Functional Diversity in the Church
There is a lot of discussion about diversity and identity today, both in the wider culture and among Christians. Unfortunately, such discussions often are not… Read More »Functional Diversity in the Church
Articles
Browse articles on various topics below.
Equality and Distinctions
Those who believe in cosmic justice are actually at war with nature. If you desire to have all people have absolutely equal opportunities (as in… Read More »Equality and Distinctions
Thoughts on Local Church Membership, Then and Now
The body of Christ is something bigger than the local church, and believers should in theory be able to serve at one church just as… Read More »Thoughts on Local Church Membership, Then and Now
Bible Narratives Devotional, Week 43: Holy Week
Week 43: Holy Week Weekly memory verse: John 11:25 – “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me,… Read More »Bible Narratives Devotional, Week 43: Holy Week
Grappling With Grief
Don Odens The phone rang at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 13, 2008. The voice on the other end belonged to the male nurse who… Read More »Grappling With Grief
Tozer on great Christian poetry
In the preface to his Christian Book of Mystical Verse, A. W. Tozer writes, The hymns and poems found in here are mystical in that they… Read More »Tozer on great Christian poetry
The New Song
In Psalm 96, David emphasized, through various poetic devices, the necessity of singing confidently about the Lord’s reign, even though it is not yet a… Read More »The New Song
New Testament Instruction on Congregational Singing: An Examination of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 (Part 3 of 3)
This post is the last of three in this brief series on congregational singing, and the points below are conclusions made from an examination of… Read More »New Testament Instruction on Congregational Singing: An Examination of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 (Part 3 of 3)
Bible Narratives Devotional, Week 42: Parables of the Kingdom
Week 42: Parables of the Kingdom Weekly memory verse: Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”… Read More »Bible Narratives Devotional, Week 42: Parables of the Kingdom
A Long Goodbye: Part Two
Don Odens My wife’s casket was before me as I stood at the pulpit to present a tribute and the funeral sermon for the love… Read More »A Long Goodbye: Part Two
Undiscerning Discernment
One of the ways you make your mark in the online discernment ministry world is by “outing” a popular and generally reliable pastor or Bible… Read More »Undiscerning Discernment
Parallelism in Psalm 96
Last week we looked at several aspects of how various poetic devices were used in Psalm 96 to shape the content and form the singer… Read More »Parallelism in Psalm 96
New Testament Instruction on Congregational Singing: An Examination of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 (Part 2 of 3)
Last week, we begin this short series by looking at Ephesians 5:19 with a view towards learning how to worship with singing and music in… Read More »New Testament Instruction on Congregational Singing: An Examination of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 (Part 2 of 3)
Bible Narratives Devotional, Week 41: The Light of the World
Week 41: The Light of the World Weekly memory verse: 2 Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has… Read More »Bible Narratives Devotional, Week 41: The Light of the World
A Long Goodbye: Part One
Don Odens I stood at the pulpit to present a tribute and the funeral sermon for the love of my life, my wife of fifty-three… Read More »A Long Goodbye: Part One
May a Baptist (or any other Protestant) sing Catholic hymns?
A critic recently approached me about our hymnal and rebuked us for (among other things) including hymns written by Catholics in our hymnal. It is… Read More »May a Baptist (or any other Protestant) sing Catholic hymns?
How Poetry Forms Us
Singing both helps us express right affections to God in response to God’s character and works, and it also helps to form those affections when… Read More »How Poetry Forms Us
New Testament Instruction on Congregational Singing: An Examination of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 (Part 1 of 3)
Note: This post is the first of a three-part series. This post examines Ephesians 5:19, the next post examines Colossians 3:16, and the final post… Read More »New Testament Instruction on Congregational Singing: An Examination of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 (Part 1 of 3)
Bible Narratives Devotional, Week 40: True Repentance and Faith in Christ
Week 40: True Repentance and Faith in Christ Weekly memory verse: John 6:40 – “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who… Read More »Bible Narratives Devotional, Week 40: True Repentance and Faith in Christ
Knowing God’s Will: Part Nine
Kevin T. Bauder Years ago I began an unsuccessful career in sales. My manager warned me that I would have to learn to help people… Read More »Knowing God’s Will: Part Nine