Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church.
What makes an act good? In our pluralistic culture, what kinds of political acts can qualify as good and how can we judge those kinds of things? When it comes to some of the most contentious political and social debates of our age--things like stem cells, abortion, gay marriage and the like--the principle most often invoked is “the greatest good for the greatest number.” This is what is sometimes called utilitarianism.
Our particular political culture is sometimes ruled by polls and what a majority of Americans think about a particular subject. What is often implied is that the majority is right, and political policy should always follow. This is utilitarianism-what most people see as good should be our goal. But what this point of view neglects to ask is the simple question, “is it right or true?” Polls and majority opinion do not track truth. A majority of people can be wrong, and the truth is not always the popular option.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Luke 24-Hiddenness of God 1
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church.
Have you been through a season in life when it feels like God is just absent? During these times our prayers seem empty and God seems hidden. So what should I do when that happens? Two disciples took a walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the day Christ rose from the dead. Even though Jesus was walking with them, they did not recognize him because their own eyes were blinded.
The irony in this story is that even though Jesus was right there with them, the disciples believed he was dead and gone. You see, it was the disciple’s fault that Jesus seemed dead to them. Often, when we feel like God is hidden from us, it is because we have neglected our relationship with him, or have become too much a child of this world to be a child of God. But don’t let those times keep you from pursuing God—you will probably find that Jesus was there all the time.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Have you been through a season in life when it feels like God is just absent? During these times our prayers seem empty and God seems hidden. So what should I do when that happens? Two disciples took a walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the day Christ rose from the dead. Even though Jesus was walking with them, they did not recognize him because their own eyes were blinded.
The irony in this story is that even though Jesus was right there with them, the disciples believed he was dead and gone. You see, it was the disciple’s fault that Jesus seemed dead to them. Often, when we feel like God is hidden from us, it is because we have neglected our relationship with him, or have become too much a child of this world to be a child of God. But don’t let those times keep you from pursuing God—you will probably find that Jesus was there all the time.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Daniel-Mind on Fire 2
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church.
The life of Daniel is a great story for many reasons, not the least of which is that he exemplifies a believer who loves God with all his mind.
As the book opens we discover that Daniel and his friends are the cream of the crop in Judah. They were intelligent, well educated, and likely one their way to positions of influence in the nation of Judah. In fact, that is exactly why the conquering nation takes them away into exile in Babylon. Why would God allow these fine, upstanding young men to be torn away from their homes?
I think we have already answered our question. It is exactly because they developed their minds in their love for God that God needed them in a foreign land. Not just anybody could be an influence in the course of two world powers, turning the hearts of kings and people to their God. God used them exactly because they loved him with all their minds.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
The life of Daniel is a great story for many reasons, not the least of which is that he exemplifies a believer who loves God with all his mind.
As the book opens we discover that Daniel and his friends are the cream of the crop in Judah. They were intelligent, well educated, and likely one their way to positions of influence in the nation of Judah. In fact, that is exactly why the conquering nation takes them away into exile in Babylon. Why would God allow these fine, upstanding young men to be torn away from their homes?
I think we have already answered our question. It is exactly because they developed their minds in their love for God that God needed them in a foreign land. Not just anybody could be an influence in the course of two world powers, turning the hearts of kings and people to their God. God used them exactly because they loved him with all their minds.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Gender Variance
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church.
Recently in a school in Florida, a child was enrolled in kindergarten as a girl when he is actually and genetically a boy. In a school in California teachers are no longer lining elementary children up as boys and girls. These stories illustrate a trend among educators of young children sometimes called “gender variance.” According to this view, gender is constructed by a child, not given to a child before birth.
This represents a dramatic shift in worldview. According to a Christian understanding of humanity, our personhood—including our gender—is a given and is something we grow to know and understand through life. According to gender variance, a postmodern view, our personhood is fluid and can be constructed any way we please. This second view results from the rampant individualism and moral relativism in our culture and only enslaves and confuses us. We should understand, however, that being made in the image of God frees us to be who we were made to be.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Recently in a school in Florida, a child was enrolled in kindergarten as a girl when he is actually and genetically a boy. In a school in California teachers are no longer lining elementary children up as boys and girls. These stories illustrate a trend among educators of young children sometimes called “gender variance.” According to this view, gender is constructed by a child, not given to a child before birth.
This represents a dramatic shift in worldview. According to a Christian understanding of humanity, our personhood—including our gender—is a given and is something we grow to know and understand through life. According to gender variance, a postmodern view, our personhood is fluid and can be constructed any way we please. This second view results from the rampant individualism and moral relativism in our culture and only enslaves and confuses us. We should understand, however, that being made in the image of God frees us to be who we were made to be.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Thinking Beings 1
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church.
Did you know that the scientific classification for humans, homo sapiens, means “thinking beings”? This is not only a scientific classification, but for the Christian, it is a spiritual reality as well. As we were made in the image of God, we were given minds and the ability to think and reason. God himself says through Isaiah, “Come, let us reason together.”
In fact, the use of our minds in worship is something that was important to Christ and Paul as well. Christ sums up the Law by saying we should love God with all our minds. And Paul, while telling us how to grow in our relationship with Christ, says we need to be careful about how our minds are being formed. It is all too possible to be conformed to this world without even working on it. Having a mind that is formed in the image of Christ, however, will require effort. But don’t worry, God will reward that kind of work.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Did you know that the scientific classification for humans, homo sapiens, means “thinking beings”? This is not only a scientific classification, but for the Christian, it is a spiritual reality as well. As we were made in the image of God, we were given minds and the ability to think and reason. God himself says through Isaiah, “Come, let us reason together.”
In fact, the use of our minds in worship is something that was important to Christ and Paul as well. Christ sums up the Law by saying we should love God with all our minds. And Paul, while telling us how to grow in our relationship with Christ, says we need to be careful about how our minds are being formed. It is all too possible to be conformed to this world without even working on it. Having a mind that is formed in the image of Christ, however, will require effort. But don’t worry, God will reward that kind of work.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Daniel 1: Mind on Fire
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
The life of Daniel in the Old Testament is a great story for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that he exemplifies a believer who loves God with all his mind.
At one crucial point early in the book, Daniel refused to take the king’s diet and requested nothing but vegetables and water. And as it turns out, Daniel’s faithfulness to his kosher diet won the day when he was discovered to be more healthy and intelligent than his Babylonian comrades.
Daniel’s brave and faithful decision was a direct result of a mind that loved God. Not only did he want to be faithful to God, but he knew exactly how to do it. Because his mind was devoted to the knowledge of his God—to the details of the OT diet--he knew exactly what steps to take when it came time to make a decision. Loving God with all his mind enabled him to be faithful to God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
The life of Daniel in the Old Testament is a great story for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that he exemplifies a believer who loves God with all his mind.
At one crucial point early in the book, Daniel refused to take the king’s diet and requested nothing but vegetables and water. And as it turns out, Daniel’s faithfulness to his kosher diet won the day when he was discovered to be more healthy and intelligent than his Babylonian comrades.
Daniel’s brave and faithful decision was a direct result of a mind that loved God. Not only did he want to be faithful to God, but he knew exactly how to do it. Because his mind was devoted to the knowledge of his God—to the details of the OT diet--he knew exactly what steps to take when it came time to make a decision. Loving God with all his mind enabled him to be faithful to God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Apes and Men: Nothing-But-ery
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
A recent cover article in Time magazine proclaims that there is not much at all separating you from the primate world. The piece details how close your genetic make up is to an ape’s and then concludes that the differences between the two are entirely wrapped up in those few genes. You are intended to believe, with all the convenient pictures of babies next to chimps and humans morphing from apes, that you are nothing but an ape with a few more genes attached.
But there is a flaw in this point of view. It is what C.S. Lewis called “nothing-but-ery,” or the view that humans are nothing but a sack of chemicals or a bunch of genes. Lewis, like many others, contends that genetic material cannot account for our souls or our minds. Humans stand out from the pack not because we drew the lucky card from the evolutionary deck, but because we have been endowed with those things that make us in the image of God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
A recent cover article in Time magazine proclaims that there is not much at all separating you from the primate world. The piece details how close your genetic make up is to an ape’s and then concludes that the differences between the two are entirely wrapped up in those few genes. You are intended to believe, with all the convenient pictures of babies next to chimps and humans morphing from apes, that you are nothing but an ape with a few more genes attached.
But there is a flaw in this point of view. It is what C.S. Lewis called “nothing-but-ery,” or the view that humans are nothing but a sack of chemicals or a bunch of genes. Lewis, like many others, contends that genetic material cannot account for our souls or our minds. Humans stand out from the pack not because we drew the lucky card from the evolutionary deck, but because we have been endowed with those things that make us in the image of God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Belief and Behavior--Absolute Truth
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In the latest edition of Time, columnist Andrew Sullivan writes on faith and belief in an article titled, “When not seeing is believing.” Part of what he asserts is that a superior religious belief is not about doctrines or creeds, but just behavior. He says, “practice is more important than theory,” and, “love is more important than law.” Now don’t get me wrong, a mature Christian life will reflect the kinds of behavior that are pleasing to God. We are saved to do His good works.
But upon further reflection, we discover that St. Paul and Sullivan have a sharp disagreement. Paul, in several places, stressed the importance of teaching true and sound doctrine and that those who did not needed to be corrected. Paul gave no room in the church of Jesus Christ for just any old, feel-good religious belief. For Paul, it was the theory of Christianity that gave rise to the right practice and the law of God that gave rise to the love of God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
In the latest edition of Time, columnist Andrew Sullivan writes on faith and belief in an article titled, “When not seeing is believing.” Part of what he asserts is that a superior religious belief is not about doctrines or creeds, but just behavior. He says, “practice is more important than theory,” and, “love is more important than law.” Now don’t get me wrong, a mature Christian life will reflect the kinds of behavior that are pleasing to God. We are saved to do His good works.
But upon further reflection, we discover that St. Paul and Sullivan have a sharp disagreement. Paul, in several places, stressed the importance of teaching true and sound doctrine and that those who did not needed to be corrected. Paul gave no room in the church of Jesus Christ for just any old, feel-good religious belief. For Paul, it was the theory of Christianity that gave rise to the right practice and the law of God that gave rise to the love of God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Belief and Absolute Truth 2
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In the latest edition of Time, columnist Andrew Sullivan writes on faith and belief in an article titled, “When not seeing is believing.” His point is that the root problems in our world are a result of people taking religion seriously and actually believing in absolute truth. His solution is that believers need to take a different approach to their faith—namely, a more humble approach. As a result no religious believer will have the audacity to believe their religion is true.
For Sullivan, “humble” is a code word for relativism. For him, and many others, to hold a belief humbly is to not really hold it at all. But that is certainly not what he means. His article proposes a very specific form of religion, and asserts that it should be true for everyone. According to his definition of “humble,” he has been rather arrogant. In reality, it is not hard to hold to the truth of Christianity and be truly humble.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
In the latest edition of Time, columnist Andrew Sullivan writes on faith and belief in an article titled, “When not seeing is believing.” His point is that the root problems in our world are a result of people taking religion seriously and actually believing in absolute truth. His solution is that believers need to take a different approach to their faith—namely, a more humble approach. As a result no religious believer will have the audacity to believe their religion is true.
For Sullivan, “humble” is a code word for relativism. For him, and many others, to hold a belief humbly is to not really hold it at all. But that is certainly not what he means. His article proposes a very specific form of religion, and asserts that it should be true for everyone. According to his definition of “humble,” he has been rather arrogant. In reality, it is not hard to hold to the truth of Christianity and be truly humble.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Belief, Doubt, and Absolute Truth
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In the latest edition of Time magazine, columnist Andrew Sullivan writes on faith and belief in an article titled, “When not seeing is believing.” Part of what he contends in this piece is that adherence to absolute truth is on the rise in our world because of fear. His argument is that when we are afraid and unsettled in this world we cling to the next for security.
