Hollywood’s Hell

by in - , , ,
Most people get their theological education from Hollywood. Show of hands—how many people think that Satan is the boss of hell? You know the image. It’s played as a joke—hell is where Satan rules, and the name of the game is torturing people. That’s his job and demons are his underlings.  For example, that’s the premise of the recent show, The
read more

Are You Cross Wise?

by in - , , ,
There has been confusion for twenty years now concerning what Zane Hodges wrote about the cross and resurrection. In 1999 at our national conference, he delivered two messages on how to lead a person to Christ. In those messages he said that believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose bodily from the dead does not mean that
read more

Irresistible by Pastor Andy Stanley

by in -
Normally when I review books, I am confident that I understand the author’s main point. In the case of Irresistible by Andy Stanley, I am confident I understand at least a few of his main points.   It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what Andy Stanley is and is not saying on many points.   Let me begin with what
read more

No Man Is an Island (Romans 14:1-26)

by in - , , , ,
In 1624 English poet John Donne wrote a poem whose first line reads, “No man is an island entire of itself…” He went on in the same short poem to write, “any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”   Donne was
read more

Are You Saved by Reciting the Apostles’ Creed?

by in - , , ,
Question  Is there a difference between intellectual assent and saving faith? Take, for example, the very many churches each Sunday which have the entire congregation recite the Apostle’s Creed. What percentage of those persons who recite orally the Apostles Creed are saved? Is reciting the Creed orally or silently a guarantee that one has saving faith? Isn’t
read more

Christian Testimonies

by in
Anybody who grew up in any kind of church setting has probably heard hundreds of testimonies. A testimony is the account a person relates of how he or she became a believer. Recently, I was with a group of missionaries, and we were all asked to give our own personal testimony.  If you are like me, you have experienced that these times of sharing follow a
read more