Why Did God Hate Esau?
Imagine to your delight that your teenage son begins to read the Bible regularly. You are thrilled. You have patiently and prayerfully sought to pass on the way of Jesus […]
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Churches
All of us have habits. Some good; some bad. In The Patient Ferment of the Early Church, Alan Kreider calls habits our embodied behaviors—our reflexes. Habits are not strategies; they are […]
Good News for the City
We know that gospel means good news, but what does that mean? The gospel has too often been reduced, personalized, and spiritualized so that it’s merely about acknowledging sin, accepting Christ, and […]
Four Rules for Christian Friendship
We know integrity when we’re around it, but what does the word “integrity” actually mean? It’s got the same root word as the one found in “integrate,” “integrated,” and “integral.” […]
How to Avoid Dancing Off a Cliff
God redeems the seemingly unredeemable. Taking that hope as my cue, I’m going to try to redeem some time I accidentally spent absorbed in a Paw Patrol episode my kids were watching. […]
God Is No Respecter of Persons? Dispelling the Myth That God Has Favorites
“God is no respecter of persons.” This is what the apostle Peter concluded when God led him to baptize a Gentile (a non-Jew). Samaritans (Jewish relatives) had been baptized before […]
Losing My Faith in Progressive Christianity: The Fleeting Fulfillment of a Feelings-Based Faith (Part 6)
Progressive Christianity Part 1: Insights from Deconstruction Stovall recounts a season of doubt, questioning a culture built on the sinner’s prayer and feelings-based assurance. The narrative challenges easy-belief formulas, contrasting […]
Are We There Yet? Here’s an Invitation to Join a Groaning Creation.
Just as we are invited to join all creation in glorifying God, we are also invited to join a groaning creation in crying out to him. Hearing “Are we there […]
This Person Has Enormous Power Over You
Not Ashamed and the King Who Rules Your Life Recognize that shame reveals your ruler—whoever can make you most ashamed when you disobey them has enormous power over you. See […]
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 […]
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 Be Baptized for the Forgiveness of Our Sins?
What Does It Mean to Be Baptized? Clear Forgiveness What does it mean to be baptized? Bapism is described as the normative point where faith connects with God’s grace and […]
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 […]
Habitual Sin: Do We Want to Get Well?
Habitual Sin: Do We Truly Want to Get Well? Jesus’ question in John 5 exposes whether we truly want healing or keep waiting in patterns that never change. Habitual sin […]
How People Make the Commitment to Jesus in Baptism
Baptism Commitment and the Covenant Promise to Follow Jesus Baptism commitment is the formal covenant pledge where a believer repents, trusts in Jesus, and receives God’s promises of forgiveness and […]
How to Botch a Baptism
Baptism Fail and the Discipleship That Must Follow Baptism fail occurs when churches baptize someone and then abandon them without the training and relationships needed to grow as a disciple. […]
Why Is a New Birth Necessary?
New Birth and the Restoration of Our Relationship With God New Birth is necessary because sin disrupted humanity’s relationship with God, beginning with Adam and Eve’s choice to do life […]
Does Hebrews Teach We Can Lose Our Salvation? (Part 3)
Eternal Security and the Teaching of Hebrews on Falling Away Explore Hebrews 6 and 10, which describe believers who fall away and face severe judgment. Understand the “by grace through […]
Sermon on the Mount: Fulfilling the Law
Fulfilling the Law Through Jesus’ Completion and Covenant Shift Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount that He did not abolish the Law and the Prophets but brought them […]
A Simple Definition of Grace? Yeah, About That…
Definition of Grace Through Charis and God’s Transforming Favor Charis reveals grace as God’s favor and gifts, shaped by patron-client culture and echoed in Paul’s greetings. Instead of one meaning, […]
3 Stages in Our Fight against Sin (and How the Holy Spirit Wins It for Us)
Fight Against Sin Through the Holy Spirit’s Victory Lust describes the stage where sin feels exciting and rebellion against God’s law seems enjoyable. Disgust begins when you meet Jesus and […]
Can a Christian Lose Salvation? (Part 2)
Christian Lose Salvation Perspectives on Eternal Security The article confronts casual “once saved, always saved” attitudes, arguing that Scripture’s warning passages call believers to ongoing faithfulness. By summarizing the 1610 […]
Preparing for Something Far Better than the New Normal
New Normal in Light of Christian Discipleship Jeff Robertson contrasts the culture’s New Normal with the biblical call to fix our minds on unseen, eternal realities rather than temporary comforts. […]
Q&A – 3 Questions We’ve Started Asking at Baptism
Baptism Q&A Lifelong Discipleship Commitments Through Baptism Q&A, new believers publicly affirm Jesus as King, trust His death and resurrection, and commit to follow Him without conditions for life. Emphasizing […]
Worry: The Acceptable Sin?
