"I'm Not a Calvinist/Baptist/Etc, I Follow Jesus"

If we want to “follow Jesus” then it makes no sense to shun His Body the church. That is why Paul says that it makes no sense for a husband to treat his wife badly, because it is like treating one’s self badly. What this means is that following the church is how we follow Jesus. Sure, things can get messy but then again the incarnation was messy. God isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, you might remember that’s how we all got here in the first place (Genesis 2:7).

Now and Then

You see, I like oldies. I cut my musical teeth on the hits from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. In our home my parents preferred Easy Listening, but my friends listened to Top 40. Needless to say, I learned to appreciate a wide variety from both sides.

Incarnation & New Creation

Eschatology must submit to the story of Scripture and follow the story as it leads us to Christ. Too often eschatology (and theology in general) has abandoned the narrative of scripture. This can only lead to confusion and ultimately away from Christ.

Reading the Bible as a Literary Person

Unfortunately, it is this type of pragmatic unliterariness that so pervades many Christians’ approach to the Bible. By and large, the modern Christian church has become a temple to the gods of pragmatism. More often than not, your typical non-denominational worship box has just started a new series on “9 Steps to a Gospel Centered Marriage” or a “Kingdom Finances Series.” The hidden message behind these texts is that Christianity can solve your problems.

C.S. Lewis on Being a Literary Person

No doubt there are many morals and messages held in the great works of literature. However, to approach a work of literature with the sole intention of mining these things is to approach literature as an unliterary person. In the case of the literary person, they approach a great work with the main intention to sit under the author’s tutelage. In this posture they receive from the author what the author is offering. What the literary person finds is that the author is offering much more than the unliterary person could ever imagine.

Intentionally Being Intentional About Intentionality

I am far from a perfect covenant parents. Instead, I call to mind the promises of God and try to communicate them to my children faithfully. The whole time recognizing that our efforts are analogous to 1) "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24) or 2) "We have only five loaves and two fish" (Matt 14:17).