Gospel Clarity

Making sure people understand what the word gospel means is something to take seriously. I have two boys at home, and I regularly ask them to define the gospel. First, I ask them what the word gospel means. They’ll respond, “good news.” Then, I’ll follow that up with, “good news about what?” At that point,…

Jason DeRouchie on Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament

I had the privilege of studying under Jason DeRouchie for four years while at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis. In addition, for a couple of years, I was blessed to serve as Jason’s teaching assistant, working through his various writings, editing some of his work, and helping with early iterations of his website. To…

Taking Every Thought Captive (2 Cor 10:5)

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)  The Corinthian church lived in a city known for its wealth, sexual immorality, religious pluralism, and philosophical diversity—not unlike our cities (and campuses) today. And as Corinthian Christians encounter various ideas…

Tom Hicks on, “What is a Reformed Baptist?”

While at the SBC annual meeting in Dallas last week, I received a free copy of What is a Reformed Baptist: An Overview of Doctrinal Distinctives by Tom Hicks. I was eager to read the book because (a) I consider myself reformed and (b) I am a convinced Baptist (in that order). Understanding what Dr.…

Is it prudent to send your kids to a non-Christian school?

At the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas this past week, I was able to moderate a panel discussion on the SBC and Christian Higher Education. Joining me on the panel were Dr. Rick Melson (President, Southwest Baptist University), Dr. Jonathan Akin (VP at Carson-Newman University), Dr. Jason Duesing (Provost, Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon…

Why Did Plural Eldership Decline in Baptist Life?

This past week I had the chance to give a lecture on leadership in the NT here at Southwest Baptist University. Of particular intrigue to me (and many) is why a plurality of elders fell out of favor among Baptists in the 20th century. Thankfully, Baptists today often have a plurality of elders leading their…