This Week's White Horse Inn

"Is the `Easy Way' Always Best?"

There is a deeply held assumption in today’s culture of affluence that hard work should generally be avoided, and that everything should be quick, fun, and easy. But what are the implications of these worldly assumptions for Christian discipleship? The answer is seen all around us: churches don’t place demands but only gratify their parishioners, most Christian bookstores stock their shelves with fluffy “get spiritual quick” type resources, and kids in Sunday school work with crayons, glue and glitter, but are rarely found memorizing Bible passages or catechism answers. Is the easy way always best? That’s what’s on tap this week at White Horse Inn.

Click Here

Church or Parachurch? Horton On "Issues, Etc."

Mike Horton discusses church v. parachurch on last Friday's broadcast of Issues, Etc.

Here is the link: Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (October 15-21)

Sunday Morning (10/21):  We are going through the Gospel of John and our text this coming Lord's Day is John 2:13-25, when Jesus identifies himself as the true temple of God.

Sunday Afternoon:  I am leading our afternoon catechism service and we will be taking up Lord's Day 44, and the tenth commandment.  Our afternoon service begins @ 1:15 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study (10/17):  We are discussing the debate about the proper understanding of the Lord's Supper.

The Academy (10/19):  We will be discussing James Davison Hunter's book To Change the World (Click Here).  The Academy begins at 7:30 p.m.   

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

"The First of His Signs" -- John 2:1-12

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon:

Click Here

This Week's White Horse Inn

Taking Every Thought Captive

How are we to raise up the next generation of Christians to think seriously about the Christian faith if they have never been taught how to think in the first place? How are we to keep our kids in the faith if they are constantly propagandized by the messages they encounter in college or via television advertisements? The apostle Paul calls us to “take every thought captive, to the obedience of Christ,” but how are we actually to accomplish this task? Joining me to discuss this important issue are Christopher Perrin, Aaron Larson, and Joelle Hodge, contributors to The Art of Argument (Classical Academic Press, 2010).

Click Here

Horton on the "Religiously Unaffiliated"

CT asked Mike Horton and others to respond to the latest Pew poll which documents the decline of the Protestant majority in America.

Here is Michael's essay:  Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (October 8-14)

Sunday Morning (10/14):  I'll be covering the account of Jesus' first sign performed during the wedding at Cana.  Our text is John 2:1-12.

Sunday Afternoon:  I am leading our afternoon catechism service and we will be taking up Lord's Day 43, and the ninth commandment.  Our afternoon service begins @ 1:15 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study (10/10):  We return to our series on the sacraments, and we will now take up a discussion of the Lord's Supper.

The Academy (10/12):  We begin a four week discussion of two important books.  The first book is Ross Douthat's Bad Religion (Click Here).  The second is James Davison Hunter's To Change the World (Click Here).  If you plan on attending, it would be a good idea to purchase these books in advance and begin reading them. 

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

"Follow Me" -- John 1:35-51

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon, the seventh in our series on the Gospel of John.

Click Here

This Week's White Horse Inn

Whatever Happened to Bible Study

On this edition of White Horse Inn, the hosts begin a five-part series on discipleship. This particular program is inspired by a recent Vacation Bible School program at a Houston area megachurch that wowed thousands of kids with a week of entertaining skits and musicals rather than with any traditional forms of Bible study. But is this really the best way to master the message of this particular book? Are we really making lifelong disciples, or just amusing the sheep?

Click Here

The Yankees and Moneyball

The Yankees are expected to win, period.  Although they had the best record in the American league this season, they won their 95 games in a rather remarkable way.

Injures took a huge toll.  Mariano Rivera--the best relief pitcher ever--went down with a freak knee injury early in the season.  Set-up man Dave Robertson fell down a flight of stairs while packing for spring training and missed six weeks.  Michael Pineda--the big off-season acquisition--had major shoulder surgery.  Brett Gardner (the speedy outfielder, who may just be the best defensive outfielder in baseball according to some metrics), went down early on with a wrist injury and missed virtually the whole season.  C.C. Sabbathia was on the DL twice.  During the heat of the pennant race, A-Rod broke his hand, Teixeira suffered a calf injury, and 40-year old wonder Andy Pettitte was having a great season until he stopped a line drive with his foot--breaking a bone.

Two young pitchers (the crown jewels of the Yankee minor league system) were expected to have a huge impact late in the season.  They didn't.   Manny Banuelos had Tommy John surgery.  Dellin Betances couldn't find the stike zone.

So, how did the Yankees win?  With cast-offs--people like Freddy Garcia, Derek Lowe, Cody Eppley, Clay Rapada, Jayson Nix, Steve Pearce, and with smart bargain free-agent signings like Hiroki Kuroda, and with unheralded minor leaguers like David Phelps stepping up big time.

The Yanks have not been big-money players in the free agent market the last couple of years, and they don't sound like they plan to return any time soon.  Instead, they were counting on their young pitchers to carry them while the bad contracts of A-Rod and Teixeira come off the books over the next few years. 

But they won their division by signing players who had never been and will never be all-stars, but who stepped up, filled gaping holes in the line-up, and beating back Tampa and Baltimore.  That is the Billy Beane playbook.  That sounds a lot like moneyball to me.  Not how people usually think of the Yankees.