Phil Steiger
Hebrews 4:12-13 contains some of the best-known language regarding the beauty and power of the Word of God. It is also some of the most evocative: it is a sword sharp enough to dissect the human soul, discerning the thoughts and intents of our hearts. These are things we rarely even know about ourselves! It... Continue Reading →
The gospel is not good advice, it is good news.[i] This simple sentence helps us understand the core of the good news of Jesus Christ. In Hebrews, we find this promise, “for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:10). It is... Continue Reading →
What an awful term. If you look up a definition, you will learn it means to remove someone from a list of friends on a social media site. But this is, to me, an unfortunate and corrosive use of the word “friend” and the bonds that are painfully severed when you cease to be friends... Continue Reading →
I have a background in economics (if a B.A. in the subject and a lasting enthusiasm count as a background) and have long been interested in the ways this discipline I enjoy intersects with my faith and vocation as a pastor. So, it has been encouraging to watch this connection become a fertile field for... Continue Reading →
Psalm 112 The righteous worker is: happy, delights in God’s law, lends generously, conducts business fairly, is unafraid, gives freely to the poor, he is gracious, compassionate, and righteous, and the wicked hate it. How do you think about the value of your labor? What do you think are the primary two or three... Continue Reading →
Skye Jethani. Immeasurable: Reflections on the Soul of Ministry In The Age of Church, Inc. (Moody Publishers, Chicago. 2017) 215 pgs. The American Evangelical church is easily tempted by shiny things. For decades now we have taught ourselves a theology of church and the spiritual life that is only tenuously connected to Scripture. In... Continue Reading →
In the recent wrangling over new tax bills, non-profit organizations have found themselves thrown into the conversation for several reasons. One is the modification of the Johnson Amendment, originally passed to prohibit non-profits from explicitly endorsing candidates during the “normal course” of their activities. (The passing of the Amendment itself has a dubious and politically... Continue Reading →
Douglas Groothuis, Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness – A Philosopher’s Lament (Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Books, 2017) In his memoir, Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness – A Philosopher’s Lament, Douglas Groothuis combines several things often lacking in books written on suffering and God. There are good books out there on a theology... Continue Reading →
Bad theology leads to terrible conclusions when trying to deal with evil. We Americans are grieving again over another mass shooting. A few weeks ago it was a shooting in Las Vegas into a crowd of concert-goers, for which we still have very few answers. Last weekend it was a man who killed 26 worshippers... Continue Reading →
Sally Quinn is an enigmatic figure. She was a religion column writer for many years at the Washington Post, is a Washington D.C. socialite, and most recently the author of, Finding Magic: A Spiritual Memoir, a book in which she reveals several things about herself including casting hexes on at least three people who died... Continue Reading →
Every Thought Captive 