thoughtlife.com – engaging mind & culture

THOUGHTLIFE

Category: TLblog

  • WORLDVIEW WARFARE: YOUNG MAN THIRSTY FOR NEW LIFE

    WORLDVIEW WARFARE: YOUNG MAN THIRSTY FOR NEW LIFE

  • WORLDVIEW WARFARE: Atheist Confronted with the gospel

    WORLDVIEW WARFARE: Atheist Confronted with the gospel

  • Dr. Craig Animated Videos

    Dr. Craig Animated Videos

  • Ryan Reynolds, Match.com, and the Days of Noah

    Ryan Reynolds, Match.com, and the Days of Noah

    I recently saw two lighthearted and comedic commercials for a match.com ad campaign with Ryan Reynolds. One is called “Match Made in Hell” and one is called “When Satan met 2020.” You can watch these below. The ads interested me because I am currently leaning toward the “Angel view” interpretation of Genesis 6 and many…

  • Christian Apologetics Manifesto: Nineteen Theses To Shake the World With the Truth -by Douglas Groothuis

    Originally posted at The Christian Post On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of death will not overcome it—Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:9). This is a manifesto to ignite the holy fire of apologetic passion and action. As did Jeremiah, we should have “fire in our bones” to communicate and commend Christian…

  • Article- How to Defend your Pro-Life Views in 5 Minutes or Less by Scott Klusendorff

    Suppose  that you have just five minutes to graciously defend your pro-life beliefs with  friends or classmates.  Can you do it with  rational arguments?  What should you say?  And how can you simplify the abortion issue for those who think it’s hopelessly  complex? Here’s  how to succeed in three easy steps:

  • Article- The Christian Mind by Jerry Soloman

    The Need for a Christian Mind “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17).(1) This familiar admonition was first spoken by John the Baptist and soon after it was echoed by Jesus. The phrase is certainly worthy of a great deal of attention; it provides a lot of food for thought. For…

  • Article- A (Not So) Brief Defense of Christianity by Jimmy Williams

    Introduction Faith Everybody has faith. From the meticulous scientist to the most irrational religious fanatic, everyone believes in something, and everyone acts on that belief somehow. The question is not whether we WILL have faith; it is whether or not the things we believe are true. Unfortunately, many people never evaluate the basis for their…

  • REblog- An Index of Worldviews & Ideas

    originally posted at cltruth.com AGNOSTICISM- The belief that we can’t know whether God exists. ALTRUISM- The belief that your moral decisions should be determined by the well-being of other people. ANARCHISM-The belief that we should have no organized government. ANIMISM-The belief that everything in the universe (or the universe itself) has a soul or is…

  • REblog- Win the Man Not the Argument by Douglas Wilson

    by Douglas Wilson  originally posted at theresurgence.com When the Lord Jesus called his disciples, he famously said that he was going to transform them into “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). He did not say, as it turns out, that he was going to send them fishing for fallacies. Similarly, the point of apologetics is to…

  • Article- The Teleological Argument & the Anthropic Priniciple- by Dr. William Lane Craig

      The discovery during our generation of the so-called anthropic coincidences in the initial conditions of the universe has breathed new life into the teleological argument. Use of the Anthropic Principle to nullify our wonder at these coincidences is logically fallacious unless conjoined with the metaphysical hypothesis of a World Ensemble. There are no reasons…

  • Rand Wagner Bio

    Education A.A.S. in Funeral Service from Mt. Hood College B.A. in Intercultural Studies with Biblical Studies minor from Biola University (LaMirada, CA) M.A. in Exegetical Theology from Western Seminary (Portland, OR) M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University (LaMirada, CA) Rand Wagner grew up in a religious home, but that religion was always in flux, ranging from atheism,…

  • TLblog- 17 Questions to Understand Your Own Worldview by Rand Wagner

    What is a worldview?  Definition- A worldview is a conceptual framework or system of thought which everything is given meaning and context. A worldview frames and organizes everything we experience. It is the basic assumptions, values, and allegiances by which we interpret the world around us. Assumptions– things presumed to be true, no proof necessary…

  • TLblog- The Kalam Cosmological Argument- (Part 3) by Rand Wagner

    I’ve attempted to demonstrate in the two previous posts that the the universe had a beginning. The Kalam argument states that whatever begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist; therefore the universe has a cause. In this post I would like to show

