Candid Christianity: Candid. Christian. Conversation

What do you do when you hear a friend's loved one passed away? Do you call immediately, risking that you are one of dozens of people calling offering condolences (which may not be a good thing, actually)? Or do you wait a day or two to call, to let the emotional tide calm down a bit and allow those closest to respond first? Sometimes I'm not so sure. I know what I want to accomplish: I want my...  Read More

I am apparently enamored, and highly frustrated, with Moral Theology. I've already written about it here and here , and there's a video of me talking about it here , and a video of a sermon I gave that touches on it here . Nonetheless, let's talk about once again today, but from what I think is a rather unique perspective. Reading the title, you're probably wondering how I could ever call...  Read More

Some of the most lively conversations I've had with Christians come from the question, once saved always saved? It's a subject, like many here at Candid Christianity, that's hard to cover in a little blog. Truly giving it the consideration it needs leads us into fundamental conversation about God and his motives, grace and it's purpose, and the definition of salvation. The popular Bible verses...  Read More

Check this verse out! Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” I think that's hilarious! I'm not sure Jesus said it with the same gusto the average irate New Yorker says it with, but it's funny to me anyway. So let's set up the scene real quick. Jesus had already resurrected and Simon Peter Johnson (get it, because Peter was the...  Read More

"Making disciples of all nations" is the operative element of the command Jesus gave His disciples in the Great Commission. The command challenges all Jesus' disciples to multiply in a similar way that God commissioned Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply to fill the Earth. How consistent. We've been trying to figure out the best way to do that ever since. In part 1 of this Discipleship...  Read More

So there's a new Pope. CNN wants to tell you five interesting things about him , so head over there if you'd like to read up on him. I didn't. I guess it's because I feel apathetic to the whole event. I don't know from whence this apathy comes, but I feel it. Or rather, don't feel... you know what I mean. The pomp and pageantry of this whole thing just, I don't know. I can't wrap my head...  Read More

No, you cannot do all things through Christ! I realize Philippians 4:13 is a Christian classic quoted around the world by little leaguers waiting to hit the game-winning home run and high school basketball players ready to shoot the game-winning shot. It's a passage used by Christian muscle men as they rip apart phone books , and Christian performers as they juggle blunt swords and fiery...  Read More

The Perspectives class I've been taking for about six weeks has really challenged the way I perceive God. One of the biggest challenges came in the second (or third) week, when we talked about God's primary motivation for creation -- and by extension, the purpose for us being here -- being to receive worship and glory. Now, I generally get skeptical about "most important" or "primary reason"...  Read More

Funny thing about weeds is, they are persistent. As I strolled out to our backyard yard yesterday, to fire up some steaks we'd gotten on sale at Kroger, i was greeted by the warm smiles of the weeds. Well, I suppose they don't really smile, but I'm going to try to write as positively as I can about those things. After all, they too are God's creatures, right? As I threw the steaks on the grill,...  Read More

I came across and article today from Clash Daily (with Doug Giles) offering the reason men avoid church. It's titled " Why Men Avoid Church Like Lindsay [Lohan] Shuns Sobriety ." I decided to blog a response to this article because this idea of men "hating" or "running away" from church has come up several times in the last few weeks. Doug, apparently a man's man, with his GOP signs and rifle...  Read More

Normally, the conversation of Calvinism (or predestination) should probably be had "in house." For a couple of reasons. First, the general Christian public often gets riled up so much that having a real "conversation" is nearly impossible. A subject like this often leads to shouting matches and battles of biblical wits. In such interactions, I wish not to participate. The second reason is for...  Read More

What would you say is the difference between grace and love? More particularly, God's grace and God's love? I was in a conversation the other day about the wording, and we hung up on whether we should use grace or love, and it got me to thinking about what the real difference is between the two.Both words come with their own presuppositions and baggage. It's troubling to think that so many...  Read More

I consistently find myself in compromising positions. And I mean that in the truest sense of the word. That is, I find myself in a constant posture of relenting, always knowing what I desire to do, even what God tells me to do, and yet not being courageous enough to pursue it fully. It's interesting because I've heard from time to time, people suggest I like "control." I even had a lady call me...  Read More

There's been much ink spilled on leadership lessons from Jesus. I've read through many of them and they are all helpful in their own right. However, there's always been a thing or two about the way Jesus led that made me squirm in my seat a bit. Sure, servant leadership (the primary leadership model from Jesus' life) is enough to make most of us squirm in our seats because it flies in the face of...  Read More

The nation is weeping at the sad tragedy of the lives lost in Newtown, Connecticut at the hand of another maniac with a gun. Oh no. My fingers typed maniac, but my heart disagrees. Sure, a large part of me burns with anger and rage at the cowardice in shooting up innocent children and teachers in an elementary school. And yet, another side sees a broken man unaware of his value and worth to the...  Read More

