Wes McAdams's Blog, page 6

Do Not Presume to Have the Authority of Jesus When Rebuking Others

As followers of Jesus, we believe we must not only follow his instructions, but also follow his example. The New Testament teaches us to be kind, patient, and gentle. It teaches us to turn the other cheek and bless those who persecute us. However, we also read that Jesus turned over tables and called people a “brood of vipers.” How do we reconcile this? Does Jesus’ harsh criticism and rebuke of evildoers justify us being harsh and critical? Here are some things I think we should seriously consid...

Whatever Happened to Christians Having a Reputation for Being Reasonable?

I’ve been struggling with how to say these things for some time now. I have intentionally refrained from writing much this year, because there has just been so much noise and I didn’t want to add to that noise. But I cannot remain silent any longer. It is past time for me to warn my brothers and sisters, whom I love dearly, that the reputation of the church is suffering irreparable harm. I want to encourage every follower of Jesus to consider seriously these words from Philippians 4:5, “Let your...

My Favorite New Feature in Logos Bible Software

Our friends at Faithlife just released an updated version of Logos Bible Software. They graciously gave me a copy of Logos 9 so I could review it and share my thoughts with all of you. I have previously shared how Logos Bible Software can transform your Bible study, but today I want to share my favorite new feature in Logos 9.

What’s New in Logos 9

There have been several upgrades made to the software, but is not dramatically different from the previous version. Here are some of the new additio...

3 Problems with Christian Defeatism

Christian defeatism responds to issues like racism, injustice, and poverty with statements like, “This will always be a problem. It will never be solved. So, why keep talking about it?” Whenever issues of sin and brokenness arise, you will likely hear some level of Christian defeatism. While there may be a measure of truth in defeatist statements, the attitude itself is highly problematic.

Misusing Scripture

I’m quite certain someone is preparing to quote Matthew 26:11 to me, “For you always h...

5 Paradoxes that Shape Christian Life

A paradox is something that seems contradictory, but further consideration reveals harmony rather than contradiction. A paradox naturally has tension, two ideas pulling in different directions or two ideas counter-balancing one another. When we encounter a paradox, our first inclination is often to resolve the tension or give greater weight to one idea over the other. Sadly, we often fail to embrace life-changing truth because we’re uncomfortable with important paradoxes like these.

1. Lament a...

Individualism and Collectivism: How the Gospel Challenges Both

Whether it is debates about same sex marriage, abortion, welfare, pandemic lockdowns, or social justice, Christians often find themselves right in the middle of a culture war. It can often be confusing and frustrating when others don’t see things the same way. It may even seem like we’re all speaking different languages or see the world through a different set of lenses. I want to suggest that some reflection about “individualism” and “collectivism” might help us better understand one another. M...

How to Recognize Today’s False Prophets

Certainly charlatan preachers and so-called “faith healers,” who cheat, steal, and fool people in the name of God should be called “false prophets.” But perhaps they’re not the only false prophets in our society. Perhaps many of our false prophets are more secular in nature. Perhaps they write books, host television and radio programs, and spread “prophecies” cleverly disguised as political commentary. How do we recognize these false prophets?

Prophets & False Prophets

When we think of a prophe...

Is Preaching the Gospel Enough to Defeat Racism?

There has been some great discussion recently about whether or not “just preaching the Gospel” is enough to address the issue of racism. Some say it isn’t enough to preach the Gospel, that we need to do more to address racism. Others say it isn’t the church’s place to deal with social issues and we need to focus our attention on spiritual issues. I want to share some thoughts on this very important question.

What is Racism?

In the church, one of the greatest obstacles to unity and understanding...

We Must Be Careful Not to Bear False Witness

A few preacher friends and I were recently discussing our concerns with some of the current trends we’ve seen during this pandemic. One of the concerning trends is the support many Christians have given to what might be described as, “conspiracy theories.” From my perspective, one of the biggest problems with supporting a conspiracy theory is the tendency people have to bear false witness. What does it mean to bear false witness and how do conspiracy theories thrive on this very serious sin? Let...

5 Tips for Participating in Online Worship

Because of the COVID-19 lockdown, many congregations have been forced to temporarily transition to live streaming worship, rather than gathering in person. Which means, for the time being, most of us find ourselves sitting on our couches and around our kitchen tables participating in worship from home on Sunday mornings. If that is the case for you and your family, here are five suggestions and tips for participating in online worship.

1. Dont Be a Spectator, Be a Participant

Now, more than...