Kevin DeYoung's Blog, page 206

Hezekiah and Heroes

Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. (2

Chronicles 31:20)

Many of us learned the Old Testament as a collection of stories about famous people we should be like instead of a single story about what God is like.  That error is called moralism.  Thus, we learned: be nice to your siblings like Joseph, be courageous like Daniel, and face your giants like David.  These are well-meaning applications but don't get at the...

Prop 8 Got Struck Down, Now What?

As you all know by now, last week a judge in California overturned Proposition 8, the voter approved legislation that defined marriage as between a man and a woman. This has once again thrown the spotlight on gay marriage and the debate over homosexuality in our culture.

I don't have anything new to say about Prop 8 and the importance of marriage, nor do I feel the need to repeat the biblical arguments for monogamous heterosexuality. But I've been thinking about the future challenges facing...

In Case You're Interested

The sermons at University Reformed Church are now available in video as well as audio. Just click on the "Watch" tab under each sermon.

Don't you love the freeze frame shot.

Our History Explains Something and Causes Nothing

It has become natural for most of us to explain our present character by exploring our past experiences. This is especially true when our character is deficient in some way. If we are overly meek and passive, it's because we did not receive enough affirmation as a child. If we can't relate to men, it's because our father was distant. If we frequently lash out in anger, even with violence, it's because we were picked on in the classroom.

Now obviously our past is not insignificant. A good...

I Must Be Getting Old

…because I just used a gift certificate to buy one of these:

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Ab Toner is a bit optimistic. I really need to start with an Ab  Finder.

Monday Morning Humor

(Note: I had given up on Fail Blog until I noticed that it now has a G-rated version that filters out the riff-raff. Nice improvement.)

Wise words from an unidentified roofing worker

Very romantic.

Not sure what you're thinking Santa Cruz

Lessons in Greatness

Today is the induction ceremony for several new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Among the new inductees is Jerry Rice, former wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers and the greatest to ever play his position.

Here is a fascinating article about Rice's fanatical devotion to practice and the 49ers' assistant equipment manager who had the perseverance to throw him pass after pass after pass (and the humility to draw Nike swooshes on Rice's taped up shoes).

In his 18 seasons with the...

A Feeble Fluency

A word of warning for preachers, politicians, and the personally charming:

"Above all things beware of letting your tongue outrun your brains. Guard against a feeble fluency, a garrulous prosiness, a facility of saying nothing…My brethren, it is a hideous gift to possess, to be able to say nothing at extreme length."

Charles Spurgeon in Lectures to My Students)

Growing Old Ungracefully

Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time. the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people. (2 Chronicles 16:10)

[image error]Most of us will grow old.  Only some of us will do it gracefully.

2 Chronicles 16:10-14 record the last stubborn days of a great king.  Asa was a grumpy old man.  His major offense?  He got a disease in his feet and didn't ask the...

A Brief Wrap Up on The Poor and Social Justice

In my post two weeks ago on Luke 4 I linked to a host of posts (ooh, that rhymed) on poverty and social justice. As you can tell by now, I've been writing to counteract a tendency among some Christians to misread the pertinent texts. I've also been concerned that when talking about the poor and social justice some Christians speak of ministry priorities instead of ministry possibilities and global responsibilities instead of global opportunities. The difference between a possibility and a...