Spiritual Life

Interview with Douglas Jacoby about Spiritual living on Relate4ever Publishing as seen http://relate4ever.com/spiritualiving-interview-drdj

Art by Catherine Williamson | Learn more at www.catherinescolors.com “The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name… Read More

  Carefully Steward Your Power The following post are excerpts from “Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World” by Peter… Read More

​ I grew up in the late 70’s and the 80’s. I remember when everything was Satanic. Rock music was Satanic. Movies were Satanic. He-Man was Satanic. Even Johnson &… Read More

January Refreshment is Coming…. I know it’s only the start of December, but it’s never too early to start thinking about what’s coming round the corner. The seasonal rush will… Read More

​ ​ ​ What is the gospel? Why aren’t more Christians making disciples? The answers to these two questions are inextricably linked. Our definition of the gospel will affect if… Read More

From Mike: GratitudeSeveral new donors have joined us. Thank you!  ActivitiesIn November, the majority of my work involved editing a chapter I wrote, “Did Jesus think he was God?” that… Read More

All classes from 27 November’s UK Teaching Conference are now available. This highly interactive session involved participants from 12 countries. The principal speakers were Andy Boakye (Manchester), Malcolm Cox (Watford),… Read More

Watch this short video and see! What People Are Saying about the Biblical Study Tours

Joy Fueled – Guilt or Joy? The following excerpt from chapter three of Joy Fueled is posted by permission from co-author Dr. Kent Smith from Abilene Christian University. Posted November… Read More

 On October 4, I debated atheist New Testament scholar Dennis MacDonald. For two decades, MacDonald has been contending that the Gospels are almost entirely literary fictions, created to imitate and… Read More

Feast on God’s Word Jesus insists, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4, quoting Deut. 8:3). As bodies… Read More

Christians must reclaim Jesus from his church. By Peter Wehner, Oct 24, 2021 About the author: Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy… Read More

In ‘A Church Called Tov,’ Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer argue that churches can be places of love and healing. Jennifer Shewmaker Sharp divides have split congregants at the 2021… Read More

October 2021 Video Highlights The Short of It: One-Minute Video Some of today’s most commonly-quoted and best-loved Bible verses are frequently taken out of context. One example is Philippians 4:13: “I can… Read More

Meaningful Membership What is church membership? It’s the commitment Christians make to keep one another accountable for regularly gathering and centering their lives together on the gospel. That commitment and… Read More

I Have A Better Idea – Francis Chan Written by Francis Chan, Until Unity, Page 67-68 (digital book – Scribd), 2021 Sometimes the dream of a united church feels unattainable,… Read More

Eddie Jaku, holocaust survivor, shares his inspiring story (at age 99). He passed away at 101 in 2021. Watch this Ted talk (less than 12 minutes), along with the transcript… Read More

If you missed The Genius of Jesus’ Teaching, with Dr. Peter J. Williams, the recordings have graciously been released by FOCL. American Friends of Tyndale House is pleased to share the… Read More

Read this article, by Sam Laing, here.

The latest article in this series explains Biblical Justice and compares it to other justice philosophies of the world. CLICK HERE for the article.

CGU Podcast on our website CLICK HERE  CGU YouTube Channel CLICK HERE See past CGU essays  CLICK HERE          To find out more about the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement (who or what it… Read More

The Nature of Christian Unity: Historical Understandings of Churches of Christ Written by Douglas A. Foster, The below are excerpts from a paper presented at the Stone-Campbell Dialogue in June… Read More

A few years back J. Warner Wallace and I spoke with a dozen pastors who were skeptical about the importance of apologetics. I followed Jim—which is not an easy task—and… Read More

A Church Called TOV (Good) Review written by John Teal, September 17, 2021 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was… Read More

Britain’s first drunk driving arrest, according to History.com, took place in 1897, when a taxi driver slammed into a building at a speed of 25 mph. It’s obviously a good… Read More

SPENDING TIME WITH GOD, PART 2 Adapted from Part 1 of Be Still My Soul Spending time with God outside our usual routine and environment is helpful and essential in developing intimacy with Him. We see… Read More

Most adult US Christians don’t believe Holy Spirit is real: study By Leonardo Blair, Christian Post Reporter Parishioners of Lakewood Church led by Pastor Joel Osteen pray together during a service… Read More

United but with Disagreements Written by Alan Rouse – repost from christianunityblog.net  / Editors note: While Alan addresses a current point of disagreement, this essay provides biblical guidelines for any disagreement. Thank… Read More

by Sam Laing, June 12, 2021 In this article, I am excited to introduce a new series based on my book Be Still My Soul: A Practical Guide to a Deeper Relationship… Read More

