Posts by Todd Pruitt

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The latest edition of The White Horse Inn deals with the question "Why is Christianity true?" Listen to it HERE .
I posted on Biblearc.com a while back. Seeing Justin Taylor's post on it today prompted me to give another opportunity to check out this very helpful approach to studying the Bible. Tom Steller recently wrote about the wonderful tool that's been developed, Biblearc.com : It is a crucial tool in our...
Over at Ref21 there is an excellent article by Anthony Selvaggio on the nature of James' epistle. James D.G. Dunn once referred to the epistle of James as "the most Jewish, the most undistinctively Christian document in the New Testament." [1] We all know that Martin Luther had serious concerns...
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfxCnZ4Dp3c&hl=en&fs=1&]
Check out this story .
“In Reformed churches, the tradition has been to put the Pulpit in the center because of the centrality of preaching and the Word as a means of grace. The Pulpit is not just a utility stand for the preacher to use to hold his notes, but a weighty visual anchor to point to the significance of the...
This month's issue of Modern Reformation (my favorite magazine) focuses on the lasting relevance of John Calvin (2009 is the 500 anniversary of Calvin's birth). In his article "Is Calvin Still Relevant after 500 Years" Michael Horton explains clearly why I am a deliberate Protestant and why...
Andy Naselli posted the following: Dan Burrell , a former pastor, offers what he calls “some things that I’m guessing your pastor wishes you knew about him” ( part 1 / part 2 ). He lists ten main points: 1. Bible college and seminary weren’t enough. 2. Good sermon preparation takes time. 3. His...
I found the following helpful post over at Justin Taylor's place: This weekend I started reading the new book, Jonathan Edwards and the Ministry of the Word: A Model of Faith and Thought (IVP, 2009), by Doug Sweeney , Professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought at Trinity...
I love Steve Nichols' books. He seems incapable of making the history of the church and theology boring. I highly recommend that you add his books to your reading list. I was pleased to have lunch with Steve and Carl Trueman from Westminster last week. God willing COS will be blessed to host these...
World events ( here and here ) could easily be an occassion for despair. Quite honestly, it's getting ugly out there. It is in times like these that God's people must remember who is ultimately in control. Certainly God uses means to accomplish His purposes. He has used good men and wicked men. He...
David Powlison has written an article that addresses the question, "Is anger morally neutral?" The anger of people toward genuine wrongs is usually mixed. Anger is a just and justified response to true evils, an expression of the image of God. The fact that we see a wrong as wrong is a good thing;...
"In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair. . . . the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing...
Genesis in Space and Time by Francis Schaeffer. Publisher Review: Genesis is a book of orgins--the orgin of the universe, the origin of life and the origin of man. It places man in his cosmic setting, shows his particular uniquness, explains his wonder and his flaw, and begins to trace the flow of...
Check it out HERE . Live streaming available.
It is well frequently to weigh ourselves in the scale of God's Word. You will find it a holy exercise to read some psalm of David, and, as you meditate upon each verse, to ask yourself, "Can I say this? Have I felt as David felt? Has my heart ever been broken on account of sin, as his was when he...
I am often asked about those texts of Scripture that tell of God "willing" a wicked thing (Acts 4:27-28) or "sending" a wicked spirit (1 Sam 16:14) or using wicked men to accomplish His purpose (Acts 2:23). These are deep mysteries and reveal the distance between our minds and the mind of God. Oh,...
Over at Ref21 Guy Waters reviews N.T. Wrights recently published Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision . Many of you are aware of the controversy surrounding this issue. N.T. Wright departs from the classic understanding of justification. John Piper recently published a thorough response to...
Gene Veith has an interesting post on the idea of theistic evolution - the idea that God used the means of evolution to bring about the world that is. I have expressed the opinion that the theory of man having descended from lower life forms is not consistent with the biblical record. I still hold...
Over at the web page for Capitol Hill Baptist Church I found the following article by Beth Spraul: I have quite the extensive movie collection. Actually, my husband says I have an extensive “chick-flick” collection. I remember in college when my girlfriends and I would try to borrow each other’s...
The Spring 2009 issue of The Westminster Theological Journal includes some excellent articles on the issues of biblical inerrancy and interpretation. Of particular interest is the interaction between Bruce Waltke and Pete Enns. Dr. Waltke critiques Dr. Enns' book Inspiration and Incarnation . Enns...
In a speech at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Awards Gala, Hillary Clinton said: "I want to assure you that reproductive rights… will be a key to the foreign policy of this Administration… I was very proud when President Obama repealed the Mexico City policy. (Applause.) As a result,...
Kevin DeYoung's new book "Just Do Something" is getting some outstanding reviews. With all the novel approaches in the church to "finding God's will" a truly good book on the subject is needful. Dan Phillips over at Pyromaniacs has posted a review: DeYoung sounds a Biblical wake-up-grow-up-and-get-...
The Chicago Tribune ran an article by Al Mohler on the murder of George Tiller in Wichita. Mohler addresses the moral reasoning of those who would use violence to dispatch an abortionist. Mohler writes: The murder of Dr. Tiller was a grotesque denial of the sanctity of human life. This is not a...
