This past Monday night a small group from the dorms came over to our place to spend some time together. They had asked me to share some of the dangers of life at the college. Before they came, I sat down in the living room to reflect, and wrote down nine dangers that come to … More Nine Temptations in Christian College Communities
Bob and Lynne Trout have been married for forty-seven years and have been missionaries for forty-three of those years (!). Bob currently serves as ABWE’s Executive Administrator for Spanish Speaking South America. He studied at Geneva College, Los Angeles Baptist Seminary, and Bob Jones University (D. Min. 1998). He met Lynne at Geneva College and they joined ABWE in … More Interview with Missionary Bob Trout
At TMC this week we’re enjoying the privilege of hearing capable theologian and church historian Stephen Nichols in chapel as we lead up to Reformation Day. One of the joys of my new position is the undeserved opportunity to spend time with visiting speakers. After chapel on Wednesday, the Student Life Directors enjoyed an informal brunch with … More Is This the Life You Would Choose?
This is a question I’ve asked myself more and more the older I’ve gotten. It grows more haunting as the years go by, perhaps because each passing year is a big step closer to actually meeting Him. Not that haunted is the only thing I feel when I anticipate meeting Jesus. But you get the point. … More Would I Like Jesus If I Met Him?
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! — Psalm 34:8 We prayed through Psalm 34 at a recent prayer meeting. Since then I have wanted to spend some time meditating on verse 8, and have decided to do it publically here. I am making these … More Taste and See That the Lord Is Good
Tom Krattenmaker doesn’t mind if Christianesque sports stars start their postgame interviews with general gratitude to a general god. But he does mind the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob being real, the Bible being true, and Jesus being King. And he does mind that athletes like Tim Tebow talk like it. In his recent … More Christian Athletes, Public Faith, and the Exclusivity of Jesus
I was grading several class assignments this afternoon. They included comments on Scripture passages that deal with spiritual gifts. Some were more general, some more specific. Some summarized broad truths found in the texts, and others dug deeper into the nuances. It struck me as I compared the scriptural passages to the summaries provided in … More Gold for Those Who Dig
I spent the last four days mostly horizontal, with a substantial and oscillating fever along with other assorted symptoms. I had plenty of time to think. My wife is a wonderful helper. She served Judah and me without complaint for the last five days. It is humbling to be served so graciously. The Lord’s timing is … More Thoughts from the Sickbed
This song has greatly encouraged and refreshed me this week since we sang it in chapel on Monday. Perhaps this (below) is a faint resemblance of what the heavenly assemblies will be like, with every tribe, tongue, people, and nation represented, with lives of holiness that will forever match the heat of our singing, and with Jesus … More Stronger
H. B. Charles, Jr. serves as Senior Pastor at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. He spoke in TMC’s chapel on Monday morning to launch us out on our annual Outreach Week, focusing on Psalm 119:97-104. I have realized over the years how blessed I am to gather together regularly with a Christian college … More Psalm 119:97-104
I have read parts of many books, which is to say that I have failed to finish many books. Three Cups of Tea is not one of them. Greg Mortenson grew up as an American missionary kid in Tanzania, became a poor mountain climber spending his spare time in the Bay Area, failed quite colossally in … More Three Cups of Tea
Shortly after Saul was killed on Mount Gilboa, David was made king and immediately began to establish his kingdom (1 Chronicles 11:1-8). The Chronicler then records, “David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him” (11:9). The first immediate evidence given to demonstrate how God blessed and supported David is the mass of trained, committed, fierce, … More Valiant Men
I recently preached a sermon from an Old Testament narrative passage. Along the way, I came across a helpful section of an article by Daniel Block entitled “Tell Me the Old, Old Story: Preaching the Message of Old Testament Narrative.”* Block attempts to bring clarity to the age-old question, “How does one preach from biblical … More Preaching Old Testament Narratives, and the Danger of the “Homiletical Hermeneutic”
It is surprisingly easy to lose Christ. Somehow, in the mix of schedules and priorities and programs and meetings and burdens and anxieties and responsibilities, the person we love and who so loves us gets lost. It’s ironic that the blanket of good things that covers and warms our lives also tends to suffocate our … More Losing Christ
If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day … More A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
The “problem of evil” has been debated for centuries. How can God allow evil and suffering to go on in the world? If He rules the world, why is there so much pain? Did He create evil? Or did He just allow it to exist (and how does that work)? Is evil under His control? … More The Problem of Mercy
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