Writer and Teacher
Archive for September, 2009
Wisdom from Coach Wooden
Sep 21st
John Wooden learned important lessons from his father, Joshua Wooden. Below are Joshua Wooden’s Two Sets of Threes and his Seven-Point Creed.
Two Sets of Threes
- Never lie
- Never cheat.
- Never steal.
- Don’t whine.
- Don’t complain.
- Don’t make excuses.
Seven Point Creed
- Be true to yourself.
- Help others.
- Make each day your masterpiece.
- Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
- Make friendship a fine art.
- Build a shelter against a rainy day.
- Pray for guidance, and count and give thanks for your blessings every day.
National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week
Sep 14th
I want to call attention to this week because I had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a generally fatal disease. June 15, 2004 I received a double lung transplant that saved my life.
“Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive scarring known as fibrosis — and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly robs its victims of their ability to breathe. Approximately 128,000 Americans suffer from PF, and there is currently no known cause or cure. An estimated 48,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. PF is difficult to diagnose and an estimated two-thirds of patients die within five years of diagnosis. Sometimes PF can be linked to a particular cause, such as certain environmental exposures, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, residual infection, or autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis. However, in many instances, no known cause can be established. When this is the case, it is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).”
September 14-21 is designated as National Pulmonary Fibrosis Week by the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, a national advocacy seeking to accelerate research efforts to find a cure for pulmonary fibrosis. They are promoting the passage of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act (PFREA H. R. 1079) that would authorize $16 million in new federal funding to create the first national patient registry for PF, and provide much needed support for research into the deadly lung disease.
“The urgency of the campaign is that the disparity of federal investment in PF compared to other diseases that realize far fewer deaths and have longer life expectancies, means a far longer wait for a possible cure. The wait for funding is costing 40,000 lives each year, the same number of lives lost to breast cancer,” said CPF Chief Executive Officer.
Any efforts to encourage members on Capitol Hill to pass this legislation would be appreciated. For more information see http://www.coalitionforpf.org/ or call 888-222-8541.
Dinnertable Apologetics
Sep 9th
Jeff Vines in Dinner with Skeptics: Defending God in a World that Makes No Sense tells of a fascinating dinner conversation he had with unbelievers in New Zealand. The story revolves about a young lady named Laura who was living away from God but was helped to ask her deepest questions and find solid answers in Christian faith.
I first heard Jeff tell this story at the Preaching-Teaching Convention at Ozark Christian College in Joplin. I then read an abbreviated story in the Christian Standard. Now you can learn a practical approach to defending the faith in this book-length version.
Vine’s book reads like a fast-moving novel. It is interesting, entertaining, and informative. For more information see www.collegepress.com.
Common Skeptical Objections to Christianity
Sep 6th
Timothy Keller in his well-written The Reason for God (Dutton, 2008) lists the seven most common questions/objections he has encountered from skeptics in his successful ministry in New York City.
- There Can’t Be Just One True Religion
- How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?
- Christianity Is a Straitjacket
- The Church Is Responsible for So Much Injustice
- How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
- Science Has Disproved Christianity
- You Can’t Take the Bible Literally
Keller gives helpful responses to these objections.
Recently I have been doing research on the history of apologetics. Most of these objections have been voiced by skeptics through the centuries and answered by Christian apologists. As times and conditions change new dress is given to these questions. We must make intelligent and fresh responses to the specific questions being asked.
As postmodernism has become more widespread the first objection, “There Can’t Be Just One True Religion,” has become more prominent. Also since 9/11 the fourth objection, “The Church Is Responsible for So Much Injustice,” has been voiced more frequently by skeptics. However Christians need to be prepared to respond to each of these seven.
Local churches, campus ministries, and youth ministries could develop a series of seven classes preparing believers to respond to these objections. A sermon series could be developed dealing with these issues.
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