  • TLblog- The Kalam Cosmological Argument (Part 2- Philosophical Observations) by Rand Wagner

    In my last post I began to argue for the Cause of the universe using the Kalam Cosmological Argument. The argument is basically this: that whatever begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist, the universe has a cause. In making the case for the beginning of the universe we start with the self evident…

  • TLblog- Unreasonable Atheism- FREE ebook by Rand Wagner

    CLICK on the Cover Design to download a free ebook copy of: UNREASONABLE ATHEISM: Truth, Rationality, and the Existence of God Written by Rand Wagner Without a doubt, the question of the existence of God is the most essential and significant question of human experience. Most philosophers agree that whether actually true or merely a…

  • TLblog- The Kalam Cosmological Argument (Part 1- Scientific Observations) by Rand Wagner

    Preliminary thoughts: *Something cannot come from nothing- Nothing is nothing, nothing can do nothing, therefore nothing can cause nothing. *Every effect or anything that comes into being, needs a cause. Something cannot come from nothing. *Two possibilities- 1. The universe has always been here. 2. The universe had a beginning. *Did the universe have a beginning and if…

  • A Dummy’s Guide to Preparing For Christmas

    A Dummy’s Guide to Preparing for Christmas: Luke 3:7-14 Click above link for a video presentation of this message…click here to listen to my other sermons. Today we start our Advent sermon Series. I trust that everybody had a great Thanksgiving and now you’re getting geared-up and looking forward to Christmas- the “big papa of all theholidays. And this morning we’re…

  • A Clash of Kingdoms

    A Clash of Kingdoms Today we’re back into the Amazed by Jesus Sermon Series- The message is the third of the series and is titled “A Clash of Kingdoms” because we’ll be looking at Mark 5:1-20 where we see Jesus attacking the Kingdom of darkness. We see the Kingdom of God engage the Kingdom of evil.…

  • Living as an Ordinary Radical

    Living as an Ordinary Radical The title of the message today is Living as an Ordinary Radical. I thought this title was a good fit describing the main thrust our text today- A text that most of us have heard many times before. It is the story of Jesus healing a paralytic man. But even though I…

  • Shock & Awe

    Shock & Awe…My most recent message at GVF from Mark 1:21-28  Today we begin the Amazed by Jesus sermon series. Over the next several weeks not including the various guest speakers, we’ll be looking at some passages from the gospels where people were amazed by Jesus. My hope and goal as a pastor, preacher and Christian gentleman…

  • REbirth (Part 2)- It’s All About Jesus

    Link to audio sermon on John 3:13-18: REbirth (Part 2)- It’s All About Jesus Two weeks ago we asked the question… What is your passion in life that moves you to tears? There are lots of different things to be passionate about but Jesus’ passion is to see people Reborn into relationship with God. We…

  • REbirth

    REbirth- Audio sermon on John 3:1-10 What is your passion that drives you to tears? For me its my family and the thought that my own sin would somehow rub off on my kids or wife and cause them to be hurt or to somehow lead them away from God. I really have a desire to…

  • Courage Under Fire

    Courage Under Fire. Exodus 20:3-5  3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.  4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol…  5 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.” You shall have no other gods before me and shall not worship them…

  • Giving 101

    Giving 101 This week I received a phone call from Kaylee while I was preparing this message. We had just received 3 huge boxes from my ant that were full of kitchen supplies, and toys, and clothes for the kids. It looked like she went on a shopping spree just for us. Who here likes…

  • The Secret of Contentment

     Jesus Our Strength- The Secret of Contentment. Are you happy? Scale of 1-5 very unhappy, Mostly unhappy, Somewhat happy, Mostly happy – Very happy.  What is happiness to you? What makes you happy? When you’re rating yourself what makes you choose a higher or lower number? Maybe its because… The Phillies are in first place, Everybody…

  • Jesus Our Example: Humility

     Jesus Our Example: Humility. If you ask me what is the first precept of the Christian Faith I will answer, first, second and third, Humility –Augustine. Today we’re looking at what is probably the central passage of Philippians and unquestionably one of the most profound passages in all of Scripture discussing the person and work…

