Posts by Todd Pruitt

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Still Offensive

Todd Pruitt
Dec 1, 2008
It is a blessed and solemn thing to preach Christ and Him crucified. Christ's atoning work is the centerpiece of our faith and ground of our hope. It is simultaneously God's most graphic display of love and excrusiating moment of judgement. The cross is where God's justice and mercy meet. It is the...

A Cross-Centered Ministry

Todd Pruitt
Nov 30, 2008
I was privileged to preach my first sermon today as Teaching Pastor of Church of the Saviour. I was blessed by the kindness and encouragement of the people of COS. The text was 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. It is Paul's manifesto, of sorts, concerning his manner of life and ministry among the Corinthian...

Mahaney & Bridges

Todd Pruitt
Nov 28, 2008
Click HERE to listen to C.J. Mahaney's interview with Jerry Bridges. Great stuff.

The State of the Church

Todd Pruitt
Nov 28, 2008
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06y6ZXl57DY&hl=en&fs=1]

We Preach Christ Crucified

Todd Pruitt
Nov 27, 2008
As I have been meditating on 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 for this Sunday's message I resonated with Paul Washer's "hard words" in this address at the Deeper Conference:

Still More on Southern Baptists and Calvinism

Todd Pruitt
Nov 26, 2008
Tom Ascol is a guy I like. He is a scholar and a pastor. He is gracious and shows great care in what he writes. Dr. Ascol, a Southern Baptist pastor in Florida has been a pivotal player in the discussion about Calvinism in the SBC. He has brought dignity to the discussion while many others have...

God's Word is greater than grand rhetoric

Todd Pruitt
Nov 26, 2008
In preparing to preach from 1Corinthians 2:1-5 I have once again come up against Paul's words concerning his lack of rhetorical flair. He points out to the Corinthian believers that he was with them in "weakness, fear, and much trembling." What is more, he writes, "my speech and my message were not...

Hitchens and Wilson: The God Debate

Todd Pruitt
Nov 25, 2008
Check out this debate between atheist Christopher Hitchens and Christian apologist Douglas Wilson held at Westminster Theological Seminary.

Whose Voice?

Todd Pruitt
Nov 24, 2008
It seems that the Emergent folks have come up with a Bible they can call their own. Thanks to Chris over at Extreme Theology for this update: Emergent church leaders such a Brian McLaren and Chris Seay in conjunction with a pack of poets, songwriters and storytellers have just released a new “...

Sure Sign of the Apocalypse

Todd Pruitt
Nov 24, 2008
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1kjkUAA9VM&hl=en&fs=1]

Weakness, Fear, and Much Trembling

Todd Pruitt
Nov 24, 2008
My family and I have been in Philadelphia for a little over three weeks. The transition has been a good one. The people of COS are to be thanked for their kindness and sensativity. During these days we have been learning the lay of the land both literally and figuratively. I have a better...

Take and Read

Todd Pruitt
Nov 22, 2008
Michael Horton is a writer and theologian who always challenges me. He writes both for the academy and a lay audience. I appreciate that about him. Dr. Horton is Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary California. He is also the host of The White Horse...

The "peaceful" religion of Hinduism

Todd Pruitt
Nov 21, 2008
Over at Times Online Rhys Blakely writes about the continuing problem of Hindu violence against Christians. I am posting it here because the mainstream media is usually quite deaf to the sounds of Christians being murdered. Blakely reports that Hindus are being paid to kill Christians. He writes:...

Music Break

Todd Pruitt
Nov 21, 2008
I have a lot of affection for the music of the 70's. The bands at that time were expected to know more than three or four chords. In other words, they were actually musicians. Back in the day Kansas was an amazing band. Steve Walsh had one of the best voices in popular music. Another thing I like...

Does this surprise anyone?

Todd Pruitt
Nov 20, 2008
"I now believe that GLBTQ [Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Trangendered, Queer] can live lives in accord with biblical Christianity (at least as much as any of us can!) and that their monogamy can and should be sanctioned and blessed by church and state." - Tony Jones Read the entire statement HERE .

Basic Christianity at 50

Todd Pruitt
Nov 20, 2008
One of the books I always keep in stock in my office is Basic Christianity by John Stott. There is no telling how many people have come to Christ and/or been instructed in their early days as Christians through this little book. I commend it not only to your reading but also as resource to give to...

A Case for a Christ-Centered Interpretation of Scripture

Todd Pruitt
Nov 19, 2008
I value the work of Vern Poythress. He has been enormously helpful in the field of biblical hermeneutics. In an article entitled "Christ the Only Savior of Interpretation" first published in the Westminster Journal of Theology Dr. Poythress writes: Since human interpretation is corrupted by sin, it...

