Category Archives: Jesus

Wrath, Judgment, and Love

John Wesley said that the only requirement to join the Methodist Societies – the movement was not yet a “church” at that time – was a “desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to be saved from their … Continue reading

Posted in Assurance, Atonement, Jesus, John Wesley, Love, Salvation, United Methodism | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Love, Jesus, and the Bible

I saw this cartoon on Facebook this morning and found it stimulating. First thought: Who are the people in the picture? Reading left to right, as we do in English, we see five people who are dressed in modern western … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Culture, Hermeneutics, Jesus, Language, Liberalism, Love, Philosophy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Spirit of the Disciplines

Christians say, “Jesus is Lord.” But how do we become the kind of people who live as if this is true? Willard addresses this and related questions in chapter 2 as he explains the logical force of Christian disciplines.

Posted in Dallas Willard, Discipleship, Jesus, Spirituality | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Problem of Truth

You’ve probably heard the claim, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” You may not have heard that claim in its context. In John 8:31-32 Jesus is speaking to some people who “had believed him” … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Discipleship, Jesus | Tagged | Leave a comment

God Among the Sages

Note: I received this book for free from Baker Book Bloggers in exchange for writing a review. In the strand of the Christian tradition in which I am a part, our main focus is on Jesus as Savior. All humans are … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Jesus | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

(not) Enlisting Jesus as Our Political Trump Card

If you’re a Christian, you know Jesus is really important. We who claim to be his disciples think we ought to listen to him, follow him, and obey him. We ought to do what he did. One of our current … Continue reading

Posted in Current events, Health Care, Jesus, Politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Heaven’s Flames & Hell’s Gates

For several years now, I’ve seen churches hosting a dramatic presentation called Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames. The one I went to focused on the horrors of hell, the uncertainty of life – we could die any moment, and the … Continue reading

Posted in God, Jesus, Salvation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

All Are Winnable

One of my fundamental convictions is that everyone is winnable. “How unrealistic,” many of you would say. I’ll reluctantly agree with you. But so what? Why should I value being realistic over considering people winnable? In John 4, we see … Continue reading

Posted in Evangelism, Jesus, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Feeling Close to God

“If you don’t feel as close to God as you used to, guess who moved?” When preachers ask this question, the answer is obvious. After all, we continually preach the love of God. God is persistent. God never gives up. … Continue reading

Posted in Assurance, Discipleship, Jesus, Spirituality, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Jesus’ Stories

Jesus told stories to (a) show people what the Kingdom of God was like, and (b) move that Kingdom forward. Following his lead, we commonly call these stories parables. Each parable tells us something important about the Kingdom. That is pretty … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Jesus, Preaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment