Does God make a difference to justice Prevailing Justice March 27, 2012 I can remember sitting in the deliberation room with my fellow jurors wrestling with the evidence. We were trying to decide whether a man should be found guilty of child molestation. It was
Christian and Sports Sports and the Lord's Day March 23, 2012 Note: This is a follow-up to “The Christian and Sports [../2012/02/20/the-christian-and-sports-dr-rich-holdeman/#more-3557]” which I posted on James Faris’ page before I got my own! Our love for sports as both
The Counsel of Peace March 22, 2012 A few months ago my friend and fellow pastor, Jason Camery, traveled out at the invitation of another to meet with Congressman Dan Burton. They met with Mr. Burton and addressed pro-life issues
child neglect Virtual Orphans March 22, 2012 The sight is as common as it is heartbreaking. Parents arrive at a play area in the mall, a McDonald’s Playland, or a park. The kids in tow are eager to run
The Kokomo Krusade March 20, 2012 Like a call from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, back when I was a young pastor years ago the secretary of James Montgomery Boice, the famous pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia (whom I
gender roles A Few Tasty Audio Recommendations March 18, 2012 EFCA Theology Conference on Gender Roles Many have weighed in on the debate between complementarianism and egalitarianism. But to date, I cannot say that I know of a better presentation of the biblical
Hebrews 6 The Iron Cage March 16, 2012 In studying Hebrews with high school students in their New Testament Survey class, we looked at Hebrews 6:4-6 and discussed the unpardonable sin: > For in the case of those who have
John Calvin Calvin and that Awful Doctrine March 14, 2012 If there is one teaching that the name of John Calvin invokes, it is that of predestination. When even Wikipedia, certainly no theological publication, begins its definition of predestination by mentioning only one
An Open Letter to the President March 13, 2012 Last week we highlighted the effort of The Teenage Life Club to see a million letters sent this month to the President and the Supreme Court asking for them to use their power
GenRef News March 09, 2012 We really try to stay away from blogging about blogging here. Yet ever now and then we want to give you an update on some of the happenings behind the scenes at Gentle
Alex Rosenberg Spreading the "Joy" of Atheism March 08, 2012 “Is there a God? No What is the nature of reality? What physics says it is. What is the purpose of the universe? There is none. What is the meaning of life? Ditto.
In Honor of a Baby's Life March 06, 2012 A young friend of Gentle Reformation, Angie Kim, has a blog of her own called The Teenage Life Club and just asked me if I would help her make a project known. As
True Professors March 05, 2012 Having been newly married there; having taught in and graduated from its mathematics department; having been led into my church home and being called into the ministry while there; and having witnessed many
The New Testament for C+ Christians February 29, 2012 The Bible is a book for dirty people. It's a book for rebels, outcasts, and sinners. The Bible is a book for people who have been put out of the city
Prophecy in the Church Today. Or Not. - Ian Hamilton vs. Wayne Grudem February 29, 2012 It wasn’t a great debate, but it wasn’t a bad one either. Here’s why. On the plus side, both men dealt with each other in a gracious manner (No chair
Counseling Stories February 28, 2012 With many offering in-depth help in providing counseling, from wonderful sites such as CCEF devoted to the subject to David Murray's regular posts on the topic to Rich Ganz's
Pleasant Plane Providence February 22, 2012 On plane trips from Indiana to North Carolina and back this past week, I enjoyed the pleasant providence of God. Perhaps we often bring to mind God's providence in darker moments,
Christians and heresy Letters for Life: Galatians February 21, 2012 (The intro to the series can be found here [https://gentlereformation.com/2012/01/17/letters-for-life/]) The book of Galatians challenges the fluffy, feel good Christianity of our day; the type of Christianity
abortion Seasoned with Grace February 16, 2012 First, use some dry, self-deprecating humor to disarm your audience containing the leading political and religious figures of the day. Next, state your theme clearly and repeat it in various ways throughout your
God, Manhood and Ministry: Building Men for the Body of Christ – Desiring God Conference February 14, 2012 This year’s Desiring God Pastor’s Conference was excellent. But while each of the speakers spoke with conviction and clarity and provided much edification, I especially enjoyed Pastor Douglas Wilson’s talks.
Illuminating the Bible February 13, 2012 I wrote the article below for our church's outreach newsletter to explain how to read the Bible with more understanding. One of the ways I ask the congregation I serve to
Reformation Indy February 10, 2012 Our friends at the Southside Reformed Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis have been hosting a Reformation Indy conference the past several years. These conferences have been a rich time of feeding from God'
Free will Another Hinge on the Door of the Reformation February 07, 2012 The Bondage of the Will -Martin Luther- “So it is not irreligious, idle, or superfluous, but in the highest degree wholesome and necessary, for a Christian to know whether or not his will
Praying for Light in the Philippines February 06, 2012 With the combination of seeing the poor do innovative things to overcome their life's difficulties and this taking place in the setting of the Philippines, the video below really touched my
Augustine The City of Firsts February 03, 2012 In 2008 Forbes ranked Kokomo, Indiana (the town in which I pastor) third among America's Fastest Dying Towns. The downturn in the automobile industry, which Kokomo relies so heavily upon, dealt