Category Archives: Faith

In Memory of My Grandmother, the Saint

Posted by Caleb Coy on

One of my earliest and most consistent memories of my grandmother is of her changing the flowers that would sit behind the pulpit above the baptismal pool. It may seem odd that such a mundane and routine memory stands out to me, but I think it epitomizes how she lived her life, in service of the small things that made life beautiful.
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Why So Many Christians Vote Libertarian

Posted by Caleb Coy on

In the past 2 weeks my goal was to break down as simply as possible why many in Christians in general vote for either of the two major parties in elections. But what about third parties? The Libertarian party has grown more popular in recent elections. Why do so many Christians choose to vote for this third party? Christians who are staunchly Republican or Democratic may wonder why anyone would dare vote for a party that has yet to put a President in office.

[Click here for my treatment of Christian Republicans
here for my treatment of Christian Democrats
and here for Christian non-voters]
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Why So Many Christians Vote Republican

Posted by Caleb Coy on

In the next 2 weeks my goal is to break down as simply as possible why many in Christians in general vote for either of the two major parties in elections. Christians who are staunchly Republican may wonder why someone who shares the same beliefs, values, and worldview would dare vote for a Democratic. Christians who are staunchly Democratic may wonder why someone who shares the same beliefs, values, and worldview would dare vote for a Republican. Christians who are neither of these may wonder the same about either.

[click here for my answer to why so many Christians vote Democrat
here for my answer to why so many Christians vote Libertarian
here for my answer to why so many Christians abstain from voting]
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War Room—A Film Review

Posted by Caleb Coy on

I know. I know. Christian entertainment is sometimes a joke to Christians, not because they’re not living true Christian lives, but because it sometimes seems that Christians who make movies for and about Christians don’t seem to know how to make movies, or don’t know how to match the power of the Gospel with a film story without cheapening the Gospel.
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Renovating My Heart with God, a Friend, and Dallas Willard

Posted by Caleb Coy on

Despising self-help books, I am always skeptical of any non-fiction book advertised to guide me into helping myself make myself feel better, live better, do anything better for my mental and emotional health. Most of them out there are written by jack wagons. Ironically, it is the fixation on the self itself that make such a genre as “self help” complete malarkey.
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The “5 Step Plan” and the Gospel: Part 5—The Scheme of Redemption

Posted by Caleb Coy on

Part 5: The Scheme of Redemption
and the Ministry of Regeneration          [see previous post]

Growing up as many people did in Churches of Christ, I heard countless sermons that ended with a call to baptism, including a quick rehashing of the five steps leading up to baptism, the opportunity for which all were given as an “invitation” song was sung. It was communicated that if your heart was right and the sermon had stirred you, then you had heard and believed the word, and the next step was to repent and confess before being baptized. This has helped lead me and countless others to the Gospel.
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The “5 Step Plan” and the Gospel: Part 3—Looking at Each Step

Posted by Caleb Coy on

Part 3: Examining Each Step in Focus

We last looked at the history of how the “5-step plan of salvation” developed, shaped Church of Christ teaching, and was challenged over the last hundred years.

Now let’s look at each step and examine it for its own merit as a “step to” salvation as an event:
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The “5 Step Plan” and the Gospel: Part 2—Church History

Posted by Caleb Coy on

Part 2: A History of the “5-Step Plan of Salvation” [read the intro here]

While the Gospel has been around for about 2,000 years, the “5 Steps of Salvation” list is much younger. We can trace it back to Walter Scott, a Restoration preacher associated with the growth of the American Churches of Christ/Disciples of Christ of the 1800’s.
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