Author: S&P

[Editor’s Note: adapted from How God Became Jesus: The Real Origins of Belief if Jesus’ Divine Natures–A Response to Bart Ehrman, Zondervan, 2014) I think it is necessary to explode a popular caricature where Jesus cruises around Galilee announcing, “Hi, I’m God. I’m going to die on the cross for your sins soon. But first of all I’m going to teach you how to be a good Christian and how...

In his new book “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus,” author Nabeel Qureshi tell his own powerful story of the clash between Islam and Christianity. Learn how Qureshi’s faith in Allah was dramatically conquered by the truth of Christ’s resurrection and deity. (More at NabeelQureshi.com.) Originally published January 06, 2015.

As many young Americans celebrated on the 4th of July, probably the last thing on their mind was the craft giant, Hobby Lobby. After all, what does a chain of craft stores have to do with hot dogs, fireworks, and American Independence? A lot more than you would think. On Monday (June 30, 2014), the Supreme Court of the United States ruled, in a narrow, 5-4 decision, that Hobby Lobby could not be f...

Dr. Karl Giberson is not happy that so many Christians believe what the Bible says about creation, human origins, and the fall. In an article posted in The Daily Beast, Dr. Giberson laments the fact that the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) has not reached a consensus fully embracing the theory of evolution by natural selection. He seems scandalized that there are those within the CRC who still hol...

We chat with Drew Dyck about his new book “Yawning at Tigers” which asks us to abandon our tame view of God and encounter the true God of Scripture. A boring, sanitized Christianity can never satisfy our deep hunger for transcendence. We must seek to know God as He is—mysterious and powerful, yet accessible, loving, and present. Originally published July 02, 2014.

Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Foursquare, Flickr, LinkedIn, Reddit, Tumblr, Imgur, or whatever comes next—social media have changed our relationships in significant ways. With the touch of a button on a small device I carry in my pocket, I can instantly discover what’s happening with friends on the other side of the world. Drawing from personal experience, pastoral conversa...

This is as close as a Southern Baptist gets to dancing in the streets for joy. The Supreme Court just handed down the Hobby Lobby case, and ruled that the government cannot force closely-held corporations to violate their religious beliefs in the purchasing of abortion-causing drugs. The ruling isn’t just a win for evangelicals, like the Southern Baptist Greens. It’s a win for everyone. Here’s why...

I’ll never forget the first time I stepped into the magnificent Tenth Presbyterian Church as a new intern. Hanging all around the top balcony of the worship room were flags from so many different nations in the world. As I stood there witnessing what was part of the preamble to an incredible mission conference, one of the pastors on staff asked me a question that I had never been asked before: “Wh...

In 2009, Time magazine named “the new Calvinism” as one of the 10 ideas currently changing the world. The burgeoning movement brought several streams of conservative evangelicals together, ranging from Baptists to Presbyterians to Reformed Charismatics, best represented through organizations and conferences like Together for the Gospel and The Gospel Coalition. But in recent months an intramural d...

We called it “The Month of Blessing,” and I still remember the butterflies in my stomach as the days approached. Yes, we fasted during the month of Ramadan, but it was not the fasting itself that I looked forward to. It was waking up early in the morning, before dawn, to pray and eat with my family; it was spending the day joyfully and charitably with my colleagues; it was gathering as a community...

I recently opened the refrigerator to find that my husband had put the cereal box on the top shelf, next to the milk. Laughing to myself, I took a picture and sent it to him, teasing him about his absentmindedness. As we’ve gotten older, forgetfulness is becoming the norm. It’s even become a regular family evening activity where we all search the entire house for whatever is missing: keys, phone, ...

The motto, “good is the enemy of great” applies as much to a church’s small groups as anything else. Many churches aim too low. The reason for this is not that small groups don’t provide many benefits for churches, but that they provide so many. It is easy to focus on the lesser benefits rather than the best ones. The unfortunate result is that people do not grow and are not served to the extent t...