His goal is to put across the idea that it is weak minded to believe in absolute truth, especially when the motivation is nothing but uncertainty. Sullivan gets a lot wrong in his article, not the least of which is his relativistic solution to uncertainty. If this world can be a fearful place, how does even more doubt and uncertainty solve anything? In fact, Christians see clearly the hollowness of trusting in this world to save our souls, so we put our trust in something much more stable and secure. There is nothing weak minded about that.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
In the latest edition of Time magazine, columnist Andrew Sullivan writes on faith and belief in an article titled, “When not seeing is believing.” Part of what he contends in this piece is that adherence to absolute truth is on the rise in our world because of fear. His argument is that when we are afraid and unsettled in this world we cling to the next for security.
His goal is to put across the idea that it is weak minded to believe in absolute truth, especially when the motivation is nothing but uncertainty. Sullivan gets a lot wrong in his article, not the least of which is his relativistic solution to uncertainty. If this world can be a fearful place, how does even more doubt and uncertainty solve anything? In fact, Christians see clearly the hollowness of trusting in this world to save our souls, so we put our trust in something much more stable and secure. There is nothing weak minded about that.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
A Mind on Fire 1
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
Christ was once asked what the greatest commandment was. He responded that all the law and the prophets are summarized in two commandments—one of which included the directive to love God with all our minds. We are often quick to agree that we can love God with all our feelings during worship service, but we don’t always consider what it means to love God with all our minds.
First of all, a mind given to God is one that is ready to be all that it can be for God. God is not calling us all to be geniuses or nobodies—he is calling us to use the minds he gave us to be effective disciples. Each one of us has the ability to apply our minds to God and to life around us and become more effective as salt and light. Minds on fire for God change things. When our minds come alive in the light of God, we see him and our world more clearly.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Christ was once asked what the greatest commandment was. He responded that all the law and the prophets are summarized in two commandments—one of which included the directive to love God with all our minds. We are often quick to agree that we can love God with all our feelings during worship service, but we don’t always consider what it means to love God with all our minds.
First of all, a mind given to God is one that is ready to be all that it can be for God. God is not calling us all to be geniuses or nobodies—he is calling us to use the minds he gave us to be effective disciples. Each one of us has the ability to apply our minds to God and to life around us and become more effective as salt and light. Minds on fire for God change things. When our minds come alive in the light of God, we see him and our world more clearly.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Truth and Ice Cream-Redux
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
A Christian apologist today gives a lecture called, “Christianity is not Ice Cream.” It is a talk about truth, relativism, and what we mean when we say that Christianity is true. You see, you and a friend can argue about the best flavor of ice cream all day, your opinions can conflict, you may never convince your friend that mint chocolate chip is superior to cookie dough, but you both walk away from the discussion realizing that ice cream flavor is a matter of opinion.
Not so with Christianity. People may have different preferences about religion, and they may be deeply sincere about their tastes, but at the end of the day it is false that religion is a matter of opinion. When we say Christianity is true, we are affirming the same kind of truth when we say that 2+2=4. Christ is the way and the truth and the life for all of us, in spite of what our opinions on the matter may be.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Jeremiah 34-Lying
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
There is a great deal of value in keeping our promises. We are too often accustomed to people in the public eye, and often in our own lives, who are untrustworthy, and that can sometimes erode our sense of how important it is to be truth-telling people. In Jeremiah 34 we have the story of King Zedekiah and two promises he makes. The first is a promise of loyalty to a foreign king. The second is a promise he makes to God to free all the slaves in Jerusalem.
Zedekiah was a fool and broke both promises. Because he became disloyal to the king, he suffered a fate worse than death, and because he recaptured all the slaves he freed, God gave him into the hands of his enemies. We discover in this story that the habit of breaking promises—of lying—is a powerful relationship killer. On the other hand, truth telling is a character trait God wants me to develop; it will enrich my relationships with others as well as with Him.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
There is a great deal of value in keeping our promises. We are too often accustomed to people in the public eye, and often in our own lives, who are untrustworthy, and that can sometimes erode our sense of how important it is to be truth-telling people. In Jeremiah 34 we have the story of King Zedekiah and two promises he makes. The first is a promise of loyalty to a foreign king. The second is a promise he makes to God to free all the slaves in Jerusalem.
Zedekiah was a fool and broke both promises. Because he became disloyal to the king, he suffered a fate worse than death, and because he recaptured all the slaves he freed, God gave him into the hands of his enemies. We discover in this story that the habit of breaking promises—of lying—is a powerful relationship killer. On the other hand, truth telling is a character trait God wants me to develop; it will enrich my relationships with others as well as with Him.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Jeremiah 33-Call to God
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
How well would you communicate with someone if you did not speak their language? If you wanted to talk to them, how much effort would it take to communicate? No doubt it would take a good deal of work and time. Now ask yourself, how well do you communicate with God?
In Jeremiah 33, God tells the prophet, “Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” The word for “call” here means a deep and serious request, and is sometimes used to describe the roars of animals. When God tells Jeremiah to call out to Him, he certainly does not intend it to be shallow and half-hearted. I should ask myself, have I called out to God in this way?
I communicate well with my wife because we talk on a daily basis. I may not communicate with God well because I have not put the same amount of effort into talking with Him.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
How well would you communicate with someone if you did not speak their language? If you wanted to talk to them, how much effort would it take to communicate? No doubt it would take a good deal of work and time. Now ask yourself, how well do you communicate with God?
In Jeremiah 33, God tells the prophet, “Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” The word for “call” here means a deep and serious request, and is sometimes used to describe the roars of animals. When God tells Jeremiah to call out to Him, he certainly does not intend it to be shallow and half-hearted. I should ask myself, have I called out to God in this way?
I communicate well with my wife because we talk on a daily basis. I may not communicate with God well because I have not put the same amount of effort into talking with Him.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Reading and Images, Redux
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. As a result, reading helps develops our ability to reason well. This faculty is especially important for Christians-we are, after all, people of The Book.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.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. As a result, reading helps develops our ability to reason well. This faculty is especially important for Christians-we are, after all, people of The Book.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Beckwith, Tenure, and ID
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
The controversy over Intelligent Design continues to swirll, not only in public school systems, but in the noteable university of Baylor, as well. Francis Beckwith, a professor known for his prolific writing and recognized expertise on church/state issues, has recently had his tenure blocked in large part because of his support of Intelligent Design. This basically means the school is trying to squeeze him out of his job.
The reasons officially stated by Baylor have been uncovered as either false or disingenuous, and what the controversy boils down to is that a handful of influential people don’t want defenders of Intelligent Design at their school.
It is always ironic to find these cases where academic freedom flows in only one direction. More and more Intelligent Design is becoming a rigorous and serious field of scientific inquiry, but many people are still afraid of its consequences. For them, we simply cannot have professors who believe there is a Creator, even if the evidence points in that direction.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
The controversy over Intelligent Design continues to swirll, not only in public school systems, but in the noteable university of Baylor, as well. Francis Beckwith, a professor known for his prolific writing and recognized expertise on church/state issues, has recently had his tenure blocked in large part because of his support of Intelligent Design. This basically means the school is trying to squeeze him out of his job.
The reasons officially stated by Baylor have been uncovered as either false or disingenuous, and what the controversy boils down to is that a handful of influential people don’t want defenders of Intelligent Design at their school.
It is always ironic to find these cases where academic freedom flows in only one direction. More and more Intelligent Design is becoming a rigorous and serious field of scientific inquiry, but many people are still afraid of its consequences. For them, we simply cannot have professors who believe there is a Creator, even if the evidence points in that direction.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Screening Babies for Gender
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
If you could genetically screen your next child, what might be some good reasons to do so? Scientists can now screen for many harmful diseases and potential problems, and a growing population of parents is screening embryos so their children will not be born with problems such as cystic fibrosis. But an alarming number of parents are beginning to screen embryos based on gender.
According to a recent study, as many as 42 percent of the clinics that provide this kind of service to parents performed the screening purely for gender purposes.
When parents select their babies just because they are a boy or a girl, it reflects the narcissism rampant in our culture today. For these parents, having children is more about them than it is for the kids. What is next? Should we start rejecting children for their hair or eye color? In this kind of Brave New World, Christians need to stand up for God’s kind of unconditional love.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
If you could genetically screen your next child, what might be some good reasons to do so? Scientists can now screen for many harmful diseases and potential problems, and a growing population of parents is screening embryos so their children will not be born with problems such as cystic fibrosis. But an alarming number of parents are beginning to screen embryos based on gender.
According to a recent study, as many as 42 percent of the clinics that provide this kind of service to parents performed the screening purely for gender purposes.
When parents select their babies just because they are a boy or a girl, it reflects the narcissism rampant in our culture today. For these parents, having children is more about them than it is for the kids. What is next? Should we start rejecting children for their hair or eye color? In this kind of Brave New World, Christians need to stand up for God’s kind of unconditional love.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Shaping Worldview-The Body of Christ: Redux
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
When we struggle to learn how to live out a Christian worldview, one discipline can be of great help to us, but is often neglected. The community of the Church-the body of Christ-can be an invaluable tool in shaping us into disciples.
In the fellowship of believers we can be sharpened, as the Proverb states, “as iron sharpens iron.” Another believer can help me see things in a way I have not yet considered, or they can help correct a problem with my take on Scripture. Hearing God’s word preached each week is an encouragement to me and can help me see things the way God sees things.
According to Scripture, it is very good when the church dwells together in unity; the early church devoted themselves to teaching and fellowship; we build each other up as we are healthy members of the body; and we should not neglect gathering together. Your church is a great place to learn to be like Christ.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
When we struggle to learn how to live out a Christian worldview, one discipline can be of great help to us, but is often neglected. The community of the Church-the body of Christ-can be an invaluable tool in shaping us into disciples.
In the fellowship of believers we can be sharpened, as the Proverb states, “as iron sharpens iron.” Another believer can help me see things in a way I have not yet considered, or they can help correct a problem with my take on Scripture. Hearing God’s word preached each week is an encouragement to me and can help me see things the way God sees things.
According to Scripture, it is very good when the church dwells together in unity; the early church devoted themselves to teaching and fellowship; we build each other up as we are healthy members of the body; and we should not neglect gathering together. Your church is a great place to learn to be like Christ.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Jer 32-A Prayer for the Confused
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
When you go to God in prayer and have something to ask of him, how does your prayer usually begin? When you need something from God, what is typical of the content and structure of your prayer? If you are anything like me, you usually spend your time with God asking for things. There is nothing wrong with this kind of prayer, but we can learn something from the prophet Jeremiah. In chapter 32, he is confused about a real estate transaction and wants clarification from God.
We should note, though, that his actual request is at the end of his prayer. Jeremiah first spends several minutes praising God and declaring his glory. By focusing his prayer in this way, he put his attention on what was important—on God and not his confusion. This kind of focus in my prayer life can not only change my perspective but can bring a powerful measure of peace to my soul. When you pray this week, try beginning with God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
When you go to God in prayer and have something to ask of him, how does your prayer usually begin? When you need something from God, what is typical of the content and structure of your prayer? If you are anything like me, you usually spend your time with God asking for things. There is nothing wrong with this kind of prayer, but we can learn something from the prophet Jeremiah. In chapter 32, he is confused about a real estate transaction and wants clarification from God.
We should note, though, that his actual request is at the end of his prayer. Jeremiah first spends several minutes praising God and declaring his glory. By focusing his prayer in this way, he put his attention on what was important—on God and not his confusion. This kind of focus in my prayer life can not only change my perspective but can bring a powerful measure of peace to my soul. When you pray this week, try beginning with God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Williard-The Great Omission: Sinning
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Has it ever bothered you, if you are a follower of Christ, that you often don’t see the moral transformation in your life you think you should see? I imagine we all find ourselves dealing with this frustration from time to time. Dallas Willard, in his book, The Great Omission, notes that, “We want to do good, but we are prepared, ready, to do evil.” In other words there is a part of us that wants to act like Christ but there is a stronger part of us that is always ready to rebel whenever the situation requires it.
