Morality, Ethics, Issues Archive

  • Not Just a Right but a Responsibility

    Not Just a Right but a Responsibility

    Go here to listen to Jason’s sermon on “A Biblical Understanding of Government.” God is originator of government, for God is the source of all morality, justice, and order. If not Him, who or what is? Isaiah 33:22 declares, “For the Lord is our judge;...

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  • Marriage and the Glory of God

    Marriage and the Glory of God

    Dr. Albert Mohler wrote… It is bad enough that the secular world has discounted marriage into a quasi-legal contract that, like other voluntary contracts, can be made or broken at will. The greater tragedy is the failure of Christians to take marriage seriously. According to...

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  • Tolerance of Homosexuality among Christians is Heretical

    Tolerance of Homosexuality among Christians is Heretical

    Mark Driscoll writes: Packer was clear that those who do not call Christians to repent of homosexual activity are, as Scripture says, “deceived.” He told me that the first of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses was that the whole of a Christian’s life is to be...

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  • Elders Affirmation of our Beliefs about Homosexuality

    Elders Affirmation of our Beliefs about Homosexuality

    MVC Pastors, the following is a draft affirmation of our beliefs about Homosexuality.   Our affirmation that the Bible is the infallible Word of God with “supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct,” and our affirmation that “a Christian should live for the...

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  • Why and How I Am Tweeting

    Why and How I Am Tweeting

    By John Piper, June 3, 2009 I see two kinds of response to social Internet media like blogging, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and others. One says: These media tend to shorten attention spans, weaken discursive reasoning, lure people away from Scripture and prayer, disembody relationships, feed...

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  • Is it Lying?

    Is it Lying?

    Lying, Hostile Nations and the Great Commission By a missions strategist for Central Asia Can missionaries traveling to a country that’s hostile to Christianity and the Great Commission lie about their reasons for coming? Can they point to a secondary purpose for coming?

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  • Why Do the New Calvinists Insist on Complementarianism? by DeYoung

    Why Do the New Calvinists Insist on Complementarianism? by DeYoung

    The following was posted on Monday, July 06, 2009 by Kevin DeYoung. I am reposting it here on FIDE-O because I think that it is worth reading. DeYoung writes: A friend of mine pointed me to a fascinating, and I think sincerely inquistive, blog post...

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  • The Unique Perspective of the Gospel on Life Issues

    The Unique Perspective of the Gospel on Life Issues

    As seen in 2 Kings 17:41, Christians can fear the Lord externally, engaging in what we perceive to be all the proper elements of worship – singing, giving, praying, kneeling, listening to God’s Word, doing our devotions, helping the poor etc. – and be actively serving false gods in our hearts.

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  • Two easy ways church can shape the culture

    Two easy ways church can shape the culture

    The homepage of the 9Marks.org website poses the following question: Is Your Church Reflecting the Culture or Shaping It? That is a great question.  In fact, that very question is being asked by many various groups (Emergents,  church growth experts, church planting organizations,  postmil thinkers)....

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  • Miss California Carrie Prejean Stays True to Her Biblical Faith Enduring Attacks and Insults of Angry Gay Hilton

    Miss California Carrie Prejean Stays True to Her Biblical Faith Enduring Attacks and Insults of Angry Gay Hilton

    Carrie Prejean chose to do the right thing: she was honest about her values and cared more about a crown of faithfulness than a crown of beauty. Carrie is therefore a good example, a role model, for young people who are tempted to compromise their...

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  • Why Is Mark Driscoll So Popular?

    Why Is Mark Driscoll So Popular?

    Mark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, is always great fodder for blogging.  At least once a month he does something that places him in the headlines of the big 5 Godblogs and I would love to know how many comment sections have...

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  • A Must See Video Revealing the Foolishness of Snobbery

    A Must See Video Revealing the Foolishness of Snobbery

    Go here to see why you should not “judge a book by its cover.”

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  • A Christian View of the Economic Crisis

    A Christian View of the Economic Crisis

    First posted on 10/06/2008 I believe that the current economic crisis is a result of G-R-E-E-D. In the movie “Wall Street,” the character Gordon Gekko famously declares that “greed is good.” But the Bible teaches that greed is a sin, and sin destroys. I believe...

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  • Women in Authority Need Not Abandon Their Femininity

    Women in Authority Need Not Abandon Their Femininity

    The following is part 3 of David Kotter’s articles entitled: Does Sarah Palin Present a Problem for Complementarians? Life is endlessly interesting and God’s Word speaks to every facet of this complex and joyful life. Lifted suddenly from relative obscurity, Governor Sarah Palin is now...

