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Mercy Not Sacrifice

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Self-justification

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June 2013

June 25, 2013

When I forget my song…

There's an African folktale that I've read with both of my sons. In the story,...

June 10, 2013

Fearing God vs. carrying a fearsome god-puppet who agrees with you

Those who have read this blog for a while will recall that about a year...

April 2013

April 18, 2013

How did Jesus come to love guns and hate sex?

Since the gun debate is back in the news, I figured I would pull this...

March 2013

March 24, 2013

Ugliness Into Beauty #6: Proof of God’s Mercy

There's an elephant in the room when we talk about the cross. The cross is...

January 2013

January 27, 2013

God's grace in 4 stick figure drawings

We had the first session of our new member class today. During the first class,...

January 27, 2013

God’s grace in 4 stick figure drawings

We had the first session of our new member class today. During the first class,...

December 2012

December 10, 2012

Is God a capitalist? (John Locke and the Romans Road)

One of the theories Doug Campbell advances in The Deliverance of God is that the...

December 07, 2012

A law unto themselves: virtuous pagans in Romans 2

I've been struggling through the beastliest book about the beastliest book in the Bible: Doug...

December 06, 2012

From fear and trembling to refuge (Psalm 2)

I have always had a particular attraction to Philippians 2:12, "Work out your salvation with...

November 2012

November 23, 2012

Mercy Not Sacrifice: A Recovering Evangelical’s Manifesto

I desperately need your help and feedback in pulling this book together. I have shared...

October 2012

October 01, 2012

Sight as a Metaphor for Salvation (Mark 8:22-26)

The last sermon in our Jesus Is My Candidate series had the theme "He gives...

September 2012

September 18, 2012

Is America 53% Pelagian?

As the pastor of a politically "purple" congregation, I need to tread lightly on the...

July 2012

July 09, 2012

Monday theology tweets: capitalism & Psalm 24:1

Monday is my Sabbath day. I almost always walk around and talk to God either...

January 2012

January 12, 2012

Why I hate doctrine but love Jesus (response to a similarly named video)

Over the last two days, a video by spoken word artist Jeff Bethke called "Why...

December 2011

December 29, 2011

What Makes Christians Unsympathetic People?

"I'm Christian, unless you're gay." That's the title of one of the most popular blog...

November 2011

November 21, 2011

Becoming the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:17-21)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has...

October 2011

October 24, 2011

I want to be in the 1% who get God's grace

Apparently there have been a number of photos circulating the Internet in which people hold...

October 24, 2011

I want to be in the 1% who get God’s grace

Apparently there have been a number of photos circulating the Internet in which people hold...

September 2011

September 17, 2011

The church of outrage vs. the church of vulnerability

In the buildup to the first US invasion of Iraq, there was a haunting video...

August 2011

August 26, 2011

Man, Woman, and Original Sin: A Response to Al Mohler

My best friend was once dating a herpetologist (reptile biologist). When he heard I was...

July 2011

July 28, 2011

Is Democracy Dying?

I've often been cynical about American exceptionalism. Especially on days when I walk into Barnes...

July 17, 2011

From self-justification to mercy

Like many other evangelicals in my generation, I've got a kind of rage inside of...

May 2011

May 16, 2011

Justification by Faith: 3 Perspectives

I want to hypothesize that the basis for the opposing perspectives in the "Rob Bell...

May 16, 2011

Pride: How We Hide Our Nakedness

Deadly Sin Sermon Series, 4 out of 9 -- 11/6/2010 Texts: Genesis 3:1-13; Luke 18:9-14...