"[Christian Nationalism] leads to superficial Christianity rather than to sincere faith and deep discipleship." Wright & Bird
Tag: the Christian faith
Quote of Note #205: Surrendering to God in Prayer
"Surrender is entrusting to God things over which we have no control." D. Benner
Quote of Note #170: Repentance
"To believe in repentance is to believe there will be repentant murderers who will meet their victims in paradise, to believe there will be repentant slanderers who will meet those they slandered in heaven, to believe there will be repentant thieves who will meet those they've plundered in heaven." Leonard Sweet, Rings of Fire: Walking … Continue reading Quote of Note #170: Repentance
Bible Note #53: Colossians 3 Series–Raised with Christ
There is richness and deep truth to be found everywhere in the Bible, often in passages that might seem mundane and unremarkable at first glance. In fact, that sounds like an interesting challenge. So, maybe someday I’ll do a series of studies on some of those seemingly uninspiring passages of the Bible. But for now, … Continue reading Bible Note #53: Colossians 3 Series–Raised with Christ
Quote of Note #137: Bearing the Cross
photo by GAC "Honesty impels me to admit that transformed nonconformity, which is always costly and never altogether comfortable, may mean walking through the valley of the shadow of suffering, losing a job, or having a six-year-old daughter ask, 'Daddy, why do you have to go to jail so much?' But we are gravely mistaken … Continue reading Quote of Note #137: Bearing the Cross
Quote of Note #134: Leaving the Past Behind
Photo by GAC "[God] wants us first to acknowledge our full responsibility, without excuse or extenuation. Then he says in effect: 'Now put all that behind you; I will take responsibility for it' (and he can take responsibility for the evil we have done: as we have seen, he has provided in Christ the effective … Continue reading Quote of Note #134: Leaving the Past Behind
Bible Note #50: James 2:1 and “Us vs. Them” Thinking
There is no question that our Christian faith can become corrupted. And, of course, one of the ways that our faith can become corrupted is when we adopt bad or wrong doctrines. That’s why it’s important for us to learn our theology carefully and well. The base of an abandoned steel-making blast furnace; photo by … Continue reading Bible Note #50: James 2:1 and “Us vs. Them” Thinking
Quote of Note #117: Raising Dead People
Cemetery scenes; photo by GAC "Christ was sent not to mend wounded people or wake sleepy people or advise confused people or inspire bored people but to raise dead people." Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020, page 175.
Bible Note #46: Simon of Cyrene–A Lenten Meditation
The old man stood among the group of worshipers, a part of the church at Rome. He had moved to the imperial city years earlier, raised his family there. He had joined others there in sharing the news of Jesus the Christ. His two grown sons stood beside him, Alexander and Rufus, both now leaders … Continue reading Bible Note #46: Simon of Cyrene–A Lenten Meditation
Quote of Note #115: God, Who Is Rich in Mercy
The Spokane River in downtown Spokane, WA; photo by GAC "Perhaps you have difficulty receiving the rich mercy of God in Christ not because of what others have done to you but because of what you've done to torpedo your life, maybe through one, big, stupid decision or maybe through ten thousand little ones. You … Continue reading Quote of Note #115: God, Who Is Rich in Mercy
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 