Is our gospel CLEAR or just CRAFTY?

The Apostle Paul is famous for saying that he would do or be whatever or whoever it takes in order to reach people for the Kingdom (cf. 1Cor 9:19-23).

But listen to what Paul says to the Believers in Corinth about the necessity of having a CLEAR Gospel Continue reading

Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Is our gospel CLEAR or just CRAFTY?

See the need

Many of us are content to sit back and attend our Sunday School classes (or not) and listen to what the teacher has to say. We never engage, we never make a real difference.

Part of our responsibility is to see the need in our brothers and sisters in Christ and meet it:

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

-1John 3:16-18

One of the key goals of Sunday School at my church is to “LOVE” (we also seek to “REACH” and “TEACH”). If you only teach information, you’ve missed it. If you only grow deeper without ever Continue reading

Posted in Blog | Comments Off on See the need

A Letter to Lennie

I found this great letter over at Scot Mcknight’s Blog

Dear Lennie,

Never pass a day without reading the Bible and calling upon God in prayer.

Learn to pray aways. The Lord Jesus is ever near you. It does not take long to say: “Lord preserve me; Lord help me; Lord keep me from sin.” We need to say this a hundred times a day.

Never gamble.

Never drink intoxicating liquor.

Never use profane language.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

Never incur debt.

Live peaceable with all men.

Never be afraid to confess Christ.

Let your last words every night be: “I take Jesus Christ to be my God and Saviour.”

May the blessing of God be upon you always and everywhere.

Your Loving Grandfather, Charles Hodge, Princeton, Sept. 15, 1876

What do you find helpful? Interesting? How does this strike you???

Posted in Blog | Comments Off on A Letter to Lennie

Baptism for the Dead

A friend of mine asked me about the Mormon practice of “Baptism for the Dead.”

It is a strange practice, and is definitely a misappropriation of a Pauline text:

Otherwise, what will they do, those being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not at all raised, why indeed are they baptized on behalf of the dead?

-1Cor 15:29

Granted, it is a strange passage, and apparently Continue reading

Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Baptism for the Dead

Sunday School in HD

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’ve had a lot of experience with “Sunday School.” If you’re not a Southern Baptist, or aren’t a part of a church who does Sunday School, you might not know what it is.

Many churches are engaging in “Small Groups” and I personally think that these groups, which usually are in homes and not on Sunday mornings, can be just as effective, as long as they are “worked” in the same way. In fact, the place or time of groups is not what makes them successful, it is the effort, the work of the ministry.

One major advantage of Sunday School Continue reading

Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Sunday School in HD