Christian hedonism

What do I want to be when I grow up? Am I doing what I really want to do for the rest of my life? Is being a youth pastor my calling in life? Did I make the right choice to come to seminary? Why am I forcing myself to go to church? Why am I dragging myself to finish seminary? These were some of the questions that I struggle to answer throughout my four years in seminary. As a pastor’s child without a direction and purpose, I was pushed into attending Fuller Theological Seminary right…

“Do you long for Christian faith that takes the Bible seriously? Do you desire a Christian faith that can claim Jesus Christ unapologetically? Do you ache for a Christian faith that is passionate and personal, while at the same time intellectually robust, generous, and sensitive? Those are the wants of the Evangelical Christian faith” (Wildman). Part of being an Evangelical Christian is about being intense and passionate in one’s faith. Any person…

present before the creation of man. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (Jn. 1:3 KJV). by whom also he made the worlds (Heb. 1:2 KJV) • Paul the apostle in his letter to Romans and Ephesians tells Christians that God had has family before the foundation of the worlds. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Rom. 8:29 KJV). According as he…

Christian Persecution in Tokugawa, Japan Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Introduction Japan, as a country in the Far East, has had a mixture of history, especially when it comes on the way it diplomatically interacts with the rest of the world. At some point it has been identified as a friend of the west, whereas at some other point it has presented herself as an enemy of the same. A good example of historical events, which present Japan as a controversial country in a global…

While interviewing all of the different people and roles in the church, I notice that a lot of the answers were very consistent in their evaluation of the church and of Tony. I noticed that a lot of people felt the same way about Tony, and from the overall info that I received on him from everyone is that he is an awesome guy. First we can look and see what the people had to say about the pastoral roles that are crucial within a church. To do this we can take a look at the different words the…

What is the image of God? This is a question that may never be completely understood for many different reasons, but the subject matter is of utter importance. “Being God’s image not only qualifies one as a human person but is also a major reason why human life is so sacred.” Every human life deserves to be treated equally because they are made in God’s image. Several different groups in history have been treated inhumanely because people thought they lacked the image. If the church takes a…

accompany the political realization of the Marxist dream? Or will it continue the mindless demonization of Communism and ignore this loudest of questions God is posing to contemporary Christianity?” (Phan, 101). Phan’s question is calling us as Christians to use our theology to reflect upon the culture that is affecting such a great portion of the world population. I believe that it is important to take this question a step further, and reflect on not only the issue of atheism that goes…

growth within the United States. Financial support for congregations and their ministries is also declining proportionately. “One of the fastest growing subcultures in the United States is comprised of those with a militant antagonism against Christians who take the Bible seriously.” Attempts at institutional preservation by aligning with the culture has undermined the authority of Scripture and produced a Jesus of human imagination as opposed to…

Martin Luther wrote the Freedom of a Christian in 1520. This work expressed the heart and soul of Luther’s treatise on Christian liberty in which he sets forth the essence of Christian faith and life. One of the main points in this treatise is Luther’s attempt to distinguish the different parts of the human person. His theory rests on the belief that everyone is made up of two parts; the inner spiritual person and the outer bodily person. Luther shows how the inner soul of a person is…

Revelation 1:1-20 introduces John, a witness of the word of God through Jesus Christ. God gave Jesus Christ a revelation of the things that must happen soon. Jesus Christ sent an angel to his servant John, where he then reveals of all he has seen. John reveals that those who listen and obey are blessed, for the time for God to come is near. This sections serves as an introduction to the mysteries that are about to be revealed through John. It also demonstrates that although John is the writer,…