May

15

2012

Trevin Wax|11:58 pm CT

Is it Biblical to Ask Jesus Into Your Heart?
Is it Biblical to Ask Jesus Into Your Heart? avatar

The Southern Baptist blogosphere has erupted in conversation on whether it's proper to use phrases like "asking Jesus into your heart," "accepting Christ," or methods like the "sinner's prayer" when sharing the gospel. Like many online conversations, this one has tended to generate more heat than light, and I get the feeling that good folks on both sides of this issue may be talking past one another.

This discussion over methods and terms has been bubbling under the surface for a good while now. A younger generation of pastors look out at the state of evangelicalism and are rightly concerned that many people with cultural Christianity in their background cling to assurance they are saved despite an overwhelming lack of evidence of genuine conversion. It's no surprise that some pastors are blaming the...

 
 
 
 

May

15

2012

Trevin Wax|11:57 pm CT

Worth a Look 5.16.12
Worth a Look 5.16.12 avatar

From one of my favorite Wesleyans, Timothy Tennent - Robust Christianity in a Post-Christendom World:
The great project of our generation is to reclaim biblical Christianity as the Church. This will inevitably involve standing up and articulating with far more precision exactly what Christianity actually is.  It has become almost a trite statement in recent years that our culture has abandoned the Christian faith.  This actually is not my greatest concern.  My greatest concern is that those of us who are pastors and leaders have ourselves forgotten the gospel.

Rescued from Isolation:
Pastor, I've got good news for you: you are not alone! By God's grace there are other pastors just like you on the other side of town, and profound blessings await if you simply make a habit of meeting together for lunch. That obvious truth is easy to overlook. I certainly ignored it for too long.

Reality...

 
 
 
 

May

15

2012

Trevin Wax|3:17 am CT

Understanding the Bible in Light of Its Storyline
Understanding the Bible in Light of Its Storyline avatar


On The Exchange this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. CST, I will be joining Dr. George Guthrie and Philip Nation for a conversation about the importance of knowing the overarching story of the Bible. Dr. Guthrie is the author of  Read the Bible for Life: Your Guide to Understanding and Living God's Word, one of the most helpful, accessible books on hermeneutics I've come across.

George has also been influential in the development of The Gospel Project, particularly the second and third volumes (Winter 2012 and Spring 2013) which provide an overview of the Bible in 26 weeks. The two of us worked together on choosing the appropriate passages and how to incorporate some of the Bible's more important themes into the lessons.

Here are some topics we'll...

 
 
 
 

May

15

2012

Trevin Wax|2:41 am CT

Worth a Look: 5.15.12
Worth a Look: 5.15.12 avatar

9 Tips for Eating Christianly:
Nine tips/suggestions for how me might approach our consumption of food more thoughtfully and Christianly...

Consternation over Ben Carson, Evolution, and Morality:
If Emory University professors want to argue that evolution has no ethical implications, they are free to make that argument. (I wonder how many of them actually believe this.) But, if they do, they need to recognize that they are not just arguing against "benighted" anti-evolutionists, but they also are arguing against many of their cherished colleagues in evolutionary biology, including Darwin himself.

7 Marks of a Good Theologian

What's a Homemaker Really Worth?
Allow me to suggest two simple reasons why homemaking isn't esteemed by our culture. First, there is a general ignorance of what homemaking entails. And second, more importantly, we don't value
...

 
 
 
 

May

14

2012

Trevin Wax|3:56 am CT

A Critical Mind vs. A Critical Spirit
A Critical Mind vs. A Critical Spirit avatar

In our circles, it's common to hear pastors and scholars bemoan the lack of critical thinking in many evangelical churches today. From the books and magazines gobbled up by the evangelical populace to the sheer gullibility on display in our forwarding of emails, it seems that biblical illiteracy and theological aberrations are widespread even in Bible-believing churches.


It's no wonder that in recent years we've seen a surge of theological interest among younger pastors, particularly within the "gospel-centered" movement. We like good books. Lots of them. And not just easy books. Some of the books are ancient, hard to work through, and only pay off after spending significant time and energy in them.

The more we read, the more we know.

The more we know, the more we recognize the shallowness of much of contemporary evangelicalism.


