Dennis McCallum

Any careful reader of Old Testament messianic prophecy quickly becomes aware of the two portraits of Messiah found there. On the one hand, we have the picture of the reigning Messiah, who banishes his enemies and lives forever. On the other hand, we have the portrait of the suffering servant. This one "has no stately form or majesty," lives in obscurity, is rejected by the people, and dies badly. But his death is redemptive like a guilt offering, and he is raised from the dead to lead many to God and to glory. Christians are well aware that these two portraits correspond to the two comings of Christ: the first to suffer and atone for sin, and the second to reclaim the world for God and banish evil. Regardless of our millennial views, these two comings satisfy the Old Testament predictions in a very similar way.

Dennis McCallum and Gary DeLashmutt

Dennis McCallum

Though neglected by many congregations, church discipline is based on divine discipline and, therefore, is an act of caring love (Hebrews 12:5-12, Matthew 18:11-14). The practice encompasses a broad spectrum from casual correction to removal from fellowship, though all forms are meant to help believers mature spiritually and flee dangerous behaviors.

Dennis McCallum

This paper is a study in the history of religion. "Objectification" is the religious tendency to reduce abstract principles to tangible, visceral objects and rituals. This tendency, found in all religious complexes, has also been prominent in Christianity, despite explicit prohibitions in the New Testament. The author believes objectification (also known as formalism) remains as one of the greatest stumbling blocks to people considering Christianity today.

Dennis McCallum

Pastor Dennis McCallum charts the postmodern critique of the scientific method.

Dennis McCallum

Pastor Dennis McCallum charts the different interpretive approaches of the postmodern and grammatical-historical views.

Gary DeLashmutt

Here is a very important question: “What is my predominant disposition about being a home church leader?” Is it “I get to” or “I’ve got to?” If you lead for any length of time, you will struggle at times with the “I’ve got to” perspective. But you must struggle against it, not accept it. And you must cultivate the “I get to” perspective so that it predominates.

Joe Botti, Tom Dixon, and Alex Steinman

A quick glance at a side-by-side ordering of the gospel accounts is enough to reveal how closely the Synoptics follow each other as they recount the life and teaching of Christ. The relationship between these accounts has been, on the one hand, an assurance to believers of the historical validity of the Gospels. On the other hand, such comparisons have given rise to a multitude of questions about which Gospel was written first, whether subsequent authors borrowed from each other, and why there are differences in wording, style and order as the authors report the same events. All these issues form the Synoptic problem.

Dennis McCallum

The presence of evil, pain and suffering in our world is the most persistent argument raised against theism. The following are several of the main responses to the presence of evil in the world and its impact on the existence of the God of the Bible.