Recently I've seen several posts on FB, and several other comments on FB posts, that accuse prominent Christians (Rick Warren, Miroslav Volf) of teaching that the Allah of Islam and the Judeo-Christian Yahweh are the same. An aside: I should note here that I reject equating Allah with Yahweh.  The New Testament tells us that … Continue reading Allah = Yahweh?

There are a lot of things I do not know about preaching.  Here are a few things that I DO know, or think I know: FIRST: the best sermons are the ones where the preacher takes a single text--a verse, a paragraph, even a chapter--and explains what God is saying to the church through it.  … Continue reading Rules for Developing Sermons

Yesterday I came across two posts from Karl Vaters that speak to the generational divide that I first mentioned a few weeks ago, under "Church Culture and Church Planting". In the first post, he surveys the conflicts between younger and older believers and urges mature Christians to step up and become the models that younger … Continue reading Church Culture & the Generational Divide

IVP is publishing a new series of books that appear to be especially valuable for New Testament students, "A Week in the Life ..." These books are "historical novels," examining the lives of different groups of people from the first century: citizens of Rome (i.e., what it was like to live through a week on … Continue reading New Book Series: “A Week in the Life …”

From Perry: As my thoughts turn toward Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, I give thanks to God for the supporters of the Biblical Institute, their gifts and your prayers. They are the heroes who make the work in Croatia possible, and God is using their support to make a real impact here.  Because of them: … Continue reading Christmas Letter and Appeal

If you are a pastor, preacher, leader, or creator, the following podcasts can change your life in a good way. 1. Seth Godin's Akimbo: Godin has a brilliant, unique perspective on most aspects of the pastor's work.  He talks a lot about how we think about problems, how societal factors affect the decisions we make, … Continue reading Podcasts You Should Know

What does John mean when he says “God is light”? 1. God is honest.  We don’t have to worry that he is trying to trick us.  He is honest and straightforward.  He doesn’t deceive people.  He keeps his promises. In the Graeco-Roman world, this would have been a shocking claim, a novel idea: an honest … Continue reading Outline for Advent Sermon: “God Is Light” (1 Jn 1.5)