Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
During Oswald Chambers’ life, he corresponded with a lot of people, many of whom were ministers. When one minister confided that he was drained, Chambers asked him what he was reading. After his friend responded that all he read was the Bible and books directly related to it, Chambers told him, “there’s your problem.” His wise advice to his friend was to fill out his reading with the great books of philosophy, theology and the like. Chambers’ reason was that those books would deepen the minister’s understanding of human nature, culture, and even better his ability to communicate the Gospel of Christ.
Chambers was right. Reading opens entirely new worlds of understanding to us that we simply can’t get through our more typical forms of media. Oswald Chambers carried with him books ranging from Balzac to Plato, and his life and ministry were all the richer for it. Sink yourself into the rich soils of great thinkers and pick up a good book.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor of Quail Lake Community Truth and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Reading-The Corrosion of Images
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
You should never underestimate the advantages of reading a good book. Learning to read good books trains and develops the mind and the soul in ways that nothing else can. In his book, Full Gospel, Fractured Minds?, Rick Nanez makes the case that Christians need to return to reading in order to more fully develop the gifts God has given each of us. Because we live in a world saturated with images, our minds learn to process information in superficial ways. We are accustomed to break-neck pacing in commercials and even our evening news casts assume you have little to no attention span as a ticker constantly displays tiny chunks of information not at all related to what the anchor is talking about.
But when you read, you force your mind to follow a train of thought and remain focused on a single idea. This faculty is especially important for Christians-we are, after all, people of The Book.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor of Quail Lake Community Truth and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
You should never underestimate the advantages of reading a good book. Learning to read good books trains and develops the mind and the soul in ways that nothing else can. In his book, Full Gospel, Fractured Minds?, Rick Nanez makes the case that Christians need to return to reading in order to more fully develop the gifts God has given each of us. Because we live in a world saturated with images, our minds learn to process information in superficial ways. We are accustomed to break-neck pacing in commercials and even our evening news casts assume you have little to no attention span as a ticker constantly displays tiny chunks of information not at all related to what the anchor is talking about.
But when you read, you force your mind to follow a train of thought and remain focused on a single idea. This faculty is especially important for Christians-we are, after all, people of The Book.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor of Quail Lake Community Truth and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Colson and Emergent Truth
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In a recent article in Christianity Today, Chuck Colson details a correspondence he recently had with a young theologian who was enamored with a new movement within the evangelical church. The theologian defended a popular notion that the highest truth is relational and not something that can simply be known.
Colson does a good job of exposing that idea as one that sounds good on the surface but is hollow once one goes a bit deeper. If the deepest truth about Christ is relational, is it true that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life if we never experience him? Of course it is-Jesus is the Truth whether we relate to him or not. Anything we experience in our relationship with Christ is a result of the basic fact that he is Lord.
This kind of half-truth is the most dangerous kind. It can lead us down some unorthodox paths if we believe that truth is based on relationships.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor of Quail Lake Community Truth and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
In a recent article in Christianity Today, Chuck Colson details a correspondence he recently had with a young theologian who was enamored with a new movement within the evangelical church. The theologian defended a popular notion that the highest truth is relational and not something that can simply be known.
Colson does a good job of exposing that idea as one that sounds good on the surface but is hollow once one goes a bit deeper. If the deepest truth about Christ is relational, is it true that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life if we never experience him? Of course it is-Jesus is the Truth whether we relate to him or not. Anything we experience in our relationship with Christ is a result of the basic fact that he is Lord.
This kind of half-truth is the most dangerous kind. It can lead us down some unorthodox paths if we believe that truth is based on relationships.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor of Quail Lake Community Truth and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Stem Cell Veto
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
President Bush used his first presidential veto recently to knock down a bill allowing federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The bill had a surprising number of supporters in both the Senate and the House, but as we all know, consensus is not a gauge of truth. The bill, if it became law, would allow the destruction of up to thousands of frozen embryos for the use of their stem cells in research.
