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The Key to Understanding the Bible: A Story of Two Brave Women
What is the key to understanding the Bible? Although there are helpful tools for understanding the Bible, understanding has more to do with practicing obedience than just learning information. In this article, Renee Sproles tells the story of two Iranian Christians who learned through persecution that “it’s more important to learn just one verse every...
Renée Sproles
How Many New Testament Books and What Do They Teach?
How many New Testament books are there? There are 27 books of the New Testament arranged into five categories: Gospels, Acts, Paul’s letters, general letters, and Revelation. In this article, John Whittaker, creator of the Listener’s Commentary on the New Testament, shares the numbers and summarizes the books of the New Testament. There are 27...
John Whittaker
Letting Jesus Define Our Terms
Words and their meanings matter. When it comes to words like “disciple,” “discipleship,” and “kingdom,” we need to let Jesus define the terms. When we redefine them, these words lose their power.
Jim Putman
Jim Putman
Christian Books Everyone Should Read ASAP—In This Order
Read Chad Harrington’s list of thirty Christian books everyone should read. Each book comes with a short reason and a link to the book. I was the guy who read every page of every book ever assigned in school, so the fact I’m now a book publisher at HIM Publications should be no surprise. My book list...
Chad Harrington
Why Eat Turkey for Thanksgiving? (It’s Not Because of the Taste.)
Why eat turkey for Thanksgiving? It’s because of a mix of historical and cultural reasons, but for 21st century Americans, it also makes for an effective training in thankfulness. Turkeys are unattractive animals which can make for bland food. A turkey’s face is unpleasant, glaring out at the world with a look that is at...
Daniel McCoy
John Kotter on Leading Change: How Kotter’s 8 Steps Connect with the Mission of Jesus
When we consider the principles of John Kotter on leading change, we find a surprising correlation with how Jesus formed his disciples and launched his kingdom. Change in church is sometimes necessary for the sake of greater faithfulness and effectiveness. Yet leading change in church can be daunting. Kotter’s 8 steps to accelerate change can...
Paul Huyghebaert
What I Learn about My Purpose from a Fisherman in the Bible
Simon was a fisherman in the Bible whose catch of fish hundreds of years ago tells me a lot about how I should be living today… When I was a young man, I could often be found riding my bike down a busy roadway toward a park a few miles away. The only difference between...
Stephen Brownlow
Storytelling: What Metaphor Means
We use metaphors often in conversation, but have you ever wondered what metaphor means? A metaphor is a figure of speech which explains a more abstract topic by making a comparison with something more literal that the audience has experience with. The word comes from the Greek noun metaphora, meaning “transfer,” suggesting that a word,...
Taffeta Chime
A Rare Prayer at Chicago O’Hare
My perfect week was rounding the final corner. It was an extrovert’s Eden: Two awesome conferences in the Nashville area (Renew.org and Discipleship.org). More meaningful conversations with people than I could count. Barbecue at Puckett’s in Murfreesboro. Ice cream at Jeni’s in Franklin. Jet’s Pizza—twice! That Friday, I even sat down and conversed with 93-year-old...
Daniel McCoy
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Lessons from Christians in Egypt
Christians in Egypt teach us to care about what’s on the Lord’s heart, as well as to take heart when there is pressure to give up the faith. The woman had been trapped inside the apartment for several months. And as she stood at the window of the third-story apartment, she gazed incredulously at the...
Jake Sutherlin
Invitation to Discipleship: My Story of Being Discipled and Becoming a Discipler
In this invitation to discipleship, Anthony Walker describes how he was discipled to become a discipler. Several times I’ve been asked to speak on varying topics from the epistles Paul wrote to Timothy. Almost every time, my mind goes back to how I relate to Timothy. Recently I was asked to speak from 2 Timothy...
Anthony Walker
Losing My Faith in Progressive Christianity: From Emotionalism to Cynicism (Part 5)
*Editor’s Note: This is Part 5 in a series on leaving progressive Christianity by Dave Stovall, worship leader and former lead singer of Wavorly and band member of Audio Adrenaline. He describes how his journey into progressive Christianity left him dissatisfied and how he found the road to a more sustainable, faithful faith. Here’s Part...
Dave Stovall
Book Review: Jesus in Isolation by Scott Sager
What does Jesus teach us about isolation from his own seasons of loneliness? Having faced pandemic lockdowns and struggled with screen addictions, many of us are no stranger to isolation. Isolation can hit us in various ways, even sometimes when we’re in the crowd. In Jesus in Isolation: Lazarus, Viruses, and Us, Scott Sager invites...
Susanna McCoy
Is Tithing in the Bible? Q&A with Bobby Harrington
Is tithing in the Bible? What does the Bible teach about tithing? In this Q&A article, pastor, author, and Renew.org point leader Bobby Harrington explores what tithing is, why Christians give, and why it’s important to support the local church. Q: What is tithing? Tithing means “a tenth part” (Gen. 14; Heb. 7:2-4). We tithe...
Bobby Harrington
Peter on Water: The Lesson Is Bigger Than We Think
You have probably read the story of Peter on water walking toward Jesus. But what’s really going on in this story? And is there a bigger takeaway than simply that we should take big steps of faith? Stop rolling your eyes, Megan. It’s rude. The voice in my head was stern–yet warm–like a mother who...
Megan Rawlings
The Plague of Control in the Rural Church
What is the plague that haunts the rural church? It’s the obsession to control it. Control is the kryptonite that destroys rural churches. I know this is true in every church, but it holds deeper roots in the rural church. Why? In small towns, the elders and church leaders are the same people who serve...
Matt Stieger
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