One year ago today, I made my first post on this blog. I'm incredibly grateful for the grace of being able to write and the grace of others reading those writings. For this first anniversary, I've decided to create a small ebook containing ten of my favorite posts from the past year, called Odds and Ends. …
I have the honor of officiating a wedding this November, which is great news! I've also, however, recently had to face ugly truths regarding my clothing because of said wedding, which is decidedly less fun. You see, it so happens that I no longer fit into the pants of the majority of my suits, and most of my shirts …
Continue reading My Confession: Gluttony, Sugar, & Our Daily Bread
SUGGESTED VERSES FOR MEMORIZATION & MEDITATION From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1-2) When your days are fulfilled and …
Yet even if hedonism and religious legalism are both truly dead ends, we are forced to ask once more why people pursue these ends. Why do we relentlessly chase after the pleasures of hedonism to the degree of ignoring our God-given conscience? Why practice the asceticism found within religious legalism so that precious little happiness …
Continue reading The Unity of Ecclesiastes & Philippians | part three
SUGGESTED VERSES FOR MEMORIZATION & MEDITATION God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” (Genesis 35:1) God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said to …
A belief that I hold is that there are two paths to hell. If eternal judgment is your desired destination, rest assured that you have at least two choices to take: the road of the “sinner” or the road of the “religious.” You see, the only method of actually securing the eternal wrath of such …
Continue reading The Unity of Ecclesiastes & Philippians | part two
SUGGESTED VERSES FOR MEMORIZATION & MEDITATION Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and …
Back in 2012, I taught through the books of Ecclesiastes and Philippians together, attempting to show how they both present that true joy is only found in Christ. Below is part one of an essay I wrote to explain this connection. I pray that you will find it illuminating and helpful. The nature of joy …
Continue reading The Unity of Ecclesiastes & Philippians | part one
For the uninitiated, lifehacks are tips and tricks for doing mundane tasks more effectively and efficiently... at least, that’s their aim. And whether it’s getting the most out of a 7 minute exercise or amplifying your phone’s speaker with a cup or bowl, the internet is filled with hacks designed to make life simpler. But …
SUGGESTED VERSES FOR MEMORIZATION & MEDITATION Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. (Genesis 33:11) And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his …
B. C. Newton 