Today we combine two chapters, “Good Expectations” and “The Forever Good Life”, for our final post in the book discussion. I will not do chapter synopsis, instead I’d like us to think through this discussion with questions for each of us to consider as we pursue the good life. Chapter 11: Have you had a […]
“Our culture has fed us the lie that feeling good is the highest good.” – Trip Lee Go and enjoy your life. Have sex. Party hard. Travel the world. Do all that you can and do it to the fullest. YOLO!! You only live once, guys! That’s the motto of the day. Do all you […]
“We the Beautiful Eulogy attempt to communicate audibly and visually to help you hear and see the glory of God clearly.” These stacatto bars from emcee Odd Thomas perfectly sum up the music and ministry of one of the most eclectic groups in all of hip hop, Beautiful Eulogy. The Portland, Oregon-based crew gained a […]
Obviously, testimonies aren’t the end of theological debates and should not be. Because we know that God’s grace can shine through even in man’s shortcomings and make much of our mistaken ideas, we should never assume something is right because it works from time to time. So, I’m not arguing for pragmatism. However, testimonies can […]
Jemar and I linked up with Propaganda, Dr. Carl Ellis, and B.J. Thompson to talk Faith and Culture in light of the recent NCFIC panel on Reformed Rap. This is not a direct response to that panel. We focus on the broader problem. See video below! Note: Pass The Mic is the premier podcast of […]
Several weeks ago, Christian Hip Hop’s most visible, accomplished artist released a sequel to his 2012 mixtape release Church Clothes. Featuring a litany of producers and controversial mainstream features, CC1 was the most downloaded CHH project of all time and one of its most influential. Beyond the consumer success of downloads and other acclaim, this […]
Over at Baptist21, Lampmode recording artist, Brian Davis (aka God’s Servant), chimes with a helpful response to the NCFIC panelists. Like many, I was shocked by the recently released panel from the NCFIC on “Reformed Rap”. I wanted to chime in on the dialogue and offer some thoughts- both as an individual that is sympathetic […]
History is alive. And in the United States that history is racial. I recently watched the PBS special, “The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. It is a multi-part series detailing centuries of African American history. The latest episode tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement. The Ruby Bridges Story […]
Dr. Carl Ellis, Jr. has been teaching principles of contextualized ministry for decades. Now he distills his vast knowledge into a three-day intensive course offered at RTS Jackson on January 22-24, 2014. I’ve been a fan of Dr. Ellis ever since a) I found out we were in the same denomination and b) I read his paradigm-shifting […]
“I want you to keep dreaming big, but to do so in line with God’s will. I want you to dream big by faith.” How we measure success has been heavily influenced by how our culture measures success. Trip Lee uses the example of two athletes. We might consider a famous an athlete successful but […]
“We’ve been told by our culture that the most important thing in life is the stuff we can acquire. A lot of people point the finger at hip-hop—but hip-hop isn’t the source of the problem. American culture is dripping with staunch materialism…We’ve bought into the lie that we are what we have, so we spend […]
The first thing you would probably notice about Joseph Solomon is that he’s tall. Really tall. At six foot, seven inches, he tends to stand out in a crowd. But, once you’re in a conversation with Joe, it’s his warmth and love of Christ that begins to stand out. And if you’ve spent any time […]
We are in the third section of the book and it’s time to apply what it means to have the good life. This section is about practical application and we start by addressing good works. “Our sinful hearts are cruel dictators. And as long as they rule over us, we’re not free. We’re robots. But […]
Editor’s Note: This is the first part of a monthly series entitled Lyrical Exposition which will be led by Prince Woodrow. Check back every second Saturday as he examine more songs by various Hip Hop artists. Braille’s Changed Hearts: Notable Lyrics “Search your own heart” “Spark a changed in our hearts” “Praying for changed hearts” […]
“I’ve learned that the good life is not lived in isolation, but rather in community with ‘good people.’” [Tweet ““I’ve learned that the good life is not lived in isolation, but rather in community w/ ‘good people.’””] Christians are adopted into a new family—the family of God. We are God’s children and as Trip explains, […]
As a fan of Hip-Hop and born again Christian, I love gospel-centered rap music. I became a believer at Howard University in late 2004, and when a friend in my dormitory introduced me to Corey Red and Precise’s “Resistance Iz Futile” and Da’ T.R.U.T.H’s “Moment of Truth” albums — I was hooked. I’ve been a sucker for good news […]
Note: Because of our previous discussion we are skipping chapter 4. Today we take a look at The Good Book “God’s Word is the oxygen that He uses to bring us to life. And God’s Word is the very same oxygen that we need to continually breathe as we press forward. If we stop taking […]
Over the past few years, there’s been an undercurrent of frustration among minority leadership in evangelical circles. This has occurred especially among those in the reformed theological tradition. It has often seemed that every conference, leadership panel, or blog entry seems to feature maybe one Black, Asian or Hispanic voice and even that one voice […]
What caused Hurricane Katrina, UFO sightings over Utah, the JFK assassination, the Spur’s NBA Finals loss, President Obama’s re-election, Samsung’s deal with Jay Z, and your flat tire? The answer is easy- The illuminati! Seriously, I wish that it were a stretch of imagination, but not by much. These days, especially in the hip-hop world, […]
“Whether or not we live the good life depends on what we have faith in. The good life is living by faith in a good God.” (p. 38) Many believe that God exists, but Lee believes that it’s more than simply believing in God; it’s believing what He says and ordering your life around it. […]
