–Originally published on FWB21 November 12, 2012– I’ve sensed it for a while, but now I’m certain of it: there’s a storm brewing somewhere in my future. It’s as though I can feel the warm winds picking up and see the dark clouds way off in the distance. I do think the saying holds true in life: you’re either in the middle of a storm, just coming out of one, or about to enter one. I feel like we’ve been moving from storm to storm for the past three years, and I can sense there’s another one coming. This weekend I had the privilege of attending the East Coast Ladies’ Retreat in Goldsboro, NC. The theme for this year was […]
Wife = Helper
–Originally published on FWB21 October 5, 2012– The foundation of the husband/wife relationship and roles is found in Genesis 2:18-25. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper […]
City Life: A Call to Action
–Originally published on FWB21 November 12, 2012– Culture is shaped in the city. It’s true, you know. What happens in NYC, Chicago, and L.A. has a far-reaching impact on places like Dickson, Tookiedoo, and Indian Trail, but what happens in those small towns generally stays in those small towns. With few exceptions, culture shift flows from the city outward to the more rural areas. I just got back from my first trip to New York City where I saw this truth with my own eyes. I am no longer shocked by things I see on T.V. or in the news because I have seen the source from which they flow. The vibes and currents I felt as I wandered about […]
The Hunger Games: A Call to Think
Because of all the buzz about The Hunger Games with the movie release this weekend, a friend of mine asked me to blog about it. I have read the trilogy, and literarily I could write a tome on the subject. But I don’t think that would be helpful here. There is something you must know about me: as a Christ-follower, I can’t read anything without intellectually and spiritually engaging with it and analyzing it in light of scripture. Now, my B.A. in English certainly aids me in the process, but I am convinced that this mental engagement should be true of every Christ-follower, regardless of education. Here is my previous blog post explaining why. Now, one might argue that the […]
Critical Thinking
–Originally published on FWB21 December 18, 2011– We believe in the inerrancy of scripture. To explain why is not the purpose of my post, but the inerrancy of scripture is an important foundation to understand in light of what I am going to say about the discipline of critical thinking. We should read the Bible historico-grammatically; that is, to say, within view of its historical and literary contexts in order to find the author’s (and Author’s) intended meaning. Now, this is probably a “duh”-statement for many of you, but I have been surprised over the years to find out just how many people do not do this (or know how to). If we do not understand the circumstances in which […]