What Can We Learn from the Jerusalem Council? Reprinted from https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/what-can-we-learn-from-the-jerusalem-council/ Paul Carter, July 27, 2020   The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 provides a fascinating window into the way… Read More

New post on Stepping into the Jordan The Deconstruction Zone by Rob Kranz My wife recently confided to a friend that “she couldn’t talk to me about the Bible anymore.” I… Read More

June/July 2021 • Volume 50, Number 6/7 • Abigail Shrier Abigail Shrier Author, Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters Abigail Shrier is a journalist and author. She received her A.B. from Columbia College,… Read More

Where can we find hope? Watch this sneak peek of Thursday’s conversation, Being Human with Jane Goodall and Francis Collins This is the textbook definition of being out of one’s league—but, wow, was… Read More

Written by Derrick Jones, July 3, 2021 On the surface, the above title might sound like a good thing, but in my view, it is not. Let me elaborate on… Read More

Summer solstice, 2021 In our corner of the northern hemisphere, this week’s solstice has brought amazingly long days—with first light at 3:26 am and last light at 11:06 pm. Everyone’s… Read More

by Greg Koukl Pronouns matter. I realize they seem like inconsequential little things—him, her, he, she. No big deal. But if pronouns really were “inconsequential little things,” then why has… Read More

​ Discipleship-first Friends, Today’s guest blogger is John Whittaker. John has spent 30 years as a pastor and Bible college professor, and helped thousands of people follow Jesus by learning… Read More

Stepping into the Jordan And Your Little Dog Too! by Rob Kranz Tone of voice can make all the difference. Is a statement meant to be serious? Humorous? Sarcastic? Without other… Read More

I recently took an afternoon to hang out with a pastor friend of mine. Nice guy. But the impression he left me with as I got on the highway to… Read More

Relational Unity Written by Alan Rouse, May 29, 2021 Here is holy ground; here is the gate of heaven. No such prayer was ever heard before or since. It could… Read More

Has the Cross Lost its Shame? by Rob Kranz Two weeks ago, I received my MA in Old Testament from Abilene Christian University, which is another step towards my goal. My path,… Read More

Daniel McCoy | Bio *Editor’s Note: For Part 1 (“How to Read the Bible like a Progressive”), click here. In 2014, the late Rachel Held Evans wrote an autobiographical account called Faith Unraveled. It… Read More

By P. Kent Smith What will it take for Americans to come to know God for who God really is? In the face of the epidemic distractions presented by American… Read More

We’re about to Make a Big Mistake – Reflections on Rebecca McLaughlin’s “The Secular Creed” Daniel McCoy | Bio In describing the big mistake our culture is making, I’m going to point… Read More

  “the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” (Psalm 139,12) Darkness can be terrifying. It contains the potential for great danger. A female friend… Read More

http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/lessons-from-dunning-kruger/#more-7303 . Not sure how I found this, and I’m not really a reader of psychology blogs, but I found this to be very interesting. I’m not sending to you… Read More

Written by John Teal, April 24, 2021 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…. Read More

How to read the Bible like a progressive—is that really a good idea? No, I’m not suggesting you try this. In fact, I’m going to suggest that you learn how… Read More

“The One Thing” by John Porter At the end of your life, if you could pick one thing that you would like to have accomplished, what would that one thing… Read More

REAL LIFE WITH GUY HAMMOND Four Strategies to Living a LIFE of Daily PEACE Strategy #1 Spend time with people who will complete you, not those who will deplete you. Take just 10 mins… Read More

At the end of your life, if you could pick one thing that you would like to have accomplished, what would that one thing be? Generally people do not answer… Read More

Treating Every Person with Dignity, Kindness and Respect, While Standing for Biblical Truth Can a Person be Gay and a Christian at the Same Time? One of the greatest problems facing… Read More

Hugh Hewitt begins In, But Not Of—his wonderful handbook for cultivating one’s professional life as a force for Christ—with these words: The effective and mass communication of the gospel depends upon… Read More

Written by Clint Mosley, February 27, 2021 As we close out Black History month, I will call our attention to a pair of individuals who embodied an exemplary posture of… Read More

This world has so many problems. We try to solve them through political means and through our freedoms to protest—and even aggressively comment about our leaders. When we think about… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 28, Eutychus (15 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introductory The miracle will take… Read More

Listen to The Dangers of Critical Theory from Reasonable Faith Podcast on Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dangers-of-critical-theory/id252618197?i=1000451243699

To listen to CLEAN podcast 27, Tabitha (Dorcas) (13 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introductory Today’s reanimation is well-known… Read More

