Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is Near…and It’s Here
Have you ever looked for something all over your desk, kitchen counter, or workbench with no success only to see it magically appear right where you were looking one minute […]
The Last Will Be First, and the First Will Be Last
The week of Jesus’ crucifixion, beginning with his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his parables and teaching grew increasingly sharp in his condemnation of the religious leaders. He also continued to […]
Politics Is Downstream from Culture? Exploring the Other Side of the Coin
December 30, 2025 Amen to the Warning About Political Idolatry First, a hearty amen to Daniel and Bobby’s recent and excellent article, “The Birth of Our King and Our Country’s […]
King Herod and King Jesus
Herod and Jesus: They were both kings. They both died excruciatingly painful deaths. They both built kingdoms. They both had powerful, formidable enemies. Both significantly affected history. They both lived […]
The Birth of Our King and Our Country’s Political Focus
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.” —Isaiah 9:6a (NIV) Jesus was born into a politically […]
Meekness: Strength Under Control?
December 6, 2025 Once upon a time, so the legend goes, there was a man named Xenophon who loved horses. He loved horses so much that he wrote an entire […]
Normalize Conformity to the Image of Jesus as the Goal of Disciple Making
It’s common to hear that, as Christians, it’s important to be and make disciples of Jesus. But why is it so important? Sometime after discovering that we were supposed to […]
What is the Gospel: And How Do We Respond?
It may be the most important word in Scripture. At its core, gospel means good news. In the ancient world, it marked a turning point—“Something has happened…and because it happened, […]
What DID Jesus Do?
I was in middle school when I got my first WWJD bracelet. It was a black silicone band with white letters, and I can still remember how it felt on […]
Disciple Making, Matthew Bates, and 5-Point Calvinism: Q&A with Bill Hull
*Editor’s Note: Our mission at RENEW.org is to “renew the teachings of Jesus to Fuel Disciple Making,” so we want to take note of an important debate that is currently […]
Citizen of Heaven?
Where you from? A big city lawyer is duck hunting in rural Arizona. He shoots a bird which falls over the fence into a field. As he’s climbing the fence, […]
Igniting Disciple Making Movements in North America: Four Crucial Steps
There’s a question I get asked. A lot. The question church leaders ask me is, “Josh, why do you think disciple making movements are happening in places like China and India […]
Who’s on the Throne?
I’m going to be honest. I am hit—way more than I care to admit—with the realization that my agenda is my agenda and not God’s. I might have just preached a sermon […]
Bringing Our Expectations in Line with God’s Truth
“But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.” (Luke 7:30, NIV) What expectations have we placed […]
Discipling Lost People into Salvation
“Metanoesein kai pistos emoi genesesthai!” These were the words of Flavius Josephus to a group of Jewish rebels in 66 A.D., commanding them to abandon their current course of action and […]
Preach and Normalize “King Jesus”
Christ is one of those words in the New Testament that I believe it is unfortunate that we transliterated instead of translated. Jesus Christ would have been understood in the […]
What Was Jesus’ Core Mission?
I’ve met many sincere Christians who spend considerable time wondering and praying, “What is God’s will for my life?” Maybe you have thought about that question in your quiet moments, […]
What Is the Gospel?
Let me start by stating the simplified answer to the question, “What is the gospel?” The “gospel” is an expression in Scripture that simply means “good news.” It is best […]
Encountering God’s Amazing Grace
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, ESV) Literary editors claim that the phrase […]
What Was Jesus’ Teaching? Rediscovering Jesus’ Primary Message
It would be a glaring understatement to say that the Church today is in deep crisis. And not just local churches and their leaders—but the whole enterprise of global Christianity. […]
What Is the Kingdom of Heaven?
We see throughout the Gospel of Matthew that the kingdom of God is a major theme in Jesus’ message. Kingdom can be thought of as a word made up of […]
The Christmas Gift the World Didn’t Want
During yesterday’s sermon, the preacher focused on the nativity scene and the sweetness surrounding the birth of the baby Jesus, which is the norm this time of the year. But unlike […]
Meaning of “Christ”: Rediscovering What’s Been Lost in Transliteration
The meaning of Christ goes beyond being a part of Jesus’ name. It’s a transliteration of the Greek word christos, which described the anointed Jewish king who was to come. […]
Why Is the Second Coming of Jesus So Important?
Second Coming: Why Jesus’ Return Is So Important Johnson explains that Jesus promised to come again, and when He appears for all to see, it will be too late to […]
How to Tell the Story of the Bible in 7 Kingdoms
7 Kingdoms in the Bible That Reveal the Kingdom We’ve Longed For Biblical history moves through Egypt, Israel, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, showing how human kingdoms repeatedly bring tragedy […]
What Does the Kingdom of God Look Like Through the Church?
Church and Kingdom Through the Authority of the Ekklesia Jesus builds his church as an assembly of kingdom people who display what God’s reign looks like under King Jesus. *Through […]
What Is the Kingdom of God?