  • Taming My Tongue

    One thing I have come to learn is this: that wisdom is not so much expressed in that which you say wisely, but in that which you wisely don’t say.  For me it seems as though, the less I speak, the better off I am. One of the areas I have struggled with in my Christian walk has been in taming…

  • A Few Thoughts on Adversity

    Adversity is the experience of pain, opposition, distress, disappointment, difficulty, grief, loss, or something similar. Why does God allow adversity in our lives? One answer that has been offered is

  • What Happens When I Die? 4 Issues In Understanding Life and Death

  • Pricked Again By Pensees

    In his, Pensées, Pascal discusses the need of many individuals to seek distractions and diversions in life in order to take their minds away from the larger questions of life and death. He writes: “Their error does not lie in seeking excitement, if they seek it only as a diversion; the evil is that they seek it as if…

  • Please Don’t Do Nothing: A Biblical Mandate to Do Something About Abortion

    This article is a resource of abort73.com. For more articles and resources that will help you fight against the advance of evil, please visit www.abort73.com A Biblical Mandate to Do Something About Abortion Page Summary: This document exists for two reasons: to convince more of God’s people to enter the active defense of abortion-vulnerable children and to help…

  • TLblog- How can I lose my disgusting pride?- Rand Wagner

    The more free from sin and the more sanctified God makes me, the more I recognize how pollutedly weak my self, still bound by a sin nature, actually is. I am continually awestruck and overtly grateful for the reconciliation God has made with me. Though in my mind I am aware of my positional sanctification, I am…

  • Imago Dei- Interaction w/ Grenz’s “The Social God and the Relational Self”

    The Hebrew Term, selem, the first of two terms whose meanings must be understood in order to have a correct understanding of the imago dei, appears seventeen times in the OT and means “image.” Selem has a sense of concreteness (physical representations or natural objects) as well as abstractness (being likened to a shadow) and…

  • Would it bother us more if they used guns?

    Would it bother us more if they used guns? Lord have mercy on us and forgive them for they know not what they do. Please vist http://www.abort73.com/ for more information.

  • Soul Piercing (Luke 1:38)

    “Behold the bondslave of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.” This is Mary’s response to the angel who visited her informing her that she’d been chosen by the Living God to be the vessel (indeed the mother) for the Messiah, the Christ- whose name shall be called Jesus (Joshua). Like…

  • 12 Distinguishing Signs of True Religious Affections

    We bring our Lord much glory if we get from Him much grace -Charles Spurgeon According to the great theologian and philosopher, Jonathan Edwards, the affections are the practical exercises of the inclination and will of the soul. The affections equal the heart; feelings; and attitude. All of us have affections for people, places, and…

  • Let Your Glory Fall

    Here’s a little song I wrote: We walked among the dead… Hearts of stone hardened by sin But you burnt our souls with fire…Now your glory is our desire We talked among the lie…Wills of greed conformed to die But You captured us with Your grace…Now the Way is who we embrace Chorus: Let your…

  • Expect To Win

    In order to “win” the battle for souls in this world, there are several ambassador essentials that we must practice. Remember that all Christians are missionaries to their spheres of influence- and although we play a significant role planting and watering the soil upon which we labor…God ultimatly brings the growth! And so, in order to plant and water…

  • Jesus Cuts Off Goliath’s Head

    Below is the link and the transcript for my latest audio sermon on 1 Samuel 17. The title for the sermon is David & Goliath- A Story About Jesus. David and Goliath: A Story about Jesus Let’s pray. Good Morning everybody. I’m Rand one of the pastor’s here at Grace Valley Fellowship. The scripture we…

  • Taken the Challenge?

    According to Goerge Bernard Shaw, “Two percent of the people think; Three percent of the people think they think; and ninety-five percent of the people would rather die than think.” Try this flash based challenge if you are a five percenter- The Challenge

  • Why is Jesus’ Death Good News?

    Here is the link to my most recent audio sermon. The following is the basic transcript for it: Good morning everyone. I’m Rand one of the Pastors here at Grace Valley Fellowship. Let me pray for us and we’ll get right to it…(Prayer) I trust that you all had an enjoyable Christmas and that with most of…

  • Christmas: It’s All About Jesus

    Here is a link to my most recent audio sermon entitled…Christmas: It’s All About Jesus. It is an expository message from John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Also, I’ve developed a new…

  • Jesus- Better than Obama

    In the wake of the election, I decided to preach on a topic of critical importance.  Here is my most recent audio message entitled Jesus-Better than Obama.

