How God calls a person to ministry is a very personal call. What Scripture provides us are brief sketches of how individuals heard and responded to God's calling. While they are not exhaustive passages relaying precisely what transpired between the individual and God, they do offer a glimpse into how our heroes of Scripture reacted …
Quick Thoughts on the UMC Split
I have been following developments in the UMC for four years. To be transparent, I have been a member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) and plan on joining the Global Methodist Church (GMC) church once the Protocol is passed. I joined WCA three years ago when I was an ordained teaching pastor in …
Quick thoughts on Works vs. Faith
The balance between grace and discipline – or justification by faith and works – is a New Testament tension. Usually, those who emphasize grace point to Paul’s letters. Paul emphasized grace through faith over works-based salvation. This fact is evident especially in Galatians and Romans because there was pressure from some Jewish groups to adhere …
Quick Thoughts on Soteriology
The theological arena of soteriology (the theology of salvation) is a subject I have thought long and hard about. I love the hymn "Maker, In Whom We Live" as it lends a soundtrack to the soteriological discussion. Having once been a Calvinist, I have come to reject TULIP Calvinism as a misreading of scripture and …