Acceptable Sin in the Form of Worry Jesus exposes worry as more than an acceptable habit, calling disciples to trust the Father’s care instead of living like fearful slaves. Anchoring […]
Can Masculinity Be Non-Toxic?
Masculinity in God’s Good Design for Men Scripture presents masculinity as part of God’s creation of male and female, giving men a unique calling to reflect His character in strength, […]
A Brief History of the Bible: From Creation to Now
History of the Bible as God’s Living Word History of the Bible shows that God’s word begins with creation itself, where God speaks the universe into existence and continually sustains […]
What Sets Jesus Apart?
What Sets Jesus Apart – The Hope of His Resurrection Resurrection makes Jesus utterly unique. Unlike any other religious figure, He passes through death into a new kind of life, […]
Righteousness: Given to You and Grown Within You
Righteousness — Gift and Growth in Christ Declared righteous by faith, believers stand in right relationship with God as His grace places them in Christ (Rom. 3:22). Transformation by the […]
Noisy Minds and Honest Relationships – Reflections on “Chaos Walking”
Chaos Walking — Honest Minds, Healthy Relationships In Todd’s world of constant Noise, genuine control means disciplined thinking rather than hiding, allowing empathy to take root. Within trusted friendship, Viola’s […]
What Makes Life Meaningful? Reflections on Disney’s “Soul”
Soul — Discovering Purpose in Everyday Life Through Joe and 22’s story, the film uncovers that meaning isn’t found in talent alone but in embracing the beauty of everyday living. […]
On Gender and the Bible: What Does It Mean to Be a Man or Woman? (Part 10)
Man or Woman — Design, Signs, and Culture Drawing on nature and biology, the article shows how male and female bodies shape behavior and complement one another toward intimacy and […]
If Stonehenge Is Proof of Ancient Wisdom, What Does the Universe Prove?
Universe — Design, Reason, and Worship Stonehenge’s deliberate structure highlights intelligent planning; the far more complex cosmos rationally points to a Designer. Scripture affirms it: Psalm 19 and Romans 1 […]
Losing My Faith…in Progressive Christianity (Part 1)
Progressive Christianity Part 1: Insights from Deconstruction Stovall recounts a season of doubt, questioning a culture built on the sinner’s prayer and feelings-based assurance. The narrative challenges easy-belief formulas, contrasting […]
On Gender and the Bible: Where Does Egalitarianism Lead? (Part 9)
Egalitarianism and Scriptural Trajectories Authors trace how egalitarianism, when unchecked, can override created differences and biblical hierarchies in church and home. The article contrasts secular lenses with exegesis, arguing that […]
Disciples of Jesus Choose Hope – Q&A with Michael Patterson
Disciples of Jesus Choose Hope — Practicing It When Life Feels Heavy Rooted in Scripture, biblical hope is a confident expectation in God’s promises, seen in Abraham’s trust (Romans 4:18) […]
A New Year…in the Eyes of the Lord
New Year — Reading Scripture, Seeing Right in God’s Eyes Through Old Testament history, the refrain “did right/evil in the eyes of the Lord” reshapes personal evaluation beyond comparison or […]
The Stages of Disciple Making: “Come Take Up Your Cross” (Part 4)
The Stages of Disciple Making — Phase 4: Come Take Up Your Cross At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus clarifies His identity and calls disciples to deny themselves, take up the cross, […]
Critical Race Theory: Friend or Foe?