  • Re-post: Two 23 Second Pro-Life Arguments

    Because of considerable interest in this post and because of our nearness to the election, I have decided to repost the following: In a few of my previous posts I have tried to challenge people by reminding them of the significance of the abortion issue and its relationship to the coming election. Since those postings, I have received a variety…

  • Go to Church

    Doxology (the study of glory) Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. The ultimate end for which God created man is to see His glory and worship Him with our whole person. The Westminster Confession of Faith…

  • Rescued Slaves

    Here is a link to my most recent audio message entitled Rescued Slaves The basic transcript is what follows in this post. This morning we are looking at Galatians 1:3-5. But before we turn there, I wanted to start by asking three short questions: First…”If someone was observing your life, what ONE word besides your name…

  • 4 Modes of Imago Dei

    Though all of humanity bears the image of God (James 3:9), it is not full and perfect due to sin (Rom 3:23). The image of God in man consists of similarity to God and is a representation of Him (Dan 3; Luke 20). We represent God in basically four different modes. First, we represent God…

  • On Being Human

    When I reflect on the nature of humanity, I must consider such concepts as imago Dei, immateriality/materiality, and personhood. What is a human? Basically, a human being is a created/finite personal being who is a conditional unity, a psychosomatic agent, composed of both an immaterial and a material substance, not inextricably bound together yet designed by God to function in unity. The immaterial aspect of our being…

  • 4 Problems…1 Solution

    There are four problems that all human beings have for which I will discuss briefly. Each of these problems has only one satisfactory solution. One of the tests for the truth of any worldview is

  • REblog- 10 Traits of a Christian Ambassador- Stand to Reason

    “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” -2 Cor. 5:20 The following is a creed produced by the organization Stand to Reason. It is a worthwhile tool that will undoubtedly benefit any ambassador of Christ who desires to represent His Lord as an…

  • Soul Piercing (Romans 12:1-2)

    Scripture: Romans 12:1-2 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual(rational) worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the…

  • The Bankruptcy of Atheism

    For the past few days I have been traveling cross country with my family as we are en route to Pennsylvania to start a new job as the Outreach pastor for Grace Valley Fellowship. The travels thus far have been enjoyable. I have been driving a Uhaul accompanied by either one of my two sons taking turns in the…

  • Two 23 Second Pro-Life Arguments (A Reasonable Defense for the Unborn)

    In a few of my previous posts I have tried to challenge people by reminding them of the significance of the abortion issue and its relationship to the coming election. Since those postings, I have received a variety of responses from the non-pro-lifers- all of which, as far as they have communicated, maintain their position on abortion because of

  • Soul Piercing (Colossians 1:13-14)

    Scripture: Colossians 1:13-14 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Who can stand before the infinite God whose Holy glory outshines the sun? Does not His light make our sins more visible… shining on what is obviously born in…

  • 2 Mistakes of Reasoning (How Not to Argue About Abortion)

    Since posting the two previous posts regarding Obama and abortion I have received a couple responses from people in the pro-abortion camp. Their responses include a few things that ought to be addressed.  Before I proceed, however, I would like to clarify what the pro-abortion group should be called since many of them would prefer to be labeled “Pro-choice” as opposed to “Pro-abortion”. Labels…

  • Obama-nation or Abomination? (Part 2)

    “If you say you love babies, and don’t hate abortion, you don’t love babies” -Paul Washer “The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.” -Margaret Sanger, Founder of Planned Parenthood “Real feminists don’t kill their babies for anyone or any reason” -Anonymous “Before I formed you…

  • Obama-nation or Abomination? (Part 1)

    “It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones.” -Jesus Christ “If [my daughters] make a mistake, I don’t wan’t them punished with a baby” -Barack Obama I am on my knees…

  • Reflections on Unity and Diversity

    “Unquestioning acceptance of an original position, either through ignorance of alternatives or through refusal to consider them, not only leads to forgone conclusions…but it leads to the acceptance of a system without taking into account several weighty objections that ought to be faced.” Gordon H. Clark One of the books I am currently re-reading is Thales…

  • TLblog- William Lane Craig and the Truth of Christianity- Rand Wagner

    In this post I would like to highlight a leading Christian apologist and scholar as well as provide some resources for those of you who might not be completely convinced that Christianity is true. There are many many more resources than I can provide in this post that are helpful for those genuinely seeking to discern truth from falsehood. Many of the links on this…

  • Skeptical Thinking vs Logical Thinking

    In the world today it is often the case that those who claim to follow Jesus are ridiculed as irrational, bumbling idiots. This kind of mocking is common place in the popular media. Most of the time when a character calls him or her self a born-again Christian on television or in a movie, at somepoint in the plot he is madeout to be a bigotted…

  • Post-death Experiences Refute Naturalism?

