Are You Ready to Apologize? A Quick Intro to Apologetics
In this quick intro to apologetics, T. J. Gentry, PhD, PhD, DMin, gives four characteristics we must have if we are to defend the Christian faith faithfully. As a father of five, an oft-used line in my parenting when my kids are settling down after an argument is, “Are you ready to apologize?” Sometimes they...
T. J. Gentry
Pretty Little Lies: Real Life Theology with Renée Sproles
Renée Sproles kicks off her Real Life Theology series discussing the pretty little lies we are told by culture every day. She is joined by David Hunzicker of North Boulevard Church of Christ, as together they explore how damaging these…
Hiring Ministerial Staff Today: Q&A with Tim Foot
Bobby Harrington and Tim Foot, CEO/President of Slingshot Group, discuss the current needs churches face in hiring ministerial staff who are aligned around mission and theology. They also discuss RENEW’s connecting place for job seekers and employers over theological alignment:…
Creating Order in the Chaos: Lessons From a Jigsaw Puzzle
We can learn important steps for finding order in the chaos of daily life by doing a jigsaw puzzle. I recently restarted a very spiritual discipline: putting together a jigsaw puzzle. There is something inexplicably enticing about laying out the fractured pieces, memorizing the subtle nuances of the completed image on the box, and patiently...
Kurt Buhr
Two Dangerous People in Your Church: Heresy Hunters & Tower Topplers
These are two of the most dangerous people in your church because they help create what they claim to stand against. My favorite Andy Griffith episode growing up was “Mountain Wedding.” In it, hillbilly family the Darlings are being harassed by kooky troublemaker Ernest T. Bass, who has declared that he’s going to marry their...
Daniel McCoy
Was Jesus Jewish? A Summary of the Jewishness of Jesus’ Life and Ministry
Was Jesus Jewish? There are four ways in which Jesus’ life and ministry were thoroughly influenced by his Jewishness. He grew up and lived in a thoroughly Jewish world. His ministry was very Jewish. His mission to bring the kingdom of God summed up the entire Jewish hope. And his mission for us, making disciples,...
John Whittaker
Sermon on the Mount: What Is Love in Christianity?
What is love in Christianity? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us the love God has for us and we are called to have for each other. If you made a list of “The Top 10 Greek Words Normal Churchgoers Know,” agape would be on that list. It’s the word Jesus uses for...
Jeremy Bacon
Trusting God When Church Life Changes
When church life changes because of situations out of our control, how can we use the season as an opportunity to pursue God? Our church was regaining her rhythm, as attendance and participation was on the increase. I was back teaching in the classroom on Sundays and leading a discipleship group. Then, we turned the...
Debbra Stephens
So, You Want to Spend More Time With God?
Is more time with God something you wish you had more of, but you’re just so busy? Here are 5 tips for spending more time with God for busy people. When your schedule fills up, what’s the first thing to go? If you’re honest, you might admit that spiritual practices usually face the chopping block....
Joshua Branham
Zacchaeus of the Bible & the Cure for Little Man Syndrome
Who was the Zacchaeus of the Bible? Zacchaeus was a little guy with a massive salary. Although a Jew, he collected taxes from the Jews for the Romans and climbed the ranks to become a chief tax collector. He was loaded and loathed. Something compelled Zacchaeus to throw off what made him feel important and...
Daniel McCoy
God’s Existence: Can You Explain God Away?
God’s existence: is it something fixed in reality or something we can explain away? Here are some tools we might use to explain him away. Can you explain God away? There have been thinkers throughout history who have claimed to be able to explain God away. It’s no surprise that innumerable gods throughout history have...
Brett Seybold
Why Is There Anti-Semitism…Then and Now? Q&A with Matthew Umbarger
Why is there anti-Semitism throughout history and even in our own times? Matthew Umbarger is a Catholic scholar who spent nine years studying the Old Testament in Israel (PhD in Hebrew Bible from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev). He has long had a heart for understanding and loving the Jewish people. I recently caught up...
Daniel McCoy
Complementarian Versus Egalitarian: 10 Questions for Egalitarian Church Leaders
When it comes to the complementarian versus egalitarian debate in the church and home, there are 10 questions to consider which get at the heart of egalitarianism and its implications. These 10 questions will help you delve into important areas…
Complementarian VS Egalitarian: 10 Questions for Egalitarian Church Leaders
When it comes to the complementarian vs egalitarian debate in the church and home, here are 10 questions to think about for egalitarian leaders. For an ebook form of this article, click here. If you are a church leader leaning toward an egalitarian approach to men and women in church leadership, we want to engage...
Who Was David Lipscomb? A Review of ‘Crying in the Wilderness’
David Lipscomb (1831–1917) cofounded David Lipscomb University, served as publisher and editor for the Gospel Advocate, and made a wide-reaching influence on the Restoration Movement’s churches of Christ in the 19th century. Chad Harrington reviews Robert E. Hooper’s biography of Lipscomb, Crying in the Wilderness, to reveal five of Lipscomb’s admirable character traits. I recently...
Chad Harrington
What Is the Worst Sin? A Good Question That’s Killing Us
What is the worst sin? Instead of absorbing the angry answers that come with tribalism, let’s bring the question to Jesus. The story is told of two brothers who were notorious scoundrels. When one brother died, the other bribed the preacher: He would write the preacher a check with multiple zeroes if the preacher, during...
Daniel McCoy