I am often asked—by skeptics, by agnostics, by atheists—how I could possibly believe Jesus rose from the dead. My answer? “There’s plenty of evidence that, yes, he did. He really did, literally and physically, walk out of his tomb.” In the past few years, though, I’ve reflected on a different question: Why does the resurrection [ Read More ]
The fifth line of the Lord’s Prayer is “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Now that we have hallowed God’s name and his intentions, relied on him for provision, and practiced gospel-centered forgiveness, we have begun “playing offense” in the world of spiritual warfare. However, we need also to “play defense.” [ Read More ]
Joe Anderson’s and Tim Nichols’ “Proclaim” is a biblically grounded and richly provocative essay offering great insight into the task of proclamation in our secular age. Given that Westerners have learned to manage life without reference to God, and that Christianity is now often considered implausible, unimaginable, and even reprehensible, our need to understand the task [ Read More ]
It’s an age-old question, made more relevant by the insistence of media outlets and political pundits: Should pastors directly address contemporary political issues? Some commentators argue that Christianity offers a moral framework that is directly relevant to policy issues and thus the pastor should speak to politics. At other times the argument is made that [ Read More ]
There is an epidemic that kills more people than obesity and has the same negative effect as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says it causes “an insidious type of stress” that can lead to chronic inflammation, heart disease, dementia, depression, and anxiety. This condition is no respecter of persons, afflicting [ Read More ]
Recently, the Pew Research Center published a study demonstrating Americans have difficulty distinguishing between fact and opinion. Only 26 percent of adults correctly identified five factual statements as such, and only 35 percent were able to do the same for five opinion statements. The research also found we’re significantly more likely to consider something “factual” rather than [ Read More ]
Please allow me to serve notice of a publishing event: Daniel Ritchie’s My Affliction for His Glory. I’ve known Daniel for almost twenty years now and have watched him wrestle with, and ultimately embrace, a unique form of adversity: Daniel was born without arms. Through a saving encounter with Christ, he realized that with worth [ Read More ]
The great American sociologist Philip Rieff (1922–2006) stands as one of the 20th century’s keenest intellectuals and cultural commentators. Rieff did sociology on a grand scale—sociology as prophecy—diagnosing the ills of Western society and offering a prognosis and prescription for the future. Although he was not a Christian, his work remains a great gift—even if [ Read More ]
Chrissy Teigen struck a nerve when she tweeted on Monday that she is “not good with” the Bible. Teigen, a supermodel, is married to singer John Legend, who will portray Jesus Christ in NBC’s forthcoming live rendition of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Just before visiting her husband on set, she took to Twitter, joking, “John said [ Read More ]
Early Wednesday morning, the Rev. Billy Graham passed away at age 99 at his home in Montreat, N.C. In response to the news of his passing, national and international leaders simultaneously grieved his death and celebrated his life. And for good reason. He should be remembered for his global reach, having preached live to approximately [ Read More ]