Fight the Freedom Of Choice Act

Todd Pruitt
Nov 19, 2008
Click HERE to sign a petition against the Freedom Of Choice Act. The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would eliminate every restriction on abortion nationwide. FOCA will do away with state laws on parental involvement, on partial birth abortion, and on all other protections. FOCA will compel taxpayer...

"The Abbreviated Jesus"

Todd Pruitt
Nov 18, 2008
Good stuff from Michael Spencer: You’re going to discover that there’s a remarkable resemblance between the abbreviated Jesus and the current version of political correctness. (Isn’t it unusual how Jesus takes an interest in whatever happens to be the current rage on CNNMSNBCCBSSUSATODAY? I’m not...

Reading Robinson

Todd Pruitt
Nov 18, 2008
I love reading Marilynne Robinson. One of my favorite books in recent years is her novel Gilead . Her ability to write as an aging midwestern pastor is remarkable. The book is a moving account of a Lutheran pastor who, coming to the end of his life keeps an extensive journal to pass on to his young...

Driven by the Word

Todd Pruitt
Nov 17, 2008
Recent research has found some troubling trends in America. One trend that ought to cause us great concern is that since 1991 the number of unchurched in our country has almost doubled. The adult population has grown by 15 percent but the number of adults who do not attend church has risen from 39...

God is Good...all the time?

Todd Pruitt
Nov 16, 2008
In Genesis, Scripture tells us that the first thing God did after He created the universe and everything in it was to observe all He had done and conclude that it was “very good.” The goodness was not something inherent in creation nor was it some randomly acquired characteristic. That creation was...

Misunderstanding the doctrine of election

Todd Pruitt
Nov 15, 2008
Read this excellent essay by Dr. Wayne Grudem. Many of the people I have met who oppose the doctrine of God's sovereign election do so on the basis of common misunderstandings. Grudem examines and effectively deals with those misunderstandings.

Contextualization run amok

Todd Pruitt
Nov 15, 2008
Check out this interview with Ed Young Jr. on CNN. The interviewer seems to have more wisdom on this issue than the tragically hip pastor. Young is the pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX. Although he dodges it, Fellowship Church is a Southern Baptist Church. Oh for pastors who will preach...

Rowan Williams gets God off the hook

Todd Pruitt
Nov 13, 2008
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of the Church of England was in New York on September 11, 2001 not far from the World Trade Center. This article tells of Williams' experience that fateful day and the days that followed. What is revealed is a man whose concept of God is quite small. “When [Rowan] got...

Just for fun

Todd Pruitt
Nov 13, 2008
Check out 50 Strange Buildings of the World . Do you have a favorite?

Disrupting Church

Todd Pruitt
Nov 12, 2008
I am very curious to get your take on a recent event at a Lansing, Michigan church where homosexual protestors disrupted a service. Read the story HERE . How should a church respond to such an event? Is the body of Christ called to "welcome" homosexuals? If yes then what does it mean to welcome? If...

How Not to Raise a Pagan

Todd Pruitt
Nov 12, 2008
Check out this excellent message by Al Mohler. Dr. Mohler delivered this message at a chapel service at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Al Mohler is one of the outstanding scholars / leaders / communicators in evangelicalism. He is the President of the Southern Baptist Theological...

Challenging Atheism

Todd Pruitt
Nov 11, 2008
Writing for Christianity Today , William Lane Craig reports some encouraging news concerning college philosophy departments and atheism. He writes: Back in the 1940s and '50s, many philosophers believed that talk about God, since it is not verifiable by the five senses, is meaningless—actual...

Southern Baptists and Calvinism (cont.)

Todd Pruitt
Nov 10, 2008
Michael Spencer had the following to say about the recent John 3:16 Conference: The fundamentalists who run the Southern Baptist Convention are after the Calvinists again. Obviously despairing that the “Building Bridges Conference” didn’t give the right preachers the opportunity to call Calvinists...

Martin Luther's Birthday

Todd Pruitt
Nov 10, 2008
Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483. Young Martin was brought up in a typically faithful Catholic family. Planning to become a lawyer he suddenly changed his vocational goals during a horrific thunderstorm. He became an Augustinian monk in Erfurt. He would later be ordained as a priest. In...

Unpacking

Todd Pruitt
Nov 10, 2008
Today is all about unpacking my library. It is not an unpleasant task but it is time consuming. I am a little particular about my books so there is a very specific order in which I like them to be. I know this is opening me up to all kinds of pranks. Karen has been valiantly trying to get our house...

Why Pro-Life?

