Category: faith and learning

Cliff Notes: The Lost Art of Bible Study In The Church (Part 3)

In the first post in this series I spent some time discussing the dangers of Bible-lite, that phenomenon when Christians substitute secondhand study of God's word for actual Bible study. In the second, I talked about some of the consequences of Bible-lite. Today, however, I'll be putting on my professor hat to offer some solutions to the problem. If you struggle with studying the Bible (or even with wanting to study the Bible!), there is both help and hope. [Click title to read more].

The Spontaneity and Joy Of Christian Freedom

In the Old Testament, God had a miles-long list of instructions for the building in which His presence would dwell; in the New Testament, He has two paragraphs for the believers in whom He dwells. Such a command seems simple, sometimes too simple, and sometimes it goes against our instinct to complicate things. [Click title to read more.]

As A Christian, Doing Your Best Is Not The Exception. It’s The Rule.

God obviously doesn't expect that every Christian will be a CEO or a straight-A student or first chair violin in the orchestra. But he does expect wholehearted effort, exemplary behavior, and diligent work: the fundamental elements, in other words, of a good student, a good worker, a good citizen. [Click title to read more.]

Speaking In Tongues: How Foreign Language Study Can Benefit The Church

Jesus never spoke a word of English; Christians today speak a multitude of languages. And yet the language we speak, regardless of what we speak, is a gateway to understanding: know someone's language and you know a little bit of their culture, their life, and their worldview. And it's with that thought in mind I want to discuss the benefits of foreign language study within the church. [Click title to read more.]

An Introvert’s Confession Pt. 2: How To Fix The Problems In Church “Small Groups”

Small groups propose to be different from "Sunday School" in that they are about experiencing life together, about Christians banding together in tiny tribes to work with and love each other. And if that is so, then small group life needs to extend beyond the once-a-week commitment many are willing to give to it - either that, or we need to stop pretending it's something more noble or life-enhancing than a once-a-week-study. [Click title to read more.]

Building A Bridge Between Faith And Academia: Three Thoughts

If you watch the news or listen to enough general talk, you'll hear this: that academics think Christians are fusty, backwards, ignorant folk who are anti-science and anti-education and anti-learning, and that Christians think academics are liberal secularists bent on annihilating Christianity as we know it. As always, the most popular narrative isn't always the correct one. [Click title to read more.]