Critical Race Theory — Gospel Framework for Discernment Amid its move from classrooms to culture, CRT now shapes public discourse and even school curricula, prompting fair, informed evaluation. Grounding the […]
Book Review: Jen Hatmaker’s Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire
Jen Hatmaker’s Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire – Biblical Evaluation Drawing on Scripture, the review contrasts Hatmaker’s self-focused identity claims with biblical teaching on sin, grace, and the fear […]
Is a Late Canon Bad News for Bible-Believers?
Is a Late Canon Bad News for Bible-Believers – Historical Confidence Athanasius’s AD 367 list and the Councils of Carthage (397, 419) reflect recognition of all 27 books rather than […]
6 Ways to Emerge from COVID Ready for Hospitality
COVID — Hospitality in Practice From solicitors at the door to neighbors in need, respond with empathy—offer a drink, a seat, a ride, or a shared meal. Scripture frames welcome […]
Emerging from COVID with a Commitment to Hospitality
Emerging from COVID — Hospitality in Practice Scripture urges welcoming strangers; Hebrews 13:1–2 and 1 Peter 4:9 present hospitality as love in action. Everything comes from God; use your home […]
We’re Doing Evangelism in Wartime
Evangelism in Wartime — Field Strategy See the battlefield clearly: people aren’t enemies but souls to rescue, so view conversations through Jesus’ lens and prioritize eternity. Use God-powered weapons by […]
Caution Fatigued, Yet?
Caution Fatigued in the Pandemic: Persevering with Wisdom Recognize caution fatigue can cloud judgment and tempt risky behavior; choose wise, others-first practices anchored in Galatians 6:9 and Ephesians 5:15. Pray […]
Preparing Students for College: Intimate Relationship with Jesus
Intimate Relationship with Jesus — College Prep Insights Students thrive when intimacy with Jesus—not rule-keeping—anchors identity, joy, and worship. Encourage curious faith by welcoming hard questions, grounding answers in Scripture […]
Baptism, Salvation, and Discipleship
Baptism and New Life: Conversion to Discipleship Conversion with repentance leads to salvation. Heaven rejoices over a sinner who repents, as God pours out forgiving grace (Luke 15:10). Union with […]
The Romans 14 Posture as a Guide to Reopening
The Romans 14 Posture and Reopening Churches The Romans 14 Posture encourages unity by reminding believers that disagreements over reopening are not worth dividing the church. Respect for differing convictions […]
Lent & the Value of Subtraction
Value of Subtraction – Practicing Lent’s rhythms Begin by removing what dulls devotion—fasting, repentance, and prayer create space for God to draw near. Remember that God subtracts our sin as […]
What is Mianzi, and What Can Christians Learn from it?
What Can Christians Learn from Mianzi in Faith and Life What Can Christians Learn from Mianzi is shown through cultural insights that highlight humility, confession, and authentic living. By exploring […]
How Progressivism Refuels
How Progressivism Refuels in Christian Thought How Progressivism Refuels explains how inconsistencies among Bible-believing Christians give progressives room to reinterpret Scripture. The article shows that How Progressivism Refuels highlights the […]
The Most Important Habit for 2020
The Most Important Habit for 2020: Daily Bible Reading for Lasting Growth The Most Important Habit for 2020 emphasizes daily Bible reading as the top resolution for spiritual transformation and […]
Freedom Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means
Freedom: Discovering True Submission to God’s Design Freedom isn’t autonomy. The article debunks the myth that doing whatever you want equals real freedom—it often leads to bondage instead. God’s rule […]
Baptism is Beautiful
Baptism Is Beautiful: Sacred Union with Christ Baptism Is Beautiful reminds us that baptism isn’t just a command—it’s a meaningful, joyful milestone symbolizing union with Christ. Like a wedding, baptism […]
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 […]
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 […]