    I recently listened to a talk given by Dr. Gary Habermas at the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. The lecture was a communication of the research Habermas had done on near-death and post-death experiences. Habermas makes a very interesting and powerful case for the reality of an immaterial aspect to the human being- which he shows to be empirically…

  • Misquoting Jesus

    Critical Review of Bart D. Ehrman’s book… Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why       Bart D. Ehrman, chair of the department of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is a brilliant scholar who has worked for many years studying and teaching the New Testament; especially being involved…

  • Soul Piercing (1 Peter 3:15)

    Scripture:  1Peter 3:15 “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense (apologia) to everyone who asks you to give an account (logos) for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” In this verse, there are two key words central to Peter’s meaning: they are…

  • Soul Piercing (2 Timothy 2:24-25)

    Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:24-25 “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,” Christians we are slaves of Christ because He purchased and redeemed our souls. What…

  • A Brief Defense of the Resurrection of Jesus

    If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain; your faith also is vain. -Paul the Apostle (1 Cor 15) Because Christ our God is true man, he died a full and genuine human death upon the Cross. But because he is not only true man but true God, because he is life itself…

  • Show Them No Mercy- 4 views on God and Canaanite Genocide

    I’m not quite sure how this will work out but I hope to use this blog (in part) to review books that I have read- for the readers benefit but also as a sort of note taking tool for my own rememberance. My first book review regards a books which I have recently completed and is one which…

  • Soul Piercing (Galatians 2:16)

    Scripture: Galatians 2:16- “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law…

  • Soul Piercing (Ephesians 5:1-2)

    Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Our life should exemplify and model God’s heart. God in Christ, the essence of love incarnate, walked among us and…

  • got Grace?

    The link below is a link to the message I preached at Grace Valley Fellowship while candidating for their Outreach Pastor position. The title of the sermon is “got Grace?” got Grace? I hope you are challenged! Beware- it is the same kind of words that got both Jesus and Paul killed.

  • Soul Piercing (Hebrews 4:12)

    Scripture: Hebrews 4:12- “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” If you have been reading my blog, you have undoubtedly discovered that I have been…

  • Cumulative Case for God (Outline)

    A) Christian Theism is the hypothesis. B) It is more reasonable to believe in God than to be an atheist. C) Christian Theism offers a more adequate explanation than atheism does for the following aspects of reality:

  • The Kalam Cosmological Argument (Part 3- God is the Cause)

    I’ve attempted to demonstrate in the two previous posts that the the universe had a beginning. The Kalam argument states that whatever begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist; therefore the universe has a cause. In this post I would like to show that the cause of the universe is what…

  • God’s Existence Introduction continued

    Without a doubt, the question of the existence of God is the most essential and significant question of human experience. Philosopher and author, Dr. Peter Kreeft, has argued that whether actually true or merely a mental construct, the idea of God’s existence is an idea that has “guided or deluded more lives, changed more history, inspired…

  • God’s Existence Introduction

    The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declairng the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1 “That which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have…

  • Why Should I Not Commit Suicide?

    Why Should I Not Commit Suicide?

