Do we understand true consequences?
Every teacher or coach knows that giving feedback to a student is vital to the learning experience. We need to know how we’re doing. Feedback gives us information and the sooner we get the feedback the better. There’s an analogous set of truths here in the world of...
A Call for Moral Courage
I've been writing young adult fiction for a number of years, and because of it I've been thinking about the flaws, failures, and virtues of the characters in the novels. I have realized in a fresh way that one of the traditional attributes my characters have to give...
Why is your name important?
The start of a new school year is approaching and whether students go to the same school they did last year or a new one this coming year, they will be frequently asked, "What is your name?" It's a foundational question that forms a beginning point for a relationship....
Whose Gospel Is It? The Power of the Message
What is the source of authority when it comes to the church and right theology? Is it the clergy? Or is it the message? In my previous blog, I gave texts where the message and the messenger, in the best of all circumstances, go together because the character,...
Preachers, Character, and Moral Living
I taught a class called "Preaching through Ephesians" last semester at Houston Baptist University, and in the coming months, I’ll be adapting a few of my lectures into blogs. The first thing we talked about is applicable to any person who shares the word of God: a...
Our Journey to Christmas
“Our Journey to Christmas” is an appropriate phrase to express the rich variety of feeling, belief, commitment, and theology associated with Christmas. In this Advent season, each of us is on a journey, but not all paths are equal. Your path might be taking you to...
How Do I Find God’s Will for My Life?
The idea of seeking the will of God has three broad meanings when we talk about it. (1) We often mean — what is God’s will for my life? (2) Or, we mean what is God’s will in a particular situation, one with a moral dilemma? (3) But, in Scripture, the will of the Lord...
Why You Should Read The Bible
I can still remember the revolutionary experience it was for me, in my sophomore year at college, to read through the New Testament. I read the Phillips Version, and, for the first time, the Scriptures came alive for me. As I reflect upon it, it’s odd that I don’t...
What are the best things?
College is a time of discovery. I don’t mean sinful discovery, though many students use it for that purpose and to their detriment. No, I mean discovering passions and interests. I mean trying a lot of new things, making new (often lifelong) friends, and learning a...