Tag Archives: Gospel

I’m A Slow Learner

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I’m slowly learning that my heart is too easily affected by all the wrong things, yet it remains stubbornly hard precisely where I need it to be soft. I’m slowly learning that after 32 years, I still don’t know myself nearly as well as I should. I’m slowly learning that I don’t have nearly the platform with people that I once thought I did; an authoritative voice is earned over the long haul. I’m slowly learning that the louder I speak on peripheral issues, the quieter my voice becomes when calling people to the centre. I’m slowly learning that I’m Continue reading →

680 News and Theology of Law

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One news headline caught my attention today. This is what it said: Junction neighbourhood bully gets more jail time for harassment The headline caught my attention not because it’s the biggest news story of the day, but because I have friends and family who live and work in this area, so it was a matter of concern for me. The story is relatively mundane (hey, it’s life in the Junction!), but one line in particular startled me. When speaking of the ‘neighbourhood bully’ who has been forced by the courts to move, one man offered this profound theological insight: “The Continue reading →

Heroes, Villains, and Inconsistency

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My wife, the ever-astute-observer-of-everything, made a very interesting observation the other day while we were watching TV (which, of course, preaches truth unwittingly). Her observation was simple but profound: There is a large dichotomy between the way our culture counsels people in our day-to-day lives and what our culture values in the heroes of our stories. In this particular instance we were watching the show Jericho. The contrast between the heroes and villains is stark: the heroes sacrifice themselves for others while the villains and creeps only care about themselves. While we witnessed this in Jericho, it’s a pretty safe Continue reading →

Netflix, Patience, Parenting, and the Gospel

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The other day Stacey and I had some family friends over. Since the day was hot and the kids had been outside for the whole day we wanted to give them some ‘down time’ in the basement, where it was cool and they could calm down for a little. I suggested a couple of the DVDs that we had, but there was no consensus among the children. Then one of the kids just said, ‘Let’s watch something on Netflix!’ I don’t know why it surprised me. After all, our own kids watch things on Netflix fairly regularly, but coming from Continue reading →

Plagiarizing God

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We are copycats. In one sense, we can’t help it. We were created to be image bearers, reflecting the likeness of the one who designed us. But you don’t have to live long before you learn that there are respectable kinds of copying and there are dishonest kinds. If I’m writing out a thought, for example, and cite the authors and sources that inspired me, I honour them. If, however, I use someone else’s work and don’t give them credit then I am an idea-thief and I dishonour the original writer. Gospel on Prime-Time TV Hasn’t it ever struck you Continue reading →

Measuring Sin

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Is it good to take stock of our sin? Should we meditate on it and measure it against God and against the sins of others? Is it right to pay that much attention to sin? I think the answer is both yes and no, depending on how you do it. Measuring Against God The kingdom is given to those who are poor in spirit, humble, broken, mourning, and contrite over their sin (Matt 5.3-5). This only comes from rightly evaluating yourself before the throne of a holy God. Before we find any good in the gospel, we must find the Continue reading →