Many ask me about my theological convictions. “Where do you stand on . . .” Granted, those of you who have been through The Theology Program or are regular readers of this blog not only know where I stand, but how strongly I take a stand on most issues. But for those of you who ask, I will give you a brief synopsis of where I am at on many important and controversial theological issues. I will also give you a number of 1-10 letting you know my conviction level. 

Please note: my conviction level is not based on the importance of the doctrine, but the clarity that God’s revelation affords to it. 

A “1″ means that while I am convicted of the truthfulness of the doctrine, my conviction level is as low as it could be. This does not mean that I am unsure of something, just that I am less-sure of it than I could be.

A “10″ represents a very high conviction level (as high as it possible for a non-divine being!). (Please understand that I very rarely give a 10 to an issue. A 10 is reserved for those which I believe the Scripture leaves no room for honest debate such as the physical resurrection of Christ, Christ’s deity, that Christ is coming back, etc.)

Calvinistic (8):

I am a five-point Calvinist and don’t take shame in calling myself such. I am not equally convicted of all five points (as none should be), but I ascribe to all five nonetheless.

Total depravity-9
Unconditional election/predestination-7
Limited atonement-1
Irresistible grace-7
Perseverance of the Saints-7

As well, I am an infralapsarian Calvinist which means that I believe that God decreed to permit the fall before electing people. I don’t believe in double predestination as God’s active election of people to damnation. I believe that God, in his secret will, passed over those who were already damned. I am a 5 with regards to infralapsarian. Continue Reading »

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Ok, I am not going to be on Dr. Phil, but I probably need to be. I am taking some time off from work (sort of) and thought that I would go through my . . . ahem . . . my four year old son Will’s superhero figures.

Yes, we all have our little vices that border on compulsive sinful habits. Mine, besides my obsession with U2, is superheros. Specifically the Justice League. I love heroes. Of course, I follow the party line and elect Superman as my favorite, but Batman comes a close second, along with Vigilante, and The Question (both DC Comics heroes). I like Marvel as well, but they just don’t have the grandeur of DC . . . sorry, but it is true.

Here is a representative collection of pictures that demonstrate why I should be on Dr. Phil. Time would escape us if I were to show you my super hero movie collection. Ironically, I don’t have any many comic books.

You can click on each for the larger version to check them out!

After you have checked them out, I ask you . . . What compulsive, odd obsession do you have?

Continue Reading »

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During my sister Angie’s sickness I began to chronicle some of the events that were taking place. The following is the account I wrote after her first attempt on her life. It picks up after a series of her physical problems. She had just gotten out of the hospital having been there for two weeks after having her gall bladder removed and a subsequent battle with pancreatitis. She originally went into the hospital complaining of back pain. She was 32 at the time.

I wrote this in 2003, while she was still alive. Continue Reading »

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I am the product of a sub-emerging evangelical theological conversation which recognizes the validity of both the postmodern and modern ethos.

Go ahead, label me!

But read me first.

Those who are like me find themselves in an ocean of hope and despair holding on to two anchors at once. The modern anchor sinks because of its reliance on absolute certainty in all things. The postmodern anchor sinks because of its lack of certainty about anything. We hope to keep both anchors from setting so that theological progression can continue, all the while trying to keep themselves from going down with either (which is not easy).

You might be a like me if . . .

1. You don’t take yourself too seriously. Continue Reading »

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A few items:

Parchment and Pen: One Year Later
It has been one year (give or take) since I started the Parchment and Pen blog. Many people said “Don’t do it!” It will eat up your time. They were certainly right; It does eat up a lot of time. But I think that it has been worth it. Blogs are odd. It is a scary thing to put yourself out in the public in such a way. Sometimes you say to yourself “Why did I hit publish.” For compulsive personalities like me, blogs are dangerous. Nevertheless, when at their best, there are not many better ways of communication. Special thanks to Michael Spencer for all his support. I am not sure we would have the audience we do without him.

To all our readers: Thank you.

My Mother
I have not given much of an update on mom recently. I guess that it is one of those things that may come across as pouting, and I don’t want it to be seen as such. Mom is still the same. Two years after the stroke (this month—can you believe it has been so long?) she still can’t really speak, no walking, and has the mentality of a 5 year old at 58 (at least it seems that way most of the time).

Since she is too young to get the financial assistance for a nursing home, we divide the time between me and my sisters. That is why I moved here in Oct. I spend Fridays with her. It is “my day.” It is not really, as of yet, a burden. I enjoy spending time with her and my sister. We go to Old School Bagel in Okla City EVERY Friday at 1pm. (If you are in town, come by and see us. We sit at the booth.) Continue Reading »

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One of my best friends that I grew up with asked me a very hard question about God. I want to share this with you.

Let me back up first so you can see the context from which this question was sprung on me—and it was “sprung” on me. 

My friend was not a Christian, but he was seriously considering it. He was one of my wild friends that I hung with in my crazy days. I reconnected with him a few years ago. He was married with kids and so was I. After our reconnect, which involved uncomfortable retellings of our former days of sin along with some (compromising?) laughter about such, we spent the next year talking about Christ. We would talked on the phone about once a week. Often it would be for hours late into the night. The conversations usually ended when he was too drunk to talk anymore!

During these talks, he would present his objections and questions and we would discuss the possible answers. Often he would put his wife on speaker phone to ask and listen along. I sent him a couple of books that really helped him overcome some of his misleadings concerning the nature of Christianity. Primarily he saw Christianity as a legalistic set of “do’s and dont’s.” He had never even come in contact with the idea of grace. Our conversations culminated in his reading of Chuck Swindoll’s Grace Awakening (a book that every Christian should read). He was refreshed. Hurdle #1, successful.

