The fourth in a short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Despite the Churchâs lax stance on the issue today, Scripture nevertheless commands and expects modesty from those who follow Christ. âToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heartsâ (Hebrews 3:7-8). Because the weather is unseasonably warmâswelteringly hot, at least where I amâit seems worthwhile to discuss swimwear in this short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Here especially…
The third in a short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Despite the Churchâs lax stance on the issue today, Scripture nevertheless commands and expects modesty from those who follow Christ. âToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heartsâ (Hebrews 3:7-8). If clothing should draw attention to whatâs inside a womanâs heart, rather than whatâs under the clothes, what can we do to ensure this is the case? In other…
The second in a short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Despite the Churchâs lax stance on the issue today, Scripture nevertheless commands and expects modesty from those who follow Christ. âToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heartsâ (Hebrews 3:7-8). Modesty matters because our clothing matters. Clothing has a purpose according to Scripture. If women are going to dress in God-honoring fashion, they must understand that purpose well and…
The first in a short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Despite the Churchâs lax stance on the issue today, Scripture nevertheless commands and expects modesty from those who follow Christ. âToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heartsâ (Hebrews 3:7-8). Whether we choose to listen or not, the Bible has much to say on the issue of modesty. Our whole lives, really, should reflect the modesty of our meek…
As evangelicals, we tend to promote âfaith not feelingâ as a necessary reminder that we do not live by our changing emotions (driven by changing circumstances) but by the unchanging rock of Godâs Word and character. All this is right and good. But is there more to it than that? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, reflecting on Spinoza, wrote, âEmotions are not expelled by reason, but only by stronger emotions.â[1] I suspect there is a good bit…
Humanism, as Francis Schaeffer noted, is what happens when âman is the measure of all things.â In our educational system, is man the measure of all thingsâor the Man? That is, are we Christian or humanist? Stemming from recent, fruitful conversation with colleagues about what makes education truly Christian instead of humanist, I have tried to compile a short, and undoubtedly inchoate, list of distinctions. As always, commentsâcorrections, suggestions for improvement, additionsâare more than…
There is a false humility that breeds subjectivity and precludes certainty. Because we cannot know anything absolutely, we assume we can know nothing adequatelyâand forbid others from thinking or speaking so. There is another humility, born of conviction, that produces faithful service and selfless love. Because we know some things with certainty, we act with conviction and grace-driven purpose. To one of these we are called. To the other we succumb with alarming…
The last in a three-part series on Christian education.[1] As I am a pastor by training and an educator by hobby, I am certain my reflections will be limited and misguided. I invite correction by those with greater wisdom and experience. Please comment below. Modern educational principles apply unequally to the various disciplines. Owing to the unique content and skills objectives in each discipline, very little of what works in one class will work…
The second in a three-part series on Christian education.[1] As I am a pastor by training and an educator by hobby, I am certain my reflections will be limited and misguided. I invite correction by those with greater wisdom and experience. Please comment below. Today we set out to answer a challenging question: Can a Christian school ever be as good educationally as a secular school? I would suggest two possible answersâboth true, paradoxically.…
The first in a three-part series on Christian education.[1] As I am a pastor by training and an educator by hobby, I am certain my reflections will be limited and misguided. I invite correction by those with greater wisdom and experience. Please comment below. Â âTeachers, donât you care if we drown . . . in a sea of humanism?â (cf. Mark 4:38). Much of modern education is self-avowedly steeped in liberal humanism. In…