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Category: News & Culture

Creedal Christology in the Age of Osteen

Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, recently created a stir when he publiclly identified presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and other practicing Mormons, as ‘brothers in Christ.’ This comes as a shock to some, because Mormon teaching, falls well outside the orthodox Christian faith. While we should strive to extend grace in all theological dialog, there comes a time when one must make truth claims concerning those things which are, and those which are not, essential to the Christian faith. What then are the essential, and distinctly Christian, beliefs about Jesus Christ? In this article we offer some suggestions.

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May 24, 2012

Why Christians Like Seth Godin

In this week’s Saturday Post, J.D. Walt opines on why Christians like Seth Godin. Seth is one of the most popular bloggers on the internet and though not a Christian, captures the attention of millions of Christians across the country. Read more to explore some of the possible reasons why. 

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May 5, 2012

Food and Faith

Today the vast majority of us are not farmers. Yet the principles of gleaning and caring for the poor are as timeless as the book of Ruth. How might we continue in the faithfulness of Boaz and make sure we create room for more grace and less waste?

 

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April 30, 2012

A Worldwide Church: The Pain of Growth and Pruning

As delegates from all over the world gather for the United Methodist Church General Conference 2012, they might be facing some growing pains. Despite the fact that the United Methodist Church exists “worldwide,” it’s still firmly centered around a U.S. perspective. As the General Conference gets underway let us consider what it means, theologically and missionally, to be a worldwide church.

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April 26, 2012

Restricting Religious Freedom at Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University’s administration in Nashville, Tennessee has a policy forbidding campus religious groups from making sure that student leaders share the groups’ core beliefs. Vanderbilt’s Intervarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship is in the thick of the battle there.

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March 16, 2012

Social Media, Parenting and Tough Love

Parenting is difficult on its own, but when you add a teenager with Facebook at her fingertips in a moment of anger — it’s downright HARD. A particular youtube video showing a father’s punishment and retaliation to that kind of situation has gone viral. After responding to his daughters malicious remarks, he shoots her laptop. Veteran youth minister, Bob Swan, discusses how these difficult times can be the best teaching moments.

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March 1, 2012

Some Links to move your Monday forward. . .

It’s not every day one of our own gets a shout out on ABC’s Nightline for his online contributions. David Dorn, a staff writer and media editor for Seedbed, made a “spoken-word” video response to Jefferson Bethke’s controversial viral video, “Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus.” David, who has achieved the status of “Youtube Partner,” blogs regularly at The Pursuit Blog, which would be worth your time to bookmark. He often crafts his posts to generate conversation with athiests and skeptics. 

Seedbed Sponsored Blogger Dr. Timothy C. Tennent has had an active last week of posting, running the gamut from Contraception to the First Amendment to Jeremy Linn.

Here’s one of our Seedbed staff’s favorite short video clips. We think it captures what we do well. You will probably feel the same way about what you do, especially if you are on the edge of your seat in ministry. 

Seattle’s Mars Hill […]

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February 20, 2012

The Monday Morning Coffee Break

The Monday morning Coffee Break brings you several Seedbed curated links of interest this morning, ranging from Ben Witherington III response to John Piper claims to a compilation of social media policies for ministries. Check it out.

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February 13, 2012

Proposition 8 serves no purpose? Really?

In a battle promising to go the full 15 rounds, the 9th circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling yesterday effectively nullifying Proposition 8. As you will remember, California voters passed Proposition 8 in 2008 limiting marriage to opposite sex couples.

If you, like me, have an interest in exploring the jurisprudence behind the decision you, too, can thrash your way through the 133 page opinion here.

As an attorney, the disturbing quandary for me comes in Judge Reinhardt ‘s brief wherein he says,

Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.

Leaving the particular issue aside, it should stun us all that one judge, writing for himself and the court, can so sweepingly set aside the established will of the people of […]

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February 8, 2012

Why SOPA and PIPA Should Matter to the Church

A Congressional vote that was scheduled for today for PIPA was cancelled following last week’s online protests. The technology sector has been abuzz with passionate discussion explaining the many problems with SOPA and PIPA, but how will this affect the church, parachurch, and non-profit organizations?

This question was raised in the comments after Seedbed wrote the article Websites “Blackout” to Protest SOPA and PIPA. The ramifications to this legislation are far reaching, and will affect churches in a variety of ways. These bills are lengthy and I highly encourage our readers before continuing to read over our summary found within the aforementioned article.

Already an Established Precedent for Action Against Churches

The idea that churches should be able to circumvent copyright laws was challenged in 2007 when the National Football League cracked down on Fall Creek Baptist Church for hosting a Super Bowl Party. Though the NFL has rescinded from their aggressive stance, […]

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January 24, 2012
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