The Great Awakening That Didn't

Do you ever read the Bible and wonder "why is this here?" There are lots of passages that are head scratchers. In reading in the OT this year, I've gotten to a portion that made me ask "what's the point here?", and the more I think about it, the more I think the key is in the differences.

Impassible Love

The Bible tells us God loves us, and that's a frequent theme of Christian music, books, and teaching. But theologians also talk about God's "impassibility", that he doesn't have emotions the way we do. So how does God really feel about us?

Let's look at a passage I'm surprised isn't one of the most popular passages in the Bible to answer that question.

How Not to Apply the Bible

One of the hardest things about Bible study is figuring out what to apply. Some things are so specific to a particular person, culture, or situation they aren't universally applicable, but people will still try to do it.

This is sort of going to be a book review, but I want to focus on one glaring, and unfortunately common, problem in a book that is otherwise ... unimpressive but fine.

The Myth of the Scale

The exclusivity of the Christian claim is one of the things our society really dislikes and struggles to comprehend about Christianity. Why do you have to be a Christian?

One way that has been expressed is: "What about people who do what Jesus teaches but don't believe in Jesus? Shouldn't God cut them a break?"¹ Why do you have to believe in Jesus or even God? Why isn't it good enough to live they way Jesus wants people to live? How should we answer that?

Living in Bulver's World

"OK, Boomer."

It seems like people don't debate anymore. Instead they engage in dismissive mockery. And like so many things that afflict us today, CS Lewis saw it coming more than 60 years ago. Let's look at his diagnosis and consider how to navigate this environment.