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  • Gender Roles at Home, Church and Abroad

    Gender Roles at Home, Church and Abroad

    The Bible is full of commandments (instructions and prohibitions) for mankind. The Bible is not sexist, racist, or discriminatory in any way. God has created us all for the purpose of giving Him glory, and He has given us clear precepts in the Scriptures that...

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  • Mark Dever: God’s Role for Women in the Church

    Mark Dever: God’s Role for Women in the Church

    In light of the nomination of Sarah Palin to the office of VP, Christians are looking to the Scriptures for God’s wisdom concerning mothers holding such a demanding job in light of her responsibility to her children. Mark Dever, the pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist...

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  • The Tale of Two Offices

    The Tale of Two Offices

    Albert Mohler Affirms that Sarah Palin Can Serve Family and Country: Sally Quinn wonders how Christian evangelicals — and Southern Baptists in particular — can affirm a woman as President or Vice President of the United States and yet believe that women should not serve...

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  • Mohler Reacts to Palin Attacks

    Mohler Reacts to Palin Attacks

    Mohler writes: Over at “On Faith,” the project of The Washington Post and Newsweek magazine, a debate is raging over this question: Women are not allowed to become clergy in many conservative religious groups. Is it hypocritical to think that a woman can lead a...

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  • Work From Home Moms

    Work From Home Moms

    Christians who have sound theology have a high-view of the family. Thus the prospect of Sarah Palin becoming VP and possibly even the President of the United States has caused some Christians to ask if that is such a job a mother should want. It...

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  • Political Jiu-Jitsu

    Political Jiu-Jitsu

    Jiu-Jitsu (柔術 ), literally meaning the “art of softness” or “way of yielding,” is a collective name for Japanese martial art styles. It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person using leverage and proper technique can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant. The...

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  • Now I’m Mad

    Now I’m Mad

    Although I love American politics, I hadn’t really been enthusiastic about our presidential candidates this time. I had made up my mind a while back about who I will vote for in this election, and the Saddleback forum really helped me feel more confident about...

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  • The Gospel & Deliberate Complementarian Pastors

    The Gospel & Deliberate Complementarian Pastors

    Original Article By C. J. Mahaney Our motivation for biblical manhood and womanhood in marriage is the gospel. I am convinced that the complementarian position will strengthen the church in her God given-role to proclaim and protect the gospel. And the most effective apologetic for...

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  • 30 Practical Ways For Pastors to Love Their Wives & Families

    30 Practical Ways For Pastors to Love Their Wives & Families

    Compiled by several pastors The demands of pastoral ministry can be tough on the pastor’s wife and family. Not only do they tempt him to neglect his family, they can leave him void of good, creative, meaningful ideas on how to love and serve them....

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  • 9Marks Marriage Book Comparison

    9Marks Marriage Book Comparison

    Which book do you use for pre-marital counseling? Which for married couples with problems? What’s the best all around book on marriage? Questions like these prompted us to devise the Marriage Book Comparison Chart, which includes both a rating comparison chart and a brief review...

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  • Such is Life

    Such is Life

    Sometimes life gets rough. 1 Peter 1:6, In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, greatly rejoice means to be exceedingly glad, exuberantly jubilant. This kind of joy is not based on changing, temporal...

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  • You Can’t Hook Leviathan by the Nose

    You Can’t Hook Leviathan by the Nose

    Excerpt: In the pride and presumptuousness of our humanity, we all feel like that there must be some way to tame the evil that both surrounds and permeates us. We all cling to the hope that there must be some method, if not to avoid...

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  • Great Moments at Torrey Pines

    Great Moments at Torrey Pines

    **UPDATE** Because Tiger sank that incredible twelve footer, tickets went on sale for the Monday 18-hole playoff. Yep… I grabbed three and will take my boys! What a Father’s Day gift from Tiger!! Watch for me on TV. I will be the guy wearing a...

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  • 5 Major Effects of BLT

    5 Major Effects of BLT

    Rev. Eric C. Redmond, the pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Temple Hills, MD, correctly points out that so many black pastors today preach an unbiblical theology today that is less focused on the glory of Christ and more interested in empowerment, (social) deliverance, overcoming...

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  • BLT with no mayo

    BLT with no mayo

    African American theology has gotten a lot of attention lately in the press. Recently, several good books have been written about its decline such as the one pictured to the left by Thabiti Anyabwile. Several black theologians are speaking out and calling the Christian African...

