Category: Articles
The Idolatry of Christian Impact
One of our primary intentions here at Hope Discipleship is to attempt to clear away thoughts and ideas that often cloud or adulterate the Gospel of King Jesus. I don’t suppose for a moment that I have a corner on this market so I look to friends, authors, thinkers, and theologians to help me along the road. John Piper, Tim Keller, Eugene Peterson, NT Wright, Nancy Guthrie, Dan Allender, and Michael Reeves are some of my biggest allies in this regard. I also read a few dead guys like Edwards, Calvin, and CS Lewis. However, as I observe our modern evangelical cultural trends, it seems that some of those who currently defend the Gospel most heartily – folks like John Piper, Frances Chan, David Platt, and John McArthur – often get a little too zealous in their collective emphasis on missiology.
Are we the Hollow Men?
Are all human beings 
born with a spiritually hollow heart and mind? Noted mathematician Blaise Pascal believed that we are. He said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made know through Jesus Christ.” In his poem “The Hollow Men”, TS Eliot echoed Pascal’s thought. In this poem, Eliot creates the imagery of a group of scarecrows huddled together in a barren land.
King Jesus keeps his people Sacrosanct
Do you dream when you’re sleeping? I do. Very often. My dreams are rarely positive because of painful events in my past. I often re-live moments in my life that were destructive and harmful to my soul. I would love to be able to block these traumatic memories, but my dreams will not co-operate. A few years ago, I had a particularly startling dream. Continue reading “King Jesus keeps his people Sacrosanct”
The Deceptive Nature of Sweet Legalism
False teachers of the gospel of Jesus come in many shapes and sizes. For the most part, false teachers are fairly easy to spot.
Performance v Relationship
The gospel is NOT an invitation to performance. The gospel is an invitation to a relationship.
To Dust We Shall Return
Genesis 3:19 reminds us of our fragile and momentary time in this life. “We are all from dust and to dust, we shall return.” I believe that most of us, especially in the US, live with a false sense of security. Subconsciously, we believe that we will live forever.
The Lost Virtue of Moderation
Have you noticed over the last decade that it seems that the United States has become a nation of uncontrolled extremes?
The Gospel is a Banquet
If you ask most active Christians what the Gospel is, you will get some version of “Christ died on the cross for my sins so I can have eternal life.” And while this is certainly “good news,” Pastor and Theologian Ralph Erskine would want us to know that it is not the “full banquet” of the Gospel.
Christianity is a Relationship
When I was a younger Christian and Student Minister, I would often emphasize to my students over and over again that “Christianity is a relationship.” Strangely, that was not always a popular thing to say.
