Paul de Vries

Latest

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  Apr 23, 2015

  Common Core, School Failure and the Church to the Rescue?

  The increasing failures of our schools are not primarily the fault of the education establishment or the teachers. The problem is that we dismantled the prize-winning, God-ordained architecture of education that made our country great. It is time to restore the successful education architecture, at least wherever you and I have influence.

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  Apr 12, 2015

  Can 'A.D. The Bible Continues' Lead People to the Best Book for Another Look?

  Can we rediscover the joy of deep reading and engagement with Bible texts? Can the "A.D. The Bible Continues" epic series draw our attention back to the best Book for another look? Can we experience again the richness of the grace of Divine revelation?

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  Mar 4, 2015

  Why Should Christians Care About the Jewish Holiday Purim?

  The annual Purim date is fixed at about one month before Passover, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday. It is seen by some as a strictly Jewish holiday, but since we Christians are fully "grafted into" God's special relationships, it makes sense for us to celebrate Purim as well.

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  Feb 19, 2015

  FBI Director James Comey Sees the Path to Racial Understanding

  On February 12, 2015 – exactly 150 years after Abraham Lincoln's final birthday – Federal Bureau of Investigations Director James B. Comey gave one of the most wise and relevant perspectives on the racial issues of 2015 in a 23 minute speech at the Jesuit Georgetown University. Even through the media sound-bites, the timeliness and truth of Director's comments were cogent, clear, and widely praised. I

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  Feb 8, 2015

  Biblical Creation Care Is Not a Climate Issue

  One of the greatest beauties of Biblical living is that it does not depend on the weather! Weather and climate issues have often worked to awaken people to their Godly responsibilities, but many of those human responsibilities have been defined from the beginning.

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  Jan 30, 2015

  Why Volunteer Service Embodies the Spirt of Christ

  "Tutor 2-hours a week and benefit 2-people forever," I just heard someone wisely advise. So very true. That quote captures one of the most important expressions of faith, hope and love in any community – the volunteer spirit. Every act of devoted action to give faithful, informed, regular service to address needs within our communities or on mission trips can embody the very spirit of Christ. That joyful ministry service can be a measurable benefit both to the people who are helped and to the vo

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  Jan 23, 2015

  In Redeeming Racial Relationships, It Matters How We Look

  This is deeply encouraging, because Gospel-teaching churches must take bold Biblical leadership on the present American racial scene for there to be real progress. The very institutions that remain so embarrassingly segregated on Sunday mornings can become the brightest, exemplary beacons of light for racial justice and reconciliation going forward. This is also a personal passion; racial social justice has been a constant and costly major theme of my life and ministry.

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  Jan 10, 2015

  Christian Philosopher: Why the 2014 Protests Missed Their Mark

  Many of the 2014 protests have missed their mark. At the risk of oversimplification, we believe that there are two profound traits that distinguish many of the 2014 protests. If we deal with these two profound traits, we can achieve the needed social changes more effectively in 2015 and beyond.

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  Nov 27, 2014

  Happy Progressive Thanksgiving: How 'Gospel Progressives' Transformed American Culture

  This Thanksgiving, let us all joyfully thank the Lord God for his sovereign grace, shaping Gospel Progressive leadership at so many points throughout history. Also, let us thank the Lord God for his amazing grace empowering you and me to continue this precious progressive Gospel witness and work now.

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  Nov 13, 2014

  Happy 1660th Birthday: Augustine's Enduring Appeal Is His Personal Passion for the Living Lord

  Of the hundreds of thousands of published Christian writers over the centuries since the Scripture books were complete, none have had a level of influence to compare to Augustine. Even now in 2014, he remains a #1 favorite for huge numbers of both Evangelical leaders and Roman Catholic leaders. He was a scholar and an evangelist; he was a faithful senior leader of the church universal and a charismatic healer who made house calls. Now he is 1660 years old. Happy Birthday, Augustine!