Two Takeaways from the Las Vegas Massacre
On Sunday night, the deadliest mass shooting by a single individual in US history was perpetrated. We still have a lot of questions. Why did this happen? Does the shooter have any affiliations? How can we prevent a scenario like…
An Introduction to Psalm 119
The 119th Psalm is probably my favorite section of Scripture. Over the years, I have spent hundreds of hours poring over its contents. It is a Psalm that, as Matthew Henry would say, will either ‘warm’ a man’s love to…
12 Questions for Spiritual Self-Examination
The following 12 questions, by John Fletcher of Madeley, were first composed in the 18th century. Even today, they are useful as you examine your spiritual life. While self-examination is not something that modern Christians are often taught, it is…
Four Modern Myths about Ancient Eras
The past was very different. No one would disagree with that. Even people who know little about the past (think: most modern Americans) understand that the past was different. What they don’t understand is how different things once were. I…
George Washington’s Advice to Young Men
The following is a letter from George Washington to his nephew, George Steptoe Washington. While written to a single individual, it contains advice that would be valuable for many young men. Washington wrote in an eloquent (we would say ‘unnecessarily…
‘The Way’ in Mark’s Gospel
Mark, the shortest of the four Gospels, is a remarkable literary creation. As it follows the life of Jesus, the ‘Son of Man’ is gradually revealed to be the ‘Son of God’ with an extraordinary power over the physical and…
John Owen’s Approach to Contrary Views
In this selection from John Owen (1616-1683), the Puritan theologian describes how he approached theological viewpoints different to his own. While this example uses the question of church governance (‘presbyterian’ versus ‘independent’), Owen’s approach is useful whenever we find ourselves…
Paul Visits the Modern Church
What would happen if Paul visited the modern American evangelical church? This brief excerpt from No Place for Truth: Or, Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology by David Wells presents one possible scenario: “We can only guess how well the apostle Paul…
Mark: An Introduction to His Gospel
The shortest of the four Gospels, Mark, is also perhaps the earliest. It contains a fast-paced narrative of Jesus powerful works, presenting an intensely human Messiah who wields remarkably divine power. Surprisingly, Mark is also one of the most neglected…
The Three ‘P’s of American Exceptionalism
One day, I decided to answer the question: “What makes America different?” Do we have any distinctive viewpoints or characteristics that we can offer to the world? In other words, what makes America more than a place on the map?…
