Chris Castaldo, pastor for outreach and church planting at College Church in Wheaton, has just written a fascinating new book on what it means for a Catholic to become an evangelical Christian. It’s called Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a former Catholic. (more…)
I’ve been on the rampage about lousy arguments—arguments that get used and abused without any reflection on the validity of the argument. A friend at church on Sunday reminded me about another particularly heinous example that is employed all too regularly: the ‘you don’t know my pain’ defence. (more…)
It’s kind of funny the way the English language dates. How my pot (which is made from stainless steel) could call my kettle (which is constructed from high quality white plastic now beiged with age) black is a mystery that I’m sure my children could ponder without resolution for some time. Nevertheless, the saying persists as another one of those lousy arguments that get better with age.
It’s right up there with “Get that log out of your own eye” and “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”. Both of these (rather like our proverbial water boiling appliances) are excellent pieces of godly advice, but hopeless ethical arguments. Before you lynch me for speaking about the Bible like this, let me explain.
When Dave Cunynghame was asked to join a church planting team that was aiming to reach the disadvantaged suburb of Berkeley, little did he know what God had in store. (more…)
The prophet Ezekiel says some awful things about idolatry and its similarity with prostitution (Ezekiel 23). Israel is described as a whoring wife for worshipping other gods. Surprisingly, in an age when pole dancing is a hobby, I suspect his language would still manage to offend modern sensibilities. It made me wonder what the 21st-century prophet of humanist individualism might say… (more…)
Paul Grimmond speaks to Mark Charleston of the Sydney Anglican Department of Ministry Training and Development about his reflections on the issues involved in choosing to move from one ministry to another (MP3).
If someone asked you to teach your church about the Holy Spirit, where would you go in the Bible? And when was the last time you taught, or were taught, about the work of the Holy Spirit?
I have a friend who has an adolescent daughter. Surprisingly, there are moments when the relationship is more rocky-road than dairy milk, if you follow me. As he described his current set of frustrations, it suddenly occurred to me that adolescence is the new black.
It’s easier to do dark than light. Angst seems stronger than joy. Evil is more exciting than good. And so the preacher has a problem: how do you convey the riches of heaven and the glory and goodness of God?
Some doctrines are better than other ones. Some are more flexible; some are better at offence; some at defence. Some are just great at covering sinfulness.
What is goodness? What does it mean that God is good? Do we really believe in a good God, and if we do, how can we even begin to talk to other people about him? Paul Grimmond investigates. (more…)
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