Todd Pruitt
Nov 5, 2008
Randy Alcorn's indespensable book "Why Pro-Life? is available in pdf format HERE . A few endorsements: “Why ProLife is an invaluable resource for anyone trying to help a friend or family member understand the pro-life perspective.With clear, compelling language, Randy Alcorn lays out the case for...

Should pastors be allowed to discuss politics?

Todd Pruitt
Nov 5, 2008
There are some pastors on the left and the right who seem to do little else than rant about politics. I am one of those who has strong opinions about politics but will not publically endorse any candidates. I also do not "do politics" from the pulpit. For some, abortion and the sanctity of marriage...

Redeeming the past

Todd Pruitt
Nov 5, 2008
Anthony Carter has made some observations about President Obama's election that I found quite moving. "Forty-five years ago a terrorist bomb ripped through the walls a church in Birmingham, AL , killing four young blacks girls (Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins...

Eric Redmond on Christocentric voting

Todd Pruitt
Nov 5, 2008
My humble proposal of an attempt to be Christocentric rather than Afrocentric will not be received with approval by many African Americans that I know. I hope to live long enough to witness another African American become a candidate for President of the United States of America—a candidate who is...

Praying for those in high position

Todd Pruitt
Nov 5, 2008
Here are some helpful thoughts from John Piper concerning a proper attitude toward those in civil leadership. Piper writes: Grateful for (Almost) Any Government How does the Bible instruct us to pray for “all who are in high positions”? It says, First of all, then, I urge that supplications,...

How I am going to pray for President Obama

Todd Pruitt
Nov 4, 2008
It seems inevitable that Barack Obama will be our next President. Some of my previous posts should indicate clearly what I think about the election results. But we do not base our joy or sense of identity on presidents or any other political leaders. What is clear from Scripture is that God is...

Ecclesiastes and the Election

Todd Pruitt
Nov 4, 2008
Eric Redmond has posted some very helpful thoughts on his blog. Skillfully applying words from Ecclesiastes pastor Redmond reminds us that our joy must not rest in the outcome of political contests. He writes: So what is the point of the Preacher-Sage’s political analysis? What wisdom does he wish...

Finally Here!

Todd Pruitt
Nov 4, 2008
It's a long drive from Wichita, Kansas to Philadelphia. After a long three days on the road with two vehicles, three kids, pets (that's plural), and two periodically cranky adults we finally arrived in Philadelphia this evening at 6:30. Our movers are going to be two days later than what was...

Looking forward to this...

Todd Pruitt
Nov 4, 2008

10/31/1517

Todd Pruitt
Nov 1, 2008
I am a day late but here it is...

On The Road...

Todd Pruitt
Nov 1, 2008
All is going well so far in our transition to Philadelphia. We have stopped over for a few days at my in-laws. They live just north of Kansas City. The plan from here is to travel to St. Louis on Sunday following church, lunch and other festivities. From St. Louis we will drive to Columbus, Ohio...

Sizing up the election

Todd Pruitt
Nov 1, 2008
John Piper being his usual non-controversial self.

Phil Ryken: "The Suffering and the Glory..."

Todd Pruitt
Nov 1, 2008
Check out this excellent message by Phil Ryken, pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia entitled "The Suffering and the Glory: Pastoral Ministry in Union with Christ": VIDEO AUDIO Also, this interview with Dr. Ryken is well worth the time: VIDEO AUDIO

The Dying of the Light

Todd Pruitt
Oct 28, 2008
Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota is in turmoil. The source of the problem is that the historically evangelical institution has been going through a troubling shift in its understanding of truth. A website addressing the problem called Friends of Northwestern has been formed by some of...

Saying Farewell

Todd Pruitt
Oct 26, 2008
Today I preached my final sermon as pastor of Metro East Baptist Church. I struggled with what to preach. Ultimately, however, I did not have to look far. Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders recorded by Luke in Acts 20:17-38 seemed to be the most appropriate text. It is a moving scene. Clearly,...

More dross from the Osteens

Todd Pruitt
Oct 25, 2008
Lisa Miller has posted some insightful comments on Victoria Osteen's new book "Love Your Life." Miller writes: Prosperity preachers are neither new nor unique in America, but the Osteens' version seems especially self-serving. Victoria's book betrays her interest in the kind of small gratifications...

Pro-Life policies DO make a difference

Todd Pruitt
Oct 24, 2008
I have heard it said many times, even on this blog that it doesn't matter if pro-life politicians win public office because there is little to nothing they can do about abortion. The evidence, however, tells another story. Michael New, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of...

Music Break

Todd Pruitt
Oct 21, 2008
Michael Card & Phil Keaggy