Josh Benner

Category: Culture

  • If you’re not first, you’re not last

    If you’re not first, you’re not last

    In his last solo race as an Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps, the greatest swimmer of all time finished tied for second. I was struck when I heard people saying that Phelps “lost” the race. True. He didn’t win. But he was the silver medalist!

  • The importance of the Old Testament to the New Testament

    I recently had a friend ask me a question about a verse in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Paul will have passages where every verse seems to have different possible interpretations and where they can seem impossibly difficult. As I was researching this complicated passage, I couldn’t help but think “The Old Testament is so much simpler!”

  • Having an “all things to all people” ministry mindset

    In 1 Corinthians 9, the Apostle Paul gives an insight into how he approached ministry. After discussing how he related to Jews, gentiles, and those whom society had looked down upon, Paul sums up how he related to each of these groups by saying that he became “all things to all people.” For the Jewish…

  • The Passion: gospel musical on Fox

    Fox aired “The Passion” tonight which was the passion narrative in a contemporary setting, told with popular music. Songs from groups and artists like Whitney Houston, Jason Mraz, Imagine Dragons, Creed, and Jewell were featured. I think it’s helpful to see that popular songs can carry deep Spiritual themes. In a culture that is becoming…

  • Popular pastor switches sides on gay marriage

    At 80 years of age, Tony Campolo has been a well known speaker and pastor in Christian circles. Yesterday, Campolo released a statement where he now affirms same-sex marriage. His more recent public position on the matter had been that it was not sin to be gay, but that it was a sin to act…