Willard notes that unless we are prepared to become apprentices in the Kingdom of God ready to put into practice the words of Christ, we will remain locked in moral defeat. If, however, we are ready to actually act out the words of Christ and apply them to every day life we will find that we begin to better understand ourselves and the Kingdom of God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Has it ever bothered you, if you are a follower of Christ, that you often don’t see the moral transformation in your life you think you should see? I imagine we all find ourselves dealing with this frustration from time to time. Dallas Willard, in his book, The Great Omission, notes that, “We want to do good, but we are prepared, ready, to do evil.” In other words there is a part of us that wants to act like Christ but there is a stronger part of us that is always ready to rebel whenever the situation requires it.
Willard notes that unless we are prepared to become apprentices in the Kingdom of God ready to put into practice the words of Christ, we will remain locked in moral defeat. If, however, we are ready to actually act out the words of Christ and apply them to every day life we will find that we begin to better understand ourselves and the Kingdom of God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Williard-Great Omission: Discipleship
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Dallas Willard’s new book, The Great Omission, opens with this observation: “The word ‘disciple’ occurs 269 times in the New Testament. ‘Christian’ is found three times and was first introduced to refer precisely to disciples of Jesus….The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples.” Part of Willard’s point in this book is to rejoin two concepts that are often pulled apart. To be a Christian is to be a disciple.
Discipleship is not reserved for the super spiritual. In fact, the act of being a follower of Christ is the first and most fundamental request made of believers in the New Testament. As far as the early church was concerned being a disciple was not optional if you wanted to become a Christian. Their point of view was that their entire lives belonged to Christ.
Have I become stuck in a rut where I am a Christian in name but not lifestyle? Do I try to follow Christ’s example with every breath?
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Dallas Willard’s new book, The Great Omission, opens with this observation: “The word ‘disciple’ occurs 269 times in the New Testament. ‘Christian’ is found three times and was first introduced to refer precisely to disciples of Jesus….The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples.” Part of Willard’s point in this book is to rejoin two concepts that are often pulled apart. To be a Christian is to be a disciple.
Discipleship is not reserved for the super spiritual. In fact, the act of being a follower of Christ is the first and most fundamental request made of believers in the New Testament. As far as the early church was concerned being a disciple was not optional if you wanted to become a Christian. Their point of view was that their entire lives belonged to Christ.
Have I become stuck in a rut where I am a Christian in name but not lifestyle? Do I try to follow Christ’s example with every breath?
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Ruth 2-Redux
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
How does God answer prayer? Well, in the life of Ruth, we read Naomi's prayer over her that God would help her find a homeland. We also read Boaz's prayer over Ruth that God would repay her for her kindness to his relative Naomi.
As it turns out, Ruth did find a home-it was Naomi’s. And Ruth was repaid for her kindness-when she married Boaz. In both cases, God used Naomi and Boaz to answer their own prayers.
From time to time we fall into a rut when we think God will work something out for the people we pray for by some other means we do not know or see. We often pray not expecting to be the person God uses to answer prayer. But as we see with Naomi and Boaz, God will often use us as His way of answering our prayers. Be alert-God may be answering prayer through you and your faithfulness.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
How does God answer prayer? Well, in the life of Ruth, we read Naomi's prayer over her that God would help her find a homeland. We also read Boaz's prayer over Ruth that God would repay her for her kindness to his relative Naomi.
As it turns out, Ruth did find a home-it was Naomi’s. And Ruth was repaid for her kindness-when she married Boaz. In both cases, God used Naomi and Boaz to answer their own prayers.
From time to time we fall into a rut when we think God will work something out for the people we pray for by some other means we do not know or see. We often pray not expecting to be the person God uses to answer prayer. But as we see with Naomi and Boaz, God will often use us as His way of answering our prayers. Be alert-God may be answering prayer through you and your faithfulness.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Wilberforce-The Movie
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In February of 2007, Walden media will release a film titled, “Amazing Grace.” It is the story of William Wilberforce and the British abolition movement. In case you did not know, a large part of why England abolished the slave trade in the early nineteenth century is the work of Wilberforce and his colleagues in Parliament.
Still referred to as the “Renewer of Society” in England, Wilberforce was a deeply committed Christian and a tireless voice in his chosen profession—politics—for the cause of abolition. He is one of the more recent examples of a follower of Christ who was so overcome with his Savior and do driven by his grasp of theology and morality that he literally changed the world. I often wonder where the next Wilberforce is, and what they will change. The answer to that question begins with how gripped we are by Christ and how motivated we are by our doctrine and God’s ethical requirements.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
In February of 2007, Walden media will release a film titled, “Amazing Grace.” It is the story of William Wilberforce and the British abolition movement. In case you did not know, a large part of why England abolished the slave trade in the early nineteenth century is the work of Wilberforce and his colleagues in Parliament.
Still referred to as the “Renewer of Society” in England, Wilberforce was a deeply committed Christian and a tireless voice in his chosen profession—politics—for the cause of abolition. He is one of the more recent examples of a follower of Christ who was so overcome with his Savior and do driven by his grasp of theology and morality that he literally changed the world. I often wonder where the next Wilberforce is, and what they will change. The answer to that question begins with how gripped we are by Christ and how motivated we are by our doctrine and God’s ethical requirements.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Chesterton and Hope-Redux
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
Hope is a neglected virtue. When is the last time you reflected on hope or took steps to build the virtue of hope in your life? We hear a lot about faith and love, but not much about hope.
As a virtue, it is an interesting character trait in that we need it the most when it seems the most unreasonable to have it. It is easy to be hopeful when all is good and the future is bright, but hope is built into our hearts and minds when times are tough and the future is uncertain. The English author G.K. Chesterton once said, “For practical purposes it is at the hopeless moment that we require the hopeful man, and the virtue either does not exist at all, or it begins to exist at that moment. Exactly at the instant hope ceases to be reasonable it begins to be useful.” Ask God for the blessing of hope today, no matter your circumstances.
This has been Every Thought Captive a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Hope is a neglected virtue. When is the last time you reflected on hope or took steps to build the virtue of hope in your life? We hear a lot about faith and love, but not much about hope.
As a virtue, it is an interesting character trait in that we need it the most when it seems the most unreasonable to have it. It is easy to be hopeful when all is good and the future is bright, but hope is built into our hearts and minds when times are tough and the future is uncertain. The English author G.K. Chesterton once said, “For practical purposes it is at the hopeless moment that we require the hopeful man, and the virtue either does not exist at all, or it begins to exist at that moment. Exactly at the instant hope ceases to be reasonable it begins to be useful.” Ask God for the blessing of hope today, no matter your circumstances.
This has been Every Thought Captive a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Paying Attention
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
The things I give my attention to have a bearing on the shape of my soul. Paul tells us as much in Philippians 4:8 when he says we should think about the things that are true, honorable, just, excellent, praiseworthy, and so on.
Contrast Paul’s list with your typical night on TV. The kinds of images and ideas presented there sell to a broad and bored audience-very little of it is honorable, praiseworthy, or even true. Much of it is contrived to appeal to the lowest instincts in our natures so we don’t have to stretch ourselves. Dwelling on these things does not do much good for our souls. But Paul’s list does. When I focus myself on Paul’s list I shape my mind and heart to the kinds of things that come from the heart and mind of God.
Either I can sink to a lowest common denominator, or I can turn myself toward the things in this world that reflect God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
The things I give my attention to have a bearing on the shape of my soul. Paul tells us as much in Philippians 4:8 when he says we should think about the things that are true, honorable, just, excellent, praiseworthy, and so on.
Contrast Paul’s list with your typical night on TV. The kinds of images and ideas presented there sell to a broad and bored audience-very little of it is honorable, praiseworthy, or even true. Much of it is contrived to appeal to the lowest instincts in our natures so we don’t have to stretch ourselves. Dwelling on these things does not do much good for our souls. But Paul’s list does. When I focus myself on Paul’s list I shape my mind and heart to the kinds of things that come from the heart and mind of God.
Either I can sink to a lowest common denominator, or I can turn myself toward the things in this world that reflect God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Embryos To Order-Loss of Virtue
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
The Abraham Center of Life, an embryo bank in Texas, is on the cutting edge of both medical technology and cultural change. The Center not only allows parents to adopt spare embryos, but it allows them to custom order children as well. Think of the possibilities. A parent could imagine the best life for their child and then pick the smartest, tallest, strongest, and fastest genes to create their new child.
There are dangers lurking in the darkness, however. This kind of consumerism will corrode our virtue. Take love, for instance. Unconditional love, the kind God shows you, is often expressed in moments of failure and disappointment. We love the best when we love the imperfect. If we begin to custom order our children, we will train ourselves to love children the way we like our hamburgers-they are good only when we have them our way. In stark contrast to this kind of selfishness is the love God shows me-a broken but sincere child of God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
The Abraham Center of Life, an embryo bank in Texas, is on the cutting edge of both medical technology and cultural change. The Center not only allows parents to adopt spare embryos, but it allows them to custom order children as well. Think of the possibilities. A parent could imagine the best life for their child and then pick the smartest, tallest, strongest, and fastest genes to create their new child.
There are dangers lurking in the darkness, however. This kind of consumerism will corrode our virtue. Take love, for instance. Unconditional love, the kind God shows you, is often expressed in moments of failure and disappointment. We love the best when we love the imperfect. If we begin to custom order our children, we will train ourselves to love children the way we like our hamburgers-they are good only when we have them our way. In stark contrast to this kind of selfishness is the love God shows me-a broken but sincere child of God.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Designer Embryos
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In Texas there is a human embryo bank, the Abraham Center of Life, where prospective parents not only can adopt embryos, but in the future will be able to custom order them as well. According to Wesley J. Smith, a fellow at the Discovery Institute, the Center will allow potential parents to file through their list of donor parents, pick the ones that fit their ideal profile, and pay for their genetic material.
Something is wrong when we start treating our children the way we treat our fast food. After all, who decides what “better” traits are? How tall do you want your child? Is that different for boys and girls? What level of intelligence is right? What skin color would you choose? When we custom design embryos we force ourselves onto our children and begin to chose their futures for them long before they are born. Our culture needs to be careful and reflect before we turn our children into commodities.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
In Texas there is a human embryo bank, the Abraham Center of Life, where prospective parents not only can adopt embryos, but in the future will be able to custom order them as well. According to Wesley J. Smith, a fellow at the Discovery Institute, the Center will allow potential parents to file through their list of donor parents, pick the ones that fit their ideal profile, and pay for their genetic material.
Something is wrong when we start treating our children the way we treat our fast food. After all, who decides what “better” traits are? How tall do you want your child? Is that different for boys and girls? What level of intelligence is right? What skin color would you choose? When we custom design embryos we force ourselves onto our children and begin to chose their futures for them long before they are born. Our culture needs to be careful and reflect before we turn our children into commodities.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Twentysomethings and Church
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
One of the more disturbing trends in the American church is how we lose the majority of young adults between their high school graduation and their early thirties. According to Barna, as many as 52% of them simply leave the church. Several pastors and authors explain this loss in terms of disillusionment-they argue that twentysomethings are disillusioned with the failed promises of the church.
One angle that can’t be ignored is the fact that every year adolescence lasts longer into people’s twenties. In other words, what sociologist label adolescence-a teenaged mentality and maturity level-is apparent in older adults all the time. Young adults are in general immature longer than they used to be.
Could it be that we are too used to having things exactly the way we want it? It is possible that we all need to learn that church will never be perfect, and that believers need to be a part of it as a matter of faithfulness and maturity no matter its flaws.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information please visit quaillake.org.
