While reading John Piper’s excellent new book, Five Points, it occurred to me how many misconceptions there are about the five points of Calvinism. My guess is that the main reason many people reject the five points, otherwise known as the “doctrines of grace,” is because they assume something that Calvinists actually don’t believe. Here are some common misconceptions:
3 Reasons a Congregation Should Have Its Own Building
As a pastor of a church that is getting close to opening a new sanctuary, I’ve had to do some thinking about whether a congregation should even seek to have its own building. Maybe that sounds like a silly question, because you’ve assumed that it is the goal of all churches to own their own facility. But that would not be true. Many churches, especially new church plants, do not have their own buildings, and some have no intention of getting one.
Should a Christian Feel Obligated to Listen to Contemporary Christian Music?
It was revealed recently that Dan Haseltine, lead singer for band Jars of Clay, has voiced support for same-sex marriage. Jars of Clay is generally included in the category of Contemporary Christian Music, otherwise known as CCM. The news about Haseltine has raised some questions about the man’s views, but it also raises questions about CCM in general.
5 Reasons to Believe in the Resurrection
Sometimes Christians are accused of having a “blind faith” – that we believe the unbelievable even though the facts are contrary to the evidence. Certainly it requires faith to believe in the resurrection of Jesus, for instance, but this faith is not a blind faith – it is an informed faith. It is a faith based on plausible reasons. As we approach Easter, below are five good reasons for you to believe in the resurrection of Jesus:
4 Reasons You Should Consider Buying Vinyl Records
Next Saturday (April 19, not tomorrow) is Record Store Day. This annual celebration of independent record stores has been taking place since 2007, and gives special attention to the vinyl record, which happens to be the main reason independent records stores are still in business. As music consumption moves away from CDs and increasingly toward MP3 downloads or direct streaming, there has been a movement back toward buying records the old fashioned way. Vinyl sales have been on the increase for the last few years, and show no signs of slowing down.
4 Excellent Web Resources You Might Not Know About
Years ago, before the Internet, I came across a reformed tape library catalog that allowed a person to order cassette tapes of sermons and lectures given by reformed pastors and theologians. I would rummage through the catalog, looking for interesting topics and favorite speakers. Then I would complete the order form at the back of the catalog, put it in an envelope with my payment, drop it in the mail box and wait patiently for my tapes to arrive weeks later.
