The following is an article by Dr. Bauder, president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary. He addresses the topic of interpreting Scripture and gives three foundational principles that must be followed for proper exegesis (explanation of a text). Read More »
A couple weeks ago under “Music and Musicology” I wrote about the fact that our fellowship hall did not look like a nightclub and our auditorium did not look like a venue for a rock concert. Well, maybe the obvious is not so obvious anymore….
“West Ridge Community church in Elgin, Illinois, ‘was built to look like a nightclub,’ even a particlular nightclub–the House of Blues.
‘We decided to start a church for people who don’t like church, a church where people can feel free to be authentic, to be real and that’s an overriding theme of what we do,’ said the 39-year-old co-pastor. (Chicago Sun Times, 3/4/07)” (as quoted in What in the World, volume 42, number 7).
There you have it–a tightly reasoned argument from Scripture on church planting.
This is the title of a recent article in our paper, The Tribune (April 13, 2007, p. C7). The article noted that there has been a 10% decrease in companies allowing casual dress in the workplace so that now the tables have turned and a majority of companies are again demanding formal dress.
Sherry Day, immediate past president of National Association of Women Business Owners, noted that “not only did people become more casual in their clothing, but they also Read More »
In my devotions this morning I read the account of David and Goliath from I Samuel 17. As many know, David rejected Saul’s armor in favor of his staff, five smooth stones, and a sling. Notice Read More »
A recent article in World magazine called “A Playful Mind” reported an interview with Stanley Hauerwas, whom Time magazine called “America’s Best Theologian” (World, March 17, 2007, p. 32). Hauerwas is a United Methodist who is professor at Duke University Divinity School. He is presented as an evangelical theologian in the article.
When one reads the article, however, one notices that Hauerwas sidesteps every conservative theological question posed to him. Read More »
This past year my wife and I received and reviewed a free movie made for kids. It had all the elements of excitement: criminals, car chases, tense moments, and treacherous situations. There was no immorality, gratuitous violence, or streams of filthy language. Sounds great, eh?
Not so fast. The film was also full of Read More »
I recently received this argument from a missionary regarding music:
I find it interesting that if I base my counseling on psychology instead of Scripture, my fundamentalist brethren would convict me of being a compromiser (and I would agree). If I base my missions understandings on sociology instead of Scripture, likewise I might be separated from (and rightfully so, though I do seek to be culturally aware and relevant here – contextualizing without syncretism). However, if I base my music standards on musicology (another form of general revelation in my opinion, like more pure studies of psychology and sociology) as opposed to Scripture, that probably would make me a good fundamentalist.
This missionary is right in stating that counseling based solely on psychology and missions based solely on sociology would be wrong. Most fundamentalists that I know would also agree that music standards based solely on musicology would also be wrong. What this missionary is doing, however, Read More »
Last fall I wrote about Christians, sports, and Sunday church. The concern was about how Christians are skipping church services and ministry opportunities so that they can play ball, run, bike, compete, etc.
How refreshing to get the recent issue of World and find that spelling champ Elliot Huck has declined to participate in the Indiana state final spelling bee championship because it is being held on Sunday this year instead of Saturday (March 10, 2007, World, “No Spelling on Sunday”, p. 30). In a very perceptive statement fourteen year old Eliot said, “If I make exceptions to following God’s rule, even if it is only once, there will be more exceptions that will follow.”
It would be great if more believers had a stronger view toward church than toward entertainment. Whether one agrees that Elliot’s decision is extreme or not, God will surely bless Master Huck for making a personal sacrifice in order to be a light on a hill that cannot be hid.
Thank you, Elliot, for your godly example.
Here is a link to a video promoting a Saturday evening service at an evangelical church in Las Vegas, Nevada.
http://www.visionondemand.net/videos.php?id=305
For those who cannot view this, it is a rap song vocalized by two college-age men who are trying to get people to attend the 6:30 Saturday night church service. The gist, while the men dance to the rap, Read More »
Two articles have come across my desk this past week dealing with the self-esteem movement.
The first is from the March 2007 issue of Better Homes and Gardens entitled, “Making Good Adults” (p. 246). In it the author notes that a recent study done for the American Psychological Society concluded that, “by virtually any measure, self-esteem has Read More »