One of the more disturbing trends in the American church is how we lose the majority of young adults between their high school graduation and their early thirties. According to Barna, as many as 52% of them simply leave the church. Several pastors and authors explain this loss in terms of disillusionment-they argue that twentysomethings are disillusioned with the failed promises of the church.
One angle that can’t be ignored is the fact that every year adolescence lasts longer into people’s twenties. In other words, what sociologist label adolescence-a teenaged mentality and maturity level-is apparent in older adults all the time. Young adults are in general immature longer than they used to be.
Could it be that we are too used to having things exactly the way we want it? It is possible that we all need to learn that church will never be perfect, and that believers need to be a part of it as a matter of faithfulness and maturity no matter its flaws.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information please visit quaillake.org.
Jeremiah 33-The Lord Is My Righteousness
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Near the end of Jeremiah 33, God declares to his people that when the Messiah comes all his promises will be fulfilled. This Messiah will be a legitimate and righteous king ruling with justice. And after God’s work is done in his people, their city will now be named, “The Lord is our righteousness.”
This name change is significant. Up to this point Judah has been famous for its creativity in rebellion and copious ability to sin. But when God is through with them, they will be known for His character instead of theirs. The Lord is our righteousness. Something very similar happens in my life as I give it over to Christ. Before becoming a Christian, I was a slave to my flesh. But after Christ completes his work, I can be known for his character and not my own. As a follower of Christ, I am not after my own improvement or goodness, but the life of Christ. Christ is my righteousness.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information please visit quaillake.org.
Near the end of Jeremiah 33, God declares to his people that when the Messiah comes all his promises will be fulfilled. This Messiah will be a legitimate and righteous king ruling with justice. And after God’s work is done in his people, their city will now be named, “The Lord is our righteousness.”
This name change is significant. Up to this point Judah has been famous for its creativity in rebellion and copious ability to sin. But when God is through with them, they will be known for His character instead of theirs. The Lord is our righteousness. Something very similar happens in my life as I give it over to Christ. Before becoming a Christian, I was a slave to my flesh. But after Christ completes his work, I can be known for his character and not my own. As a follower of Christ, I am not after my own improvement or goodness, but the life of Christ. Christ is my righteousness.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information please visit quaillake.org.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
New Bumper
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Reading: Chambers' Advice
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Jude 5-7 Consequences
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Reading the book if Jude is sometimes a little like arriving early to the symphony when all the musicians are warming up. What we hear is a cacophony of sound until the conductor arrives on stage and raises his baton-then we have symphony. In verses 5-7, Jude lists a few familiar and not so familiar examples of those who have suffered for their sins. We often get hung up on the strange references in the passage and then we miss the symphony.
Despite some of its novelty, the point in this passage is rather straight-forward. We know that false teachers had entered the church and were preaching a life of license without the need for repentance. Jude’s point is that rebellion against God has its consequences. God’s loving act of forgiveness does not allow us to be shielded from the results of our behavior. He loves us enough to let us learn that our actions sometimes have rotten consequences.
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.
Reading the book if Jude is sometimes a little like arriving early to the symphony when all the musicians are warming up. What we hear is a cacophony of sound until the conductor arrives on stage and raises his baton-then we have symphony. In verses 5-7, Jude lists a few familiar and not so familiar examples of those who have suffered for their sins. We often get hung up on the strange references in the passage and then we miss the symphony.
Despite some of its novelty, the point in this passage is rather straight-forward. We know that false teachers had entered the church and were preaching a life of license without the need for repentance. Jude’s point is that rebellion against God has its consequences. God’s loving act of forgiveness does not allow us to be shielded from the results of our behavior. He loves us enough to let us learn that our actions sometimes have rotten consequences.
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.
Individualized Spirituality
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Spirituality without religion is popular in our American culture. We like the idea of having a grasp on eternal life and ultimate reality without being told what to believe by some institution. The researcher Barna recently noted how popular it is to believe in our own, individualized forms of god, and as a recent example the LA Times columnist Anne Lamott described herself as a Christian and promptly betrayed a very non Christian view of life and death.
Why are we tempted to believe that our own visions of god are superior to His revelation of Himself? Would I let my children get away with their own mathematical machinations and call them correct? Do I think my own imagination about quantum physics is deeper than Einstein’s? Of course not, but when it comes to religion, the concept of God touches our souls in deep ways and we want to devise ways to tell him what to do instead of the other way around.
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.
Spirituality without religion is popular in our American culture. We like the idea of having a grasp on eternal life and ultimate reality without being told what to believe by some institution. The researcher Barna recently noted how popular it is to believe in our own, individualized forms of god, and as a recent example the LA Times columnist Anne Lamott described herself as a Christian and promptly betrayed a very non Christian view of life and death.
Why are we tempted to believe that our own visions of god are superior to His revelation of Himself? Would I let my children get away with their own mathematical machinations and call them correct? Do I think my own imagination about quantum physics is deeper than Einstein’s? Of course not, but when it comes to religion, the concept of God touches our souls in deep ways and we want to devise ways to tell him what to do instead of the other way around.
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.
Friend Assisted Suicide 3
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
The LA Times columnist, Anne Lamott killed a man. She admitted as much in her article, “At Death’s Window.” The man was a friend dying of cancer who wanted a way out. Lamott concocted a cocktail of prescription drugs and fed it to him in a bowl of applesauce. Her justification for this action should not surprise us if we have been paying attention to culture.
Lamott argued that life was nothing more than Earth school, and we were in control of whether we wanted to leave the term early: in other words, we are in control and possession of our own bodies and lives. The Supreme Court ruled the same way in 1992 by arguing that a fundamental liberty was the right to define our own concept of existence.
As a Christ-follower, my perspective is just the opposite. My life with all its twists and turns is in the hands of an all-knowing and loving God.
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 LA Times columnist, Anne Lamott killed a man. She admitted as much in her article, “At Death’s Window.” The man was a friend dying of cancer who wanted a way out. Lamott concocted a cocktail of prescription drugs and fed it to him in a bowl of applesauce. Her justification for this action should not surprise us if we have been paying attention to culture.
Lamott argued that life was nothing more than Earth school, and we were in control of whether we wanted to leave the term early: in other words, we are in control and possession of our own bodies and lives. The Supreme Court ruled the same way in 1992 by arguing that a fundamental liberty was the right to define our own concept of existence.
As a Christ-follower, my perspective is just the opposite. My life with all its twists and turns is in the hands of an all-knowing and loving God.
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.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Naturalism and Consciousness
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
Much is often made of the worldview conflict between Christianity and Naturalism. From time to time people try to downplay the importance of worldviews and their consequences, but this quote from a new book written by Naturalists confronting the idea of Intelligent Design should highlight the crucial nature of their differences: Our starting assumption as scientists ought to be that…consciousness has to be an illusion. In case you missed it, this leading scientist is claiming that his awareness of his own consciousness is an illusion.
An absolutely absurd conclusion to be sure, but one logically necessitated by Naturalism. If Naturalism is true, then not only does God not exist, but your mind doesn’t either and your own awareness of reality is an illusion. Simple logic and the Christian worldview say differently. If you can say, “I am not conscious,” then it follows that you are conscious.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Much is often made of the worldview conflict between Christianity and Naturalism. From time to time people try to downplay the importance of worldviews and their consequences, but this quote from a new book written by Naturalists confronting the idea of Intelligent Design should highlight the crucial nature of their differences: Our starting assumption as scientists ought to be that…consciousness has to be an illusion. In case you missed it, this leading scientist is claiming that his awareness of his own consciousness is an illusion.
An absolutely absurd conclusion to be sure, but one logically necessitated by Naturalism. If Naturalism is true, then not only does God not exist, but your mind doesn’t either and your own awareness of reality is an illusion. Simple logic and the Christian worldview say differently. If you can say, “I am not conscious,” then it follows that you are conscious.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Friend Assisted Suicide2
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
Anne Lamott, a columnist for the LA Times, opened a recent piece like this, “The man I killed did not want to die, but he no longer felt he had much of a choice.” That phrase, “The man I killed” should be shocking for the reader. The article is a recounting of her actions helping a friend commit suicide. What is more, later on in the piece Lamott tells us the man she killed was surprised to find out she considered herself a Christian and simultaneously whole-heartedly supported this plan of hers to help him die.
Her friend was right to be shocked by that revelation. Lamott’s view is that our lives are our own to dispose of when we see fit. The view of Scripture is that the believer’s life belongs to God and is surrendered to His perfect will. Suicide is no small matter, but neither is God’s love and sovereignty.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Anne Lamott, a columnist for the LA Times, opened a recent piece like this, “The man I killed did not want to die, but he no longer felt he had much of a choice.” That phrase, “The man I killed” should be shocking for the reader. The article is a recounting of her actions helping a friend commit suicide. What is more, later on in the piece Lamott tells us the man she killed was surprised to find out she considered herself a Christian and simultaneously whole-heartedly supported this plan of hers to help him die.
Her friend was right to be shocked by that revelation. Lamott’s view is that our lives are our own to dispose of when we see fit. The view of Scripture is that the believer’s life belongs to God and is surrendered to His perfect will. Suicide is no small matter, but neither is God’s love and sovereignty.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Friend Assisted Suicide
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In a recent article in the LA Times, self-proclaimed Christian Anne Lamott tells the tragic tale of the death of a friend suffering from cancer. Part of what makes the tale so tragic is that she and another friend assist in his suicide. In her piece, “At Death’s Window,” Lamott not only tells the story, she heartily supports her actions in what she calls “friend assisted suicide.”
Lamott’s so-called Christian view on death and suffering is more influenced by our American culture than by the life of Christ himself. In our past, long before medical technology could alleviate most pain and suffering, our Christian forefathers referred to Christianity as “the way of the cross.” They meant to convey the fact that believers, from time to time, may need to follow Christ into the garden and utter His words, “not my will but thine be done.”
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
In a recent article in the LA Times, self-proclaimed Christian Anne Lamott tells the tragic tale of the death of a friend suffering from cancer. Part of what makes the tale so tragic is that she and another friend assist in his suicide. In her piece, “At Death’s Window,” Lamott not only tells the story, she heartily supports her actions in what she calls “friend assisted suicide.”
Lamott’s so-called Christian view on death and suffering is more influenced by our American culture than by the life of Christ himself. In our past, long before medical technology could alleviate most pain and suffering, our Christian forefathers referred to Christianity as “the way of the cross.” They meant to convey the fact that believers, from time to time, may need to follow Christ into the garden and utter His words, “not my will but thine be done.”
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Parenthood Scorn
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
An advice columnist on Slate.com recently advised a reader who was in her 30s and recently married that she may want to reconsider her position on having children. Before she was married she didn’t want any, and now she and her husband were considering it. The backlash to that advice was vitriolic. Angry readers wrote the advice columnist and, “expressed contempt for those deluded enough to want to reproduce.”
This is one of those worldview moments when we clearly see the differences between a self-absorbed point of view informed by Darwinistic Naturalism, and one influenced by a Christian ethic and view of human nature. The angry childless readers were happy with their lives full of self-indulgent pleasures. The columnist wrote that though they saw parenthood has a mountain of diapers, they would never understand the daily and overwhelming joy of being a parent. Following Christ means we appreciate the value of all human life, even ones that may vomit on the carpet.
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.
An advice columnist on Slate.com recently advised a reader who was in her 30s and recently married that she may want to reconsider her position on having children. Before she was married she didn’t want any, and now she and her husband were considering it. The backlash to that advice was vitriolic. Angry readers wrote the advice columnist and, “expressed contempt for those deluded enough to want to reproduce.”
This is one of those worldview moments when we clearly see the differences between a self-absorbed point of view informed by Darwinistic Naturalism, and one influenced by a Christian ethic and view of human nature. The angry childless readers were happy with their lives full of self-indulgent pleasures. The columnist wrote that though they saw parenthood has a mountain of diapers, they would never understand the daily and overwhelming joy of being a parent. Following Christ means we appreciate the value of all human life, even ones that may vomit on the carpet.
