The Gospel Coalition

Discipleship is essential for the spiritual growth of the next generation. In this breakout session from TGC's 2023 conference, Terrence Shay emphasizes the distinct roles of home and church in disciple making, with parents as primary disciple makers and the church providing a supportive community. As we seek to effectively nurture children's spiritual development, especially in a post-pandemic culture, may the church equip and support parents with resources and a community to aid their children's spiritual growth and love for Christ. Watch the full episode below or listen in the TGC Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.

If you remember “Chariots of Fire,” you’ll appreciate this…

Some Reformed insider baseball: With the ongoing discussions of "Christian Nationalism" in some reformed-adjacent circles today, it is probably a good time to refresh our memories about what the fathers of American Presbyterianism affirmed in Philadelphia about the proper relation of Church and State. Reformed Theological Seminary's own Dr. Kevin DeYoung (Senior Pastor of Christ Covenant Church, Matthews, NC; Professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte; Founder of Clearly Reformed; and expert in John Witherspoon) writes on "How Presbyterians shifted on Church-State relations" when they revised and adopted the Westminster Confession of Faith in Philadelphia in 1788. The article is available at The Gospel Coalition (a longer version with footnotes will soon appear in Themelios). https://lnkd.in/gN3-sR9B

In the spirit of the Olympic Games in Paris, God is always moving, let’s not forget. Cool story… check in out!

End-of-life issues bring turbulence to even the strongest believers. Whether we’re dealing with a sudden loss, a long-term decline, or an unexpected diagnosis, it can be hard to sift through the technical and doctrinal issues amid overflowing emotions. We need help to understand that accepting palliative care is different from euthanasia. We need to be reminded Christ is with us in our sufferings because he suffered on our behalf. These seven books are pastoral, technically sound resources that offer comfort, confidence, and clarity in due season.

In 2004, Chinese athlete Liu Xiang won Olympic glory for his nation as the gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdles. After his victory, he was acknowledged as the first male Chinese-born track and field Olympic champion. From the standpoint of his nationality, that may be true. If you were to go to Weifang in Shandong, however, you’d find a monument to another son of China who won track and field gold 80 years earlier. That monument marks the burial site of Eric Liddell. Liddell was the son of Scottish missionaries who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics for the United Kingdom. But Liddell was born in Tianjin, China, and later died in a Japanese internment camp near Weifang during World War II. His picture is mounted there on a lamppost, and a large granite stone is inscribed with his achievements. In Duncan Hamilton’s excellent biography of Liddell, he calls it “a Communist homage to a Christian, a man China regards with pride as its first Olympic champion.”

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. - Luke 18:9-14

In June, we at Made to Flourish sponsored "A Theology of Women and Work," a breakout session at The Gospel Coalition's #TGCW24. Led by Tina Boesch, Missie Branch, and Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt, it was a dynamic conversation about vocation, calling, and stewardship. TGC has graciously made this session available to stream — take a look. https://lnkd.in/eNFSVsgR

Significant figures in recent history are easily forgotten. You may have never heard of Eta Linnemann, but her story bears recalling. As a student of renowned theologian Rudolf Bultmann (1884–1976) in the 1950s, she inherited his skepticism about the Bible and events like Christ’s bodily resurrection. She taught these skeptical views to her students in a German university. But as she reached middle age in the 1970s, she abandoned this unbelieving heritage and professed faith in Christ. During her final 30 years, she taught and proclaimed the truth of the Bible and its gospel message. She addressed students and churches in Germany, Scandinavia, Indonesia, the United States, and elsewhere. Her books still sell and circulate today. Before we consider her faith, let’s see how the skeptical phase of her life unfolded.

When I watch Marvel movies with my kids, we’re always on the hunt for Easter eggs, those glaring references or subtle nods to other Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) properties. Some references are so blatantly obvious that viewers can pick up on the connections immediately. Subtle references often require multiple viewings. Easter eggs are the tissue that binds each Marvel movie to the MCU’s larger story. In a similar way, New Testament authors embedded Easter eggs in their writings. They allude to the Old Testament 3,000 to 4,000 times. For example, the book of Revelation only quotes the Old Testament on a few occasions (1:7; 2:27), but it alludes to the Old Testament more than 500 times. Allusions may be common, but what are they? And what difference does spotting one make for our understanding of a New Testament passage? Let’s answer these questions by looking closely at John the Baptist’s enigmatic statement in Mark 1:7.