Kingdom of God and the Reign of King Jesus The Kingdom of God is the realm where God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven through the […]
Introduction to Kingdom Life: Experience God’s Reign Through Love and Holiness
Kingdom Life and the Questions That Guide God’s Reign Kelvin Teamer introduces Kingdom Life as living under the majestic rule of King Jesus. This series walks through five key questions […]
How Does Faith Respond to the Enthronement of King Jesus?
King Jesus and Faithful Responses to His Enthronement Faith responds to the enthroned King Jesus by living faithfully and pursuing the Great Commission with compassion, hope, and worship despite hardship. […]
Introduction to Faithful Faith: Reclaiming Faith from Culture and Tradition
Reclaiming Faith: A Roadmap for Faithful Faith Mark E. Moore introduces Faithful Faith as biblical teaching meant to empower the church to live authentically and make disciples. Five questions guide […]
How Is Jesus’ Kingship Beneficial?
Jesus’ Kingship and the Benefits Scripture Describes Clarify what kind of King Jesus is—crowned with thorns, born in a manger, and riding on a donkey—so his kingship isn’t left ambiguous. […]
Why Do We Need Royal Good News?
What is the Gospel and Royal Good News Royal good news is necessary because God’s gospel restores His original purpose for humanity to reflect His image and rule on His […]
Book Review: The Man Called Messiah, by Corey Stumne
The Man Called Messiah and a Slow Motion Look at the Cross The Man Called Messiah draws readers into Jesus’ betrayal, flogging, death, burial, and resurrection with gritty detail and […]
What is the Gospel?
The Gospel: What It Is and Why It Truly Matters The Gospel announces Jesus as the saving King—promised, incarnate, crucified for sins, buried, resurrected, enthroned, and returning to rule. Counterfeit […]
Introduction to The Gospel Precisely: Surprisingly Good News about Jesus Christ the King
The Gospel Precisely: Why the Gospel Must Be Clear The Gospel Precisely equips believers to participate more fully in God’s saving mission by learning the gospel with greater nuance and […]
The Gospel Precisely Author Q&A – Matthew Bates with Bobby Harrington
Definition of the Gospel: Clear & Urgent Q&A Definition of the Gospel is clarified as the story of Jesus the saving King—sent by the Father, incarnate in David’s line, crucified, […]
What Does It Mean to Confess Jesus as Lord?
Confess Jesus: What It Means to Boldly Declare Him as Lord Declaring Jesus as Lord means pledging loyalty to Him as King and rejecting every rival claim to rule your […]
Mirage #4: I Want to Find Peace through Trusting What I Can’t Trust
Find Peace in Trust — Lasting Assurance Chasing stability in possessions, people, or success only ends in disappointment because all earthly things fade away. Jesus alone has proven trustworthy through […]
A Resilient Church in a Cancel Culture
Cancel Culture — Practicing Church Resilience Grounded in disciple making, the church develops resilient believers who hold to biblical convictions with joy and courage. Facing cultural pressure, Christians reject timidity […]
When the Foundations Are Being Destroyed
Foundations That Endure Through Faith Discover how Foundations grounded in God’s Word give strength when society feels unstable and divided. Explore David’s Psalms to understand why trusting the Lord offers […]
Break for…a God-Sized Question
God-Sized Question and the Transfer of Authority Scripture shows the Father giving “all authority” to Jesus (Matthew 28:18), a loving move that secures His family’s honor. Against the Accuser’s challenge, […]
Kingdom VS Democracy
Kingdom VS Democracy—Following a Higher Rule Kingdom VS Democracy contrasts the sovereignty of Christ’s Kingdom with the self-governance ideals of democracy. Jesus’ Kingdom perspective demands submission to divine authority, not […]
The Herod in Me
Herod and the Fight Against the True King Herod’s story in Matthew 2 reveals not only a king’s fear of losing power, but our own reluctance to surrender to Jesus. […]
See if You Can Catch the End Result of the Gospel
Catch the End Result of the Gospel – Why Allegiance Matters Paul explains the Gospel’s true aim. In Romans 1 and 16, Paul teaches that the Gospel is meant “to […]
Just What IS the Gospel?
What IS the Gospel in Its Biblical Fullness? The Gospel is often viewed incompletely, like seeing a single rosebush through a dusty window instead of the full, vibrant garden it […]
3 Dilemmas, 2 Discoveries, and 1 Desire: My Thoughts on Matthew Bates’s Gospel Allegiance
3 Dilemmas, 2 Discoveries, and 1 Desire: A Gospel Wake-Up Call Evangelism often lacks depth, leading to conversions without lasting discipleship or allegiance to King Jesus. Misunderstandings about the gospel […]
Triumph.
Triumph Proclaims Christ’s Unmatched Victory Triumph explores Paul’s portrayal of Jesus publicly defeating and disarming the powers of darkness at Calvary. The narrative compares Rome’s majestic triumph parades to the […]