Three Meals, Two Covenants, One Kingdom

Two chicken-fried steaks with gravy and sliced onions. A triple-patty bacon cheeseburger. Cheese omelet with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos. A bowl of fried okra and ketchup. One pound of barbecued meat with half a loaf of white bread. Three fajitas. A meat lovers pizza. One pint of ice cream. A slab…

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What Do You Buy Time For?

Did you get everything accomplished this past week that you wanted to accomplish? Do you have deadlines and projects looming over you for the week ahead? We all want more time. We all want to be as productive as possible. And each of us probably approaches the challenge of getting things done differently. Carson Tate,…

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The Puritan Work Ethic and the Cause of Christ

I struggle sometimes to get a lot from the Puritans. They wrote centuries ago when the English language was very different than from how we speak and write today. But that doesn’t I mean I don’t enjoy a good Puritan quote! And the Puritans had a lot to say about work. The Puritans had a…

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Birds, Bats, Hearts, and Love

An early Valentine’s dinner last night1 led to chicken parmigiana on the table. When you’re eating chicken parm, you probably don’t give lots of thought to the reality that you’re eating a dead bird. What other birds have you eaten before? Turkey, maybe duck, pheasant. I’ve had dove. But we have a pretty short menu…

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The Whole Counsel of God – A Review

The Whole Counsel of God: Why and How to Preach the Entire Bible Andrew Reid and Tim Patrick Crossway (March 17, 2020) Many vocations come with a goal to aim for. A soldier seeks promotion to a certain rank. A UPS driver aspires to enter the “Circle of Honor” for making it 25 years without…

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Thoughts on C. S. Lewis’s “Spirits in Bondage”

“I am the bomb…” —C.S. Lewis, Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics I’ve been slowly working my way through Letters of C. S. Lewis and in these letters, Lewis discusses his first book, Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics. He wrote to his father in 1918 about how he had amused himself over…

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Book Review: Superheroes Can’t Save You

Superheroes Can’t Save You: Epic Examples of Historic Heresies Todd Myles Publisher: B&H Academic (April 1, 2018) Language: English ISBN-10: 1462750796 ISBN-13: 978-1462750795 It’s rare to find Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man in a book on theology. Theologians typically draw the line at Jesus Christ when it comes to who can save the world. So where…

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You and Your Cheer

I like how different states take pride in their own unique regional sodas. In New York, they have Manhattan Special. In Michigan, they drink Vernors Ginger Ale. In North Carolina, we have Cheerwine. If you’ve never heard of Cheerwine before, don’t let the name fool you. There’s no alcohol. You won’t find any wine in…

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How to Turn a Book into a Sunday School Series

Introduction Teaching a Sunday school class, especially one for teens or adults, can be tough. Prefabricated curriculum can feel a bit canned. People aren’t looking for another sermon knowing they’ll get one right after class. They want to participate in something that’s engaging and practical. One method Sunday school classes use to attempt this is…

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Jesus-Devotion Early and Modern

Introduction Like many Americans around my age, I grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. I was a fan. And sometime after Fred Rogers’ death, I read about how he made it a point to respond to every letter he received from his fans. It made me wish I would have written to him when I…

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