The Apostle Paul told the Phillippians that his prayer for them was that their love would abound...
conversion
Ep. 029 | Brad Weber Interview — TAU Roundtable
Michael interviews Brad Weber of Theology Nights @ http://theologynights.com/ Theology Nights...
Ep. 027 | Dustin Benge Interview — TAU Roundtable
Michael interviews Dr. Dustin Benge of Southern Seminary about the two sermons he gave at the 2019...
Ep. 026 | Michelle Lesley Interview — TAU Roundtable
Michael interviews Michelle Lesley of michellelesley.com and A Word Fitly Spoken podcast about Feminism, femininity, biblical womanhood, and Moore. Michelle is a wife, mother, and blogger. You won't want to miss this hard-hitting interview! 🙂 [content type=page...
Ep. 025 | Various Interviews — TAU Roundtable
Michael interviews a few more interesting people from the Cruciform Conference. Micah Hasty of Micah Hasty Music https://twitter.com/themicahandrew Josh Hamon of https://theministryofwar.com/ Bryan Lamb of https://www.garageministries.com/ [content type=page...
Ep. 024 | Kofi Interview — TAU Roundtable
Michael interviews Kofi regarding his sermon, Hebrews 12: Cross Purchased Discipline. This discussion will edify saints as you get the benefit of the hours of study which was put in before the Cruciform Conference in Indianapolis. Also, we hear about Kofi's church's...
That Ain’t Your Mama’s Hyssop
David is guilty of the death of Uriah (2 Samuel 11:15). Although he hadn’t physically touched Uriah’s dead body, there is a sense of uncleanness because of his involvement in Uriah’s death. So when David cries out to the Lord to be purged with hyssop, he is calling on God to cleanse him from his sin. David could have offered more sacrifices than nearly anyone who has ever lived. He was a rich man! But he knew that God delights in “a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,” rather than animal sacrifices (Psalm 51:16-17), and certainly hyssop is similarly a prefigurement of something…or Someone.
Ep. 022 | Getting Apostasy Right — TAU Roundtable
Michael, Tim, and George discuss the New Covenant promise of the perseverance of the saints and Tim’s article “Choked Out by Thorns.” How are we to think about folks who fall away like Joshua Harris or Marty Sampson? What assurance can a Christian have in this life that they will truly be preserved to the end?
What steps can someone take to make their calling and election sure and watch out for their brethren?
Ep. 021 | Getting the New Covenant Right — TAU Roundtable
Michael and George discuss the New Covenant. This covenant is unmixed, unbreakable and unconditional. This is the first in a series where we will define the New Covenant, discuss its implications, apply it to the Christian life, and then contrast it to errors that...
Psalm 119:61-64 — Companionship
The Cords of the Wicked Psalms 119:61 Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law. We have seen the psalmist proclaim the excellencies of loving God's law even in the midst of trouble (Psalm 119:23). Now we find language reminiscent of Psalm...
Ep. 020 | Heinous Sin, Better Savior — TAU Roundtable
Michael and Allen discuss a couple of recent posts on Thing Above Us: The Essence and Effects of Sin and What's Your Portion? and find that the posts are surprisingly related!
A Letter to a Soul Seeking Jesus: #2
This series is a group of six letters written by Robert Murray M'Cheyenne contained in The Memoirs and Remains of Robert Murray M'Cheyene by Andrew Bonar. I first heard about these letters on the Behold Your God podcast. I have adapted these letters (as in updating...
A Letter to a Soul Seeking Jesus: #1
This series is a group of six letters written by Robert Murray M'Cheyenne contained in The Memoirs and Remains of Robert Murray M'Cheyene by Andrew Bonar. I first heard about these letters on the Behold Your God podcast. I have adapted these letters (as in updating...
Free Will, God’s Grace, and a Carrot on a Stick
For a long time, Christians have been debating the nature of man’s will (is it free?), the totality of depravity, whether or not man is “able” to come to Christ on his own, and the extent and function of God's grace. For many, God’s grace is like a carrot on a stick...
Ep. 014 | Allen Interview — TAU Roundtable
Tune in as we get to know the writers of Things Above Us. Up next is our author and Arky, Allen Nelson. See all posts in this series [loop type="post" taxonomy="tag" value="interviews" format="clean" orderby=date...
Are We Against Santa or For Truth?
"Do you know what your daughter did?" my in-laws asked me. They were clearly quite concerned and disappointed in her. Knowing my daughter's behavioral issues, I readied myself for the worst. "She told her cousins Santa Claus isn't real," they said. Phew! I breathed a...
Envy: Beastmode Gone Wrong
Beast mode refers to a state of performing something, especially difficult activities, with extreme power, skill, or determination (dictionary.com). For sports enthusiasts, this is most commonly understood when Marshawn Lynch famously has torn through opposing...
Ep. 010 | Advice to New Believers — TAU Roundtable
In Episode 10, the guys discuss various advice to new believers and plug a few books we like. And it seems this will forever be known as the episode where Michael admits he enjoys the Polemics Report.
Isaac’s Dilemma
"I'm homosexual," Isaac told me, "and I don't think I could give up the happiness it brings me and deny who I am — for something I am not certain about." This was Isaac's response to a question I asked him. What preceded and what followed the above response is the...
