• Personal,  Theology/Bible

    My Mentor John Piper and Romans 12:1-2

    John Piper discipled me in my car when I attended Dallas Theological Seminary. I used to listen to his sermons as I would commute to and from work and school. Throughout my career in seminary, the Lord used John Piper to shape my thinking about God and the scriptures more than any single teacher that I ever had. I know of no preacher who combines exegetical, theological, and devotional depth like Dr. Piper. His ministry, which is called “Desiring God,” makes all of his sermons (manuscripts and audio) available for free at http://www.desiringgod.org/. I am teaching on Romans 12:1-2 in a Sunday morning bible study at my church. As is…

  • Politics

    State of the Union Address 2005

    Article II, Sec. 3 of the U.S. Constitution says that the President, “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Tonight, President Bush did just that, setting forth his vision and plan for the nation in a 53 minute address to the Congress.The most poignant moment in the speech occurred when he recognized the mother of slain soldier Byron Norwood, who was killed last year in Iraq during the attack on Fallujah. In an unscripted but emotionally powerful moment, the mother of the slain soldier leaned forward to…

  • Music,  Theology/Bible

    My New Favorite Album: “Soul Still Remembers”

    Pictured above: The Critics’ CD release concert in Shreveport, LA. I’ve just posted a review of the the Critics‘ debut CD on the “CD Baby” website (click here). “Soul Still Remembers” really is my new favorite album, and the Critics are my new favorite band. Musically, “Soul Still Remembers” deserves a place among the all-time greats. I am a fan of bands like Counting Crows, Vertical Horizon, and Train, and this album surpasses them all. A written review cannot do justice to the Critics by way of description. You simply have to buy this album and listen to it for yourself. To enjoy the album as it was intended, you…

  • Culture,  Politics

    The Gender Wars and Harvard University

    President of Harvard University, Lawrence H. Summers, has gotten himself into a catfight because of comments he made recently at a session on the progress of women in academia organized by the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Mass. Although there is no transcript of his remarks, he reportedly claimed “that the shortage of elite female scientists may stem in part from ‘innate’ differences between men and women.”[1] He shared an anecdote about his daughter to illustrate the point. He once gave his daughter two trucks in an effort at “gender-neutral parenting.” His daughter soon began referring to one of the trucks as “daddy truck” and the other as…

  • Theology/Bible

    The Demise of Sloan and the Fortunes of “Baylor 2012”

    After the Board of Regents fell short by one vote last May to oust the President of Baylor University, opponents of Robert Sloan finally got their way on Friday without firing a shot. It was announced on Friday that Sloan would step down from the position of President and CEO of Baylor and move into the position of Chancellor. Though the public face of the transition appeared very amiable, it is an open secret that this transition was the result of pressure from opposition both within and without the University. Sloan had become a lightning rod of sorts, advocating a vision for Baylor University that would make it a top-tier…

  • Theology/Bible

    Review of Daniel P. Fuller’s “Gospel & Law: Contrast or Continuum?”

    Author’s Note: In 2002, I wrote a review of Dan Fuller’s book Gospel & Law. I wrote it for a Ph.D. seminar led by Mark Seifrid and subsequently published it on a WordPress blog that is now defunct. The review still receives interest from time to time, so I am reposting it on my current site under its original publication date. Here is the PDF Version of the original review. Or you can read below. Fuller, Daniel P. Gospel & Law: Contrast or Continuum? The Hermeneutics of Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980. Reprint, Pasadena, CA: Fuller Seminary Press, 1990. 217pp. $15.95. Introduction Daniel P. Fuller’s Gospel &…