Monthly Archives

December 2021

In Blog, Book Reviews, Systematic Theology on
December 27, 2021

Fix Your Eyes

If you’ve been around here for a while, you’ve probably noticed that theology is very important to me. I spent five years at a Christian college studying theology. I read about theology in my free time. I write about theology for the blog. I post about theology on social media. I follow theologians on Twitter and Instagram. When I moved a couple years ago and was looking for a new church, the church’s theology was one of the most important things for me to consider, and I love it when pastors teach about deep theological concepts on Sunday mornings.

I enjoy theology, and it’s something that comes natural to me. However, something that is not quite so natural for me is worship. I’m a fairly analytical, non-emotional person. I don’t typically listen to a lot of Christian worship songs, but whenever I do, I don’t often raise my hands or tear up as I listen to impactful lyrics. While I enjoy a more contemporary worship service, my number one goal was not to find a church with all the lights and fog machines and an environment that evokes emotion. None of these things are necessarily bad. I’m just more of a “thinking” person rather than a “feeling” person.

Yet, focusing solely on theology and neglecting worship can lead to pride and hypocrisy and needing to always be right. On the other hand, focusing solely on worship and neglecting theology can lead to ignorance and shallow faith and being deceived by false teachings. Theology and worship are equally important, and this is what Amy Gannett emphasizes in her new book, Fix Your Eyes.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Isaiah on
December 20, 2021

A Child is Born

Christmas is a busy time of year. It’s a time of baking cookies, hosting holiday parties, and singing all of your favorite Christmas carols. It’s a time of wrapping presents, drinking hot chocolate, and last-minute shopping for that one family member you didn’t know was coming into town. It’s a time of hanging lights, decorating trees, and watching classic films, like Home Alone, Christmas with the Kranks, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. For some, Christmastime is filled with joy and cheer. For others, Christmastime is filled with stress and exhaustion.

No matter what life stage or season we’re in, we all have busy schedules at the end of each year, and we all get to a point where it feels like there is so much to do and so little time to do it all in. But as we attempt to fit in all the festivities and events, we miss something. We forget that Christmas is about more than the gifts and the music and the décor. It’s a day when we are to celebrate the birth of a child. And not just any child, but the Son of God.

What is so special about this child? Why does this boy named Jesus deserve our focus, our reverence, our worship? We can discover the answers to these questions by consulting a roughly 2,700-year-old Jewish prophecy written by a man named Isaiah.

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
December 13, 2021

Avengers Disassemble

I am a huge fan of Marvel movies. Ever since the debut of the first Iron Man film in 2008, I’ve been hooked on the lives and stories of the characters within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I am such a big fan that two years ago during my month-long Christmas break from school I watched all twenty-three movies in the Infinity Saga in the order that they premiered (if you want proof, check out my Marvel Marathon story highlight on Instagram). This year, I’ve watched every new MCU movie in theaters the weekend it released, I’ve seen every episode of the MCU shows on Disney+ (twice!), and I have plans to see the new Spider-Man: No Way Home movie this Saturday.

Marvel fans, myself included, love these movies because the characters are so relatable, and they face challenges that are similar to the ones we struggle with. They inspire us to face our problems head-on and avenge the wrongdoings that occur in our lives. For those with a strong sense of justice, seeking vengeance against evildoers feels good and right, and surely it must be good and right when it is portrayed so positively in superhero movies. However, the Bible tells a different story.

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In Blog, Purity, Theology on
December 6, 2021

Pursuing Purity

Growing up, I mostly missed the purity culture movement within the evangelical church. I did sign a True Love Waits abstinence pledge in middle school, and my parents gave me a purity ring when I turned thirteen. But I never attended any purity events, or read any books like I Kissed Dating Goodbye, or listened to talks that compared girls who had sinned sexually to used cars, expired food, or a wilted rose. I was never hurt by “purity culture,” but I know many Christian women who lived their teen years before me were.

While many bad things happened as a result of this purity movement, I fear we are now moving too far in the opposite direction. In response to purity culture’s flaws, many people, mostly those who fall in the progressive Christian camp, claim that God doesn’t really care what you wear or who you sleep with. He doesn’t care about purity or modesty. Want to wear crop tops and tight miniskirts? That’s fine! Want to sleep around before you settle down and get married? That’s good and even healthy.

But the Bible actually has a lot to say about purity and its importance in the lives of believers. Instead of throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater, we should examine what God’s Word teaches us about purity and determine how we can foster a culture of true, biblical purity in our families, churches, and communities.

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