Total Depravity – Misapplied
The photo to the right made its way around the internet and into my email. The gist is clear — it's designed to exhibit that everyone suffers from "Total Depravity." Haha. I get it. The idea is that the image is fixed and not actually testing anyone for any of the...
Ep. 007 | Matthew 13 Parables — TAU Roundtable
In TAU Roundtable 007, the guys talk about parables from Matthew 13. What are parables? Why did Jesus use them? And how do we apply them to our lives? Then the team gives their sports hot takes.
You Have Dealt Well with Your Servant (Psalm 119:65-72)
This week's pSaturday Psalm comes from Psalm 119:65-72. Psalm 119 is a wonderful psalm that is really a "love poem," so to speak, about God's word! It is the longest chapter in the Bible — composed of 22 8 verse stanzas where the first letter of each line in a stanza...
A 9/11 Survivor Tells Her Story
September 11, 2001 is a day many people will never forget. My friend Angela Braxton was in one of the buildings that was crashed into that day and survived the tragedy.
At the time she nearly died from the events of 9/11, she was a non-believer abiding in the wrath of almighty God. But God has different plans for her.
Do People Who Commit Suicide Go To Hell?
"What is the Reformed Baptist view regarding those who commit suicide?" This question was posted on Facebook. The answers vary between "never saved to begin with," to "Jesus' blood covers it." This is one of those questions that is likely to evoke an emotional...
Bread and Butter
There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to a baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting a pound, and he found that he was not. This angered him, and he took the farmer to court. The judge asked the farmer what he was using to...
Quick Thoughts on Greetings
Why does the Holy Spirit tell us to greet one another throughout the New Testament? I believe that the Lord wants us to greet one another, and, like all Christian virtue, we are apt to forget his command or disobey it, as long as we are on this side of glory. I'll let...
4 Illustrations of Saving Faith
Christians are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone. These are precious truths held dear by all true believers. But, what exactly is saving faith? Saving faith is a gift of God (Philippians 1:29), whereby a person is...
Psalm 34:4-5 Never Ashamed
Verses 4-5 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed. {Psa 34:4-5 NASB} Verses 4-7 start to develop the themes of brokenness that dominate most of the rest of...
Who’s the Weaker Brother, Here?
The Premise Are those who are in opposition to the current SJWCROWD rhetoric concerning racism simply weaker brothers? A kind Christian on Twitter thought maybe that is how the SJWCROWD thinks. His point was that the SJWCROWD obviously considers themselves the...
Praise Yahweh (the LORD) – Psalm 117
God has provided us with His Word that we might know Him and praise Him. Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter of the Bible, yet it is packed with God-glorifying wisdom, truth, and comfort. Let's take a look at it! Psalm 117 (ESV) 1 Praise Yahweh, all nations! Extol him,...
Everyone is an Evangelist
Christianity seems to be marked by a divide between people who actively evangelize and those who do not. Clearly, some folks are particularly burdened about and gifted concerning the dissemination of the Christian gospel. But it is also generally understood that ALL...
Christian, Stop Saying You’re Sorry
One of the core tenets of Christianity is the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47; Colossians 1:14). To put it another way, without the forgiveness of sins, the gospel of Jesus Christ ceases to make any sense at all. In that respect, the forgiveness of sins is an...
Watch Your Mouth! James’ Counsel for the Verbally Challenged – Part 1
I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels - John Calvin If there is one problem I have with modern Christians, it’s how we use language. I am not much for conversation - by nature, I have a knack for offending people and that...
On the Election of Infants – Part 1
What Happens When a Baby Dies? Many folks have argued whether babies go to Heaven for centuries. Instead of putting forth an argument, per se, I want to summarize what the possible positions one can take would be, and at least try to eliminate the ones that seem...
How to Evangelize a City
How would you go about evangelizing a city? What are some strategic ideas for reaching God's elect in the town where God has placed you or your church? Photo by malcolm lightbody on Unsplash The Foundation According to Romans 10:13–17 (and the rest of the Bible), it...
2018 Arnold Classic Outreach Report
The Lord Jesus Christ blessed us with pleasant weather and friendly crowds at the 2018 Arnold Classic Outreach in Columbus, OH. The Arnold Classic is an international exposition featuring athletes from a number of different sports including, bodybuilding,...
From Death to Life – Book Update
(Photo Credit: Stephen J. Melniszyn) I've had several people asking me about where I am on my current book project, so I thought I'd have a place where I could point folks to give them the latest on how things are progressing. I'm pretty new to this book...
Do ALL Things Without Complaining?
My wife posted the quote below on Facebook in regard to complaining: If you are a sovereigntist, or one who believes in the absolute sovereignty of our God, and you gripe or complain about your circumstances, you're being a hypocrite; for you demonstrate, with your...
Things Above Us?
Colossians 3:1-2 is, in essence, the theme of this blog. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of...
Be Like Mike?
It seems everyone in the conservative evangelical world is trying to think more creatively about what to do to get people in church. Or how to 'be the church', which of course you can't 'be the church' if you're not regularly gathering as a local church. In today’s...