Christianity

Face Eating Zombies!

By Ross Engel –

My wife just introduced me to a new drug. It’s called: Flakka. Apparently Flakka turns you into a Zombie. And like Zombies, the people who take it have no idea what they’re doing. They stumble, moan, and are oblivious to the world around them. While on the drug, users have tried to run through glass doors. They’re impervious to pain. Jump off buildings. Run around naked. There is even a story about a young Florida man who police found eating someone’s face after he had murdered them.

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Why the American Church Is Declining

By Bob Hiller –

What if your church had it all figured out? What if you had a perfectly dynamic pastor who preached challenging and inspirational sermons? What if those sermons were entirely orthodox and beautifully balanced Law and Gospel? What if your Bible studies were more engaging and thrilling? What if everyone in your small group ministry bought in perfectly to the model and you had record involvement? What if your music was liturgically sound and emotionally satisfying? What if you had tithing across the board? What if you had the perfect outreach plan and a superb assimilation program? What if your youth group perfectly equipped students for the world ahead with good theology and apologetics? What if the vast majority of churches across the country did this? What if…?

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You Can’t Hang With Jesus and Not His Friends

By Joel Hess –

I love Jesus but…

Only a Butt says I love Jesus but… These days we often hear people say, “I love Jesus but…I don’t love his words.  I don’t like it when he tells me I commit adultery in my heart.  I don’t like it when he says, ‘no one comes to the Father except through me’. He must not have said that because I don’t like it. I love Jesus but…”

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Inevitable Catechesis

By Joel A Hess –

Dear parents, your kids will be catechized whether you like it or not.

For many churches, autumn marks the beginning of confirmation classes for young people. The season also witnesses many a pastor’s struggles to convince families to make instructing their children in the faith a top priority. Understandably, after spending long hours in school and extracurricular activities, even families that make Christian education a priority find little time to do it seriously.

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Jonesin’ for the Joneses

By Jaime Nava –

I was reading a comic. It was something like Tales from the Darkside. Although the endings of these things could be a bit gruesome, there was also a dark comedy to it. One in particular is actually fitting. There is this couple, the Robinsons. The wife would watch down the street toward the neighbor’s place. They’d get new stuff delivered, like a couch or a huge TV. She had to have it. She makes her husband miserable with all the stuff she demanded. She would keep saying she wanted whatever Mrs. Jones got. They didn’t really have the money, but the husband kept buying these things while growing equally miserable with the stuff they kept getting. One day, the wife demands whatever it is that Mrs. Jones has. The husband looks out the window and grins.

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Gnostic Football and Virtual Church

By Bob Hiller –

Have you seen Super Bowl MVP Von Miller’s commercial for Madden NFL 17? It’s hilarious! Miller dances around with a few moves he no doubt gained from his stint on Dancing with the Stars to sell one of the world’s most popular video games. Perhaps what is most amazing in the commercial is not Miller’s dancing nor the heart-warming reminder that our Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 but the graphics for the new Madden. Since the days of Mario and the original Street Fighter II, I haven’t played many video games. But I am amazed at how realistic they have become. It is getting harder and harder to tell the differences between a game and the real thing.

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Stop Looking Down!

By Joel A. Hess –

Western society is obsessed with living here for as long as possible. The manifestations of this focus at first seem grand and hopeful. We spend tons of money to cure diseases. We spend billions putting people on Mars. We can talk to our parents in Michigan while living in Prague. We can watch the Olympics in Rio from our living room in Ann Arbor. We have done so many cool things that many truly put all their hope in our endeavors, whether explicitly or subconsciously. “The sky is the limit,” exclaim the progressive achievements of man! Yet what a limit it is!

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Politics, Prayer, and Loving One’s Enemy

By Jonathan Ruehs –

It is called SB 1146. As much as I wish it were the name of a droid in the upcoming Star Wars film, it is, unfortunately, the title of a document that is making its rounds in the state assembly of California.

Essentially what this bill proposes is that all Christian institutions of higher education must comply with non-discrimination laws protecting the LGBT community. For example, Christian colleges and universities will need to make sure to make accommodations for LGBT students in residential halls, public restrooms, and the like. But more importantly,

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The Eternal Subordination of the Son

By Scott Keith –

There is a theological disagreement stewing in the evangelical world with which I think the Jagged Mafia should be made aware. The controversy is over something called the Eternal Subordination of the Son (ESS). This week on the Thinking Fellows podcast, we talked with Elyse and Joel Fitzpatrick about the controversy, and the show has stirred up some lively conversation. What I’d like to do today is simply introduce our readers to what is going on, define some terms, and provide a very slight commentary.

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Disinterested Gospel

By Paul Koch –

For many years, I have been in the habit of reading in bed. Every night, I read a few pages of whatever book I’m currently working through before I can fall asleep. Sometimes it is literally just a few pages, and sometimes I can make it through a chapter or two, but it is a practice I can’t seem to do without. Now, I don’t usually read theology or philosophy books at night. Rather, I set aside that time for reading a good novel. Lately, I’ve been re-reading Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. Last night while reading the exchange between

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Unapologetically Apologetic: The Postmodern Need For Apologetics

By Joel A. Hess –

A couple of weeks ago, I had a fantastic conversation with one my faithful members at Emmanuel. He had something to say to me. As St. Paul makes clear to Timothy, I needed to listen and respect my elder. Quite frankly, my stubborn pastor heart has been #blessed frequently by the words of my mothers and fathers in Christ. I love it.

For some time, he had perceived that I taught that one had to have evidence of God’s claims in Scripture in order to believe. As he said quite eloquently, “God says it, I believe it!” How happy I am to hear God’s children speak like that! 

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Lutheran Leprechauns

By Scott Keith –

I wasn’t much for fairy tales when I was a wee lad, but I always did enjoy a good leprechaun story. Maybe it is because I’m part Irish (I think), or maybe it was that ever-elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that drew me in. You see, a Leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore. Leprechauns are said to be smaller-statured (though often quite muscular) men who almost always sport an impressive red beard, are snappy dressers, and love to partake in creating a little mischief (Sound like anyone else you know?).

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The Idol of Conservatism

By Bob Hiller –

I’m not one to talk much about politics. Though, truth be told, I consider myself a pretty conservative guy. I like my government small and my morals traditional. A number of my friends are further left of center from where I stand, but we have great conversations about our views and go our way more edified for the chat. Our talks are respectful and actually pretty entertaining. I am always learning from the perspective of other people, even when I think they are off base. But, at the end of the day (and at its beginning), I think a more conservative attitude towards life is a better way to go. You see, I’m a pretty conservative guy.

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