Jesus Elevates Your Dignity
In the United States in the 1920s and 30s, life was very difficult for racially mixed children. This was especially true for a particular child, “Joseph,” born in 1928 to a Native American father and an Irish mother. At that time, both were considered the dredges of society, and to have children who were the […]
It Goes Without Saying? A Reflection on Pope Francis
April 25, 2025 “If necessary, use words.” The original (Saint) Francis purportedly said this. Preach the gospel all the time, and—if necessary—use words. To this, we talkers want our chance to reply. First, we might point to when Paul asked, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” Second, we […]
Christian Love and LGBTQ+: A Q&A with Dr. Chad Ragsdale
*Editor’s Note: A common slogan within LGBTQ+ communities is that “love is love,” implying that any consensual sexual expression is a legitimate form of love. At the same time, love is a longtime cornerstone ethic of Christianity. How does love as taught in Christianity compare with this popular view of love? To help us think […]
Expressive Individualism and LGBTQ+: Q&A with Dr. Chad Ragsdale
*Editor’s Note: What is expressive individualism and how does it relate to contemporary trends regarding sexuality and gender? To help us understand this powerful worldview, I caught up with Dr. Chad Ragsdale, a Christian thinker on worldview and culture. In this conversation, we talk about modern views of truth and meaning and how Christians can […]
Why I Chose To Preach on Sexuality and Gender (Part 2)
My wife and I are blessed to have raised four children. I remember when we just had two. It seemed manageable at that point. We could play man-on-man defense. Then we had our third child and everything changed. All of a sudden, we had to fall back into zone defense and it didn’t seem to […]
What We Must Learn from Andrew Tate Even If We Don’t Want To
What do you do with a man of arrogance and rebellion who inspires the hearts of countless young men and boys in a world deliberately set against them? What do you do with Andrew Tate? When a friend asked me about Andrew, I didn’t know much about the man beyond his kickboxing, affluent lifestyle, and […]
What I Said to the Preteens About Marriage, Sexuality, and Boundaries
Once a month, I teach at the preteen youth group at church. My assigned topic a few weeks ago was what the Bible teaches about marriage, romance, and godly boundaries. Not exactly what was on my mind during my own preteen years. But since teenagehood keeps expanding both directions (from the 7-going-on-17 to the 27 […]
Good News for the City
We know that gospel means good news, but what does that mean? The gospel has too often been reduced, personalized, and spiritualized so that it’s merely about acknowledging sin, accepting Christ, and securing a spot in heaven. This is tidy; but it’s not easily found in Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Paul focuses in on a different […]
