Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
In addition to the seven main classical virtues of the Christian tradition, there is at least one other Christian virtue that is vitally important for Christians to develop: integrity. Integrity means being honest, being consistent, being true to one’s convictions, and being true to who you are. For Christians, of course, “being true to who … Read more
Church Discipline and Individualism Along with the preaching of God’s word and the administration of the sacraments, church discipline is one of the three marks of the church. Without it, there cannot be a genuine community of Christian disciples. Both Jesus (Matt 15:18-20) and the apostle Paul (I Cor 5:1-13, 2 Thess 3:6-14) clearly teach … Read more
According to the New Testament, the church is God’s holy covenant people. It is the family of God. It is the community of Jesus’s disciples. It is the body of Christ. It is the redeemed and renewed humanity, the firstfruits of God’s new creation. When we look at the church as it exists today and … Read more
An Emotion Contemporary Christian worship music is typically light on theological doctrine. Rather than focusing on instructing the congregation in theological truth and reinforcing that knowledge, it tends to focus on producing a certain emotional state in the congregation. Music is one of the most powerful influencers of human emotion, and Christian music composers know … Read more