Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 355

Links I Like

ThePastoral Practicality Of Law-Gospel Theology

Tullian Tchividjian:

Our church was recently hit with a high-ranking moral tragedy. It was discovered that a staff member (and close friend) was engaging in marital infidelity. I was both shocked and saddened. I didn’t see it coming. None of us did. Of all the crises I’ve faced and had to deal with over the last 17 years of pastoral ministry, this was a first for me. I have dealt on numerous occasions with husbands and wives in the throes of an ex...

If I Were the Devil…

One of the most common—and frustrating—reasons I hear many Christians offer for not reading their Bibles is, “The Bible’s too hard to understand.” But there are tons of other excuses we make for how we approach (or rather, don’t) the Scriptures. Some pastors have seemingly given up preaching the BIble. Many Christians debate the extent of the Bible’s truthfulness and authority. On and on I could go. But where do these ideas come from, ultimately?

According to J.I. Packer, from no less a source...

Links I Like

Fear and Loathing in Las Vagueness

Mike Reeves:

If we are content to watch the church go its own sweet way with just the occasional lick of devotional paint and the odd sponging-down of how we do things, then we can afford to leave theology alone. But if we want to see a true refreshing, a true renewal, a true Reformation of the church, then a deepening theology of the gospel is the only way forward.

The Acts of the Holy Spirit

Enjoy this great info graphic from the Good Book Company offering a t...

Don’t Ask the Wrong Question

Sometimes when I look at the world’s problems—especially the problem of poverty and the need to care for the poor—I find myself asking the question, “Am I doing enough?” But in my study of the Scriptures, I’ve come to the conclusion that this may not be the right question. In fact, it might be exactly the wrong one. Here’s what I mean:

“Doing enough” can be overly simplistic. One problem with “doing enough” is that it tends to focus us on the wrong goal. We pick a dollar amount, or an income p...

Links I Like

Registration Open for TGC 2013 National Conference

Ben Peays:

The Gospel Coalition is pleased to announce thatregistration is now openfor the 2013 national conference in Orlando, Florida. Thefive-day eventwill run April 6 to 10, including a weekend conference on world missions and three-day main conference focused on the mission of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke (Monday through Wednesday). Both events will be held atRosen Shingle Creekin Orlando, Florida. You are encouragedto attend them together,...

Rejoice! The Lord is More Patient Than Us

Today’s post is by Andrew Hall. Andrew is the Lead Pastor of Community Bible Church in Ilderton, Ontario (a small community just outside of London). He and his wife, Melanie, have been married for over 13 years and have four kids. Andrew studied at Providence College University in Otterburne, MB and received my M.Div from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, and blogs atcruciformity.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewWHall.

Have a headache? Pop a liquid gel caplet and...

Links I Like

5Things Love Isn’t

Daniel Darling:

Perhaps there is nothing the human heart craves more than true love. We are wired to love and be loved. The problem is that we don’t actually understand what love really is. We get all kinds of definitions from the culture and from our own feelings.

In fact, I think it’s helpful to think a little bit, not about what loveisbut what loveisn’t.So here are five things love isn’t.

Isthe God of Calvinism a Moral Monster?

Justin Taylor in a deleted scene from the upcomi...

Backpedaling and Public Christianity

Russell Moore’s had enough of Pat Robertson.And frankly, I don’t blame him.

Over the last several years, Robertson’s repeatedly brought shame to himself and to the larger evangelical community for his increasingly thoughtless and foolish remarks, the most recent being his response to a woman who sent in a question on how to respond to a man who refused to marry her because she had adopted internationally.

I’m no fan of public controversy within evangelicalism. Controversy rarely, if ever, bring...

Links I Like

SuperheroFilms and Human Longing

Brandon Smith:

I wasnearlyeight years of age when I rose early on a Saturday morning to watch the premiere ofMighty Morphin’Power Rangers. MyTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfascination was coming to a close and I needed a new fix. The Red Ranger was the fearless leader, and my friends and I would argue over who would pretend to be him and who would get stuck as the nerdy Blue Ranger. (Of course, back in my day, we went outside to play!)On top of that, I loved superh...

Trinity and Redemption: Standing or Falling Together

Every redeemed soul, knowing himself reconciled with God through His Son, and quickened into newness of life by His Spirit, turns alike to Father, Son and Spirit with the exclamation of reverent gratitude upon his lips, “My Lord and my God!” If he could not construct the doctrine of the Trinity out of his consciousness of salvation, yet the elements of his consciousness of salvation are interpreted to him and reduced to order only by the doctrine of the Trinity which he finds underlying and g...