In the backdrop of our conversations was his supposed perception that Christianity is naive and has no place for the serious intellect reasonings. We talked much about this and I sent him a copy of Letters to a Skeptic. His objections were slowly losing their hope in his retention of unbelief. It was incredible to see the slow transformation. Hurdle #2, successful.

But then he asked “the” question that I did not expect. Continue Reading »

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(I am sorry that I continue to write about this so often lately, it has just been a particularly hard week.) 

There have been few times when I feared for my life—I mean really feared for my life. I remember one time more than any other. It was the day that I found Angie, my sister, with a gun in a hotel room. It was a miracle that I found her before she had a chance to use it on herself. On the way home in my car, I drove as my sister cried. It was not a sad cry of repentance but a cry of anger and despondence. Her dejection and frantic embitterment caused me to lock the doors so that she would not jump out of the car while driving. “Why did you come?” She screamed at me. ”Don’t you understand? I have to die!” I tried to stay silent and concentrate on the road. It was not safe on I-35 that day. I imagined her reaching over and pulling the steering wheel sending us both into an overpass. I really thought that she would. I tried to fight back the tears as her pain created great empathy for her death. By this time in the story, I almost wished that I had not found her. I almost wished that I let her take her life. Continue Reading »

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As most of you probably already know, I moved from Frisco Texas to Norman Oklahoma in October. Norman is just north of Edmond OK where my family lives. I came here to help take care of my mother who suffered from an aneurysm and a stroke nearly two years ago. Her condition is stable, yet she is mentally and physically incapacitated.

I was very conflicted about the move. While I knew that my family desperately needed me for encouragement and support, Texas had become my home. I had been there for nearly ten years, arriving late in 98′ to enter seminary. Texas presented me with a new life. All four of my kids are Texans. That is where I received my theological training at Dallas Seminary. It was where I was ordained at Stonebriar Community Church. It was where I pastored over a flock entrusted to me for six years at the same church. It was where I began The Theology Program and where Reclaiming the Mind Ministries had its birth. They trust me in Texas. It was where I became a man of God. It was were I was really a pastor. Continue Reading »

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My sister Angie and her son Drew in 2002

I often tell the story during my Introduction to Theology class of an experience that I had that deeply implicated me and has affected the way that I “listen” to God’s movements in my life. It concerns an event that happened in the summer of 2003 with my sister Angie. It has to do with how experience can seem to say one thing, but be very misleading. Continue Reading »

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September 27, 2007

Frisco, Texas: When I started The Theology Program in 2001, I had no idea what God was going to do. We now have over 50,000 registered online and on-campus students in 110 countries. We are in hundreds of churches and soon to begin in hundreds more.

When The Theology Program grew into Reclaiming the Mind Ministries in 2006, I had no idea that the response would be so great. Our website receives over 100,000 hits daily. We are now looking to expand our ministry in ways in which we never dreamed. It blows my mind how many have endorsed and committed themselves to this ministry.

When the Parchment and Pen blog began over six months ago, (most of all) I had no idea that I would be writing so often! I really had no idea what an impact a simple blog could make. Continue Reading »

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Since we have so many people who not only frequent this blog, but also post, I thought it would be good for us to take an opportunity to get familiar with each other. I know that these tests are not always accurate, but I did find this particular one helpful. It seems to ask the right questions. Anyway, here is my profile. Click on this link, take the test, get the code and then post yours in a response below so that we can see yours! It is really easy.

Notice, I am an “Originator, Intellectual.” Oh yeah. I am telling my wife.

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There are a few things that people never forget. The details of certain tragedies and trials stay by your side and the vivid details remind you of their significance. People remember where they were when the planes hit the World Trade Centers. I was leaving for work and glanced at the TV. People remember where they were when the first space-shuttle exploded. I was in eighth grade down by the snack machine getting Bugles. I remember where I was when I was told about my sisters death. I was driving down 635 just passing Preston Rd. I remember where I was when I was told about my mothers aneurysm. I was sitting on the couch on the middle cushion with cereal in my mouth. We remember certain events because of their significance. Unfortunately, most of these are tragic. It is funny to bring this up in this context, but most Christians remember where they were when they first heard about God’s election - predestination. Continue Reading »

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My daughter Katelynn has always been as sharp as a whip. She loves to learn. At church, people used to get kicks out of her understanding of theological issues. When she was six she came to me and saw that I was reading the Greek New Testament and asked if she could learn. Within the month she started reading Greek. She has known the Gospel since she could listen. I watched a home video of her tonight. She was two-years-old. In the video I asked her where Jesus was and she pointed to the sky. Why? Because I told her that is where God is. She simply believed what I said.

Continue Reading »

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I live with the fear that Chuck Swindoll will call me into his office. Wait, I am getting ahead of myself . . . 

January 2000. I have just been hired as an intern at Stonebriar Community Church. I still have a year left at Dallas Theological Seminary, but my excitement is far beyond I could have ever imagined six years ago when I began to think about ministry. My life had not been one of a minister in preparation by any means. At least not what I would think. The constant adrenaline that the idea of full-time service for the Lord was enough to keep my mind off my past failures. Watching Braveheart in 1995 seventeen times at the theater fueled my motivation. I thought to myself If I could just give my life for something bigger than myself like William Wallace did then contentment would be found in sacrifice. This was the road I was on. Excited, motivated, hopeful, and ready to change lives, I was now working for Chuck Swindoll, my hero. Continue Reading »

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“It is better than Disney World.” Those are not my words, but the words of my two daughters, Katelynn, age 8, and Kylee, age 7. I am sure that Will, age 3, would say the same thing. Continue Reading »

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