That the glory of the Lord might cover the dry land as the waters cover the sea
In 2008 Rowling gave a stirring address at the Harvard commencement on the benefits of failure and the importance of imagination. Some highlights: by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, …
Continue reading “J. K. Rowling’s Harvard Commencement Address: Failure and Imagination”
Do you remember the concern some Christians voiced (loudly) over the Harry Potter books a few years back? I do. I remember some discussing the difference between the moral universe in the Harry Potter books and that depicted in The Lord of the Rings. If I recall correctly, one of the complaints was that while …
Jenn Philpot closes a post on domestic adoption with this profound paragraph: In light of Steve Jobs passing away, a few news reports have talked about the fact that he had been adopted. One great article titled Steve Jobs Changed the World: Adoption Changed His mentions other notable figures that were also adopted, such as …
I echo the sentiments of the good Dr. Burk: If the Lord has called you into ministry and you are wondering what seminary to attend for training, you need to know that there is no better place than The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I’m not just saying that because I work here. I work here …
The conclusion of this must read article: I visited President Bush in the Oval Office one more time. I was thinking about doing a book about how Americans pray, and I had remembered that way back in Midland, he had advised me to read the Bible cover-to-cover, something I had done since then. He agreed …
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I haven’t even finished this article yet, but I find it riveting, informative, and inspiring. Enjoy.
What does Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky” have to do with the ESV not being too difficult a translation for people to understand? Much in every way! Before I explain, let me invite you to enjoy Carroll’s foray into sniglets (words that don’t appear in the dictionary but should) and logatomes (made-up words that obey phonotactic …
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I had a blast with Andy Naselli in Grand Canyon this summer, and today he posted his reflections, with some pics and video. Here’s a taste: God’s power is immense. The sheer grandeur of the Grand Canyon is breathtaking. God’s creation is creative. He combines raging rapids with calm waters, towering rugged canyons with short …
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Brevard Childs writes (481), “the major function of Biblical Theology is to provide a bridge for two-way traffic between biblical exegesis and systematic theology’s reflections on the subject matter.” Here’s my view (“Biblical Theology and Preaching,” 199) of what we’re after when we do biblical theology: “When we do biblical theology we are trying to …
If you’re a PhD student at SBTS you won’t want to miss this from the folks at the James P. Boyce Centennial Library: The James P. Boyce Centennial Library recently released a Microsoft Word template for dissertations to help ease the dissertation creation process for doctoral students at SBTS. In an effort to improve the …
Some people think it ironic that Moses purportedly wrote Numbers 12:3, “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth” (NAS). The irony is obvious, right? It’s hardly humble to declare yourself the most humble man in the world. Unless it’s true. In which case, …
Continue reading “Failed Humblebrag? Mosaic Self-Promotion? Or True Humility?”
I love reading reviews written by Thomas R. Schreiner. He is patient, charitable, and insightful. Here are two paragraphs from his review of William Webb’s book on corporal punishment in the Bible: “The key question, however, is whether Webb is right about corporal punishment. The answer is no. First, Webb doesn’t understand redemptive history, even …
People notice patterns. We interpret the world in light of archetypes, repetitions, and symbols. The biblical authors made massive use of typological interpretation as they interpreted earlier Scripture, redemptive history, and the events they were either narrating (in the Gospels, for instance) or addressing (in the letters, for example). Have you noticed how often this …
Not literally in the Pastor’s Study, but on the radio program by that name. We had a good discussion of this recent book on biblical theology. Interested? Segment One. Segment Two. Enjoy. And love to hear what you think. Thanks to Jon Osburn and Tom Brock for having me on!
The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is hosting an event on Gender in the 21st Century in Heritage Hall on the SBTS campus tomorrow, Monday, August 22, 2011. They’re giving away iPads and such to entice people to come. The event begins at 9am with Lig Duncan – you won’t want to miss him. …
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On Sunday, July 17, 2011, Denny Burk preached a powerful, timely sermon at Kenwood Baptist Church: “How Do We Speak about Homosexuality?” If you haven’t heard it, you need to give it a listen. Denny had three points: Speak the truth. Speak the gospel. Speak humility. In the introduction Denny tells the tragic story of …
We don’t see many movies, but we hit the dollar theater today for Legends of the Guardians. Here’s the trailer: We loved it! Mend the broken, make strong the weak, and vanquish evil! This is another story that owes its existence to the true story of the world, the one told in the Bible.
Credit where credit is due: the title of this post comes from Mike’s answer to the last question in this interview. Mike Wittmer’s book Christ Alone was written in response to Rob Bell’s Love Wins, and Wittmer’s book appeared within one month of the release of Love Wins. In this book Wittmer models charity and …
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Maggie Gallagher writes about the way intimidation is putting the chill on First Amendment rights (death threats have a way of doing that), and Denny Burk points to a case that shows how gay marriage crushes individual religious liberty.
For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to visit the Grand Canyon. In the mercy and kindness of God, I got to go on a trip for Christian Leaders with my good friends Andy Naselli and Jason Derouchie, and I have definitive proof that my new friendship with Mike Wittmer has changed his …
Continue reading “The Grand Canyon with Canyon Ministries and Answers in Genesis”