What is Good Friday, and why do Christians celebrate it? Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. It is commemorated as the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified. For many Christians, it is a special day of fasting and repentance. Let’s explore Good Friday and what makes a day of execution something we […]
“These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering, which the Lord gave Moses at Mount Sinai in the Desert of Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord.” (Leviticus 7:37–38, NIV) […]
You want to make disciples because it was Jesus’ last command and one of the most important expressions of love you could show to another human being. I cannot think of a more important focus. Disciple making is to help a person place his or her faith in Jesus Christ (evangelism, conversion) and then to […]
It’s true that the Bible talks about parents way more than it talks about grandparents. The most foundational family discipleship passages in Scripture are written with the parent-child relationship in focus. For example: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children.” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7a, NIV) Listen, […]
They come out of their gates each morning and follow him down the street because they know him. In the evening they slip back through their gates as he walks along the street. I grew up as a missionary kid just outside of Mexico City. Our town had a population of 30,000-40,000 people. It was […]
*Editor’s Note: What is expressive individualism and how does it relate to contemporary trends regarding sexuality and gender? To help us understand this powerful worldview, I caught up with Dr. Chad Ragsdale, a Christian thinker on worldview and culture. In this conversation, we talk about modern views of truth and meaning and how Christians can […]
Friends, I’m looking forward to connecting with you in four weeks! You’re just four weeks out from our ’25 RENEW.org Gathering (April 28-29). This week’s sale (ending April 3) is your last chance to get reduced ticket prices. Why make time for the Gathering? Here are 10 reasons you do not want to miss the […]
Author’s note: This is my fourth article dealing with pastoral burnout. Recent Barna research revealed that 33% of ministers had given serious thought to quitting.[1] My own research for a graduate studies project showed 63% of those surveyed had given or were giving serious thought to quitting the ministry. Previous articles provide an overview to […]
Growing up, I remember more than one man who, when appointed to lead Sunday morning’s closing prayer, would always conclude the final benediction along these lines: “and keep us all safe until the next appointed time.” What innocent-sounding heretics we are. Maybe I overstated that. But I want your attention. There’s nothing wrong with praying […]
Editor’s Note: Is generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) a morally neutral tool helpful for generating sermon outlines and small group discussions? Or is it something attractive on the surface but deceptive in its core—which we should avoid in our ministries? As with other issues not directly discussed in Scripture, navigating GenAI calls for a lot of […]
The wait is over, and Renew University’s Certificate in Theology program is now enrolling! The program is designed with you in mind, featuring great courses taught with excellence by teachers who have both advanced degrees and ministry experience. If you are a Bible teacher, ministry leader, elder, minister or pastor, or simply a believer who […]
Faced with one of the most daunting decisions to make, Winston Churchill found himself in a dilemma. One decision would plunge the United Kingdom into world war. The other choice would place the people of the United Kingdom under the mercy of a ruthless dictator. Those within his own government were torn. One party wanted […]
*Editor’s Note: Dr. Tamara Turner is the Chief Executive Officer of Quality Education Academy, a premier public charter school in North Carolina. She is also a Christian who teaches Bible classes and cares deeply about the spiritual survival of the younger generations. Below, Dr. Turner gives six insights she’s learned from helping to disciple the […]
My wife and I were driving to a home we had never seen to help some friends who were preparing it for another family to move into. I typed the address into Google Maps, and we set off on the short trip. The voice told us to turn left, go straight, take another left, continue […]
In Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed, Austin Fischer tells his own story about why he became a Calvinist and why he left Calvinism. Because it’s written as a story, the book moves quickly and is engaging to read. It’s definitely not dry theology. And at only 109 pages, it’s not a long book. As such, […]
Before the pandemic, I think it’s safe to assume many people would not have thought of loneliness as a big issue. Maybe it was an unfortunate inconvenience, but one that was fairly easy to overcome. But once isolation, quarantine, and distance became a reality, more and more people began to understand the impacts of loneliness […]
