Who Is to Blame When a Faith Deconstructs?
Deconstruction. Have you been hearing that word a lot lately, too? What does this trending term mean? Well, just like it sounds, deconstruction is the opposite of construction. When used about a person’s faith (as it often is), it means rethinking and discarding previously held beliefs. The word has been used by skeptics who leave the faith altogether as...
Daniel McCoy
Practicing Spiritual Disciplines as a Family
No one should expect to be the world’s best football player the first time they step on the field. Likewise, no one can expect to be the greatest trumpet player with only a few hours of practice a week. Why is it that we expect to be able to act just like Jesus in His...
Joel Singleton
Facing Pressure? Remember Your Baptism.
Years ago in the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas, two boys pulled the fire alarm at the Westside Middle School. As the students and their teachers exited the building, these boys began to shoot into the crowd from a slope across the parking lot, killing four students and a teacher. The thirty-two-year-old teacher was hit when...
David Young
What Was Jesus’ Disciple Making Method?
It was a tough few weeks for me. I was juggling my responsibilities with the church I serve as lead pastor. I was working with a small group of senior pastors who were all committed to transitioning their churches to a disciple making focus. And I was trying to learn all that I could from...
Bobby Harrington
For I Know the Plans I Have For You?
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) A key component in biblical literacy is learning to recognize that the Bible is not my story, but God’s story. It’s not first and...
Tina Wilson
A Core Conflict within Atheism
Why do people become atheists? There are many reasons given for why people stop believing there’s a God, but a reason that rises to the top for many people is the problem of so much suffering. Atheist Andrea M. Weisberger explains that there is just so much evil in the world that, if there were...
Daniel McCoy
Sermon on the Mount: Building Your House
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But...
Jeremy Bacon
How to Love Well During Pride Month: 6 Bible Passages
LGBTQ+ Pride Month can bring dilemmas for disciples of Jesus. We want to show our love for everyone, but we do not want to dishonor the teachings of God’s Word about sexuality and gender. As LGBTQ+ beliefs and practices take center stage during Pride Month, many of us may find ourselves in difficult relational and...
Scripture in Black and White Podcast
LISTEN NOW How did we get the Bible? Can we trust the Bible? What are the Bible’s essentials? How do we follow its hard teachings? In this podcast hosted by Renew.org, Bobby Harrington and Anthony Walker discuss these and additional important topics in theology weekly. They dive into Scripture and describe how oftentimes it is...
A Cautious Defense of Boycotts
By now I’m sure that most of you are aware of the Bud Light/Dylan Mulvaney debacle. Just in case you haven’t heard, let me bring you up to speed. In an effort to make the brand more inclusive and less “fratty,” executives partnered with actor-turned-transgender celebrity Dylan Mulvaney for a small ad campaign. Mulvaney, who...
Chad Ragsdale
How to Use Preaching for Relational Discipleship
Preachers have unique opportunities to develop stronger disciples while also enhancing the quality of their preaching. It often feels as if we must choose between two essential activities in order to get everything done that calls for our attention. Employing the sermonic process as a disciple-making tool accomplishes both, reducing the guilt we often feel...
Chuck Sackett
Baptism: What the Bible Teaches
A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING BAPTISM AS A DEFINING COMMITMENT FOR DISCIPLES As church leaders, we see it on people’s faces—they want renewal. Baptism helps disciples and seekers find a renewed faith in Jesus and commitment to following him. The authors…
Renewing Your First Thought of the Morning
And the first thought of the morning is . . . What is that beeping sound? Wait a second. . . . The second thought is . . . Oh yeah, I was asleep and that’s my alarm. Just like every morning. And now that you’re awake and clearheaded, you arrive at your third thought:...
Daniel McCoy
Ash on the Altar: Reflecting on Our Affinity for Idols
Have you ever read through the Old Testament, muttering, “Why do the Israelites keep setting up shrines to pagan gods?” They trembled at the foot of Mt. Sinai as it burned. They were guided through the wilderness by pillars of fire and smoke. Ample food sprang from the desert wastes for forty years. They experienced...
Adam Rice
What Is a Church? The Who.
So, who makes up a church? Interestingly, the use of the Greek word for church (ekklesia) as an intentional assembly is not the only way the word was used in the New Testament. There are two additional ways the word was used that flow out of the primary meaning. First, the word ekklesia is sometimes...
Bobby Harrington
The Use of Programs in a Women’s Ministry
The use of programs in a women’s ministry can make up a large portion of the work a women’s ministry does. A particular program could be held once a year, quarterly, bi-monthly, monthly, bi-weekly, or even weekly. Ladies’ days, craft nights, Bible studies, special seasonal events, and mentoring groups can all classify as a program....
Anessa Westbrook