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…
In the last post, we looked at how Piper used Calvin in his work on the nature of faith. JV Fesko believed Piper had misused Calvin, so we considered the critique Fesko offered. Fesko also argued that Piper had misused John Owen. In this post we consider that charge. Here is the particular Owen quotation…
Photo by Amber Weir on Unsplash . Attentive to the passing conversation and perhaps hearing the miraculous accounts of this man named Jesus, he unashamedly yells out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Would that not be your posture if you knew there was a man coming who could heal you of your…
And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer” (Mark 9:29). I’ve heard prayer defined and described in many ways. Here are several: You’ve probably heard several as well. In each of those definitions or descriptions, there’s an understanding that we need God, that He’s powerful, that He cares, that…
One simple observation from Mark 6: Those who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted, experience rejection, pushback, or opposition (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus reminds His audience and now reminds you and me as we read Mark 6 that even He experienced rejection — often this came from His own family. He makes…
When you hear the word chaos what comes to mind? Perhaps circumstances such as a raging tornado, the fires in Maui, the ongoing war in Ukraine, or maybe it’s a circumstance that hits closer to home, such as a dysfunction in the family, financial disarray, or something more innocuous like a child’s messy bedroom. Chaos…
In Mark 4:30-34 we read about the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Think about the process of a seed being planted and germinating into a tree. The seed needs to be planted in the soil. The seed could lay dormant for years but with the right amount of sunlight, temperature, and moisture something miraculous happens.…
Confession: I have a critical spirit at times. There are ugly moments in my life when I find myself identifying more with the religious leaders in the gospels than the people who come to Jesus, who are needy, helpless, and desirous of healing, acceptance, and love. At times, I completely miss the heart of Jesus…
Today is Mark 2. I’m actually preaching Mark 2:1-12 this Sunday at Graceland Church, specifically our New Albany campus so this passage has been on my mind. There is one observation that floods my mind whenever I read Mark 2 and it’s this: What should be MORE amazing is NOT the fact that Jesus told…
Photo by Felix Koutchinski on Unsplash A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11 Jesus-like wisdom makes us patient people and patient people are forgiving people. Instead of becoming irritated, wise, and patient people overlook the sins of others. Q: What does it mean to overlook the sin in other…
Theology Along the Way 