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.
Jer 28-Repentance and Reconciliation
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In Jeremiah 28 we have front-row seats to a confrontation between Jeremiah the prophet of God and the false prophet, Hananiah. It had to be an interesting scene there in the Temple as one very unpopular and disliked man, Jeremiah, was given a talking-to by a religious leader very popular with the people. Hananiah’s message was simple-God will bless and he will do it quickly. Jeremiah’s message was different in one very significant way-God will richly bless us after we repent, spend 70 years in exile, and turn our hearts back to God.
The vital difference between the true and false prophets was repentance. Hananiah spoke a message of blessing without responsibility, of reconciliation without repentance. His opinion, very popular with the people, was that God would bless now without repentance. But in the end, it was Jeremiah who was right about the process-God did bless, but only on the other side of a deep and profound process of repentance and reconciliation.
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 Jeremiah 28 we have front-row seats to a confrontation between Jeremiah the prophet of God and the false prophet, Hananiah. It had to be an interesting scene there in the Temple as one very unpopular and disliked man, Jeremiah, was given a talking-to by a religious leader very popular with the people. Hananiah’s message was simple-God will bless and he will do it quickly. Jeremiah’s message was different in one very significant way-God will richly bless us after we repent, spend 70 years in exile, and turn our hearts back to God.
The vital difference between the true and false prophets was repentance. Hananiah spoke a message of blessing without responsibility, of reconciliation without repentance. His opinion, very popular with the people, was that God would bless now without repentance. But in the end, it was Jeremiah who was right about the process-God did bless, but only on the other side of a deep and profound process of repentance and reconciliation.
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.
Truth and Ice Cream
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
A Christian apologist today gives a lecture called, “Christianity is not Ice Cream.” It is a talk about truth, relativism, and what we mean when we say that Christianity is true. You see, you and a friend can argue about the best flavor of ice cream all day, your opinions can conflict, you may never convince your friend that mint chocolate chip is superior to cookie dough, but you both walk away from the discussion realizing that ice cream flavor is a matter of opinion.
Not so with Christianity. People may have different preferences about religion, and they may be deeply sincere about their tastes, but at the end of the day it is false that religion is a matter of opinion. When we say Christianity is true, we are affirming the same kind of truth when we say that 2+2=4. Christ is the way and the truth for all of us, in spite of what our opinions on the matter may be.
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.
A Christian apologist today gives a lecture called, “Christianity is not Ice Cream.” It is a talk about truth, relativism, and what we mean when we say that Christianity is true. You see, you and a friend can argue about the best flavor of ice cream all day, your opinions can conflict, you may never convince your friend that mint chocolate chip is superior to cookie dough, but you both walk away from the discussion realizing that ice cream flavor is a matter of opinion.
Not so with Christianity. People may have different preferences about religion, and they may be deeply sincere about their tastes, but at the end of the day it is false that religion is a matter of opinion. When we say Christianity is true, we are affirming the same kind of truth when we say that 2+2=4. Christ is the way and the truth for all of us, in spite of what our opinions on the matter may be.
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.
Utilitarianism and Truth
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
What makes an act good? In our pluralistic culture, what kinds of political acts can qualify as good and how can we judge those kinds of things? When it comes to some of the most contentious political and social debates of our age-things like stem cells, abortion, gay marriage, spending bills and the like-the principle most often invoked is “the greatest good for the greatest number.” This is what is sometimes called utilitarianism.
Our particular political culture is sometimes ruled by polls and what a majority of Americans think about a particular subject. What is often inferred is that the majority are right, and political policy should always follow. This is utilitarianism-what most people see as good should be our goal. But what this point of view neglects to ask the simple question, “is it right or true?” Polls and majority opinion do not track truth. A majority of people can be wrong, and the truth is not always the popular option.
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.
What makes an act good? In our pluralistic culture, what kinds of political acts can qualify as good and how can we judge those kinds of things? When it comes to some of the most contentious political and social debates of our age-things like stem cells, abortion, gay marriage, spending bills and the like-the principle most often invoked is “the greatest good for the greatest number.” This is what is sometimes called utilitarianism.
Our particular political culture is sometimes ruled by polls and what a majority of Americans think about a particular subject. What is often inferred is that the majority are right, and political policy should always follow. This is utilitarianism-what most people see as good should be our goal. But what this point of view neglects to ask the simple question, “is it right or true?” Polls and majority opinion do not track truth. A majority of people can be wrong, and the truth is not always the popular option.
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.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Barna-Commitment to Christ
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Barna recently performed a survey that measured people’s commitment to church and to developing one’s commitment to Christ. To the issue of developing a deeper relationship with God and doing whatever it took to maintain that relationship, just over 50% of all people agreed, and of those under the age of 40 only 44% agreed.
Pursuing a relationship with Christ is the primary thing. I can rarely control or manipulate the tides of my life and make them go the way I want them to, but I do have direct access to my own decision to deepen my relationship with Christ. Jesus did not lightly say, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and these things will be given to you as well.” A kingdom mindset is preoccupied with building an almost conversational relationship with Christ, and it creates a foundation upon which I am better able to interact with the tides of life the way Christ would if he were living my life.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies.
Barna recently performed a survey that measured people’s commitment to church and to developing one’s commitment to Christ. To the issue of developing a deeper relationship with God and doing whatever it took to maintain that relationship, just over 50% of all people agreed, and of those under the age of 40 only 44% agreed.
Pursuing a relationship with Christ is the primary thing. I can rarely control or manipulate the tides of my life and make them go the way I want them to, but I do have direct access to my own decision to deepen my relationship with Christ. Jesus did not lightly say, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and these things will be given to you as well.” A kingdom mindset is preoccupied with building an almost conversational relationship with Christ, and it creates a foundation upon which I am better able to interact with the tides of life the way Christ would if he were living my life.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies.
Barna-Church Commmitment
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
A recent Barna study showed some alarming trends in the commitment levels of many who consider themselves Christian. About one out of five considered church attendance to be important to their spiritual maturity, and of those who held a biblical worldview, only 25% thought a community of faith was important to their spiritual development.
We Americans cling very tightly to our personal independence. We like to be our own bosses, and we like to be self-sufficient in just about every way possible. But we are Christians as well, and it seems we need to learn the importance of being a real and genuine part of the body of Christ.
Don’t think of it in terms of the church needs your attendance, but in terms of other believers need your presence, support, input and help. Your presence at church this weekend can be uplifting and encouraging to your fellow believers, and can help encourage them in their walk with Christ. Seems like a good reason to go to me.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies.
A recent Barna study showed some alarming trends in the commitment levels of many who consider themselves Christian. About one out of five considered church attendance to be important to their spiritual maturity, and of those who held a biblical worldview, only 25% thought a community of faith was important to their spiritual development.
We Americans cling very tightly to our personal independence. We like to be our own bosses, and we like to be self-sufficient in just about every way possible. But we are Christians as well, and it seems we need to learn the importance of being a real and genuine part of the body of Christ.
Don’t think of it in terms of the church needs your attendance, but in terms of other believers need your presence, support, input and help. Your presence at church this weekend can be uplifting and encouraging to your fellow believers, and can help encourage them in their walk with Christ. Seems like a good reason to go to me.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Heroic Leadership
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
I always deeply appreciate a book or a speaker who is able to connect the Christian worldview with the world we live in. When it comes to leadership theory, that does not always happen. But with the book, Heroic Leadership, Mark Lowney has shown how the practices of the Jesuits, a 450 year old company in his terms, lead them to great success both corporately and individually.
In many ways the book reads like one you might pick up that was written from a corporate point of view, but this book focuses on the spiritual disciplines and lifestyles of the Jesuits as they expanded across the globe. It underscores the truth that a life wholly dedicated to God and deliberately focused on Him can make a profound difference in this world. Long before the benefits of modern technology or travel, these dedicated and faithful people turned the world upside down. What might we do today if we reengaged life with their kinds of priorities?
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
I always deeply appreciate a book or a speaker who is able to connect the Christian worldview with the world we live in. When it comes to leadership theory, that does not always happen. But with the book, Heroic Leadership, Mark Lowney has shown how the practices of the Jesuits, a 450 year old company in his terms, lead them to great success both corporately and individually.
In many ways the book reads like one you might pick up that was written from a corporate point of view, but this book focuses on the spiritual disciplines and lifestyles of the Jesuits as they expanded across the globe. It underscores the truth that a life wholly dedicated to God and deliberately focused on Him can make a profound difference in this world. Long before the benefits of modern technology or travel, these dedicated and faithful people turned the world upside down. What might we do today if we reengaged life with their kinds of priorities?
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Happiness-In A Classical Sense
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In their wonderful book, The Lost Virtue of Happiness, J.P. Moreland and Klaus Issler want to reengage Christians with a biblical and classical notion o happiness and provide practical ways of attaining it. Early in the book they clarify the difference between what we typically take for happiness today from what Scripture and the great thinkers of history took for happiness.
It is typical today to see happiness as a sense of pleasurable satisfaction. In that case it is all about us and our own needs. In an ironic reality, the more turned inward we become, the more empty our lives become.
On the other hand, happiness as described in Scripture is more about a life well-lived; a full life of character and virtue, one that displays wisdom, kindness and goodness. Happiness in this sense is a life-long pursuit that fills us with the life and light of Christ, and as we pursue it and Him, our own lives will become filled with meaning and purpose.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
In their wonderful book, The Lost Virtue of Happiness, J.P. Moreland and Klaus Issler want to reengage Christians with a biblical and classical notion o happiness and provide practical ways of attaining it. Early in the book they clarify the difference between what we typically take for happiness today from what Scripture and the great thinkers of history took for happiness.
It is typical today to see happiness as a sense of pleasurable satisfaction. In that case it is all about us and our own needs. In an ironic reality, the more turned inward we become, the more empty our lives become.
On the other hand, happiness as described in Scripture is more about a life well-lived; a full life of character and virtue, one that displays wisdom, kindness and goodness. Happiness in this sense is a life-long pursuit that fills us with the life and light of Christ, and as we pursue it and Him, our own lives will become filled with meaning and purpose.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Jer 27-The Yoke of Christ
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In Jeremiah chapter 27, God has his prophet do something a little uncomfortable. Jeremiah shows up in the king’s court with a yoke built for two oxen around his neck. His message is guaranteed to be unpopular as he tells the king and the assembled nobility to surrender to the Babylonians because God has given them the region. Rebellion will spell disaster, and surrender to God’s plan will mean security.
Jeremiah gives the king an option between two yokes-one of rebellion and one of surrender to God’s plan. Not surprisingly, the king doesn’t want any yoke. But there is no third option given. Paul tells us about this truth in Romans 6 where he says we are either slaves to Christ or slaves to our own sins and shortcomings. We want, like the king of Judah, to be autonomous, but that choice is disastrous as we enslave ourselves to our own flesh. Take on the yoke of Christ-He is gentle and His yoke is light.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
In Jeremiah chapter 27, God has his prophet do something a little uncomfortable. Jeremiah shows up in the king’s court with a yoke built for two oxen around his neck. His message is guaranteed to be unpopular as he tells the king and the assembled nobility to surrender to the Babylonians because God has given them the region. Rebellion will spell disaster, and surrender to God’s plan will mean security.
Jeremiah gives the king an option between two yokes-one of rebellion and one of surrender to God’s plan. Not surprisingly, the king doesn’t want any yoke. But there is no third option given. Paul tells us about this truth in Romans 6 where he says we are either slaves to Christ or slaves to our own sins and shortcomings. We want, like the king of Judah, to be autonomous, but that choice is disastrous as we enslave ourselves to our own flesh. Take on the yoke of Christ-He is gentle and His yoke is light.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Risking for God
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In their book, The Lost Virtue of Happiness, J.P. Moreland and Klaus Issler make the case in one of their chapters for forming the kind of trust in God that chooses to takes risks with Him. At one point they note that pondering the reality of God’s future and ultimate victory and our eternity with Him encourages faithful living in this world today.
