This week I was struck by a realization: for many, the debate about same-sex marriage is not a political issue or moral issue; it’s a worship issue.
This week I was struck by a realization: for many, the debate about same-sex marriage is not a political issue or moral issue; it’s a worship issue.
One week has passed, and still Sandy Hook pervades the news. Interviews with locals, eulogies for the deceased, and constant updates regarding this formerly unknown community fill the airwaves and online news sources. Our nation is grieving in a manner it has not done since 9/11. And as with the tragedy of that day, here we find tear-filled, angry questions echoing all around, and even within us: Why? How could this happen?
(Guest Blogger: Brian Dennert)
The title of this online article caught my eye: “How to Guard Sabbath for Your Children”. While primarily directed towards aiding parents in teaching the practice of Sabbath in their children (and one that we recommend parents read through), I think it’s an article that has relevancy for every Christian in the suburbs of Chicago, whether single, married without kids, married with kids at home, or an empty nester, as it reminds us about the importance of Sabbath. With the Sabbath command (one of the 10 Commandments!), God teaches us that we aren’t created simply to be busy. Rather, we are to enjoy God and his creation through regularly taking time to rest.
(Guest blogger: Brent Stutzman)
The season of Advent is designed to cultivate our sense of expectancy and hope as we wait on our promise-fulfilling God. In Advent, we hear the prophecies of the Messiah’s coming as addressed to us - people who wait for the second coming.
I suspect something similar holds true when it comes to mission and evangelism.
In the past couple of years there has been a fair bit of healthy discussion among pastors and teachers about the topic of sanctification—about how we grow as Christians. Some emphasize the pivotal role that grace has: we grow not because we are told to do, but because we are told of what God has done for us. Others, while wanting to maintain the centrality of grace, are also concerned to recognize the important place of human effort: growth happens in the midst of our striving to “put on” Christ.
Recently I was struck by how both of these themes are prominent in the opening verses of 2 Peter.
Sinclair Ferguson, in my mind, is one of the finest preachers alive today. He’s warm, pastoral, deeply biblical, and his Scottish accent doesn’t hurt either. I often listen to him both as a means of shepherding my own heart and as a mentor for what Christ-centered preaching can be.
