Category: Social Media

Twitter Food Fights And Servants Of Christ

DebbieLynne Kespert1 Comment

Her grin caused her nose to crinkle as she declared, “I love a good fight!” Probably not the wisest comment to make while discipling eight women in a Tuesday morning Bible Study, but we all laughed along with her. We knew her well enough to know she indeed liked a lively debate and took a little pride in her argumentation skills.

At the time, I felt a bit liberated by her offhand remark. Of course, I would have been careful in making any similar proclamation, and I think I’d feel a twinge of conviction if I ever admitted such a thing.

Read More »

Evangelism Isn’t My Gift, But I’m Responsible To Proclaim The Gospel

DebbieLynne Kespert3 Comments

Untitled-1

To my knowledge, no one has become a Christian as a result of my evangelistic efforts. Furthermore, I’m notoriously shy about face-to-face witnessing. Although I was so bold about the Gospel in high school that I often became obnoxious, college eroded that boldness. Sadly, I never have regained it.

I’ve been thinking about evangelism lately because of a recent sermon our associate pastor preached and a variety of articles I’ve been reading. But the Lord has particularly convicted me about evangelism through Read More »

Truth, Love, And Can Christians In Social Media Really Balance The Two?

DebbieLynne Kespert1 Comment

Balance of Truth and LoveSometimes I log on to Twitter wondering what kind of food fight my brothers and sisters in Christ are engaging in now. I log on to Facebook wondering who will tear my latest blog post to shreds because I’ve said something Calvinistic. I log on to certain blogs that claim to be discernment blogs, only to find them anathematizing sound Christian teachers simply for treating people in false religions with respect.

Conversely, I sometimes log on to social media platforms to find people pleading with me and bloggers like me to stop calling out false teachers (especially Beth Moore). In the name of love, apparently, we should embrace anyone who says they’re Christian despite persistent doctrinal deviations and/or lifestyle choices that go against God’s Word.

As people become increasingly entrenched in either of these extremes, we inevitability fall into Read More »

To Call Out False Teachers Or Not Call Out False Teachers — Does It Have To Be One Or The Other?

DebbieLynne Kespert6 Comments

Untitled-1

Six months ago, I lost a friend as a result of my participation in the Open Letter To Beth Moore. The lady agreed with many of the concerns about Moore, but she believes it’s more productive to teach sound doctrine.

She has a point. As I’ve been saying for a few years now, most of Paul’s epistles confront false teaching by offering the corrective of sound theology. In fact, my primary reason for taking you through Colossians each Monday is to show you how Paul taught discernment without ever naming a false teacher. In studying Scripture, I’ve learned that the apostles very rarely called out false teachers directly.

Furthermore, I’ve seen several self-proclaimed discernment blogs Read More »

Luther’s Greatest Work Came About Because Of A Theological Disagreement

DebbieLynne Kespert1 Comment

Dead Church SteepleReading Martin Luther’s The Bondage of the Will requires determination. I regret to say that I gave up after reading 60% of it. Yes, my degree in English Literature involved reading things from centuries past, so the book shouldn’t have been so daunting to me. I’ve gotten lazy in my 43 years since graduation.

That said, I did actually read over half of it, and learned a lot from his argument against the concept of free will. Luther wrote this treatise in response to On Free Will by Desiderius  Erasmus,  a Catholic humanist who was the first to translate the New Testament directly from the Greek. I appreciated Luther’s ability to reason from God’s Word consistently in making his case. I stopped reading partly because he successfully convinced me that Scripture supports his position.

So why am I writing about a book that I haven’t opened in four years and didn’t Read More »

Why I Started #TellUsBeth On Twitter, And How You Can Help

DebbieLynne KespertLeave a comment

Dear Beth Moore

It’s been just over six months since Susan Heck, Michelle Lesley, Elizabeth Prata, Amy Spreeman and I published the Open Letter To Beth Moore asking her to clarify her position on homosexuality. Aside from some ambiguous Tweets and an admission that she softened her wording in the Kindle version of one of her books, she has never directly answered any of the questions we posed.

It’s odd hearing crickets at this time of year.

Beth doesn’t owe me, as an individual, an answer. She doesn’t owe Susan, Michelle, Elizabeth or Amy, as individuals, answers. I would even say that she doesn’t owe each of the 500+ women who signed the letter answers. Not as individuals.

However! Recently I reread Michelle Lesley’s post, The Mailbag: Questions about the Open Letter To Beth Moore. One point in particular made me think Read More »

Never Underestimate Michelle Lesley — A Thanksgiving Testimony

DebbieLynne Kespert2 Comments

Untitled-1

It’s Thanksgiving Day and I definitely feel thankful! When I posted my need for Personal Care Attendant help during Christmas week on Facebook, I hoped it might help. Usually it generates prayers, but seldom practical offers. Still, I always appreciate prayer.

The Facebook post, to my surprise, bore a little fruit right away. A friend immediately offered Monday and Friday if needed. Someone else might also be available that Friday, which would be great. Okay, two days down. Thank You Lord!

Yesterday afternoon we received a call from Read More »

Throwback Thursday: The Negation Of Reason By Sensuous Minds

DebbieLynne KespertLeave a comment

Originally published September 29, 2017

49575-before2bthe2bcrossThrough a variety of circumstances, I’ve recently been exposed to young women in the Millennial generation. With one notable exception, I don’t really like what I see. The irresponsibility and self-centeredness appalls and saddens me. This generation, from what I see, exchanges reason for experience and pragmatism, paying little attention to long-term ramifications of their decisions. They pay even less attention to how their behaviors affect others.

In short, they possess poor reasoning skills. As a result, they exercise poor judgment, and then cast themselves as innocent victims when they face the consequences of that poor judgment. Between the immediacy of social media and the indoctrination of liberal colleges and Hollywood, Millennials have never learned to think for themselves.

To be fair, those attitudes have definite roots in Read More »

Twitter Just Makes It Easier

DebbieLynne Kespert1 Comment

ConfrontationI don’t deny the ugliness on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. Even in the early days of the Internet, chat rooms and forums provided a sense of anonymity that allowed people to say cruel and vicious things without fear of reprisal. Twenty some years later, the nastiness has reached a fever pitch, with no end in sight.

I respect those who withdraw from social media because it causes them or their loved ones to stumble. Such decisions show a rare and remarkable obedience to Scripture.

29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. ~~Matthew 5:29-30 (ESV)

Having said all this, we must resist the temptation to blame social media for the cruelty permeating our culture. Social media simply makes it easier for us to take nasty pot-shots at each other. But let’s be honest: we would take these pot-shots with orRead More »

Hurt Feelings Can Cripple Our Testimony For The Lord

DebbieLynne Kespert2 Comments

Untitled-1

Measured by today’s sensibilities, people would probably consider me a victim of childhood bullying. Neighborhood kids constantly called me names like “cripple,” “spaz” and “retard.” Mom intervened on the one occasion when the abuse became physical, but she did her best to teach me that verbal abuse could strengthen my character.

Her strategy probably wouldn’t fly nowadays.

Which explains the hypersensitive atmosphere pervading our culture presently. Just this past weekend, a gentleman on Twitter that I consider to be refreshingly chivalrous lamented the loss of the “women and children first” mentality. Almost immediately, a woman accused him of Read More »