The Gospels, History and Inspiration

A few years ago a friend of mine and I were discussing a sermon we had recently heard, during which the speaker mentioned the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. My friend asked me what historical evidence he was talking about, and I replied that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were excellent places to start! His reaction astonished me

A Tunic, A Sponge and a Spear

Tomorrow morning to introduce my new sermon series I am going to read this little piece of fiction I wrote tonight.

The Gospel Truth - Lesson 1: The Gospels as History

The gospels claim to be history, the written description of events that actually happened (Luke 1:1-4; John 20:30-31).  But what are we to make of these claims?

The Style of the Gospels

The consensus among scholars of the New Testament is that the gospels belong in the category of bioi, “lives,” ancient biographies.

Some Great Ideas for Wall Street Reform

In a recent column in Rolling Stone, Matt Taibi offered some concrete proposals for reforming Wall Street that I think are worth merit. Incidentally, it seems to me lately that many Christians have become knee-jerk defenders of anything remotely labeled capitalism. There is no question the Bible supports personal property rights (Acts 5:3-4), and promotes the individual work ethic (Ephesians 4:28). But there is also no question that the Bible condemns stealing (Ephesians 4:28), as well as the abuse of the poor by the wealthy (James 5:1-6), and affirms the role of the civil government in punishing evildoers (Romans 13:3-7). With that in mind, here are my favorite reforms Taibi mentions:

Jesus vs Muhammad - The Cross vs the Sword

Over the last few weeks as I have been studying for my class on Islam I have thought a lot about the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity, and between Christ and Muhammad. Today I want to talk about one of the most vital differences, what each man taught with regard to violence. But to put this fundamental difference in sharper contrast, I want to begin by noticing some similarities between them.

Notes on Islam - Class 4 - After Muhammad

In this lesson we will examine the often violent struggle for leadership of Islam after the death of Muhammad.

Notes on Islam - Class 3 - Muhammad

Muhammad was born in 570, in the Arabian city of Mecca. In this lesson we are going to examine the life of the man considered the “Seal of the Prophets” by Muslims.