A Suffering Group We’ve Largely Forgotten
If I told you that there is an entire group of people within the United States that has seemingly been forgotten by the church, would I pique your interest? Maybe so, but if not, what if you were to discover that this group of people is taking their own lives at a staggering number of...
Chris Lake
Are All Religions True?
Are all religions true? The idea that all religions are true often feels right to people who separate religious faith from objective truth/reality. Yet these religions themselves teach countless core truths that contradict other religions in irreconcilable ways. Some try to sidestep the problem of contradiction by emphasizing that religion is a matter of personal...
Daniel McCoy
Four Spiritual Lessons From March Madness
March Madness is huge in Kentucky. Traditionally, this region is well-represented in the NCAA tournament. For years, avid fans of the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Indiana University, and the University of Cincinnati have hoped their teams would be serious contenders for the national championship. However, this year, only two of those teams made...
Bob Russell
Reflecting on the Word ‘Revival’
At the outset, let me make this point clear: I don’t ever want to undermine what the Holy Spirit is up to. But language is important, and I do want to suggest that not every powerful movement of the Holy Spirit fits the word “revival.” I want to encourage you to reflect with me on...
Karl Halverson
How Churches Can Engage in Family Discipleship: Q&A with Jay Austin
*Editor’s Note: Why is family discipleship something churches should care about? And how can churches do a better job helping their parents disciple their children? I recently caught up with Jay Austin, family discipleship minister at Harpeth Christian Church in Franklin, TN. Jay is passionate about family discipleship and has been putting together a package...
Jay Austin
What Is the Meaning of Easter?
What is the meaning of Easter? Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, which happened the Sunday after he was crucified on Friday. Jesus’ resurrection is worth celebrating for six reasons: His resurrection means that 1) his execution wasn’t the end, 2) there’s an afterlife, 3) he was successful in saving us from...
Daniel McCoy
What Happened on Good Friday?
What happened on Good Friday? It was the day Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers on charges of blasphemy from the religious leaders. According to the biblical record, his death was a sacrifice meant to absorb our sins and allow us to reenter relationship with his Father. This article lists major events from Good Friday...
Tina Wilson
Five Ways to Disciple People in Light of Easter Weekend
I am a senior pastor; I have been one for more than 30 years. So I know the subtle pressure that can sneak in: to produce, provide, and program for those who show up each week. It often comes from a good place—we want to draw people into our church and keep them so we...
Bobby Harrington
What Is a Eunuch in the Bible?
What is a eunuch in the Bible? Under the Old Testament law, eunuchs were banned from the priesthood and from God’s assembly due to their castration. Yet, we see men in the Bible fitting the description of a eunuch, many whom are depicted favorably and even a unique object of God’s promises. What does the...
Rahel bint Younas
God Renews Youth, Covenants, and Things
God is a God who loves to renew things. Like what? Here are three. God renews forgotten youth. I’m not sure if you look back at your younger years with joy or sadness. Whatever our particular story, it’s true our earliest years are a time of great promise. Our youngest selves were trusting and hopeful....
Daniel McCoy
A Conversation on DMM’s in North America: Q&A with Paul Huyghebaert
*Editor’s Note: Can Disciple Making Movements (DMM’s) happen in North America? Recently, I got to chat with Paul Huyghebaert, one of RENEW.org’s associate directors of learning communities and the senior minister of Grace Chapel Church of Christ in the Atlanta area. Paul has been facilitating some exciting DMM conversations between global DMM leaders and North...
Paul Huyghebaert
If we have not love…
I was deeply moved by this man. A renowned thinker, he wrote a profoundly insightful book on happiness. I have listened to his soothingly deep voice make deep mysteries both clear and attainable for some time now. People like this man make us better as human beings. He is a philosopher, scientist, mathematician, and engineer....
Christian Ray Flores
When the Devil Gains a Foothold in a Nation
“And do not give the devil a foothold.” (Eph. 4:27, NIV) Be forewarned. This article is going to ask all of us to do something that sounds impossible. Especially something that sounds impossible right now. By now, we’re referring to where we sit stunned and sickened in the aftermath of a mass shooting at a...
I Still Go to the North American Christian Conventions (and You Should Too)
I set my single-trip driving record in July 2002. I was 32, a Bible college preaching professor, and I drove from Joplin, MO, to Columbus, OH—10 hours—with only one stop. (My bladder couldn’t handle that now at 53.) Why the urgency? I was registered for the North American Christian Convention pre-conference led by Dave Stone and Rick Rusaw,...
Matt Proctor
Sermon on the Mount: “Lord, Lord”
For most of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has been happy to dance in the fuzzy intersection between the “now” and the “not yet”—between the old age that is passing away and the new age that is breaking in. So, it often seems like what he says could apply to either this life or...
Jeremy Bacon
3 Ways to Respond to Mass Shootings
Have you heard of the “Serenity Prayer”? Although the original prayer written by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr is longer, here is the prayer as it is commonly quoted: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” It’s a popular...
Daniel McCoy