      “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, all the rest pale into insiginifance in light of this one question and its this…Why should I not commit suicide?” –Albert Camus  Why ask Why? -Budweiser, King of Beers One evening at a dinner party, Woody Allen was asked his opinion about the meaning of life.…

  • Atheism Refuted…Easily (Part 3- Atheism’s Fatal Flaw)

      Opponents of naturalism/atheism recognize that it has an incurable flaw in the area of knowledge and rationality. Rationality typically means that an idea is known and justified on the basis of reason (as opposed to tradition or emotional grounds). i.e. the idea is logical and not foolish. A careful analysis of atheism reveals a problem…

  • Atheism Refuted…Easily (Part 2- Atheism’s Bias)

    *I had to resubmit this post because of formatting issues.  I apologize for the lost comments. The popular idea that atheistic assumptions only stem from an unbiased, critical, and scientific examination of the world is misleading and inaccurate. Most advocates of the atheistic worldview maintain that they are defenders of “free thought” in our culture.…

  • Atheism Refuted…Easily (Part 1- Atheism’s Definition)

    *I had to resubmit this post due to formatting issues. I apologize for the lost comments. What is atheism? Atheism is the worldview, which denies the existence of the spuernatural, and argues that the universe and all that is in it is a product of the random application of presently aporating natural laws. Atheism, also…

  • Vain Striving

    One of my deepest struggles in life is my constant desire to show God and others how “good” I am. I am utterly burdened to succeed in anything. My early life was full of constant success and I often found myself to be the best at the activities I was involved in. This success undoubtedly conditioned me for future…

  • You Will Be Hated

    “I think the Romans had the right idea: Christians SHOULD be fed to the lions. They are whiny hypocritical *******s… I think we should kill every last Christian in a very gruesome way. How brilliant would it be to kill a Christian… and every Christian in the world would go to hell. We’d get every bible in…

  • Worldview Basics (Part 3- Selection of a Worldview)

    “Reality forces itself upon our consciousness, and evokes the assent of the attentive and unprejudiced mind. When man resists the evidence of the real he does violence to his own intellect, and is able to detect his own insincerity.” -Avery Dulles In the two previous posts I introduced the concept of worldview. A worldview is the set…

  • Worldview Basics (Part 2- Theism, Naturalism, Monism)

    In the previous post (Part 1 in this worldview basics series), I stated the obvious- that people answer the fundamental questions of life in various ways and that our answers to the foundational questions help us determine our worldview. A worldview, though most people don’t realize they have one, is the conceptual structure of our presuppositions and ideas and is significant because it guides our thoughts, actions, and motives. Our worldview helps us define…

  • No Greater Love

                  This evening in church I heard the story of private Ross McGinnis, an Army soldier, who died in a combat zone in Iraq on December the 4th, 2006. I was moved by his heroism and thought I’d begin my post with this brief story: Private Ross McGinnis from his position in the gun turret, noticed a grenade…

  • American Life Without God

    This post was a speach I originally delivered at the Mason County National Day of Prayer Breakfast- which is why it has the patriotic emphasis (appropriate for the 4th of July). Although I do think that our country was founded by various individuals who held a Christian worldview, I also think that in many cases it…

  • Something in the Way She Moves

    This is to you my wife, my love, today on our 8th wedding anniversary. Thank you so much for sharing with me your heart and your life. You truly make my life a joy. Thank you for all of your support and encouagement and for being the kind of wife and mother that any husband would…

  • Wrestling, Sword-fighting, and Guns!

    My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard; Mother would come out and say, “You’re tearing up the grass”; “We’re not raising grass,” Dad would reply, “we’re raising boys!” -Harmon Killebrew “One night a father overheard his son pray: Dear God make me the kind of man my daddy is. Later…

  • Is it Absolutely True That There is No Absolute Truth?

    “The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off.” -Gloria Steinem “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” -George Orwell How many of us have read or heard someone say that there is no absolute truth? How many of us have heard or been taught that truth…

  • Is Your Mom Really Your Mom?

    How many Christians when they consider their faith, are convinced that it is actually true? How many are unsure? If they do admit that it is true, what is the basis for that belief? Is it that they are intellectually convinced by the evidence? Is it that they “just know” their must be a God? Is…

  • Auditory Learning

    I am getting close to having the basic shell of this blog in order so I thought I’d give a heads up to some of its parts. Over the course of our journey through life, we are impacted by various things- such as people’s ideas, music, art, etc. This blog spot includes several items that have been instrumental…

  • Songs of Rest-oration

      I was thinking today how fast time goes by. I started listening to a song and my wife Kaylee said, “Do you remember rocking Wyatt to sleep to that song when he was a baby?” I instantly teared up as a rush of both sorrow and joy hit me while I reflected on the mental image…

  • Through the Glass Dimly?

    “All men by nature desire to know” Aristotle Metaphysics 1.1 ‘For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 13:12)      This existence of the ability to…