In...

 
 
 
 

May

14

2012

Trevin Wax|2:54 am CT

Worth a Look 5.14.12
Worth a Look 5.14.12 avatar

Must Baptism Precede Church Membership? Of course!
I hope it's clear why I would say that baptism should precede church membership. Baptism is a public identification with the Trinity. That's what Jesus means when he speaks of being baptized "into the name" of Father, Son, and Spirit. When you are baptized, you are saying, "I'm with them!"  You are putting on the team jersey.

The 4-Question Meeting: You Can't Be Brilliant Alone
A successful meeting ensures the right people are invited and the material is presented as effectively and judiciously as possible. It is respectful of your time and enables you to contribute in a meaningful way or makes you smarter. Too often this is the exception than the norm, which put me on a quest to identify a quick process to improve the odds.

Lenin's Death Remains a Mystery: Doctor Suspects Stalin
Dr. Lurie said Stalin might have
...

 
 
 
 

May

13

2012

Trevin Wax|3:50 am CT

I Want to Make Much of You, Jesus
I Want to Make Much of You, Jesus avatar

My new favorite song. (Yes, I know it's been out a while. Just now catching up.)



How could I stand here
And watch the sun rise
Follow the mountains
Where they touch the sky
Ponder the vastness
And the depths of the sea
And think for a moment
The point of it all was to make much of me?

Cause I'm just a whisper
And You are the thunder and

I want to make much of You, Jesus
I want to make much of Your love
I want to live today to give You the praise
That You alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of Your mercy
I want to make much of Your cross
I give You my life
Take it and let it be used
To make much of You

And how can I kneel here
And think of...

 
 
 
 

May

12

2012

Trevin Wax|3:35 am CT

Stick With Your Work
Stick With Your Work avatar

Stick with your work.

Do not flinch because the lion roars.
Do not stop to stone the devil's dogs.
Do not fool away your time chasing the devil's rabbits.

Do your work.

Let liars lie.
Let sectarians quarrel.
Let critics malign.
Let enemies accuse.
Let the devil do his worst.

But see to it nothing hinders you from fulfilling with joy the work God has given you.

He has not commanded you to be admired or esteemed.
He has never bidden you defend your character.
He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood (about yourself)
which Satan's or God's servants may start to peddle,
or to track down every rumor that threatens your reputation.
If you do these things, you will do nothing else.
You will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord.

Keep at your work.
Let your aim be as steady as a star.
You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered,
wounded and rejected, misunderstood, or assigned impure motives;
You may be abused by foes,...

 
 
 
 

May

11

2012

Trevin Wax|3:38 am CT

Friday Funny: Theology Student Bloopers
Friday Funny: Theology Student Bloopers avatar

Mike Wittmer has been posting some hilarious bloopers he's come across in papers from his students. Click here, here, and here for all them. I've posted a few of my favorites below:

"Before the tree, Adam enjoyed sex without knowing that Eve was naked."

Adam was one dumb guy.

In 1059 Anselm made his way to the Benedictine abbey of Bec in Normandy.  The following year Anselm entered the abbey.

He shouldn't have waited so long to knock.

"The power of Christ could not be overcome by Satin's power of death."

That 800 thread count is a killer.

"The issue of baptism is as old as itself."

I had no idea.

"Mary was conceived through the Holy Spirit, which caused her to be pregnant with Jesus."

In this spectacular variation on the immaculate conception, Mary was pregnant before she was born.

"Bernard wrote for a wider audience than Anselm---who wrote only for rational people."

Who did Bernard write for, morons?

"Capitalization has led...

 
 
 
 

May

11

2012

Trevin Wax|2:59 am CT

Trevin’s Seven
Trevin’s Seven avatar

Links for your weekend reading:

1. Ten Attributes of a Humble Leader

2. What Is Better? (Must Read!)

3. President Obama, Same-Sex Marriage, and the Future of Evangelical Response

4. Three Things J.D. Greear Learned Through the Process (of passing Amendment 1)

5. Have You Misplaced Your Fear?

6. What Sermon Prep Really Looks Like

7. The Challenge of Christian...

 
 
 
 
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