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Kick Him Out of Church!

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Two Introductory Stories My mom and dad fondly tell the story of one of the first times my dad visited my great-grandmother’s old, back-country Oklahoma, Pentecostal church. My mom and dad were dating at the time, and my dad was not familiar with Pentecostal churches at all, so this event really stuck out to him. After the speaking in tongues and whooping had subsided, and the preacher had gotten into his groove, he was passionately talking about “…a man who comes to church on Sundays and greets people at the door and shakes hands, but on Saturday night he was … [Read more]

Reformation Musings

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500 years ago today, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses (arguments, or grievances) to the doors of Wittenberg churches. You can find all kinds of information on Luther, so I won’t bore you with history. I don’t so much want to talk about Martin, the brash, charge into battle, say what’s needed to win an argument, lover of men and the Bible, concerned with grace and grace alone as the means of salvation, monk, as I do want to talk about the reformation. What has it brought and where is it now? There were many reformers, such as Jan Hus, … [Read more]

You’re not a Sinner Because You’re a Homosexual

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This is an open letter to those of my friends who would call themselves homosexuals who are tired of being called sinners because of it: I’m sorry. I’m sorry that so many Christians look at one aspect of your life and make a judgment against you because of it. I’m sorry that our society has elevated one issue to a place of prominence it does not deserve because of the actions of people on both sides of the issue. I’m sorry that so many Christians have spoken so carelessly about a subject that is so delicate and that you hold … [Read more]

Christians and Contraception

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This topic is one that can get into the weeds and can get confusing, so I’m going to try to address it with my usual logical clarity and I might end up offending someone in the process. Please know upfront that I don’t intend to offend, all I intend to do is try to present the truth from the Bible as clearly as I can. You might go listen to the lesson “A Biblical View of Abortion, Contraception, and In-Vitro Fertilization” in conjunction with this post for some good resources or clarification. The question to be addressed is this: Should … [Read more]

I Want a Wife

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“God’s got the perfect person in mind for you.” I’ve heard this advice more than once in the last week. Here’s the thing: I desire marriage and family. Those are undeniably things I want. Lately I’ve been having a lot of talks with friends about marriage, and singleness. I’ve been thinking a lot about it for myself. I’ve been considering the pros and cons of each possibility, considering the scriptures (particularly 1 Corinthians 7) and considering what it would be like to be a single pastor some time in the future. I know what I want in a wife (kindhearted, … [Read more]