Don’t worry.
The monsters aren’t under your bed or in your closet.
They’re your prized guest. Invited in, or more like…injected through the syringe of convenience and the needle of safety.
The medicine isn’t worse than the cure…it’s the disease.
Author: jonrodebaugh
Surrendering Privacy in Post Modern America
intro: modern privacy
We have all been there.
It may have happened to you this morning.
Let me set the stage.
Your alarm goes off.
It’s set on your mobile phone that is charging next to your bed. (more…)
Steadfast Throwdown
I was recently invited onto the Steadfast Throwdown podcast to discuss my post titled, “Spiritual Daycare.” The segment is about 30 minutes long and includes bump music from my former band “The Sanderlings.” Click here to listen!
A recent interview…
Pastor Peter Burfeind (pictured right) recently asked me to do an interview for his blog Gnostic America. I accepted his gracious request. The fruit of said interview can be found here. Pastor Burfeind also recently released his book “Gnostic America: A Reading of Contemporary American Culture & Religion According to Christianity’s Oldest Heresy.” This book is quickly climbing its way up my to-read list and I would encourage you to also pick up a copy. You can find it here. In addition, Pastor Burfeind is a solid confessional Pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church and Student Ministry which is a campus ministry at the University of Toledo. If you are a person who likes the idea of a solid confessional ministry for college students, then I would encourage you to consider supporting this important ministry. You can do so here .
Spiritual Daycare: Why Youth Pastors Shouldn’t Exist
Let’s get right to it… Do we really need youth pastors? Are they necessary? Are they truly helpful? These are rather taboo questions in the context of current church culture. I grew up hearing the mantra “the kids are our future” and rightly so in a sense (Christ is actually our future…), but is the youth pastor and children’s church adequate means for preparing our future generation? (more…)
Join me at the 2015 Brothers of John the Steadfast Conference!
Greetings!
For all of you Confessional Lutheran or Confessional Lutheran curious folks out there, I would like to invite you to the 2015 Brothers of John the Steadfast Conference! It takes place on Friday February 20 through Saturday February 21 in beautiful Naperville, Illinois at Bethany Lutheran Church. The theme of the conference is “When Heterodoxy Hits Home” and will cover the various false teachings that are infiltrating the LCMS. For more information click here…and here…I hope to see you there!
A Christmas Public Service Announcement (… and Venting Session)
I once again find myself in the midst of December internally conflicted.
While I thoroughly enjoy Advent and the ensuing Christmas celebrations that stir a nostalgic concoction of warm memories and tender fellowship, I cannot help but catch a case of the “Bah, humbug’s.” It’s not that I revel in negativity, or remotely desire it. I enjoy spending time with family & friends, looking at the wonderful decorations and watching classic Christmas films. More than all, however, I want to celebrate the coming of Christ and his eventual birth.
So why the negativity you may ask? (more…)
Quietly coming to a town near you…
This post is strictly for my confessional Lutheran brothers and sisters.
I’ve spent some time researching and writing about a network called FiveTwo. If you are a confessional Lutheran within the LCMS, I encourage you to make your acquaintance with the FiveTwo Network and its founder, LCMS Pastor, Bill Woolsey. My encouragement to familiarize yourself with this pastor and his network is a lesson in discernment. You see, whether you realize it or not, FiveTwo is a church planting network and though it’s not directly funded by our synod, it’s leadership is overwhelmingly comprised of rostered LCMS pastors and their sights are firmly set on transforming our synod. I could write of the vast issues I see within FiveTwo, but for anything to get accomplished we, the confessionals, must take ownership of our synod by educating ourselves about the clear and present dangers within this movement. (more…)
Deja Vu…sort of…
This upcoming Sunday, October 5th, will mark the end of my first year in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. It was, and has continued to be a breath of fresh air. It’s not that my previous 16 years in the Christian & Missionary Alliance were terrible. I had sound pastors that cared for me and always pointed me to God’s word, and although we now disagree on several key doctrines, I am still thankful for the care and instruction they gave me. (more…)
I spy something with my little eye…
I spy something with my little eye…
Picture yourself sitting in your favorite church pew.
Do you see it?
It’s right there…
It’s a staple.
It’s not as if you are actively aware of its presence, but you’d probably notice it’s absence.
It’s usually in the front, left hand side of the sanctuary in most US churches. (more…)
In, With, and Under 