If you believe life begins at conception then you might see this bill as destroying human lives. In predictable fashion, however, the veto is being cast in terms of science versus religion. What is not often noted is that science is not on the side of embryonic stem cells. Their uses are only potential and possibly decades away from application while non-destructive means of therapy are already available and in use. Don’t let the propaganda fool you-what is labeled as religious in this debate is also the scientific winner.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
President Bush used his first presidential veto recently to knock down a bill allowing federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The bill had a surprising number of supporters in both the Senate and the House, but as we all know, consensus is not a gauge of truth. The bill, if it became law, would allow the destruction of up to thousands of frozen embryos for the use of their stem cells in research.
If you believe life begins at conception then you might see this bill as destroying human lives. In predictable fashion, however, the veto is being cast in terms of science versus religion. What is not often noted is that science is not on the side of embryonic stem cells. Their uses are only potential and possibly decades away from application while non-destructive means of therapy are already available and in use. Don’t let the propaganda fool you-what is labeled as religious in this debate is also the scientific winner.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Jeremiah 29-Salt and Light
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
How should we live as Christians in a world that is far from virtuous? This is one of the questions the Church has been struggling to answer for centuries. As far back as the first disciples and their followers, pastors and theologians have tried to answer this question for every generation since Christ. If you think we have it hard in our culture, imagine the ancient Roman society with access to our technology and media.
Each generation has to answer that question for themselves, but the basic guideline has always been the same-live in this world as if you belong to the next. Jeremiah gives exactly this advice to exiles in Babylon in chapter 29 when he tells them to build houses, plant gardens and give their children in marriage. The last thing God wants, even in a culture as pagan as Babylon or ours, is a ghetto of Christians who circle the wagons and refuse to be salt and light.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
How should we live as Christians in a world that is far from virtuous? This is one of the questions the Church has been struggling to answer for centuries. As far back as the first disciples and their followers, pastors and theologians have tried to answer this question for every generation since Christ. If you think we have it hard in our culture, imagine the ancient Roman society with access to our technology and media.
Each generation has to answer that question for themselves, but the basic guideline has always been the same-live in this world as if you belong to the next. Jeremiah gives exactly this advice to exiles in Babylon in chapter 29 when he tells them to build houses, plant gardens and give their children in marriage. The last thing God wants, even in a culture as pagan as Babylon or ours, is a ghetto of Christians who circle the wagons and refuse to be salt and light.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Jeremiah 29-A Promise To Exiles
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
If you know one verse in the book of Jeremiah, it is likely to be 29:11-“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” It may be a familiar verse, but it is the kind of verse you should know.
The problem with familiar verses, however, is that we sometimes lose the impact of their context. That promise was not made just to any group of people at any point in time-it was a promise from God to people who had been forcibly removed from their homes as slaves-it was a promise to exiles. God promised His people that He would be at work for them during the most difficult time in their lives. God promises you and me that when we see no hope, he has a future for us if we will only seek after Him with all we have.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
If you know one verse in the book of Jeremiah, it is likely to be 29:11-“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” It may be a familiar verse, but it is the kind of verse you should know.
The problem with familiar verses, however, is that we sometimes lose the impact of their context. That promise was not made just to any group of people at any point in time-it was a promise from God to people who had been forcibly removed from their homes as slaves-it was a promise to exiles. God promised His people that He would be at work for them during the most difficult time in their lives. God promises you and me that when we see no hope, he has a future for us if we will only seek after Him with all we have.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Reading Old Books-Lewis
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Not counting the Bible, how old was the last book you read? Chances are it was written in the last few years. When was the last time you read a book written more that 50 years ago? 100 years? 400 years? In his essay, “On The Reading of Old Books,” C.S. Lewis encourages us to look to the roots of Christianity and the books written by our forefathers to better understand our present age and our own faith.
Reading old books gives us perspective on our current situation-we understand better where our culture came from and why it has the shape it does. It also helps cure us of chronological snobbery-we are not the only intelligent people to write on culture and the church.
