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(Yesterday on the blog: Reading the Bible Fast and Slow in 2019)
Porn Stars Bear God’s Image
Porn is meant to dehumanize people, but they, too, are made in God’s image and are worthy of dignity. “The change in my thinking, what allowed me to really see the evil of pornography, came from teaching through Genesis. One day in my Old Testament class I was talking about the image of God and asking students to think through the implications for our being made in God’s image.”
Transgender Import
This one is all Canada’s fault as, in a sign of the times, they snuck transgender ideology into a trade bill: “President Trump is pushing Congress to ratify his signature trade deal, but progressive social provisions make it a tough pill for conservative lawmakers to swallow.”
Christian Leader: Surround Yourself With “No Men”
“Too many of God’s people have been burned by toxic leaders whose general aim is to surround themselves with ‘Yes Men’ in order to create a feedback loop that allows them to do what they want to do. And maybe this sounds like a gender distinction, and perhaps women in church leadership need ‘No Women’, but the sad fact is the narcissistic thing inhabits men at a greater rate. Hence we are in greater need of ‘No Men’.”
Social Media Parenting
Rod Dreher shares an important little apology and reflection as he talks about social media parenting. “The life I live online has gotten me accustomed to seeing people as material, and personal dramas as events.”
Lauren Daigle, Persecution, and the Church’s Opportunity for Witness
Owen Strachan raises a couple of good points here. First, be prepared to be asked about your view on homosexuality–have an answer ready. Second, there is supernatural power in speaking what is true. “By any measure, Daigle was pigeonholed. She has now experienced what Christians should expect to have happen in all corners of society. The Word we believe and follow contains teaching on sexual ethics–homosexuality and transgender at the forefront–that causes people to dislike and even hate us (Deuteronomy 22:5; Romans 1:18-32). This is true even if we are not outspoken on sexual ethics.”
On Year-End Reading Lists
This is new ground for me–linking to a chain of Twitter messages. But I think Samuel James says something really insightful here. You’ll need to read his first message and the four that follow it. It begins like this: “Tsk-tsking the lack of gender balance in somebody’s end of year reading list feels like a good way to encourage terrible reading habits.”
Francis Chan Calls for Reformation. But We Need Contextualization.
Writing for TGC, Eric Parker has an insightful review of Francis Chan’s Letters to the Church. “The underlying critique in this review can be boiled down to the need to consider context. I actually agree with almost everything Chan writes about the substance of what our churches should be. I even agree that many contemporary churches have lost sight of what it truly means to be a worshiping community. But none of these realities about substance dictates a specific strategy or form.”
Flashback: Momentary Obedience, Forever Honor
If we want to honor and obey our parents we must learn about Jesus. If we want our children to honor and obey us, we must teach them about Jesus. He, as always, is the example of how to perfectly obey God’s perfect law.
Why Christians Should Think More About Heaven
I’m thankful to Tyndale for sponsoring the blog this week with news of Owen Strachan’s excellent new book.
Pray constantly and fervently for the influences of the Holy Spirit. No blessing is so particularly and emphatically promised in answer to prayer as this. —A. A. Alexander