Terry Pruitt's Blog

Each of use bring our own experince to the Bible when we read it. Here is some of my own story. I have been reading and interpreting the Bible for years. I first started reading the Bible seriously the summer between my sixth and seventh grade year. Our family was going through some tough times. One night after my mother and I had had a tiff, I prayed that God would change me. Soon after I developed an ear infection and was confined to bed. I was in a lot of pain so I started to read the Living New Testament. As I read the words jumped out at me and felt as though they were especially for me. That season in my life started me on a path of Bible reading. As I approached the text as a young pre-teen, I had little direct guidance from others except that the Bible was true. Through the years, my approach and views of have changed, I hope matured for the better. The interpretive forces in my own life are not uncommon but are how God has sovereignly worked in my life. The goal of...

Leadership Blog: Out of Ur: Brian McLaren on the Homosexual Question: Finding a Pastoral Response : "Brian McLaren on the Homosexual Question: Finding a Pastoral Response" Brian McLaren has written an article for Leadership Journal on how we should be more pastoral in our response to homosexuality. One of the things he says "Perhaps we need a five-year moratorium on making pronouncements." I find the article to be left of my own position. He is trying to meet people where they are, however, his position would miscommunication, as much as it communicates. The main thing that I think it would miscommunication is his proposal for a moratorium on debate of the issue. While he would be wanting to show good faith of open discussion, I'm sure the pro-gay agenda would not do the same. The use of humor in both private conversation and TV has changed the way most Americans view homosexuality. My guess is that most Americans who watch TV are now comfortable with it at ...

At summer Olympics two years ago there was an Aussie blog that focused on the Olympics. They produced a Java Script table that I was able to add to my blog which tracked the medals of the each country. I have been looking for something similar. If any one knows of a similar table, please give leave the URL in the comments.

My daughter showed me this blog of two chinese boys doing some very funny lip sink videos. If you want a laugh you have to watch them. The Dormitory Boys : " The Dormitory Boys We're two boys, and... erh... Chinese. :)"

I have noticed that on more than one occation, people took my blog to be a business blog. While I have a pipe dream of having a small business which includes setting up websites and other modern media for ministry, I don't think that is the main idea here. So to better communicate what this blog is all about, I'm thinking of changing the name of this blog. Vote on the your favorite. Free Web poll for your Web site - freepolls.com Free Web poll for your Web site - freepolls.com Free Web poll for your Web site - freepolls.com

I was looking at a posting on my good friend the Jollyblogger about Rick Warren. Warren is quoted as saying he is against all forms of fundamentalism, Christian, Muslim, secular, etc... and that they are the real enemy. This shows a extremely shallow view of Muslim fundamentalism and of Christian fundamentalism. His mistake is a common one. Muslim fundamentalism is sort of misapplication of the term. In Christian fundamentalism the inerrant Word of God is regarded as such with some other cardinal doctrines. In Muslim fundamentalism has as its goal a religious state that follows the sharia , Muslim civil law. They beleive that impurity of Western civilization has desecrated them and that the road to once again recieve the blessing of their former glorious past is to create Islamic governments. While some would think this is what Christian fundamentalists want, in reality most are decidedly for seperation of church and state. They just don't think that means the state suppo...

Key Words: law, Spirit, flesh, death, condemned, mind, righteousness. Main idea: As we walk in this life we should walk in the Spirit. Outline: 1.We are not condemned because we live according to the Spirit (verses 1,2) 2.We partake of Christ's righteousness as we walk in the Spirit. (verses 3,4) 3.We can set our mind on the flesh or on the Spirit. (verses 5-8) 4.We overcome the flesh and spiritual death by the indwelling of the Spirit. (verses 9-11) Many of the following thoughts were taken from John Walvoord's book The Holy Spirit . Baptism of the Spirit – Cleansing from sin, union with Christ, union with the community of believers. Common experience of all 1 Corinthians 12:13, Matt. 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33, Acts 1:5, 11:16, Rom. 6:1-4, Gal. 3:27, Eph. 4:5, Col. 2:12 Indwelling of the Spirit – Not the image of God in all, but the Holy Spirit coming into the believer's heart to live there. John 7:37-39, Acts 11:17, Rom. 5:5, 8:9,11; 1 Cor. 2:12; 6:1...

