March 7th, 2017
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When we read the gospel accounts of Christ’s ministry one of the regular features we encounter is Christ’s interaction with demons.
March 2nd, 2017
Community can be an elusive thing. It is something that we all long for; something that nourishes us in deep places; yet not something that is guaranteed. Graduate school can be especially challenging for forming community.
February 28th, 2017
I was in college when I ran across a rep from a credit card company. Money lenders are shrewd. They know that college students don’t always have the money they want or need, and so getting a young financially inexperienced college student to sign on the bottom line is a relatively easy thing to do.
February 23rd, 2017
The relationships students have with one another are very personal, and due to the small student-body size the campus has sort of a communal feeling to it. It makes learning more enjoyable, and also provides support when one is struggling, whether academically or personally.
February 21st, 2017
I can remember as a child that my parents had a trash compactor in the kitchen. To me, it was a neat machine. We could stuff all manner of trash into the can, close the door, hit the button, and then listen to the compactor crush and squeeze the trash into a nice package.
February 16th, 2017
One can imagine how much comfort and relief I felt when I realized that not only did the professors want to take the time to explain to me the concepts and ideas they were teaching, but that the faculty also took an interest in not just my academic growth but my personal and spiritual development.
February 14th, 2017
We definitely live in a time when people enjoy many creature comforts. I suppose it’s because I’m quickly aging, but I can remember a time when new cars were not automatically equipped with air conditioning.
February 9th, 2017
Sitting in the student lounge unseen I watched through the window as two men approached each other. One a retired cop the other once a drug dealer; both faces alight with excitement. They heartily greet each other and turn to walk together toward the library. I am encouraged knowing both these men.
February 7th, 2017
A pet peeve of mine is when ministers stand in the pulpit and read the Bible and do so with no inflection. It sounds like the pastor is reading entries in a dictionary . . .
February 2nd, 2017
Here at Westminster Seminary California, fellowship takes many forms. There are lunch dates, dinner parties, movie nights, beach outings, coffee houses and more. But my favorite, as you can guess, is fireside chats.
January 31st, 2017
I can remember sitting in church as a young teenager as my pastor posed a question about the possible links between demon possession and mental illness.
January 26th, 2017
One of the sweetest privileges we professors have is interacting with students, and with the new housing project around the corner that is only bound to increase.
January 24th, 2017
I recently received a Christian bookstore catalog in the mail, and so I began to flip through its pages, naturally. One thing I noticed was how large the Bible section was.
January 17th, 2017
In the wake of the death and resurrection of Christ a number of Jesus’ disciples failed to receive word that their Lord and Savior had arisen from the dead. Under the impression that Jesus was dead in his tomb, the disciples walked on the road to Emmaus until a visitor joined them along the way.
January 10th, 2017
If I were to ask my students to give me a list of the top ten theological rock stars, I suspect I know who most of the names that would appear. In many respects, this is understandable.
January 3rd, 2017
We live in an age of celebrity where people become famous for merely being famous—they have little talent or significant skills. They have become adroit at taking selfies and giving people the impression that they’re someone to watch and emulate.
December 27th, 2016
If there’s a part of prayer that few Christians need encouragement to include, it’s supplication. One of the privileges of redemption is our adoption, the fact that our union with Christ grants us the status as God’s sons.
December 20th, 2016
One of the common characteristics we find in the apostle Paul’s letters is the number of times he gives thanks to God in prayer. The opening of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is an example of this: “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Eph. 1:16).
December 13th, 2016
The familiar phrase, “forgive us our debts,” is probably known to most Christians because it comes from the Lord’s Prayer. When Christ’s disciples asked him how they should pray, Jesus identified the confession of sin as one of the key elements of prayer (Matt. 6:12).
December 6th, 2016
I think one of the weakest areas of the Christian life for many is prayer. We seldom spend significant time in prayer unless we find ourselves in a period of suffering or trial. Under such circumstances we might regularly engage in prayer.
