• 4 Minute Read ————————– *Guest Post: By Jeff K. Clarke ————————– Keep Christ in Christmas is the slogan of choice for many Christians during this time of year. We see the phrase used all over the place – from Facebook posts, Twitter feeds and Instagram pictures, to Pinterest links and blog posts. However, while Keep …
Jesus was Born in Bethlehem, NOT Rome: Choosing to Lose the “War for Christmas”
• 4 Minute Read Each year Christmas comes along and so do various controversies. Yesterday, my friend Jeff Clarke wrote: However, when we post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram our demand for people to Keep Christ in Christmas, we are in that moment displaying a degree of arrogance, not humility. Instead of pointing people to the humble …
Paulcast: Rerouting the Romans Road: Audience and Purpose of Romans | S2 E2 (EP-70)
• 1 Minute Read Subscribe via iTunes or Google Season 2, Episode 2 (2018) The audience and purpose of Romans is a foundational matter of debate in the study of Paul’s letters. In this episode, Kurt Willems 1) gives a broad background to the issues, 2) looks at the Romans Road as something that is an example …
Get Weird: Your Identity Matters More than Your Story (CJ Casciotta)
• 4 Minute Read Before I get to the blog today, I want to do two quick things. First, I’m sooooooooo excited about my friend Stefan Lako’s new podcast, Is This It?. Not only did I get the chance to work with Stefan on this podcast launch, but I was also interviewed by him. Beyond …
Paulcast: “Gentile” isn’t in the Bible… And Why it Matters | S2 E1 (EP-69)
• 1 Minute Read Subscribe via iTunes or Google Season 2, Episode 1 (2018) What in the world is “a gentile?” This term gets used in the Bible but where did it come from? In this episode, Kurt argues that it actually isn’t a biblical term and we need to get it out of our English translations. …
James: So Close to Jesus that his Language Changed (an insight from Scot Mcknight)
• 5 Minute Read One of the highlights of my past couple of months was heading out to my denomination’s (BIC) bi-annual General Assembly. There were several significant moments that stand out from that gathering. However, I want to share one of them with you. But before I do, I wanted to let you …
What is the Kingdom of God? (with Frank Viola)
• 4 Minute Read In sum, the kingdom of God includes the King (the ruler), God’s reign (rulership), and the people ruled (realm). Again, the kingdom is the manifestation of God’s ruling presence.
Sunday is Not the Main Event: A Practice-Based Christianity (Aaron Niequist)
• 6 Minute Read Kurt: Today I’m excited to share with you an excerpt from my friend Aaron Niequist’s brand new book: The Eternal Current: How a Practice-Based Faith Can Save Us from Drowning. I’ve been waiting a long time to get a copy in my hands. And let me tell you: this book will …
10 Years Ago, I Embraced Nonviolence & Anabaptism
• 4 Minute Read In the past month or so, I’ve been interviewed on two different podcasts. Bros, Bible’s, & Beer: This was fun. Three great guys who talk about faith from three different angles. One is closer to where I’d be at when it comes to theology. Another is more in the conservative-evangelical …
Ronald Herms on Apocrypha and Second Temple Literature | S1 E10 (EP-68) – Paulcast
• 1 Minute Read Subscribe via iTunes or Google Season 1, Episode 10 (Spring Season, 2018) In the last episode of the season, Kurt chats with Ronald Herms, co-editor of Early Jewish Literature: An Anthology. They talk apocrypha, second temple Judaism, and Jesus. This is a conversation that will help orient us towards the world and narratives …