The say, “Because God’s victory is certain, so is our future….Maintaining a future focus is essential for living now.” A healthy and faithful outlook on this life includes an accurate outlook on the next. Because God will welcome his followers into His hands at the end of our lives, the rest of our lives are free to be given to Him in every way possible. I don’t need to hang onto things in this life. As Paul said, we should not consider the things of this life to be comparable with the glory that waits for us in the next.
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 their book, The Lost Virtue of Happiness, J.P. Moreland and Klaus Issler make the case in one of their chapters for forming the kind of trust in God that chooses to takes risks with Him. At one point they note that pondering the reality of God’s future and ultimate victory and our eternity with Him encourages faithful living in this world today.
The say, “Because God’s victory is certain, so is our future….Maintaining a future focus is essential for living now.” A healthy and faithful outlook on this life includes an accurate outlook on the next. Because God will welcome his followers into His hands at the end of our lives, the rest of our lives are free to be given to Him in every way possible. I don’t need to hang onto things in this life. As Paul said, we should not consider the things of this life to be comparable with the glory that waits for us in the next.
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.
Rockies and Tolerance
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
USA Today recently ran an article about the Christian influence in the ranks of the Colorado Rockies. As a fan, it was encouraging to hear of the open and honest faith expressed by many of the players and the management. But there was a tone in the article that made it sound like the Rockies needed to be on the defensive because of their beliefs; because they were Christians they were in danger of becoming intolerant and small-minded toward other non-Christian players.
One of the remaining politically correct prejudices in our culture today is directed against Christians and Christianity. It is assumed that followers of Christ are unable to live with other points of view in a pluralistic culture. What seems to be lost, however, is that it was good Christian theology that erected the system of political pluralism and religious tolerance we enjoy today. It is exactly because of Christian virtue that other beliefs enjoy the toleration and respect they do 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.
USA Today recently ran an article about the Christian influence in the ranks of the Colorado Rockies. As a fan, it was encouraging to hear of the open and honest faith expressed by many of the players and the management. But there was a tone in the article that made it sound like the Rockies needed to be on the defensive because of their beliefs; because they were Christians they were in danger of becoming intolerant and small-minded toward other non-Christian players.
One of the remaining politically correct prejudices in our culture today is directed against Christians and Christianity. It is assumed that followers of Christ are unable to live with other points of view in a pluralistic culture. What seems to be lost, however, is that it was good Christian theology that erected the system of political pluralism and religious tolerance we enjoy today. It is exactly because of Christian virtue that other beliefs enjoy the toleration and respect they do 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.
Colorado Rockies, Character and Baseball
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In a recent article in USA Today, the Colorado Rockies were exposed, so to speak, as a team full of Christian players and management. It was encouraging to read of a group of professional athletes and administration who were not only open about their beliefs, but who were also honest about how those beliefs were effecting their professional decisions. For example, the manager, Dan O’Dowd, said, “We go after players of character.”
That is a refreshing piece of Christian thinking in a professional sport world that places little to no emphasis upon the personal integrity of their players. Other players are famous for how infantile they are, for how often they disrupt their teammates, and for the teams that are willing to put up with them just to win championships.
A Christian ethic is willing to put first things first, and even in a world as competitive as professional baseball, it is willing to put the character of the player and the team ahead of other concerns.
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 a recent article in USA Today, the Colorado Rockies were exposed, so to speak, as a team full of Christian players and management. It was encouraging to read of a group of professional athletes and administration who were not only open about their beliefs, but who were also honest about how those beliefs were effecting their professional decisions. For example, the manager, Dan O’Dowd, said, “We go after players of character.”
That is a refreshing piece of Christian thinking in a professional sport world that places little to no emphasis upon the personal integrity of their players. Other players are famous for how infantile they are, for how often they disrupt their teammates, and for the teams that are willing to put up with them just to win championships.
A Christian ethic is willing to put first things first, and even in a world as competitive as professional baseball, it is willing to put the character of the player and the team ahead of other concerns.
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.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Stem Cells-Darwinism
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Recently I mentioned a bill up for debate before the Senate that would allow the destruction of 400,000 human embryos for the harvesting of their stem cells. And what we talked about then was the exploitation of an ethic of “the ends justify the means.” There is another important angle at work here-the fact that naturalistic Darwinism has sunk deeply into our culture.
The Darwinistic contribution to innocent and helpless people, as is the case with embryos, is that they lack the value the rest of us have. They quickly become dispensable for the ends of science, politics, and the furtherance of the human species. Without a deep sense of human nature such as we find in Christianity, human embryos become nothing but another variable in the grizzly calculation for survival. A Christian worldview teaches us that each human is of inestimable worth-and that includes each and every embryo. They can’t simply be treated as political or scientific fodder for our future benefit.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit, everythoughtcaptive.org.
Recently I mentioned a bill up for debate before the Senate that would allow the destruction of 400,000 human embryos for the harvesting of their stem cells. And what we talked about then was the exploitation of an ethic of “the ends justify the means.” There is another important angle at work here-the fact that naturalistic Darwinism has sunk deeply into our culture.
The Darwinistic contribution to innocent and helpless people, as is the case with embryos, is that they lack the value the rest of us have. They quickly become dispensable for the ends of science, politics, and the furtherance of the human species. Without a deep sense of human nature such as we find in Christianity, human embryos become nothing but another variable in the grizzly calculation for survival. A Christian worldview teaches us that each human is of inestimable worth-and that includes each and every embryo. They can’t simply be treated as political or scientific fodder for our future benefit.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit, everythoughtcaptive.org.
Jeremiah-Ahikim and Influence
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
At the very end of Jeremiah chapter 26 we read this innocuous verse, “But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.” This comes as the resolution to a court case in which the priests and prophets wanted to kill Jeremiah. The man Ahikam steps in and helps save his life.
This verse would be unexceptional if it were not for the phrase, “son of Shaphan.” It turns out Shaphan was a religious reformer a generation earlier. We also learn later in Jeremiah that two more sons of Shaphan stand up for Jeremiah, save his writing and save his life a second time. This little “throw-away” verse is about influence-the influence of a godly father that literally saves Jeremiah’s life at least twice through the actions of his sons. It causes me to reflect on my influence-will it have those kinds of long term results?
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit, everythoughtcaptive.org.
At the very end of Jeremiah chapter 26 we read this innocuous verse, “But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.” This comes as the resolution to a court case in which the priests and prophets wanted to kill Jeremiah. The man Ahikam steps in and helps save his life.
This verse would be unexceptional if it were not for the phrase, “son of Shaphan.” It turns out Shaphan was a religious reformer a generation earlier. We also learn later in Jeremiah that two more sons of Shaphan stand up for Jeremiah, save his writing and save his life a second time. This little “throw-away” verse is about influence-the influence of a godly father that literally saves Jeremiah’s life at least twice through the actions of his sons. It causes me to reflect on my influence-will it have those kinds of long term results?
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit, everythoughtcaptive.org.
Stem Cells-Utilitarianism
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
There is a bill before the Senate that if passed would allow the destruction of 400,000 human embryos in order to harvest their stem cells. The medical promise of stem cells from embryos is just that-a promise. No viable treatment has resulted from their use to date, but the scientific community continues to promise great things.
Part of what is being exploited by this bill and its supporters is the idea that we can affect the greatest good for the greatest number if we kill a few embryos and use them for research. A few will die, but at least we have a shot at helping so many.
There is a lot wrong with this mindset, not the least of which is it ignores the virtue or value of our actions. The act of killing an innocent human for possible gain is always wrong. We certainly thought so when we condemned Nazi doctors at Nuremberg, and we should think it is morally wrong now.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit, everythoughtcaptive.org.
There is a bill before the Senate that if passed would allow the destruction of 400,000 human embryos in order to harvest their stem cells. The medical promise of stem cells from embryos is just that-a promise. No viable treatment has resulted from their use to date, but the scientific community continues to promise great things.
Part of what is being exploited by this bill and its supporters is the idea that we can affect the greatest good for the greatest number if we kill a few embryos and use them for research. A few will die, but at least we have a shot at helping so many.
There is a lot wrong with this mindset, not the least of which is it ignores the virtue or value of our actions. The act of killing an innocent human for possible gain is always wrong. We certainly thought so when we condemned Nazi doctors at Nuremberg, and we should think it is morally wrong now.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit, everythoughtcaptive.org.
Peterson-Worship
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In his book, Run With The Horses, Eugene Peterson says this about worship and life, “Worship defines life. If worship is corrupt, life will be corrupt.” This statement is based on example after example of the life of God’s people in the Old Testament. Every time they allowed corruption into their temple and their places of worship, their lives degraded and moved further away from God.
What is it I worship? Not just on the weekends when I sing songs and take communion, but what are the principles that guide my life? Those are the things I worship, and those are the things that have a place of reverence in my heart and mind. If I value leisure, my time, my work, my family will be all about my leisure. If I worship self or money they will all be about me or my money. If I worship God, everything fits into its proper place, and everything becomes about Him.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit, everythoughtcaptive.org.
In his book, Run With The Horses, Eugene Peterson says this about worship and life, “Worship defines life. If worship is corrupt, life will be corrupt.” This statement is based on example after example of the life of God’s people in the Old Testament. Every time they allowed corruption into their temple and their places of worship, their lives degraded and moved further away from God.
What is it I worship? Not just on the weekends when I sing songs and take communion, but what are the principles that guide my life? Those are the things I worship, and those are the things that have a place of reverence in my heart and mind. If I value leisure, my time, my work, my family will be all about my leisure. If I worship self or money they will all be about me or my money. If I worship God, everything fits into its proper place, and everything becomes about Him.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit, everythoughtcaptive.org.
Oprah and Spiritual Leaders
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
If I asked you for a short list of important spiritual leaders in your life, who would make the grade? According to several recent polls, Oprah would make the top of that list for a lot of people. One author referred to her influence by saying she is “today’s Billy Graham.”
Though Oprah does many wonderful things for people with her wealth and influence, we need to be discerning enough to know that does not qualify anyone as a spiritual leader.
So for the Christian, what does qualify someone as a spiritual leader? First that person needs a deep and enduring relationship with Jesus Christ. It does not count if they just have a fuzzy sense of their own spirituality. And secondly they need to be able to speak into my life in harmony with the words and wisdom of Jesus Christ. What I need is not someone nice who tells me what they think; I need someone wise to lead me to Christ.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit, everythoughtcaptive.org.
If I asked you for a short list of important spiritual leaders in your life, who would make the grade? According to several recent polls, Oprah would make the top of that list for a lot of people. One author referred to her influence by saying she is “today’s Billy Graham.”
Though Oprah does many wonderful things for people with her wealth and influence, we need to be discerning enough to know that does not qualify anyone as a spiritual leader.
So for the Christian, what does qualify someone as a spiritual leader? First that person needs a deep and enduring relationship with Jesus Christ. It does not count if they just have a fuzzy sense of their own spirituality. And secondly they need to be able to speak into my life in harmony with the words and wisdom of Jesus Christ. What I need is not someone nice who tells me what they think; I need someone wise to lead me to Christ.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit, everythoughtcaptive.org.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Oprah-Spiritual Guru
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
A recent article in USA Today notes the popularity of Oprah Winfrey as one of our culture’s top spiritual leaders. One writer called her a “hip and materialistic Mother Theresa” and our “symbolic figurehead of spirituality.”
Now, it is true that Oprah has done with her wealth and influence what few do; she has worked to better the lives of a lot of people, many of whom absolutely need her kind of help. But we need to be careful and discerning about who qualifies as a spiritual leader.
As Christians we need to note that Oprah believes there are many paths to God. That means it doesn’t matter which religion you believe to be true-they all get you to God. We also need to note that a spiritual leader needs to be in touch with the truth of the God of the Bible, not just some amorphous form of personal spirituality. We should choose our spiritual leaders through the lens of Scripture, not through popularity polls.
