Thoughts on Becoming a Pastor (Again)
I have slept better in the last seven years as a non-pastor than I did the years previous. And as the three other recently voted-in elders and I took our pastoral oaths, I felt the heaviness settle back onto my shoulders. Not in an ominous or otherwise negative way; not at all. But simply as a sobering reminder of the noble task (1 Tim. 3:1).
The True and Better Leonardo
Just as a Leonardo worked on the Mona Lisa (and, in fact, many of his other paintings—he was a meticulous procrastinator and denier of deadlines), so too is God working on us all our lives.
The Narrow Circle Thine Own Life
When thou bendest thy knee in prayer to God, limit not thy petition to the narrow circle of thine own life, tried though it be, but send out thy longing prayers for the church’s prosperity, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” and thine own soul shall be refreshed.
More Than Eggheads in Ivory Towers: Three Reasons Why I Study Theology
If we want to experience change in our lives, we must know God. If this is true, then to experience change in our lives, we must study theology.
Remembering Gospel Truths Amidst Evil
Mass shootings are no longer rare events in our nation. Many will remember the shootings at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, Virginia Technical University on April 7, 2007, Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14, 2012, or at Parkland High School only 4 years ago. When these events occurred, there was shock among many […]
In the Depths? Help from Jonah 2
A single image, from my first few visits to London, is impressed on my mind: the view from the top of an escalator in the larger Underground Tube stations. I remember standing looking at this enormous moving stairway, tilted at a frightening angle, inching slowly but steadily into the depths of London’s underground. Imagine gazing […]
Nipping Gossip in the Bud
If we care not just about the reputations and well-being of our neighbors, but also the reputation of Christ’s body and the well-being of its members, we won’t give crooked speech an inch.
“Happy Incidents” from God
Let us review our own lives. Surely in these we may discover some happy incidents, refreshing to ourselves and glorifying to our God.
Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh: An Interview with Thomas S. Kidd
Thomas S. Kidd serves as research professor of Church History at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His latest book, Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh (Yale University Press, 2022), is a revelatory new biography of Thomas Jefferson, focusing on his ethical and spiritual life.
4 Thoughts on Spiritual Fatherhood
A spiritual father is not a guru. He doesn’t claim to have all the right answers. He just keeps pointing you to the One who does.