Tag Archives: Christianity Today Magazine

If we really believe in the transformation of the gospel—that any life can be saved and changed—we cannot say to someone, “You are not welcome here.” When you read the title, you may have thought, You’re wrong—God is a god of second chances. There are many examples in the Bible of when God gave peopleContinue reading “God Is Not a God of Second Chances: The Church & Formerly Incarcerated Persons”

Does the biblical resurrection account leave us with as little evidence as some assume? Today is Easter and we celebrate the good news that Christ is risen; he is risen indeed! We rise—some of us much too early—to scenes of Easter baskets, jelly beans, and all things pastel. Our children climb out of bed withContinue reading “What Do We Do With the Very Real Resurrection?”

Do Christians need a term or label to identify ourselves? A friend wrote, “I no longer call myself an Evangelical.” He is thoughtful and well informed, but now I suspect he is feeling a bit embarrassed as he has chosen to avoid a term used globally by hundreds of millions of Christians. For many withinContinue reading “To Be or Not to Be an Evangelical”

The truth presented to us in scripture should tell us something about not only who we are but who our neighbors are: image bearers of the Father in heaven. Today is Good Friday; the day we remember Christ’s death on the cross. This sacrifice—the greatest outpouring of love this world will ever know—earned us ourContinue reading “Good Friday, Billy Graham, and the Transcendent Gospel”

A theological imagining of how the Big Bang echoes Easter. Ironically, in defense of biblical faith, some Christians denounce the Big Bang—a theory originally rejected by many in the scientific community on the grounds that it smuggled a biblical view into science. Belgian Catholic priest and astronomer Georges Lemaître first proposed the theory in 1927Continue reading “When Life Burst Out of Death”

The real divine ‘prank’ is not the Resurrection. This Holy Week, hundreds of frazzled preachers around the world have undoubtedly heaved a sigh of relief. Instead of having to fret over what illustration to use on Easter Sunday morning to capture their listeners’ attention, they can simply seize the opportunity the calendar has handed them.Continue reading “Easter Fool’s Day”

In a time of loss and lament, here’s how I found spiritual solace. When I was 19, a doctor said words I hoped never to hear: “You won’t ever be able to carry your own child.” I was too stunned to cry; all I felt was numbness. It took a few days for the shockContinue reading “6 Ways to Survive the Grief of Childlessness”

How will Christians respond to the live production? The show’s history offers some clues. “Jesus Christ, Superstar, do you think you’re what they say you are?” This question—sung by Judas Iscariot and a backup chorus—has reverberated across popular culture for almost half a century now. With it, there has been another, second question: How shouldContinue reading “NBC Resurrects ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’”

In a time of loss and lament, here’s how I found spiritual solace. When I was 19, a doctor said words I hoped never to hear: “You won’t ever be able to carry your own child.” I was too stunned to cry; all I felt was numbness. It took a few days for the shockContinue reading “Six Ways to Survive the Grief of Childlessness”

Jesus’ death demonstrates God’s love for outsiders, enemies, and strangers. It can travel anywhere in time and space, and it looks much bigger on the inside (or smaller on the outside, depending on where you’re standing). In 1963, it blended in perfectly as a British police box. But now, the intergalactic space cruiser stands outContinue reading “The Incredible Hospitality of Good Friday”