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  • Black Liberation Theology Misinterprets the Bible

    Black Liberation Theology Misinterprets the Bible

    It would do many American Christians good to listen to the likes of Thabiti Anyabwile (seen in the video) who serves as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands). Black Liberation Theology originated on July 31, 1966, when 51 black...

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  • Are We Prepared to Get Really Serious About Protecting America?

    Are We Prepared to Get Really Serious About Protecting America?

    Guard that which has been entrusted to us.

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  • What If Your Child Was Gay?

    What If Your Child Was Gay?

    The following is a blog post by Al Mohler. It was posted: Friday, April 11, 2008. I believe Dr. Mohler presented some very good points, worthy of thought and discussion among our congregates.___________________________________ Details magazine is an American version of what the Brits call “laddie...

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  • Down on the Bayou Spring 2008

    Down on the Bayou Spring 2008

    Place cursor over each picture to see caption: Guard that which has been entrusted to us.

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  • Calling a Spade a Spade

    Calling a Spade a Spade

    “The Gospel According to Job” Blogpost #4by JasonThe fact is everybody has a breaking point, the end of his rope. He abandons all restraint. He doesn’t necessarily abandon his faith; he just gets thoroughly sick and tired of trying to put a good face on...

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  • Don’t Waste Your Life: Wartime Lifestyle

    Don’t Waste Your Life: Wartime Lifestyle

    by Jason “What is affluenza? Affluenza is a nifty little word that some clever sociologist created by mixing two different words together. The word affluence means having a great deal of money. Influenza is a highly contagious disease. And when you mash the two you...

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  • Job’s Wife

    Job’s Wife

    “The Gospel According to Job” Blogpost #3by Jason Job lost everything. So did his wife. Have you ever thought about Mrs. Job? She too had experienced the same loss as her husband had. She too experienced the pain of losing her wealth and lively hood,...

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  • When Finer Things are Called For

    When Finer Things are Called For

    The Studio at the Montage in Laguna Beach California is an award winning restaurant that my wife and I love to visit on special occasions. Set high on an oceanfront bluff in the artistic village of Laguna Beach, Studio is designed to captivate the senses....

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  • Get a Life, Include Your Kids

    Get a Life, Include Your Kids

    By: Abraham Piper of the Desiring God Blog In the CDG breakout session, Gregg Harris challenged pastors to inspire fathers to lead and instruct in the home. Imitating God’s Fatherhood He said that first we must think theologically about both fatherhood and sonship. We should...

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  • Motherhood

    Motherhood

    Guard that which has been entrusted to us.

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  • Facing a Church Split — as the Pastor

    Facing a Church Split — as the Pastor

    Listen to “Certainties that Drive Enduring Ministry, Pt.1″ preached yesterday at the Desiring God Conference. Listen to Dr. MacArthur speak of church splits and even eldership splits within his church over the years. Dr. Mac tells of the things he learned by reading about Paul’s...

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  • Many Ethnicities, One Race

    Many Ethnicities, One Race

    by Thabiti Anyabwile Perhaps the longest running conversation between Blacks and Whites in America is a conversation about race. It’s a conversation that started in 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia as slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade began. The conversation moved through the Civil War, through...

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  • Lesson of the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

    Lesson of the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

    Jesus said in Luke 13:4-5 – “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will...

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  • Grieving to the Glory of God

    Grieving to the Glory of God

    Listen to Part 2Listen to Part 3 Guard that which has been entrusted to us.

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  • Homosexual Marriage

    Homosexual Marriage

    Today we continue on the same topic as yesterday. John Piper concisely told the truth when he said, “There Is No Such Thing as Homosexual Marriage in the Eyes of God.” The biblical reasons marriage cannot be between two men or two women is that,...

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  • Audio: Men Burning For Men

    Audio: Men Burning For Men

    Listen to this debate between Gene Cook Jr. and a gay “Christian” named Rick Bretlinger.Warning: this debate will make you want to bang your forehead on the wall… especially when Rick says (55:13 sec.) that it is clear in the Bible that men should not...

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  • A Dishonorable Parent

    A Dishonorable Parent

    Recently I was asked by someone who is thirty-something, “How do you honor your father when they are dishonorable.” Obviously, honoring your parents is one of the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20:12 — “Honor your father and your mother that your days may be...

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  • Mr. Theology Goes To Washington

    Mr. Theology Goes To Washington

    Some theologians, today, are outright against the church becoming involved at any level in politics and government. Whoa, wait just a minute…is it not true that the three greatest institutions ordained by God are marriage, government, and the church? Would we expect the church to...

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