One Nation Under God
A Lie Told in School The Pledge of Allegiance was mandatory when I was in elementary school. We started each day reciting the song, and much of it is still engrained into my head. One line stands out in particular in our modern age, “One nation, under God.” With the rise of secularism, the killing […]
Monday Morning Musings, June 14th, 2021
Monday Morning Musings is a hodgepodge of contemplations as I begin a new week. Check-in on Monday morning to receive a myriad of thoughts from my vapid brain. Gaining Ground on (the effects of) COVID Several articles have been written describing the effects of the COVID pandemic on the church. If you are interested, here […]
Spiritual Gifts
It’s Not What You Think A couple of years ago, a high school teacher at a local Christian school asked me to come in and defend my position of the “spiritual gifts,” and in particular the revelatory gifts such as prophecy and speaking in tongues. He had heard through the grapevine that I am a […]
The Meaning of Words
Language and the Meaning of Words Language is essential for a society and for a group of people in society to function. For example, I speak English. I can order a cup of coffee, go to the bank, purchase rotors and brake pads for my truck at the auto parts store because of a shared […]
Divorce and Remarriage by Wayne Grudem – Book Review
There Is Nothing New Under the Sun…Or Is There? When it comes to biblical exegesis, hermeneutics, and theology, I am always leary when I hear something “new.” On the one hand, I support the advancement of scholarship in all of these areas. Anyone who has completed a Ph.D. realizes their dissertation is a new contribution to their […]
Baptism
Baptize the Babies! Shortly after April 25, 1981, my twin brother and myself were baptized at Saint Joe’s Catholic Church in Marion, Iowa. At our baptism, a priest took a little water and ran it over our foreheads (at least that is what I assume), and the priest committed our lives to the Catholic Church. […]
The Temptation to Antinomianism
The Beginning of Faith When I first became a Christian there was a fire lit in my soul. On Easter morning the church that I was attending had an invitation at the end to either give yourself to Christ for the first time or to rededicate yourself to the faith. Although I thought I was […]
Monday Morning Musings, May 31st, 2021
Monday Morning Musings is a hodgepodge of contemplations as I begin a new week. Check-in every Monday morning to receive a myriad of thoughts from my vapid brain. When COVID Came to the Powers House For several days the Powers family has been on COVID-19 lockdown. My wife and I tested positive for the Rona […]
The Lord’s Table
Spirit and Sacraments – Spirit and Sacraments by Andrew Wilson is a great book. I appreciate his focus on the sacraments of the church and the Holy Spirit. A while back, I took the three categories – the Lord’s Table, baptism, and the Holy Spirit – and created a short sermon series at Redemption Hill […]
Wait For It…
“Waiting is the Hardest Part” One of the many great songs by Tom Petty is called The Waiting. A lyric in the song is, waiting is the hardest part. For people, the lyrics are generally true—people do not like to wait. A perfect example of what I am getting is the time between an engagement and a wedding day. […]