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.
A recent article in USA Today notes the popularity of Oprah Winfrey as one of our culture’s top spiritual leaders. One writer called her a “hip and materialistic Mother Theresa” and our “symbolic figurehead of spirituality.”
Now, it is true that Oprah has done with her wealth and influence what few do; she has worked to better the lives of a lot of people, many of whom absolutely need her kind of help. But we need to be careful and discerning about who qualifies as a spiritual leader.
As Christians we need to note that Oprah believes there are many paths to God. That means it doesn’t matter which religion you believe to be true-they all get you to God. We also need to note that a spiritual leader needs to be in touch with the truth of the God of the Bible, not just some amorphous form of personal spirituality. We should choose our spiritual leaders through the lens of Scripture, not through popularity polls.
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.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Cloning
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
When we think of human cloning, it is unfortunate that we hold in our minds images given to us by science fiction of whole bodies of 30-year olds stacked in freezers somewhere. It is an unfortunate image because it leaves us with an almost humorous reaction to the science of cloning and we may fail to take its reality seriously. In fact the science of cloning human embryos is already so far along that most Western nations have adopted legislation regarding it.
For instance, the UN has encouraged all member nations to ban cloning entirely. The Council of Europe has adopted proposals forbidding the cloning of embryos for any reason. And several European nations also forbid this kind of research in no uncertain terms. Currently the US position allows cloning for medical research reasons. In other words, we might be the only Western nation that allows the cloning of human embryos for their destruction. This is not that humorous.
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.
When we think of human cloning, it is unfortunate that we hold in our minds images given to us by science fiction of whole bodies of 30-year olds stacked in freezers somewhere. It is an unfortunate image because it leaves us with an almost humorous reaction to the science of cloning and we may fail to take its reality seriously. In fact the science of cloning human embryos is already so far along that most Western nations have adopted legislation regarding it.
For instance, the UN has encouraged all member nations to ban cloning entirely. The Council of Europe has adopted proposals forbidding the cloning of embryos for any reason. And several European nations also forbid this kind of research in no uncertain terms. Currently the US position allows cloning for medical research reasons. In other words, we might be the only Western nation that allows the cloning of human embryos for their destruction. This is not that humorous.
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.
Sheilaism
Who needs the God of the Bible if I can be the source of my own religion? In a famous study, the sociologist Peter Berger tells the story of Sheila. Sheila is a young woman who describes her faith as ‘Sheilaism’. She says, “I believe in God. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It’s…just my own little voice.” She goes on to tell how Sheilaism is really about being good to yourself and to others and concludes that that is all God really wants.
There is obviously nothing wrong with trying to be nice to yourself and others, but I am not so sure how far Sheila’s little voice is going to get her. Ultimately, we are pretty small and limited creatures. I would much rather be a disciple of someone much bigger and wiser than myself. Who needs their own little voice when we can hear the one that called the universe into being?
There is obviously nothing wrong with trying to be nice to yourself and others, but I am not so sure how far Sheila’s little voice is going to get her. Ultimately, we are pretty small and limited creatures. I would much rather be a disciple of someone much bigger and wiser than myself. Who needs their own little voice when we can hear the one that called the universe into being?
Chesterton-White is a Color
In a great little essay titled, “A Piece of Chalk,” G.K. Chesterton tells of a time as a young man when could not find his white piece of chalk. It dawned on him while reflecting on the episode that white is a color-not the absence of color-and that it is the same with the Christian life. Being a disciple of Christ, being virtuous, is not the absence of character but it is the completion of character. As he says, “Virtue is not the absence of vices or the avoidance of moral dangers, virtue is a vivid and separate thing.” Mercy is not the absence of cruelty, it is the active application of Christ-like wisdom and kindness.
It is unfortunately popular in our culture to view virtue as dull. That is certainly a deep misunderstanding of what it means to be a person of character. The more we develop virtue the more like the Creator of the universe we become. To me that seems far from dull.
It is unfortunately popular in our culture to view virtue as dull. That is certainly a deep misunderstanding of what it means to be a person of character. The more we develop virtue the more like the Creator of the universe we become. To me that seems far from dull.
Jer 26-Knowing Your Bible
What do I need from God to know what He wants from me today? In Jeremiah 26, we read an episode in Jeremiah’s life in which he is on trial for blasphemy, and the prosecution wants death. After the priests present the case against him, the officials stand up in his defense. In order to show that Jeremiah should not be put to death, they cite precedent-they tell the story of Micah the prophet and Hezekiah the king.
I find it fascinating it was the common man-not the priest-who was able to tell a story from Scripture, quote a verse, know what it meant, and apply it to their current situation. At a pivotal moment in Jeremiah’s career, his life was spared because someone from the pews, if you will, knew their Bible. Those officials didn’t need a crack of thunder or an audible voice from God. They knew their Bible well and therefore, they knew what God wanted them to do that day.
I find it fascinating it was the common man-not the priest-who was able to tell a story from Scripture, quote a verse, know what it meant, and apply it to their current situation. At a pivotal moment in Jeremiah’s career, his life was spared because someone from the pews, if you will, knew their Bible. Those officials didn’t need a crack of thunder or an audible voice from God. They knew their Bible well and therefore, they knew what God wanted them to do that day.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Making Jesus Look Bad
In his recent book, “Damage Control: How To Stop Making Jesus Look Bad,” Dean Merrill makes the point that though all believers are ambassadors for Christ, there may be no real enforcement mechanism when it comes to claiming Christ. In other words, literally anyone can claim, “I’m a Christian,” and get away with it. This of course leads to a multitude of problems as people who claim to be followers Christ do plenty of un-Christlike things in His name.
This should raise a question we need to ask ourselves from time to time-am I part of that problem or part of the solution? We are all profoundly imperfect, but on the whole, do we make Jesus look good? If I claim to follow Christ, there need to be important ways in which my life is more like His than not. If there are plenty of people out there making Jesus look bad, what can I do to counter that trend?
This should raise a question we need to ask ourselves from time to time-am I part of that problem or part of the solution? We are all profoundly imperfect, but on the whole, do we make Jesus look good? If I claim to follow Christ, there need to be important ways in which my life is more like His than not. If there are plenty of people out there making Jesus look bad, what can I do to counter that trend?
Harvard Evangelicals
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
According to a recent report in the Harvard Crimson, a Harvard campus paper, the number of evangelical students there is on the rise. According to the University President, the number of students who identify themselves as evangelical Christians on the campus has doubled in the last decade. In addition in the last 30 or so years, the number of official chaplains connected with Harvard who identify themselves as evangelical has grown from zero to about half a dozen.
I find this to be an encouraging sign. I know there are those who would say that Christian students don’t belong in a place like Harvard, but it seems to me that the more of them there are thriving on campuses like Harvard, the better chance our culture has at redemption. Places like Harvard are where our future politicians, lawyers, doctors and influential businessmen come from, and the more of them there are who are wholly devoted to Christ, the better we will all be.
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.
According to a recent report in the Harvard Crimson, a Harvard campus paper, the number of evangelical students there is on the rise. According to the University President, the number of students who identify themselves as evangelical Christians on the campus has doubled in the last decade. In addition in the last 30 or so years, the number of official chaplains connected with Harvard who identify themselves as evangelical has grown from zero to about half a dozen.
I find this to be an encouraging sign. I know there are those who would say that Christian students don’t belong in a place like Harvard, but it seems to me that the more of them there are thriving on campuses like Harvard, the better chance our culture has at redemption. Places like Harvard are where our future politicians, lawyers, doctors and influential businessmen come from, and the more of them there are who are wholly devoted to Christ, the better we will all be.
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.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Friday, April 21, 2006
The Consequences of Hope
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Hope is essentially a moral virtue. We hope that the future is better than the past, we hope for better things to come. Hope is a moral fingerprint of God in the hearts of human beings: we have within us the sense that God did not create the world this way, and that there is something better waiting for His children. As Christ-followers, that hope is magnified as we look to Christ.
In 1 John 3, the apostle tells the believers that one day we will see Jesus and be like him. He then adds, “And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” In other words, because of our hope in Christ, we try now to live like Christ.
Christian hope is not just for that moment of death when we will be like Christ and see him as he is. It is also for here and now: that I have the life of Christ living in me 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.
Hope is essentially a moral virtue. We hope that the future is better than the past, we hope for better things to come. Hope is a moral fingerprint of God in the hearts of human beings: we have within us the sense that God did not create the world this way, and that there is something better waiting for His children. As Christ-followers, that hope is magnified as we look to Christ.
In 1 John 3, the apostle tells the believers that one day we will see Jesus and be like him. He then adds, “And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” In other words, because of our hope in Christ, we try now to live like Christ.
Christian hope is not just for that moment of death when we will be like Christ and see him as he is. It is also for here and now: that I have the life of Christ living in me 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.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Jeremiah 24-God's Grace
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In the 24th chapter of Jeremiah, we read this good news concerning God’s attitude toward His people: “Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down…”
This is good news. God will look upon his people as good and grant them grace. The catch is that up to this point in Jeremiah, these people have not been good, and they have been rebellious against God. So what makes them good in God’s eyes?
Quite simply, God gives grace. These people, like you and me, have done nothing to deserve God’s favor, but they receive it and I receive it because God has decided to give it. Relationship with God begins when He extends love to the unloveable.
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 the 24th chapter of Jeremiah, we read this good news concerning God’s attitude toward His people: “Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down…”
This is good news. God will look upon his people as good and grant them grace. The catch is that up to this point in Jeremiah, these people have not been good, and they have been rebellious against God. So what makes them good in God’s eyes?
Quite simply, God gives grace. These people, like you and me, have done nothing to deserve God’s favor, but they receive it and I receive it because God has decided to give it. Relationship with God begins when He extends love to the unloveable.
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.
Da Vinci Code-Gnosticism
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
One of the earliest challengers to Christianity was a religious off-shoot called Gnosticism. While Gnosticism is complicated, one of its core tenants is that Jesus was divine, but was never human-he was spirit but not flesh.
You may not know it, but Gnostic writings are experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks in large part to the book and movie, The Da Vinci Code. The author, Dan Brown, claims that several accounts of Christ’s life that were suppressed by the church have now been discovered and they paint a very human Jesus who never claimed to be God.
In an unfortunate and ironic twist, in order to argue that Jesus was only a man, The Da Vinci Code relies on Gnostic writings. You see, those writings actually agree that Jesus was divine-what they don’t believe is that Jesus was only a man. Brown might have missed that day in history class.
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.
One of the earliest challengers to Christianity was a religious off-shoot called Gnosticism. While Gnosticism is complicated, one of its core tenants is that Jesus was divine, but was never human-he was spirit but not flesh.
You may not know it, but Gnostic writings are experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks in large part to the book and movie, The Da Vinci Code. The author, Dan Brown, claims that several accounts of Christ’s life that were suppressed by the church have now been discovered and they paint a very human Jesus who never claimed to be God.
In an unfortunate and ironic twist, in order to argue that Jesus was only a man, The Da Vinci Code relies on Gnostic writings. You see, those writings actually agree that Jesus was divine-what they don’t believe is that Jesus was only a man. Brown might have missed that day in history class.
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.
Da Vinci Code-Jesus Is God
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
One of the historical revisions pivotal to the plot of Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code is what happened at an early church council in Nicea. In 325 AD the Roman emperor Constantine called together the church leaders of the day to settle a set of serious questions, including whether Jesus was God. The reason the church leaders gathered was because false teachers were spreading the idea that Jesus was not God.
According to Brown’s book, however, the reason Constantine called the council was to manufacture the idea that Jesus was God. Unfortunately, none of the attendees of the council at Nicea agreed. Even the dissenters of the vote that declared Jesus to be very God of very God, agreed that Jesus and the disciples all taught that very thing.
