Shiny, Happy Gothard

When a friend texted me last week and suggested that I watch the new documentary about the Duggar family, Shiny Happy People, I thought it was worth a look. I had heard of the Duggar family but like all reality TV, I ignored them. I may have seen them once or twice on The Today Show but a story about a family with 19 kids struck me as unrealistic at best and bizarre at worst.

Read More
Forgive

Like so many, I’ve thought much about the death of Tim Keller this week. When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2020, many of us who benefited from his ministry and his published works knew that he faced a serious life-threatening challenge. Yet, when we heard the news of his death last Friday, it was still a shock. For many, myself included, Keller was the most important Christian apologist of our day.

Read More
Following Jesus Is Not the Gospel

We often confuse the law, what we are to do and even what Christ calls us to do or commands us to do, like follow him and love one another, with the Gospel.  For example,  Jesus in Mark 8:34 (and elsewhere) said to the crowd and to his disciples.  “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”  This is the call to be his disciple.  Yet this is not the Gospel.  To be his disciple you and I must heed what Christ’s commands here but this is still not the Gospel.  Yet, without the Gospel we could not heed this command.  

Read More