Do I think that movies like Avatar are too pagan for Christians to watch?

Someone emailed me with that question this week. I’m posting our exchange here in the hope that you’ll find my answer helpful. Pastor Scott, I, too, am a recovering fundamentalist. So I really have enjoyed your web sites and the focus of your church. I would like your take on a topic that has me

Maybe You Think They Went Too Far, But Maybe They Didn’t.

Maybe we haven’t gone far enough. Ian D. Campbell writes at the Reformation21 blog: Some of today’s Scottish newspapers are running a story about our local school’s girls’ football team. Against all the odds, they beat off older teams from larger schools all over Scotland, to reach the final of a national tournament sponsored by

How Do You Admonish Someone on A Debatable Issue in the Church?

The answer to that question is in an email I got after a great discussion we had in our Sunday evening Bible study this week. I’ve posted it below. But let me put it in context for you. Our study of Acts has reached the episode of the Jerusalem Council in chapter 15. This is

Inside the Legalist Mindset, Part 7: Authoritarian Attitude vs. Student Attitude

One attitude of legalists that stands out among all the others is the attitude of being an authority on most spiritual matters. Once legalists start down the road of collecting all the right rules, and tightly defining what a Christian ought to be in nearly every detail, it isn’t too long before they start to

Inside the Legalist Mindset, Part 6: Under-defining Legalism and Over-defining Sin

The word “legalism” is a loaded term. Nearly every group that uses it has something slightly different in mind. From my experience, the type of legalists I have been writing about in this series make the mistake of defining legalism too narrowly. They only define it as the attempt to add works to salvation. But

Inside the Legalist Mindset, Part 5: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Peer pressure in legalistic circles is HUGE! It’s sly, it’s subtle, and it’s powerful! But legalists misunderstand peer pressure. They think it is the way God keeps them on track. In fact, it’s hard for a legalist to discern that it’s peer pressure because it’s confused with the Holy Spirit’s inner working on our consciences.

Inside the Legalist Mindset, Part 4: Gluttons for Punishment

After my exodus from legalistic fundamentalism several years ago, someone, appalled at our “compromise,” asked my wife, “So what’s he going to preach about now, love?” They were sure that if I wasn’t going to preach about women in pants, going to the movies, listening to “ungodly music,” how terrible Southern Baptists were, and the

Inside the Legalist Mindset, Part 3: Perpetuating Immaturity and Pride

As a new believer in Christ, my heart was on fire with love for the Lord and His Word. I had come out of such darkness and sin, and now my life had been radically turned around. My passions for the Lord that were strong and my heart burned with a single desire: to be

Inside the Legalist Mindset, Part 2: Piled Higher and Deeper

A legalist never met a rule he didn’t like. Well, not exactly. But it is true that legalists are always on the lookout for more standards. Call them rule collectors, if you like. There’s good reason for it too: rules are addictive. Now try not to swallow your tongue with this analogy, but sadly, it

Inside the Legalist Mindset, Part 1: There’s No Such Thing as Christian Liberty

I’ll never forget a close friend of mine telling another man in our church one Sunday, “There’s no such thing as Christian liberty!” This was a line in the sand for my friend, as well as for me, since he became a long-time mentor in my life. See, the man he told this to was