Uh oh. This could get a little... cray-cray, as they say. Look, the issue of the place for women in ministry has been passionately debated and thoroughly, researched. For those following, we know how testy, and even contradictory, the conversation can become. So what does the Bible really have to say about women in ministry? Is God appalled by the idea of a female holding offices in the...  Read More

If we want to make Christian disciples, there's only one place to look. At Jesus. Not at Peter. Not at Paul. But at Jesus. Once we do, we'll find Jesus employed a balanced method to discipleship that's worth taking a look at. Balance is important. Ever try walking without balance: wavering side to side, staggering a few steps forward then a few steps back? Progress comes with great difficulty...  Read More

What's holding back the development of Christian community? It's an interesting question to me because it requires us to define the basic idea of what a "Christian community" in the first place. It can be hard to pin down. If I asked 10 people to describe their idea of a Christian community, I'd probably get at least six different answers. So, let's talk about it. In the comment section below,...  Read More

Well, the shockers just keep on coming. Not only did I find out from the latest Presidential Debate that Republican nominee Mitt Romney was a pastor at some point, but it seems he now has the unofficial endorsement of America's most legendary living evangelical, Rev. Billy Graham. Hey, I'm not here to judge. The reverend (Graham, that is) has the right to support whomever he wants. No beef with...  Read More

I get most frustrated with the Christian presence in America around this time. Every four years, I am reminded of our perceived reliance on government to "Christianize" our nation. And each year I openly wonder where the priority of the American Christian's allegiance lies. Aside from how contradictory platform stances are with Christian principles, which is pretty frustrating, I find myself...  Read More

I realize it's an audacious question to ask. I also realize it's an easy question to answer. When Job questioned God, a voice boomed to him from within a storm asking, "Where were you when I laid the Earth's foundations? Who marked off it's dimensions, surely you know!" Geez, who knew God was so sarcastic. The whole breathtaking scene is accounted for in Job 38 . Check it out. Combine that...  Read More

I venture into writing this blog with a fair amount of caution. Death, for some of you, is a topic way too close for any sort of comfort. You may have recently lost a parent, close friend, child, or spouse and are still emotionally reeling. Or, maybe your loved one is walking down the last days of their lives, with death looming over them like a storm cloud. In either case, it's uncomfortable to...  Read More

Okay. I'm going to take a different approach to this post and skirt around the rather large T-Rex in the room that is homosexuality. I'll do this mostly because I feel like all I talk about lately is homosexuality, gays, and how the church needs to deal with all of it, but also because some of you follow my Facebook stream (of which I have auto-feeds from blogs I like), and you have been...  Read More

Upon hearing the tragic news about the Colorado shooting in an Aurora at the opening night showing of the new Batman movie, I started thinking about this great country of ours. America, land of the free, home of the brave. I'd say it takes a good amount of bravery and freedom (not to mention a large dose of cowardice) to walk into a theater at midnight, dressed like a soldier, to randomly...  Read More

I came across an article the other day by Lisa Belkin on Huffingpost.com that tried to explain away America's parenting trend of spoiling our children. Apparently, a splash of books have come out shouting from the mountaintops about how indulgent the next generation has become. Authors are tackling the subject more and more frequently with titles like The Price of Privilege , The Narcissism...  Read More

Small Group: The (not-so) New Bible Study? They say only about 12 people can really enjoy meaningful community together in an effective way. Welcome to Small Group. If you haven't noticed, church is getting smaller. Small Group has become an integral part of the American Church landscape. We've taken our cue from Jesus and his selecting of twelve disciples to "live with" as He went about his...  Read More

Said Politics to Religion, "I Want A Divorce!" If President Obama's recent political support of same-sex marriage has done nothing else, it's ignited discussion about the relationship between church and government. It annoys me to no end that so many in the Christian community want to equate American freedom with biblical doctrine. It's so common to hear " America is a Christian Nation ," and...  Read More

Guest Post - DiAne Gates ( www.dianegates.wordpress.com ) Oh dear, Mother’s Day—again. One of the most difficult days of the year for me. February 17, 2001, forever changed my life. Our twenty-eight year old daughter suddenly died from a hemorrhagic stroke in her brain stem. Gone in an instant. She left behind a four-and-a-half-year old daughter, a seven month old baby boy, a grieving husband...  Read More

The President is Right. President Obama supports the constitutional right for same sex couples to get married. It's big news. Huge news for both sides of the aisle. On one hand, the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans) community feels the thrill of victory. Their fight for equal rights for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, has taken a monumental step forward. With President...  Read More

I'm reading a book named Viral by Leonard Sweet (which I'll be reviewing soon) wherein he intimates that Christianity is built on three personalities pillars of early Christianity -- Peter's simplicity, Paul's complexity and John's simplexity. I see a similar breakdown to characters in God's grand play of history, but mine is far less interesting. To me, Peter represents the heart, Paul...  Read More