A quote of a quote from the Jolly Blogger... JOLLYBLOGGER: Pat Robertson esplainifies himself, or does he? : "“In the book of Joel, the prophet Joel makes it very clear that God has ‘enmity against those who divide My land.’ God considers this land to be His. When you read the Bible, He said this is my land. For any Prime Minister of Israel who decides he will carve it up and give it away, God said, “No, this is Mine.”" I am trying to look up the passage Pat Robertson is talking about. I just do not see where this quote is coming from in the book of Joel . As I search, I see passages that have wording sort of like this but nothing exactly like this. Perhaps I was looking in the wrong versions. What I do see is Joel 3:2 in the NIV: "I will gather all the nations and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there because of My people, My inheritance Israel. The nations have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries and divide d up My...

The American Dialect Society has posted their list of Words of the Year 2005 . CNN had this story posted but the list of words posted on directly on the American Dialect Society website is more interesting. It would seem to me some of the words were chosen for ideological reasons rather than for pure linguistic reasons. Having said that, I would find it difficult to not make ideology a part of how you see the world to include the world of language. Humor is a powerful weapon and making fun of Bush is a powerful political weapon. The top word for 2005 truthiness seems to be a cut on Bush. I actually think the word of the year is a poor one because outside satirical comedy, where is it used. Perhaps it will catch on into common usage. I understand that Shakespeare forged many words that have come into common use . I'm not sure why the ideas of Intelligent Designed are 'pushed' when they could be just 'supported' or perhaps 'persuasively expounded'. The...

I was listening to a debate about whether Google could actually be competing with Microsoft . Several geeks were saying that there was no way that Google is even coming close to putting Microsoft out of business. I don't think that is the point. I think the point is that there is now something that is sort of like a contender for the lead software company. But this line of thinking got me thinking about MS Word and whether there is more people writing on blogging software or on MS Word. My guess is that many people write more on blogging software (typepad, blogger, etc...) than on MS Word. I think I may being writing more via a blog than via MS Word. What about you?

USATODAY.com - Survey tracks 2005's most annoying phrases : "THE ANNOYING LIST Words Lake Superior State has banished 'for mis-use, over-use and general uselessness': Surreal Hunker down Person of interest Community of learners Up-or-down vote Breaking news Designer breed FEMA First-time caller Pass the savings on to you! 97% fat-free An accident that didn't have to happen Junk science Git-r-done Dawg Talking points Holiday tree" I thought this interesting, a list of annoying phrases from 2005. I'm not sure I'm as annoyed with the phrase "person of interest" as the folks at Lake Superior State are. I see it as sort of jargon for saying that police can not say an individual is a suspect, but they need to talk to that person anyway. Breaking news is sort of journalism jargon too. Perhaps that falls into Lake Superior State's category of over-used. And when every story is breaking news, then you have to distinguish it with "late ...

USATODAY.com - Survey tracks 2005's most annoying phrases : "THE ANNOYING LIST Words Lake Superior State has banished 'for mis-use, over-use and general uselessness': Surreal Hunker down Person of interest Community of learners Up-or-down vote Breaking news Designer breed FEMA First-time caller Pass the savings on to you! 97% fat-free An accident that didn't have to happen Junk science Git-r-done Dawg Talking points Holiday tree" I thought this interesting, a list of annoying phrases from 2005. I'm not sure I'm as annoyed with the phrase "person of interest" as the folks at Lake Superior State are. I see it as sort of jargon for saying that police can not say an individual is a suspect, but they need to talk to that person anyway. Breaking news is sort of journalism jargon too. Perhaps that falls into Lake Superior State's category of over-used. And when every story is breaking news, then you have to distinguish it with "late ...

I recently read John Walvoord 's book on The Holy Spirit . While I read it as required reading for a seminary class I'm taking, I found it very edifying and dealt with some topics that I really was not expecting. It would be my guess that the author wrote the book in response to Pentecostal teaching on the Holy Spirit, but it is more than a reaction. The book si a solid theological work explaining the Holy Spirit. When Walvoord is sometimes reacting to Pentecostal teaching on the Holy Spirit, instead of explaining how he came to his view, he occasionally gives in to the temptation of merely saying it is well established from a study of Scripture that his view is what is taught. While most of his fellow Dispensationalists would need little more than that, perhaps a few Charismatics and Pentecostals like to read his arguments against their teaching. Despite this weakness, the books strength is that he does not have an ax to grind against Pentecostal teaching and spends most of h...

Two friends of mine, the Jollyblogger and Reasoned Audacity were cited in Citizen Magazine. Kudos! Citizen Magazine - Cover Story - Pajama Warriors : "Charmaine Yoest, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, actually picked her church in the Washington, D.C., area on the strength of a pastor’s blog—David Wayne, aka Jolly Blogger (http://jollyblogger.typepad.com)—with whom she found she had much philosophical agreement. Yoest herself drives some significant cyber-traffic at Reasoned Audacity (www.yoest.com)—“Daily commentary on public policy and culture.”"