Several weeks ago Southern California was all over the national news as wildfires swept through the area, driven by the relentless Santa Ana winds. More than 1,000,000 people were forced to evacuate and thousands of buildings and homes were damaged or destroyed. One TMC employee lost his home and everything in it. Here’s something he … More Knick-Knacks, Wildfires, Need, and Eternity
Raw Christianity was born one year ago today. There’s a lot I’d like to say about the title and purpose of the blog and the range and power of the phrase “Raw Christianity.” But words have been failing lately. So I’ll say it with some words from a year ago. Everything below is still an aim and not … More Raw Christianity: One Year Later
O Lord, by the truth of your Word, and the power of your Spirit and the ministry of your body, build men and women at Bethlehem . . . Who don’t love the world more than God, who don’t care if they make much money, who don’t care if they own a house, who don’t … More “A Prayer for Our Church” by John Piper
Here are some approximate quotes from John Hannah’s lecture on Jonathan Edwards’ 1757 work The Great Doctrine of Original Sin Defended. The technical term for the doctrine of sin is “hamartiology,” from the Greek word hamartia). If there’s one doctrine that we instinctively revile or at least ignore, it’s this one. It devastates our perceived … More Wit and Wisdom from John Hannah (15)
Here are more loose, assorted quotes from John Hannah and his Winterim class that I took in January on the Life and Writings of Jonathan Edwards. These are from his lectures on three separate topics: (1) Edwards’ History of the Work of Redemption; (2) the “Communion Controversy” (which ended in Edwards’ dismissal from his pastorate); and … More Wit and Wisdom from John Hannah (14)
(Before you read too far, it might be good to answer the question for yourself. It’s worth thinking about.) This was the question I asked at a recent student leadership meeting. There were various answers given, and all had fair (yet different) reasons for their answers. I don’t think the answer is simple, though I do think it’s … More Should Everyone Be Passionate About Missions?
I was planning to preach on holiness at a summer retreat a few months ago but decided to change my topic a few weeks before the retreat. I had scribbled down some thoughts on a torn-out journal page, and that page has been sitting on my desk since mid-summer, waiting to be typed or discarded. … More Misconceptions About Holiness (1)
Half-hearted Christianity is the mark of the American church. We are infested with doctrinal compromise, cheap professions, nominal commitment, moral failure, and half-baked passion. No doubt most of you would agree. But I think that one of our biggest weaknesses in the conservative church is that we tend to think that these problems are limited … More What I’m Saying Tomorrow Morning
From time to time I find it personally helpful to type out a variety of thoughts that seem worth recording at least for my own personal benefit. Usually they are fairly disconnected except for the fact that every element of life is intertwined when related to God and His purposes. I record them together because there’s … More Some Recent Thoughts on Life, Eternity, Sacrifice, and Giving
I’m currently taking a two-week class on the theology of missions and hope to share a number of the things we’re discussing. Although Cindi and I have not yet discerned how God would have us spend the next season of life, my twenty hours of class this past week along with various reading assignments have … More Imitate Me? Thoughts on Humility and Paul’s Call to Imitation
Before, during, and after our recent three-week trip to Uganda, I’ve had a lot of thoughts about missions. So many, in fact, that most people think that Cindi and I are locked into being career missionaries (which isn’t true; we’re still deciding that). A lot of those thoughts coalesced a few days ago during a … More Thoughts on Missions and Missionaries
Like any journey to a significantly different culture, our trip to Uganda provided us with fresh (though cracked) lenses through which to see aspects of the American mindset. The lens is fresh because it’s tinted with an African shade that enables us to see American culture from a new perspective. And the lens is cracked … More Kingdom Culture
There are some people who do certain things so well and with such passion and excellence that they serve (at least to me) as a picture of how I want to live in all areas of life. You may not personally know some of the examples I’m about to give, but I’ll at least try to paint enough … More I Think That Everyone Should Live… (1)
The other day I heard that a friend’s relative was dying and would likely die soon. Later that morning I heard the news that he had died. He did not believe in Jesus. As hard as it is to know that someone is suffering physical misery in this life and as much as we may end up desiring … More The Hopelessness of Hell
One of the greatest maladies of the blogworld is the disease of clever-seeking. I’ve seen it in myself and I’ve seen it in others, but it’s unhealthy no matter where it’s found. What I’m talking about is the insatiable drive to say something witty and clever, something that catches people’s attention whether it’s balanced and … More The Scourge of Cleverness
At ends and at beginnings, my mind is usually overrun with thoughts about the past, present, and future; failures and successes; regrets and resolutions; time and eternity; and a lot more. This can be both good and bad. I thought about developing some thoughts about redeeming culture, specifically the custom of making New Year’s resolutions. But I … More Not About Me: Thoughts on a New Year
davidagundersen.com 