Phil Johnson over at Pyromaniacs has made many a compelling argument against the trend in some evangelical circles toward scatological language and graphic discussion of sex from the pulpit. I have posted on this trend in the past. Johnson writes: Today I'll be in the studio with John MacArthur,...
David Garner of Westminster Seminary has written a very thoughtful article on blogging. He opens with a purposefully tongue-in-cheek assurance that blogging is not in and of itself a sin. But he also points out that " Real Christians really blog, but sad to say, much of this blogging doesn ’t look...
You can listen to or download Sunday's sermon "Do What You Did at First" by clicking HERE . It was Vision Day at COS. What a great day we had! We were blessed by a report from our Thailand team, the commissioning of our summer mission teams, and a moving testimony from one who has recently come to...
In Romans 16 the apostle Paul warns against those preachers who use "smooth talk and flattery" to deceive God's people. Often times these flattering preachers were motivated by a desire to enrich themselves. Little has changed. The health, wealth, and prosperity preachers of our day (Copeland,...
I spotted THIS over at Riddleblog . Enjoy!
First we were told that America is not a Christian nation. Now, there is a sense in which I agree. Certainly we are a majority Christian nation and our laws and national identity were shaped through the lens of a basically Christian worldview. But in a strict sense the U.S. is not a Christian...
I remember a meeting several years ago with the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches. He told me that the old WCC slogan, "Doctrine Divides, Service Unites," had proven unworkable. "Actually," he said, "it's the other way around. Even when we reach agreement on the meaning of the...
For many years Pravada was the primary propaganda tool of the Soviet Union. Now it is a cheerleader for Russian nationalism. It seems that Pravda has some observations about and scoldings for the U.S. It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is...
* Thanks to Riddleblog for the picture.
Carl Trueman is Professor of Church History and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Westminster Seminary. He also has forgotten more about being attacked and criticized than most of us will ever know. Over at Ref21 Dr. Trueman, one of my favorite writers, addresses the web attacks he has received...
Carl Trueman and David Garner recently interviewed Greg Beale. In the Fall of 2010 Dr. Beale will be coming to Westminster to teach New Testament. In the interview Dr. Beale comments on his theological heritage, his writings, postmodernism, the direction of biblical studies at WTS, and current...
Westminster Seminary Bookstore is posting my book recommendations HERE . Just scroll to "non-denominational" on the "choose denomination" bar. For some reason it is not keyed to my name yet. Anyway it is still a work in progress but there's around 50 books so far.
American Christians love their fads and celebrities. The ascendency of Jon and Kate Gosselin are a perfect example. Evangelicals are largely responsible for the Gosselin's popularity. Admirably, the Gosselins refused "selective reduction" when they discovered that Kate was pregnant with sextuplets...
Beginning this month "Why We Believe the Bible," a course taught by John Piper, is available on DVD. You can order it HERE .
If you have read or are planning to read Humility by C.J. Mahaney (recommended) then you may also want to check out a study guide written by Michael Haykin that would make a great addition to your application of the book. Download the study guide free by clicking HERE .
From Al Mohler: For many years, Dr. George Tiller has represented the horrific reality of the abortion industry in this nation. Infamously known to the pro-life movement in America, Tiller was known as "Tiller the Killer" because of his well-known willingness to perform late-term abortions almost...
You can listen to or download Sunday's sermon "Pentecost: Babel Undone" by clicking HERE .
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“Having absorbed the world’s values, Christianity in our society is now dying. Subtly but surely worldliness and self-indulgence are eating away the heart of the church. The gospel we proclaim is so convoluted that it offers believing in Christ as nothing more than a means to contentment and...
This morning the well known late-term abortionist George Tiller was shot to deat at his church in Wichita, Kansas. Here's the story from The Wichita Eagle: George Tiller, the Wichita doctor who became a national lightning rod in the debate over abortion, was shot to death this morning as he walked...
Beginning in the Fall of 201o Dr. G.K. Beale will leave his post as Chair of Biblical Studies at Wheaton to become Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. This is great news for WTS which has experienced some controversy over the issue of inerrancy for...
To preach is a fearful privilege. It's a privilege because of the honor to proclaim God's Word to God's people. It's a privilege because of the opportunity for in-depth study every week. But preaching is fearful because of the risk of getting it wrong. Also, it is fearful because of the pontential...
An English translation of Pierre Marcel's "In God's School" is now available. It is based upon the Heidelberg Catechism and is a wonderful tool for teaching the Christian faith. But make no mistake. "In God's School" will benefit new and mature believers, young and old. This is theology done well...
"A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out." - Isaiah 42:3 We all know what it is like to feel like a bruised reed and a smouldering wick. They are both images of weakness. Relationships, work, loss, and pain can all sap our strength and rob us of joy. It is in...
Robert George of Princeton University recently debated Douglas Kmiec, a pro-life supporter of President Obama. Public Discource , one of my favorite sites, reproduced Professor George's opening statement: Professor Kmiec and I share common ground in the belief that every member of the human family—...