Christian Living
Toward a Biblical Perspective on Depression: Case Study #2
In our first case study, we saw that depression can be the result of unresolved sin, but in this case study we will see an example of depression that doesn’t stem from sin, even though it leads to sin. In fact, we will see that even the most righteous man on the earth in his…
Toward a Biblical Perspective on Depression: Case Study #1
Cain may be the first clear example of depression in the Bible. Although Adam and Eve may well have been depressed after they sinned and then after they were driven from the Garden of Eden, the text does not explicitly address it. But it is clear that Cain was depressed, for God spoke to him…
John Piper’s Interview of Rick Warren on Doctrine
You may read John’s description of the purpose and focus of the interview here, but here are just of few paragraphs from his explanation: The nature of the interview is mainly doctrinal. I read Rick’s The Purpose Driven Life with great care. I brought 20 pages of quotes and questions to the interview. You will…
Toward a Biblical Perspective on Depression: Introduction
Regular readers of this blog will know that I have personally battled depression in my own life (see How the Lord Shepherded Me Through My Wife’s Battle With Ovarian Cancer). In fact, I struggled with this issue throughout my childhood and into my adult years until I finally found victory in Christ. But I have…
Avoiding "a Messianic View of the Christian Family"
Lately Sam Waldron has been writing a series of blog posts addressing the Family-Integrated Church Movement (FICM). I highly recommend the whole series (which is still in progress), but today I want to highlight two of the articles in particular, which constitute parts 7 and 8 of the series thus far: Family-Integrated Church 7: Are…
How the Lord Shepherded Me Through My Wife’s Battle With Ovarian Cancer (Reposted)
In celebration of my wife’s third year full of being cancer free, I am posting again the article I wrote about how God saw us through that difficult trial. Of course, the focus here is on my own struggle as her husband, but the article communicates a theology of God’s sovereignty over suffering and trials that…
Robertson McQuilkin Discusses John Piper’s "Lightning Rod" Assertion at Lausanne III
I just read an article by Robertson McQuilkin in the spring edition of Connection, the magazine of Columbia International University, where I was privileged to go to college. The article was entitled “The Controversy at Lausanne III,” and in it McQuilkin reported on the debate that was occasioned by a simple, Scriptural statement made by John Piper.…
Formal Church Membership: A Good and Necessary Inference
Over the past twenty or so years in pastoral ministry, I have begun to notice more and more a trend away from stressing any kind of formal church membership in local churches. And I have been increasingly hearing the objection that there just isn’t any support for such a concept in Scripture. The idea of…
A Journey in Baptist History is Now Available
I am happy to announce that the latest book in Dr. Richard Belcher’s Journey series of theological novels has been published. The book is entitled A Journey in Baptist History and may be purchased at the Richbarry Press website. Here is a description of the book from the website: Many today, who call themselves Baptists,…
Church-Integrated Families Rather Than Family-Integrated Churches?
This is the issue with which Matthew Kingsbury, pastor of Park Hill Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado, deals in an article entitled The Church-Integrated Family. He begins the article by setting forth what he perceives to be the central Scriptural issue: We are at the beginning of the end of the American family as it has been…