“Christmas at the movies!” the pleasant, feminine voice sings as the smiley-faced popcorn, coffee, candy bar and soda cartoon characters come waltzing into the auditorium before getting interrupted with an explosion, heavy metal music, and a man yelling, “Don’t need…
Steve Lawson preached fire and brimstone except for himself
“Megachurch pastors in Dallas are starting to drop like flies,” I wrote back on June 25 after Tony Evans and Robert Morris stepped away from ministry at prominent megachurches. Apparently “starting” was the keyword because over the next three months, the number…
The dubious ethics of Christian Twitter
Twitter is an enticement to sin. How’s that for a lead? Shall I say more? I discovered Twitter early and have maintained a steady presence there, despite various pauses, doubts and regrets. I almost abandoned the site last year when…
What have we learned about Matt Chandler’s sin and restoration? Not much
Among the many reasons people are leaving institutional churches, there is one that runs deeper than them all. John MacArthur says it’s because “they deconstruct the Bible to give room for their pet sins and tolerances.” The Gospel Coalition says it’s…
Ritual detergent: What the meaning of sin within the context of Leviticus might teach us today
For modern readers, Leviticus is one of the most grueling books of the Bible because of its long lists of rules, regulations and outlining of rituals that seem mostly irrelevant to today’s life. We do not sacrifice animals to atone…
Peter’s un-healing of Petronilla’s holy ‘palsy’ in the Coptic Act of Peter has a lesson for us today about disability
The Acts of Peter is a fragmented, early Christian text made up of three parts: the “Coptic Act of Peter,” the “Acts of Peter the Apostle,” and the “Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Peter.” These writings are not included in…
What if grace is more amazing than we thought?
I once thought grace was pretty amazing — Jesus dying on the cross, all my sins forgiven, a guaranteed place in heaven after I died. But what if grace is even more amazing? As a child I learned about “Amazing…
Judging the stripper and the carouser in ourselves at the Communion table
“The Bible says not to judge,” my Sunday school classmate says to me. I reply, “So, you’re making a judgment that my position on judgment is wrong?” I smile. “You see the irony here, right?” The person stares. Perplexed. I…
This is more than just sin
The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee refused to act on hundreds of reports of abuse. This is more than just sin. The efforts of survivors and advocates to bring the truth to light was called, “a satanic scheme to completely…