Passing on Lewis’ advice, I encourage you to expand the type of book you typically read and pick up something written at least 100 years ago. You might find a treasure where you currently see dust.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor of Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Not counting the Bible, how old was the last book you read? Chances are it was written in the last few years. When was the last time you read a book written more that 50 years ago? 100 years? 400 years? In his essay, “On The Reading of Old Books,” C.S. Lewis encourages us to look to the roots of Christianity and the books written by our forefathers to better understand our present age and our own faith.
Reading old books gives us perspective on our current situation-we understand better where our culture came from and why it has the shape it does. It also helps cure us of chronological snobbery-we are not the only intelligent people to write on culture and the church.
Passing on Lewis’ advice, I encourage you to expand the type of book you typically read and pick up something written at least 100 years ago. You might find a treasure where you currently see dust.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor of Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Modern Science-Nanez
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Is Christian theology an adversary or friend of modern science? In the last few decades evangelicals have tended to answer in terms of adversary, but when we take a look at the history of modern science much of it was birthed from the hearts and minds of deeply committed Christians. In his recent book, Full Gospel, Fractured Minds?, Rick Nanez writes convincingly that science is not only beholden to a Christian worldview, but that we need to begin seeing modern science as a legitimate avenue for the Christian mind.
I agree with Nanez when he argues that we need to contribute to the world of modern science and add our worldview to fields that are changing the world. He writes that we must, “find our voice and let that voice be heard on the issues that, with or without our involvement, are affecting and will continue to affect the lives of billions.” So be it.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor of Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Is Christian theology an adversary or friend of modern science? In the last few decades evangelicals have tended to answer in terms of adversary, but when we take a look at the history of modern science much of it was birthed from the hearts and minds of deeply committed Christians. In his recent book, Full Gospel, Fractured Minds?, Rick Nanez writes convincingly that science is not only beholden to a Christian worldview, but that we need to begin seeing modern science as a legitimate avenue for the Christian mind.
I agree with Nanez when he argues that we need to contribute to the world of modern science and add our worldview to fields that are changing the world. He writes that we must, “find our voice and let that voice be heard on the issues that, with or without our involvement, are affecting and will continue to affect the lives of billions.” So be it.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor of Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Naturalism and Ethics
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
What happens when we remove God from ethical reflection? If God does not exist, what happens to morality? In his recent book, The Right Darwin, Carson Holloway argues that it is hard, if not impossible, to judge ethical behavior or set ethical standards if God does not exist. In a system like Darwinistic Naturalism, all measures of ethical behavior are reduced to individuals and what comes naturally. As a result, we cannot necessarily judge individual humans for their behavior by pointing to a moral law or a moral gauge, and therefore it is hard to judge right from wrong behavior.
In essence when a Moral Lawgiver is removed from the system, moral laws that apply to all people disappear as well. But this is not our inherent sense of ethics and responsibility. We rightly believe we are responsible to an ethical system higher than ourselves, and that points us toward the existence of a Moral Law giver.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor of Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
What happens when we remove God from ethical reflection? If God does not exist, what happens to morality? In his recent book, The Right Darwin, Carson Holloway argues that it is hard, if not impossible, to judge ethical behavior or set ethical standards if God does not exist. In a system like Darwinistic Naturalism, all measures of ethical behavior are reduced to individuals and what comes naturally. As a result, we cannot necessarily judge individual humans for their behavior by pointing to a moral law or a moral gauge, and therefore it is hard to judge right from wrong behavior.
In essence when a Moral Lawgiver is removed from the system, moral laws that apply to all people disappear as well. But this is not our inherent sense of ethics and responsibility. We rightly believe we are responsible to an ethical system higher than ourselves, and that points us toward the existence of a Moral Law giver.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor of Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Oswald Chambers1
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In his book, Abandoned to God, David McCasland details the life of Oswald Chambers, the well-known author of the devotional classic, My Utmost For His Highest. Well written biographies are always a wealth of information and inspiration, and this one is no exception. Oswald Chamber’s life was full of unforeseen twists and turns, and through it all he remained focused on God. This was especially true during an especially dark time in his life when he went through what he called his dark night of the soul.
