Simply Gospel

May my steps be worship. May my thoughts be praise.

  • Why Did Christians Flock to Trump?

    Vox: Why Christian Conservatives Supported Trump — and Why They Might Regret It The questions in the interview are every bit as insightful as the answers — giving an insight about how recent events are shaping an unbeliever’s view of Christians. Moreover, it speaks to the dangers of creating cults of personality or lifting up individuals Continue reading

  • The Church of Partisanship

    Patheos: Don’t Support This Bill, Oppose This Bill The worst thing that has happened with the church since the 60s but especially since the 80s (under Reagan) has been the politicization and partisanization of the church. Church cultures now exist where in a local church if you are not a Republican or a Democrat you don’t fit. Continue reading

  • We’re Not Saved By Being Right

    Focus Press: A Dangerous Trend in the Churches of Christ When we’re constantly covering baptism, the instrument, and the other doctrines that set us apart from the denominational world, growth comes to a halt. As Hebrews 5:11-14 discusses, there comes a time when we need to move beyond the fundamentals and onto the meat of the word. When Continue reading

  • No One Left to Blame

    Christianity Today: Sorry Christians, We Can’t Blame the Media Any More Christians love playing the “blame the media” game. Not long ago, we might have had a legitimate claim that our reputation was bad because the media was against us. That’s not the case anymore. Oh sure, the media in general may still think negatively about Continue reading

  • Arguments About Christmas

    Radically Christian: Why Arguments About Christmas are Counterproductive In my childhood, I argued about Christmas a lot. “You know,” I would say in a matter-of-fact tone, “Jesus wasn’t really born on December 25th.” I relished correcting people about the inaccuracies of their religious holiday and their little nativity scenes. Since then I’ve learned, you can be right Continue reading

  • Interpretation

    Timothy Archer: You Can’t Understand the Bible Without Interpreting It If we don’t interpret the Bible, we can never hope to understand it. And if we come to understand what the Bible is saying, then we have interpreted it correctly. I’m glad Philip didn’t have a prejudice against interpretation. He interpreted the Isaiah passage the eunuch Continue reading

  • Laying Down Our Swords

    Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” John 18:10 – 11 And when those Continue reading

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  • Postcards From Babylon

    Brian Zahnd: Postcards From Babylon So I’m writing my postcards from Babylon calling on Christians tangled up in red, white, and blue to renounce the idolatry of American civil religion. America is not an object of reverence — it’s just the latest in a long line of here-today, gone-tomorrow empires. I can love America like Continue reading

  • 3 Reasons To Regularly Get Others To Preach

    J. A. Medders: 3 Reasons To Regularly Get Others To Preach Preachers love preaching, but they shouldn’t love it too much. A potential idol for preachers is the act of preaching. You can crave the pulpit too much. And while we preachers can talk to the sheep about not finding their identity in their work Continue reading

  • #MeToo Must be #WeToo

    Timothy Archer: #MeToo Must Be #WeToo Beyond society in general, I think the church needs to increase efforts to make church a safe haven and a refuge for those who have been abused. To do such, I think that we need to: Condemn any and all abuse of power in the church. Condemn any and all Continue reading