The Rise of Polyamory
In this article, I want to describe what, for many, is a surprising shift: an acceptance within some Christian circles of polyamory (simultaneous romantic or sexual relationships with multiple partners). However, if we look at the trajectories of views on sexuality in the last few years, the rise of support for polyamorous relationships, even within...
Curtis Erskine
A Prayer for Forgiveness
The following is a prayer for forgiveness I composed during my own devotional times. The prayer itself is somewhat formal in nature—more so than my typical daily prayers—because I want to foster a sense of wonder and reverence. My hope is that this prayer from my heart may refresh your heart, draw you closer to...
Curtis Sergeant
Developing and Cultivating Patience
“Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.” (1 Thes. 5:14) Whether waiting in stalled traffic, a long checkout line at the supermarket, through endless television commercials, or sitting for the longest red light...
David Roadcup
The Robots Are Coming
The world changed forever at the end of this past November. If you aren’t a very online person, you may not have any idea what I’m talking about. But if you do spend much time online, particularly on Twitter, you are aware of ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence. It is certainly not...
Chad Ragsdale
John Cooper of Skillet on Resilient: Standing Firm in a Hostile World
John Cooper is the lead singer of the band Skillet and an outspoken advocate for the counter-cultural ways of Jesus. Recently, John wrote the foreword for David Young’s new book Resilient: Standing Firm in a Hostile World. You’ll appreciate reading John’s wisdom in this foreword and seeing his appreciation for David Young’s Resilient. This will...
Bobby Harrington
Keep Speaking These Unspeakable Words
We’re discovering some words which used to be fine to talk about, but which now have become increasingly unspeakable. These aren’t cuss words; rather, they’re Bible words. One of these increasingly unutterable Bible words is sin. The culture might still talk about sin as a guilty food pleasure or as a periodic habit of gambling. But when it...
Daniel McCoy
4 Tracks in American Christianity: A Tool for Cutting Through the Smoke and Heat
Christianity in America seems more confusing than ever. Imagine American Christianity as a vehicle that seems to be breaking down on a long road trip. The check engine light is illuminated. The engine is sputtering. The flashers are engaged. The vehicle is pulled to the side of the road. Then, when concerned Christians pop and...
Joel Singleton
Behind the Curtain: How God Built a Missionary Family into a Family of Missionaries
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5). I remember, as a teen, meandering behind my parents as they journeyed from the church pew, up the...
Luke Gray
The Spirit of Community
Community sounds great…on paper. Lived out, it’s messy. We can see how investing in our relationship with God pays off, but relationships with others? Yes and no. The book of Acts is a game-changer. It shakes us up, pointing us to sacrificial, faith-shaping community. At least, until we hit the end of the chapter. Or...
Adam Rice
The Blessing: A Short Story of Loss and Reconciliation
Paul and Eden had adjusted well to life in Rochester, Minnesota. It was now home. They were there for Paul’s job in IT. A major company recruited him out of college eight years earlier. Great salary. Rehabbed bungalow. Fun neighborhood. Made up for the harsh realities of being really far from home and shoveling snow...
Bob Turner
Announcing the Public Launch of Renew Movement Church Planting
The Exponential Church Planting Conference in Orlando, FL, starts today. It is the largest gathering of church planting leaders on the planet with a registered attendance of 5,500 church leaders. I will be leading a pre-conference for RENEW.org and a main track focused on renewing the teachings of Jesus to fuel disciple making. At the...
Bobby Harrington
The Role of Mentoring and Discipleship in a Women’s Ministry
So, what Is mentoring? The word “mentor” originally came from the name of a friend of King Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey. Mentor was entrusted with Telemachus, the king’s only son, while the king was off at war. Mentor showed wisdom, care, and commitment, which are all essential ingredients of a good mentor by today’s standards...
Anessa Westbrook
What Is the Glory of God in the Bible? A Q&A with Donnie Berry, PhD
Editor’s Note: What is the glory of God in the Bible, and why does it matter to learn about? Far from being a peripheral concept, God’s glory is actually central to the gospel—to the good news about King Jesus—and central to understanding God’s agenda for our lives. To help us understand God’s glory better, I...
Daniel McCoy
How Prayer Fuels Disciple Making
Roughly five years ago I had the blessing of sitting in a room with about 20 other lead pastors to listen as Shodankeh Johnson shared about the incredible Kingdom growth in the small West African nation of Sierra Leone. This was, for me, the first time I had heard about Disciple Making Movements (DMM). It...
Paul Huyghebaert
Jesus Is Lord: On Finding Our Identity by Discovering the Identity of Jesus
What does it mean to declare that Jesus is Lord? The Greek word kurios is a word that can mean lord, master, or sir. It is also the Greek word which the translators of the Septuagint (an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) used when translating YHWH, a Hebrew name of God connected with...
Daniel McCoy
Fasting and Prayer: 2 Stories
Fasting and prayer are often combined in Scripture. Both Old Testament followers of God (Ezra 8:23; Nehemiah 1:4; Psalm 35:13; Daniel 9:3) and the New Testament church (Luke 2:37; Acts 13:3; Acts 14:23) combined prayer and fasting when fervently bringing a request to God. This article brings together two stories, one ancient and one contemporary,...
Tina Wilson