Grace and peace to you, my friends.
Westminster Books is having an Advent Sale on books related to Christmas. There are lots of good choices there.
(Yesterday on the blog: If God Is Not Sovereign…)
How Christians can think about the epidemic of online gambling and sports betting
I guess I’m not the only one who has noticed sports betting suddenly showing up everywhere! “Given the ubiquity of sports betting in our digital society, it is likely that you or someone you know well is gambling or is struggling with addictive behavior. In light of the addictive and predatory nature of gambling, how should the Church respond to this growing epidemic in light of the biblical ethic?”
Don’t let fear of a social gospel put you off doing good works socially
This is important: “Most people don’t actively hate us, they broadly nothing us. But what they do know about us, or think they know about us, is often not positive. Which means we are starting from behind with many people. They aren’t chomping at the bit to hear our gospel message of salvation. Some think they’ve heard it all before (but we know they haven’t) or think they know what we’re about already and aren’t that keen.”
5 Things You Should Know about Justification
William Godfrey: “While this doctrine is of tremendous theological importance and can be a subject of deep scholarly study, here are five truths all God’s people should know about the doctrine of justification.”
Do Paul and Jesus disagree? (Video)
Some people are sure they see disagreements between the teaching of Jesus and Paul. Guy Waters explains why that’s not the case.
Why Do the Theologians Rage?
“We watch Paul’s warning in Galatians 5:15 unfold: ‘But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.’ Hyperbole, straw-manning, and intellectual suspicion poison the tongues of some of our most popular theologians. Why have theological leaders given in to cultural division? What can we do about it?”
Plugged In?
This article employs a metaphor to help us understand why we so desperately need the Holy Spirit.
Flashback: Do You Have the Faith to be Faithful?
Today I want to consider what it means to have an exemplary faith, the kind of faith that, if imitated by others, will lead them to become more like Christ. Do you have that kind of faith? If people imitate you, will they in fact be imitating Jesus? This is no small challenge!