THE BOY WHO NEVER LAUGHED
Was once a little boy
A boy who never laughed
Never did escape no single smirk from him Continue reading
3 Must-Read Articles I’m Sharing
This week I found myself unable to write a post of my own, because three different articles keep coming back to me that I ultimately decided I needed to share. I think they are all very timely and necessary.
- from Ed Setzer at Christianity Today
Michael Flynn Isn’t the Only Guilty One
This article calls Christians to ask ourselves why we allow ourselves to become targets of fake news, and why our zeal is often hijacked by our gullibility. We embarrass ourselves, hurt our witness, hurt the reputation of others, and lose our mission when we are perpetually duped by fake news stories. - from Jack Wilkie of Focus Press
A Dangerous Trend in Churches of Christ
This article, from a conservative apologetic publication, challenges Churches of Christ as children of the Restoration Movement to consider their own plea for unity. I agree that many have become rigidly guilty of defining our salvation by our own rightness, pushing salvation by precision obedience and making the burden too hard to bear. - from Steve Gardner at Authentic Theology
The Boston Declaration: 5 Problems With Them and How to Fix Them
This blog post examines the very timely Boston Declaration crying out against “the corruption of U.S. Christianity.” As the author points out, the declaration did not do well enough to reach its primary audience, patriotic evangelicals. He lays out a method for addressing the audience in a way that will better gain their respect, and maybe even change their hearts.
I urge all Christians to please take the time to read these this week. Thank you and God bless.
What I Learned About Movie Ratings from Two Disney Movies
One year I was a camp counselor at a Christian camp, and we had a really rainy day. Drenching rainy. Muddy rainy. After having a devotional in an indoor auditorium, we couldn’t think of what to do, and nobody wanted to go outside in the rain.
Thankfully, there was a movie projector, and someone had two Disney movies. The choices were Brother Bear and The Incredibles. Figuring both are good, safe movies for kids of all ages old enough to to to camp, I thought they would put it to a vote, see who wants to see which one the most. Continue reading
Ten Ways to Have a Better Relationship…With Your God
I’ve found some relationship advice I want to share. There is a world out there of magazine posts and blog articles giving us “5 steps to…” and “10 ways to…,” many of them centered on relationships. Seems easy. Here are ten ways you can have a better relationship with God:
1. Don’t Have a Relationship With Other Gods
Exclusivity and fidelity to God are a no-brainer, but sometimes we give in to that craving to have more. We can’t forget who is Lord of our life. Continue reading
Responding to Violence In Churches
The past few weeks I have been hurt to see the news of church shooting incidents. Times like these may rock our faith. Sometimes this means feeling intimidated, insecure. Sometimes this means questioning our commitment to peace. Sometimes this means fearing that some sort of change is coming we can’t handle. Continue reading
What If Dracula Was A Pro-Vaccine Campaign
Dracula is our most famous vampire. Created in 1897, at the turn of the century, his legacy is the most famous Victorian monster of our time.
In the past 100 years, Dracula has been analyzed with Freudianism, feminism, post-colonialism, racism, and Marxism. While some have written about its commentary on asylum medicine, I’ve only seen one author make a connection to vaccination. Continue reading
Jesus Offends Me
I find Jesus to be very offensive.
He says some things sometimes that just sound downright disrespectful. Insensitive, even. Continue reading
1 Peter 3:15 and Loving Apologetics (Part 4: Application)
In high school, I made it my mission (or at least a hobby) to “prove God” to people, provided those people were my friends and I had control of the conversation. When the social media consisted of email and AOL IM, I learned how easy it was to insult and cajole someone for not thinking the way that I do. At times, my conversation was a kind of bullying in order to assert how right I was.
For example, when someone once suggested the Bible was just a bunch of stories to help children sleep at night, I insinuated that what would help me sleep at night was something violent happening to them. I felt I had the right to be so arrogant and careless. If they didn’t see the obvious truths as I’d presented them, they weren’t worth respecting in a debate. My mission was about my right-ness. It took a long time to change my attitude. Continue reading
1 Peter 3:15 and Loving Apologetics (Part 3)
Previously I wrote about how 1 Peter 3:15 “call to apologetics” should be read in context of its immediate passage to inform us about what apologetics is. In a passage that anticipates persecution from without, making a defense is seen as a holy necessity that must be done with gentleness and reverence.
I decided to read through the entire letter of 1 Peter, trying to imagine myself as his audience, and allowing the entirety of the letter to inform my understanding of “defending the faith.” Continue reading
1 Peter 3:15 and a Loving Apologetics (Part 2)
Previously I wrote about how 1 Peter 3:15, often the flagship Bible verse about Christian apologetics, should be read closely to inform us about what apologetics is about, particularly the end of the passage, “yet with gentleness and reverence.”
In this post, we will examine the verse as part of a broader passage on hope. Let us consider 1 singular verse, 1 Peter 3:15, in the context of the broader passage (chapter 3). Continue reading
CALEB COY 