believers they are FIRST citizens of heaven, second, they are... Read more

This has been one of my favorite football seasons ever. Mostly because my oldest son sat beside me in a chair and we watched a good 25 games together from start to finish. There is something about sports that helps boys relate to their fathers. Also because K-State rocked a great season with their own version of Tim Tebow (Collin Kline). The season ends tomorrow, on the Sabbath, when more people will watch the Superbowl than will go to church... Read more

A couple quick pull quotes from John Piper’s statement on masculinity and the Christian faith: “…the fullest flourishing of women and men takes place in churches and families where Christianity has this God-ordained, masculine feel,” “Theology and church and mission are marked by overarching godly male leadership in the spirit of Christ, with an ethos of tender-hearted strength, and contrite courage, and risk-taking decisiveness, and readiness to sacrifice for the sake of leading, protecting, and providing for the community—all of... Read more

It’s time for my – more or less – yearly take on the National Prayer Breakfast. This year my take is simple. President Obama made a short speech at the event. Here are a few pull quotes for the quick gist. At the bottom is a video of the speech. I try to watch these every year – pretty interesting stuff. “At a time when it’s easy to lose ourselves in the rush and clamor of our own lives, or... Read more

It’s Groundhog Day – a completely irrelevant holiday only made noteworthy because Bill Murray is the king of rock and roll. If you want to blow off your adult responsibilities, you can actually watch the entire movie online for free at youtube. Here’s the link. This is one of my all-time favorite movies. It perfectly demonstrates what it means to live a life of purposeful discipleship and growth in wisdom and purpose. Here’s one of my favorite scenes. “I’m a... Read more