So why is Dan Brown’s version so convincing when it is so clearly incorrect? Good question. But I do know that the New Testament record can and should be trusted-Jesus is God.
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.
One of the historical revisions pivotal to the plot of Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code is what happened at an early church council in Nicea. In 325 AD the Roman emperor Constantine called together the church leaders of the day to settle a set of serious questions, including whether Jesus was God. The reason the church leaders gathered was because false teachers were spreading the idea that Jesus was not God.
According to Brown’s book, however, the reason Constantine called the council was to manufacture the idea that Jesus was God. Unfortunately, none of the attendees of the council at Nicea agreed. Even the dissenters of the vote that declared Jesus to be very God of very God, agreed that Jesus and the disciples all taught that very thing.
So why is Dan Brown’s version so convincing when it is so clearly incorrect? Good question. But I do know that the New Testament record can and should be trusted-Jesus is God.
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.
Da Vinci Code-Dead Sea Scrolls
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
With the popularity of The Da Vinci Code book and the coming movie, it is not too shocking how seriously many people take the historical claims Dan Brown makes regarding the early church, the Bible and the life of Christ.
I know it is a piece of fiction, but the problem is that many Christians have been thrown off their guard by his claims about the origin of the Bible among other things. What we need to keep in mind as the movie hits the streets is that Dan Brown’s allegations regarding Christianity are some of the most easily exposed frauds in recent history.
To begin with, Brown claims that the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were discovered in the 1940s, revealed hidden secrets about the life of Christ that were suppressed by the early church. The only problem with that one is that the Dead Sea Scrolls say absolutely nothing about the life of Christ.
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.
With the popularity of The Da Vinci Code book and the coming movie, it is not too shocking how seriously many people take the historical claims Dan Brown makes regarding the early church, the Bible and the life of Christ.
I know it is a piece of fiction, but the problem is that many Christians have been thrown off their guard by his claims about the origin of the Bible among other things. What we need to keep in mind as the movie hits the streets is that Dan Brown’s allegations regarding Christianity are some of the most easily exposed frauds in recent history.
To begin with, Brown claims that the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were discovered in the 1940s, revealed hidden secrets about the life of Christ that were suppressed by the early church. The only problem with that one is that the Dead Sea Scrolls say absolutely nothing about the life of Christ.
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.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Gospel of Judas
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Imagine that after you die your child writes your biography. Then imagine that 300 years after your death, someone else entirely disconnected from your life writes another biography, this time with an agenda in mind. Whose biography would you take to be the most accurate portrayal of your life? The answer seems clear, doesn’t it?
But for some reason, it is not to many people. The recent publishing of the so-called gospel of Judas has stirred controversy over the life and death of Jesus Christ. The primary problem, though, is that it was written about 200 years after Christ’s death by a group of people determined to alter the Christian message.
You see, we have the biographies written by the children, the four Gospels in your New Testament and all of them date to within one generation of Christ’s life. So which are you going to believe-the testimony of eye witnesses or the ramblings of a heretical splinter group?
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.
Imagine that after you die your child writes your biography. Then imagine that 300 years after your death, someone else entirely disconnected from your life writes another biography, this time with an agenda in mind. Whose biography would you take to be the most accurate portrayal of your life? The answer seems clear, doesn’t it?
But for some reason, it is not to many people. The recent publishing of the so-called gospel of Judas has stirred controversy over the life and death of Jesus Christ. The primary problem, though, is that it was written about 200 years after Christ’s death by a group of people determined to alter the Christian message.
You see, we have the biographies written by the children, the four Gospels in your New Testament and all of them date to within one generation of Christ’s life. So which are you going to believe-the testimony of eye witnesses or the ramblings of a heretical splinter group?
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.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
1 John-Spirit as Preserver
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
What is the role of the Holy Spirit supposed to be in the life of the believer? What exactly is it that the Spirit does? These are couple of the questions that the apostle John answers for his readers in his Gospel and Epistles.
I think for many of us the answers are shrouded in mystery, and we are not exactly sure what good answers to those questions would be. John, however, provides a couple of straightforward answers. In his Epistles especially, the Holy Spirit is a preserver of truth and a pointer toward Jesus Christ. Christ himself said in John’s gospel that when the Spirit comes, He will guide us into all truth and teach us the things Christ would have taught us Himself. A primary role of the Spirit is as preserver and pointer, not as a source of new and sensational information.
The Spirit wants to show me Jesus today-will I take the time to let that happen?
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.
What is the role of the Holy Spirit supposed to be in the life of the believer? What exactly is it that the Spirit does? These are couple of the questions that the apostle John answers for his readers in his Gospel and Epistles.
I think for many of us the answers are shrouded in mystery, and we are not exactly sure what good answers to those questions would be. John, however, provides a couple of straightforward answers. In his Epistles especially, the Holy Spirit is a preserver of truth and a pointer toward Jesus Christ. Christ himself said in John’s gospel that when the Spirit comes, He will guide us into all truth and teach us the things Christ would have taught us Himself. A primary role of the Spirit is as preserver and pointer, not as a source of new and sensational information.
The Spirit wants to show me Jesus today-will I take the time to let that happen?
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.
Roe for Men
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
Ideas have a way of sinking into our subconscious in ways we don’t always recognize. Bad ideas do the same, and can have disastrous results. In Michigan there is a law suit filed on behalf of a father who wants the right to choose to abort the child his former girlfriend is carrying.
Living in a culture shaped by Roe v. Wade and the language of “choice,” we have started to believe that the ability to choose is more important than a precious human life. Instead of seeing that unborn baby as something of invaluable worth, the father sees it as a burden and nothing more than a choice he should be allowed to make-even if that choice is death.
Choice is not an unqualified good. There are times when the right thing to do is lay aside any rights we think we have and do the right thing. In this unfortunate case, however, choice may win the day and destroy another human life.
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.
Ideas have a way of sinking into our subconscious in ways we don’t always recognize. Bad ideas do the same, and can have disastrous results. In Michigan there is a law suit filed on behalf of a father who wants the right to choose to abort the child his former girlfriend is carrying.
Living in a culture shaped by Roe v. Wade and the language of “choice,” we have started to believe that the ability to choose is more important than a precious human life. Instead of seeing that unborn baby as something of invaluable worth, the father sees it as a burden and nothing more than a choice he should be allowed to make-even if that choice is death.
Choice is not an unqualified good. There are times when the right thing to do is lay aside any rights we think we have and do the right thing. In this unfortunate case, however, choice may win the day and destroy another human life.
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.
1 John 4-Who Is Jesus?
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
As 1 John 4 opens, John encourages his readers to test the spirits and see if they come from God. John’s basic concern is with the tumult being caused by the false prophets and the confusion that resulted in the life of the church. So when John gets to where he is ready to lay out the one guideline he needs the believers to follow, he says that every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ was God in flesh is from God.
For John, there is only one good answer to the question, Who is Jesus? Today, there are many different answers to that question, but for the Church, there can be only one answer.
John goes on to say that any spirit that does not confess Christ in this way is not from God. Any movement, book, individual, etc. that supposes to speak to spiritual matters and yet gets this wrong, simply cannot be and should not be trusted.
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.
As 1 John 4 opens, John encourages his readers to test the spirits and see if they come from God. John’s basic concern is with the tumult being caused by the false prophets and the confusion that resulted in the life of the church. So when John gets to where he is ready to lay out the one guideline he needs the believers to follow, he says that every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ was God in flesh is from God.
For John, there is only one good answer to the question, Who is Jesus? Today, there are many different answers to that question, but for the Church, there can be only one answer.
John goes on to say that any spirit that does not confess Christ in this way is not from God. Any movement, book, individual, etc. that supposes to speak to spiritual matters and yet gets this wrong, simply cannot be and should not be trusted.
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.
Spiritual but not Religious
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
The Barna Group recently did a study on the growing trend of people who consider themselves spiritual but not religious. These are folks who consider spirituality to be important to their lives, but do not attend Church. Of all unchurched adults, Barna noted that 62% of them consider themselves Christian, but only 4% of them have a biblical worldview.
What this means is that a great deal of Americans consider their Christianity a private matter, and take themselves to be the final authority on what it means to be a Christian.
This highlights a growing trend in today’s society in which people reject the idea of absolute truth and replace it with the much more comfortable belief that they can make things up as they go along. Unfortunately, that brand of relativism breaks down quickly and only leads people further away from the grace and love of Jesus Christ. May the church learn quickly how to make spiritual people a part of the church again.
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 Barna Group recently did a study on the growing trend of people who consider themselves spiritual but not religious. These are folks who consider spirituality to be important to their lives, but do not attend Church. Of all unchurched adults, Barna noted that 62% of them consider themselves Christian, but only 4% of them have a biblical worldview.
What this means is that a great deal of Americans consider their Christianity a private matter, and take themselves to be the final authority on what it means to be a Christian.
This highlights a growing trend in today’s society in which people reject the idea of absolute truth and replace it with the much more comfortable belief that they can make things up as they go along. Unfortunately, that brand of relativism breaks down quickly and only leads people further away from the grace and love of Jesus Christ. May the church learn quickly how to make spiritual people a part of the church again.
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.
Vice and Worldview Consequences
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
Recently in San Francisco a large group of teenagers gathered to protest against the corrupting influences of popular culture. That’s right-it was organized by Christian youth leaders and was intended to counter the sin so common in our culture.
Some in civic leadership in San Francisco met the Christian youth with less than open arms. One city official called it a “fascist mega pep-rally.” A city assemblymen said, “they're obnoxious, disgusting, and should get out.” Now, obviously not everyone in San Francisco would agree, but I think it is clear what holding to a worldview that celebrates so much vice will do for a person’s moral sensibilities.
When we reject a Christian view of the world and embrace some form of sin and rebellion, righteousness becomes disgusting to us. The prophet Isaiah said there were those who called good evil and evil good, and Jeremiah tells us there are some who are so adept at evil, they can’t even recognize the good.
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.
Recently in San Francisco a large group of teenagers gathered to protest against the corrupting influences of popular culture. That’s right-it was organized by Christian youth leaders and was intended to counter the sin so common in our culture.
Some in civic leadership in San Francisco met the Christian youth with less than open arms. One city official called it a “fascist mega pep-rally.” A city assemblymen said, “they're obnoxious, disgusting, and should get out.” Now, obviously not everyone in San Francisco would agree, but I think it is clear what holding to a worldview that celebrates so much vice will do for a person’s moral sensibilities.
When we reject a Christian view of the world and embrace some form of sin and rebellion, righteousness becomes disgusting to us. The prophet Isaiah said there were those who called good evil and evil good, and Jeremiah tells us there are some who are so adept at evil, they can’t even recognize the good.
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.
Music and Worldview
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
Have you ever heard anyone say, “It’s just music”? Many people are convinced that music is nothing more than a matter of taste, and there is no real way to judge between good and bad music.
Recently two towns in the UK have discovered that playing Classical music over their PA systems either calms down the rowdier element, or convinces them to leave the property altogether. Why is does this happen? I think it is far more than just that some young people find Classical music boring. I would argue that it is because good music discourages bad behavior, and bad music encourages bad behavior.
A lot of what passes for music these days caters to the lowest parts of our humanity. Much of it encourages destructive social behavior and vice in general, and discourages virtue. In the process of worldview formation, music is not an innocent bystander.
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.
Have you ever heard anyone say, “It’s just music”? Many people are convinced that music is nothing more than a matter of taste, and there is no real way to judge between good and bad music.
Recently two towns in the UK have discovered that playing Classical music over their PA systems either calms down the rowdier element, or convinces them to leave the property altogether. Why is does this happen? I think it is far more than just that some young people find Classical music boring. I would argue that it is because good music discourages bad behavior, and bad music encourages bad behavior.
A lot of what passes for music these days caters to the lowest parts of our humanity. Much of it encourages destructive social behavior and vice in general, and discourages virtue. In the process of worldview formation, music is not an innocent bystander.
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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