I am ready to leave the “introductory remarks” to the Sermon the Mount, and begin the second phase of our study: a deep dive into the scholarly background and history of interpretation. But one last introductory post is needed. Since I have argued that the Sermon on the Mount paints a new vision, sets out a new lifestyle, and invites…
Allow me to take stock of where we are. To help us get our bearings, I am introducing some key “starting points” for understanding the Sermon on the Mount. First we saw that happiness is found in Jesus Christ, but involves a radically different way of seeing the world (and ourselves). Christ came to offer abundant life–the life of the…
Lord my desire is to be like you To say the things you say, and do the things you do O, help me hear your still voice through all the other noise So that I can be just what you want me to be. – Randy Butler In his book The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard helps set the table for…
“What do you want?” These are the first words of Jesus in the Gospel of John (John 1:38). What a challenging question! And to you and me, the reader, he asks it again and again–in a number of ways. To a man in need of sight (Mk 10:51; Lk 18:41), and to disciples who struggled with spiritual vision (Mt 20:32;…
This series explains the title of our website–“healthy theology.” What is theology, and why is it important? What does theology have to do with reading the Bible or learning about God? How does church tradition relate to my present experience? How can churches maintain the unity of the faith in the midst of conflicting views? Find out what healthy theology…
Join us as we prepare our hearts and minds for the study of God. Part 1: Sound Doctrine Is Healthy Teaching Part 2: The Heart & Mind Of A Disciple Part 3: Faith Seeking Understanding Part 4: Self-Assessment Nathan GuyNathan Guy believes the passionate pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty culminates in Jesus Christ. He received formal training in philosophy,…
What do Christians believe? What lies at the heart of the Christian faith? How can we articulate the essential teachings of the Christian way of life? In this 10-part series, we explore the basic beliefs that have characterized Christian faith since its inception. Part 1: The God Question & Our Search For Meaning Part 2: The Sin Problem & Our…
Christian claim #10: “I believe in the resurrection of the flesh and the life everlasting.” In the end, Christians believe in resurrection. Jim McGuiggan once quipped “Jesus died once…two thousand years ago…and he hasn’t been dead since.” The cross is certainly part of the great news from heaven to all of creation; but what makes it good news is that death…
Christian claim #9: “He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom shall have no end.” “When Christ bids a man, he bids him come and die.” The man who penned these words, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was a preacher in Germany during the years of Adolf Hitler. He took the calling of Christ seriously,…
Christian claim #8: “I believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church, and the communion of saints.” When the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer decided to write a book describing the community of God’s people known as “the church,” he chose to title it Life Together. What a beautiful choice! Many people tend to think of the church as the place…