10 Cultural Trends Impacting the Church
I often think about the future. I have a responsibility as the lead minister/pastor in my local church and as the point leader of Renew.org (and Discipleship.org) to help provide spiritual guidance into that future. And personally, my daily conversations are juxtaposed between my talks with my father who is about to turn 89 and...
Bobby Harrington
The Greatest Thing You Can Do In 2023
Paul knew Jesus. He experienced him personally on the road to Damascus. Paul was inspired. Paul had the Spirit. Paul had visions. Paul knew Jesus but there was still much to learn and Paul’s deep desire was to come to know him more! Paul wrote this about knowing Jesus: “But whatever were gains to me...
Matt Dabbs
Why Jesus? My Testimony of Being Found
Jesus will leave a herd of ninety-nine sheep to find the one that is lost (Matt. 18:12-14). Jesus will stay when the whole world walks away (John 14:18). Right before the weight of the world consumed me with its condemnation, Jesus found me and saved me. I would like to share my story of being...
Azariah Estes
Where Does Consciousness Come From? Reflecting on Emerging Technologies
Where does consciousness come from? A persistent fear many have is that emerging technologies will develop consciousness. Many wonder if what we create will eventually, sooner rather than later, gain self-awareness and become more powerful than we can control. So, what exactly is consciousness, and where does it come from? Any sudden leaps in technological...
Chad Ragsdale
12 Bible Verses about Trusting God
Why take the time to walk through multiple Bible verses about trusting God? Isn’t it enough just to, well, you know, trust God? At first glance, trusting God would seem to be a fairly intuitive thing you can do without needing to study what the Bible says on the topic. And yet, as I’ve looked...
Daniel McCoy
Spiritual Gifts in a Women’s Ministry
When it comes to women’s ministry, the word “intentionality” is incredibly important. In the organic, often unstructured, development of women’s ministries, this has often been one of the missing components. Part of building intentionality into a women’s ministry is having an understanding of spiritual gifts and how to incorporate them correctly. Upon our new birth,...
Anessa Westbrook
What Is Church? And How Important Is It?
WHAT IS CHURCH? AND HOW IMPORTANT IS IT? If we could succinctly capture everything God teaches about church in Scripture, there would be three vital points of summary: A Church is 1) a regular, intentional, and relational gathering of Christians, and, 2) the people who…
Bobby Harrington
A Simple Spiritual Growth Plan for the New Year
We like to make plans for a better future. Especially at the beginning of the year. We plan for health (exercise and diet), we plan for finances (401Ks), and we plan for relaxation and fun (vacations), to name just a few things. In the same way, our spiritual growth doesn’t just happen. If we want...
Bobby Harrington
Somewhere Between Now and Not Yet
A little perspective: Sitting at the coffee shop doing some studying and sermon writing is sometimes a mixed bag. It’s great coffee, and away from some of the distractions of my office, but it’s also a public place with other customers. And sometimes it’s a place where young mothers congregate with their two-year-old children. Did...
Jim Frech
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. Spoiled kid-villain Harold Humdinger was driving a special supervillain vehicle and blaring music from his supersonic sound system. It was so loud that it caused...
Daniel McCoy
Sermon on the Mount: Do Unto Others
Do unto others what you would have them do unto you… So that’s the Sermon on the Mount. At least the meat of it, anyway. Matthew 7:12 is the second bookend, echoing Jesus’ opening discussion of “the law and the prophets” (Matt. 5:17-20). Jesus has given us his definitive expression of life in the Kingdom....
Jeremy Bacon
Fools According to the Bible
What are fools according to the Bible? A fool is someone who refuses to listen to wisdom or learn from discipline. Failing to fear God or respect the rules of reality, they repeat their folly much like a dog returns to its vomit. “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a...
Tina Wilson
Top 10 RENEW.org Articles in 2022
So, what does the Bible say about…? As we look through RENEW.org’s most-read articles in 2022, it’s clear that a lot of people want biblical clarity on complicated topics. Whether the topic is sexuality, addiction, preborn life, or spiritual abuse, we need a lot more than our own intuition or other people’s opinions. We need...
Renew.org
The Original Christmas
What do we know about the original Christmas? The more we explore about the roots of Christmas, the more we discover that it is an event anchored in history, not in mere tradition or emotion. This article delves into some of the major historical questions that come up when considering the original Christmas. Christmas was...
Bobby Harrington
5 Reasons for Joy at Christmas
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Is. 61:10)...
Debbra Stephens
Give and It Will Be Given to You?
Jesus once told his disciples, “Give and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:38, NIV). Really? I struggle to see how that works at times. Logically, if I give something away, I no longer have what I once had. But the teachings of Jesus are anything but logical—at least the way the world normally...
Airiel Woodell