Jonathan Simcoe
@jdsimcoe
Jonathan Simcoe
And I started to recognize another danger to this approach: If we assume that winsomeness will gain a favorable hearing, when Christians consistently receive heated pushback, we will be tempted to think our convictions are the problem. If winsomeness is met with hostility, it is easy to wonder, “Are we in the wrong?” Thus the slide toward secular
... See morefirstthings.com • How I Evolved on Tim Keller | James R. Wood
Here is abstracting "winsomeness" as an approach, instead of a core piece of our character. If we instead view ourselves as image-bearers of Christ with a whole character that is marked by grace and love, then we approach truth-telling and all disciplines with this approach. James is being much too pragmatic in his abstractions.
nearly all of my Christian students tell me that the gospel they heard as they grew up primarily had to do with their sin, Jesus’ death, and going to heaven.
N. T. Wright • The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited
Employers can focus either on applicants’ potential and select on foundational skills (e.g., social skills, math skills) or on their readiness and select on more-advanced skills (e.g., pricing a derivative). The higher (lower) the social trust—people’s trust in their fellow members of society—the more (less) employers are willing to invest in
... See moreTyler Cowen • Hiring on General Talent Makes More Sense in High-Trust Environments
“There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says ‘Morning, boys. How’s the water?’ And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes ‘What the hell is water?’”15 We need to become aware of our immersions.
... See moreJames K. A. Smith • You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit
This version of the text, gutted of that central narrative, was designed to fulfill a two-part objective: to introduce enslaved people to Christianity and to preserve the system of slavery. The problem was that the Exodus story — bearing the promise of freedom over slavery, dignity over degradation — is powerful and dangerous. The slaveholders were
... See morenytimes.com • Opinion | Imagine a Bible With No Moses, No Story of the Exodus
This is awful and heartless.
While previous generations gave out of a sense of duty, today’s and tomorrow’s givers do so based on a perceived sense of value.
The good news is, this sense of value isn’t necessarily about “what’s in it for me?” but “what good is this really doing?”
If we want people to give, we need to regularly show them the real-life results of that giving,
... See morechristianitytoday.com • 8 Assumptions Pastors Can't Make in a Post-Christian Culture
The greatest ideas are often born out of struggle, never out of comfort.