It turns out it is fairly common for many Christians to go through an especially difficult time spiritually as they strive to draw closer to God. Through his dark night Chambers struggled with his own shortcoming and sin and wondered if God would actually use a person like him. But as we all know, because of his faithfulness and God’s extreme grace, God continues to use Chambers to enrich and change lives today.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
In his book, Abandoned to God, David McCasland details the life of Oswald Chambers, the well-known author of the devotional classic, My Utmost For His Highest. Well written biographies are always a wealth of information and inspiration, and this one is no exception. Oswald Chamber’s life was full of unforeseen twists and turns, and through it all he remained focused on God. This was especially true during an especially dark time in his life when he went through what he called his dark night of the soul.
It turns out it is fairly common for many Christians to go through an especially difficult time spiritually as they strive to draw closer to God. Through his dark night Chambers struggled with his own shortcoming and sin and wondered if God would actually use a person like him. But as we all know, because of his faithfulness and God’s extreme grace, God continues to use Chambers to enrich and change lives today.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Patriarchal Trinity
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
There have been times in the life of the Church when popular opinion has driven doctrinal choices and when the latest cultural fads have become the foundations for how and why we do church. Each time that happened in our past, the branch of the church that swallowed the pill whole faded significantly within a couple of generations.
Enter a recent proclamation from a major American denomination regarding the labels we put on the Trinity. Instead of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” the proposal wanted to add descriptors such as, “Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child, and Life-Giving Womb.” Why do we need to expand the way we talk about the Trinity? Because, according to the document, the traditional language is patriarchal.
This is a text book case of a segment of the Church giving into bad theology dictated by the masses and not the Master. May we ever have the courage to listen to His voice above the din of theirs.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
There have been times in the life of the Church when popular opinion has driven doctrinal choices and when the latest cultural fads have become the foundations for how and why we do church. Each time that happened in our past, the branch of the church that swallowed the pill whole faded significantly within a couple of generations.
Enter a recent proclamation from a major American denomination regarding the labels we put on the Trinity. Instead of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” the proposal wanted to add descriptors such as, “Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child, and Life-Giving Womb.” Why do we need to expand the way we talk about the Trinity? Because, according to the document, the traditional language is patriarchal.
This is a text book case of a segment of the Church giving into bad theology dictated by the masses and not the Master. May we ever have the courage to listen to His voice above the din of theirs.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Stem Cells and Mice
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
The world of stem cell science continues to spin. Scientists in Europe have given birth to a generation of lab mice created from embryonic stem cells. This is an especially ironic twist of scientific fate. In order to retrieve embryonic stem cells from mice, fetal mice need to be destroyed. But no matter-in what is heralded as a leap in the technology, scientists gave birth to brand new mice. Baby mice were destroyed so we could learn we could create new ones.
This is the kind of sloppy reasoning that takes place when ethical thought does not precede technological advance. The ability to utilize embryonic stem cells to create new life does not justify taking lives to harvest the cells. And it is a good reason to argue that more Christians need to be involved in the turbulent currents of bioethics. Instead of leaving this field to its own devices, we need to be an informed and influential voice in the debate.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
The world of stem cell science continues to spin. Scientists in Europe have given birth to a generation of lab mice created from embryonic stem cells. This is an especially ironic twist of scientific fate. In order to retrieve embryonic stem cells from mice, fetal mice need to be destroyed. But no matter-in what is heralded as a leap in the technology, scientists gave birth to brand new mice. Baby mice were destroyed so we could learn we could create new ones.
This is the kind of sloppy reasoning that takes place when ethical thought does not precede technological advance. The ability to utilize embryonic stem cells to create new life does not justify taking lives to harvest the cells. And it is a good reason to argue that more Christians need to be involved in the turbulent currents of bioethics. Instead of leaving this field to its own devices, we need to be an informed and influential voice in the debate.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
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