Invitation to Discipleship: My Story of Being Discipled and Becoming a Discipler
In this invitation to discipleship, Anthony Walker describes how he was discipled to become a discipler. Several times I’ve been asked to speak on varying topics from the epistles Paul wrote to Timothy. Almost every time, my mind goes back to how I relate to Timothy. Recently I was asked to speak from 2 Timothy...
Anthony Walker
Losing My Faith in Progressive Christianity: From Emotionalism to Cynicism (Part 5)
This is Part 5 in a series on leaving progressive Christianity by Dave Stovall, worship leader and former lead singer of Wavorly and band member of Audio Adrenaline. He describes how his journey into progressive Christianity left him dissatisfied and how he found the road to a more sustainable, faithful faith. Here’s Part 1 and Part 2 and Part...
Dave Stovall
Book Review: Jesus in Isolation by Scott Sager
What does Jesus teach us about isolation from his own seasons of loneliness? Having faced pandemic lockdowns and struggled with screen addictions, many of us are no stranger to isolation. Isolation can hit us in various ways, even sometimes when we’re in the crowd. In Jesus in Isolation: Lazarus, Viruses, and Us, Scott Sager invites...
Susanna McCoy
Is Tithing in the Bible? Q&A with Bobby Harrington
Is tithing in the Bible? What does the Bible teach about tithing? In this Q&A article, pastor, author, and Renew.org point leader Bobby Harrington explores what tithing is, why Christians give, and why it’s important to support the local church. Q: What is tithing? Tithing means “a tenth part” (Gen. 14; Heb. 7:2-4). We tithe...
Bobby Harrington
Peter on Water: The Lesson Is Bigger Than We Think
You have probably read the story of Peter on water walking toward Jesus. But what’s really going on in this story? And is there a bigger takeaway than simply that we should take big steps of faith? Stop rolling your eyes, Megan. It’s rude. The voice in my head was stern–yet warm–like a mother who...
Megan Rawlings
The Plague of Control in the Rural Church
What is the plague that haunts the rural church? It’s the obsession to control it. Control is the kryptonite that destroys rural churches. I know this is true in every church, but it holds deeper roots in the rural church. Why? In small towns, the elders and church leaders are the same people who serve...
Matt Stieger
Theology for the Church: 3 Ways to Use Real Life Theology in Your Church
Theology is for the church. Below are three ways Renew.org’s Real Life Theology series can be helpful for teaching theology in a local church amid a cultural moment of biblical illiteracy and cultural confusion. When we put together the Real Life Theology (RLT) series, we did not intend for it to sit on the shelf. We...
Renew.org
Adolescent Drug Use: Why Do They Do It?
Adolescent drug use: Why do so many teens experiment with drugs? What do we need to know about the motivations behind it? Case Studies of Adolescent Drug Use Karl[1] was a good looking, outgoing junior in high school when I met him. He was mature for his age and popular with the girls. His parents...
Gary Zustiak
Why did God take so long rescuing His people from slavery?
Why didn’t God just pick somebody from Canaan to start His nation? He could have just raised anybody and created a nation from that. But God picked Abram and led him away from his family and made him a foreigner in another land. And then why didn’t Abram’s descendants get to stay in the land?...
Antonio Cruz
Thank God We Took Our Youth Seriously
The majority of churches in the United States have more gray hair, walkers, and oxygen tanks than young people. Churches are dying and closing their doors daily. Many churches are doing little to nothing to ensure that young people know Christ and become committed to his mission of making disciples. Unless we choose to have...
Kerry Cox
Storytelling: What Are Conflicts in a Story?
In this article, Taffeta Chime explores what are conflicts in a story. Other articles in this series include “Why Storytelling Is Important to the Life of a Christian,” “How to Create Good Characters,” “What Metaphor Means,” “Tips on Writing Stories in Layers,” and “How to Share Stories for a Particular Audience.” When I was nine...
Taffeta Chime
Faith Didn’t Heal My Daughter: A Deconstruction Story (Part 1: Jesus, My Best Friend)
I don’t remember a time when I was not a believer. My earliest memories involve singing to Jesus as a very small child–maybe 3 years old. Mom or Dad would tuck me in at night, and I would wait for them to leave before debuting my latest song for Jesus. He was my “invisible” best...
Mandy Parsons
God’s Word Sermon Tools
Would you like your church to know more about God’s Word, why we trust it, and how we should interpret it? To help churches engage with Orpheus J. Heyward’s God’s Word: The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture, we have put…
Renew.org
Fasting Defined
How is fasting defined? Fasting is taking something highly significant to us and deciding to lay it aside or postpone it temporarily for a spiritual purpose. It can involve abstaining from everyday things such as interaction with people, noise, and hectic activity, but most often it refers to setting aside a time to go without...
Should a Christian Celebrate Halloween? Two Bible Stories.
Should a Christian celebrate Halloween? It’s interesting that you’ll find solid, Bible-believing Christians on both sides of the question. Some Christians will emphasize the pagan influences feeding into how Halloween is celebrated today, while other Christians will emphasize its Christian origins, though most have admittedly been lost along the way. Yep, we’re going there. Sort...
Daniel McCoy
What Is a Disciple?
What is a disciple? A disciple is someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus. The football coach Vince Lombardi (whose trophy is awarded each year to the winning team of the Super Bowl) used to start the year, as he held up the pigskin, with...
Bobby Harrington