Review: ‘Irreversible Damage’ by Abigail Shrier JANUARY 29, 2021  |  SHARON JAMES “Dancing mania” hit the city of Strasbourg in 1518, and some people danced until they died of exhaustion. Numerous children… Read More

Social media has become an inferno of insults and anger. And sometimes even professing Christians add to the rage without thinking about the foolishness of spewing verbal abuses. We need… Read More

Plandemic? QAnon? Bill Gates creating COVID-19? As the novel coronavirus has traveled around the world, so too have conspiracy theories about the origins of the disease and the winners and… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 25, Jairus & Daughter (13 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introduction Review: There are three… Read More

​ ​ ​​ ​ Dear Discipleship-first Friends, This post is part of series by Discipleship.org leadership, which gives reasons why we believe that Jesus-style disciple making is the best path forward for… Read More

Treating Every Person with Dignity, Kindness and Respect, While Standing for Biblical Truth Catch Up on our latest Podcast Episodes Candid & Engaging Conversation on Topics You Won’t Hear Anywhere Else! Oh Yeah,… Read More

ABOUT: Compassion fatigue is a term first coined in the 1950s to refer to the stress and mental exhaustion experienced by persons in the “helping professions” as a result of… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 24, The Widow of Nain & Son (13 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introduction… Read More

Revisiting the Term “Missionary” Written by Nadine Templer, January 16, 2021 Many of us (myself included) have been known as “missionaries.” I currently live in Nepal, and I spent most… Read More

I saw this on the BBC News App and thought you should see it: Why our pursuit of happiness may be flawed It is an emotion linked to improved health… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 18, The Slave Girl of Acts 16:16 (14 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introduction… Read More

More Than Leaves: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” Written by Dr. Tim Willis, January 9, 2021 Isaiah 5 opens with a song that captures the Lord’s disappointment with Israel…. Read More

Many congregations canceled services, and some Christians focused on feeding and nursing the poor. John Mark Hicks  NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville saw its first case of the “Spanish flu” in late… Read More

The Christian Chronicle’s top stories on the coronavirus pandemic. Bobby Ross Jr. Editor-in-Chief Look to The Christian Chronicle for in-depth coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. From Christians battling the virus to churches… Read More

Click here for the podcast version “Happy New Year!” I hope you had a cracking Christmas, but also a wonderful New Year. It’s two days into 2021, the sun is… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 17, The Synagogue Demoniac (11 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Scriptural study: Mark 1:21-28 Jesus… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 16, Father & Son (14 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introduction Yesterday: mother/daughter;… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 15, Mother & Daughter (14 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introduction Some of those… Read More

Let There be Peace on Earth! And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven,… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 14, The Gerasene Demoniac (14 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Scriptural study: Mark 5:1-18… Read More

A you celebrating a Blue Christmas? Are you celebrating a Blue Christmas? Childhood memories linger from years past: eager anticipation, a shiny new red bicycle, new clothes, or that unexpected… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 13, Mary Magdalene (13 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introduction Demons are never explicitly… Read More

Sermon given by Douglas Jacoby on November 18, 2020 in the North River church, Atlanta, in their ‘Joy of Giving’ series. His message is on ‘Roadblocks’. Click here to watch.

New Perspectives From Strength in Weakness Ministries Volume 24 | November 13, 2020 A SIW Member’s Bi-Weekly Update Video Series for Parents Watch Part 4 of this AMAZING  Video Series… Read More

Who Will Have Your Attention? Clinging to Christ in the Digital Age Scripture: Proverbs 27:20, Mark 9:7, Colossians 3:1–3, and Hebrews 2:1 As you know, our world offers us a feast of new multimedia… Read More

“From Me to We” – Nadine Templer A couple of months ago our family moved from the suburbs of Washington DC to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal – places with… Read More

Christians have been caught off guard. The current revolution sweeping society today was largely unexpected by most believers. That’s understandable in one sense. Who knows what new philosophy will capture… Read More

Can We Begin With Solitude? I am honored that John Teal, one of my former students at CCCB, asked me to contribute to the Common Grounds discussion. He asked me… Read More

This double presentation was given to the Winnipeg Church of Christ Campus & Teens on November 7, 2020. Moral Boundaries Presentation: Click HERE OT Class Presentation: Click HERE

Watch this workshop, “Unity & Relationships in the Church” sponsored by Women of Worth in Bangalore, India. The file begins with an interview, the lesson following at about 11 minutes… Read More

Treating Every Person with Dignity, Kindness and Respect, While Standing for Biblical Truth Live a Life  of Daily PEACE John 14:27  

Standing at the Crossroads One Sunday in the 1980s, serving as a campus minister, I found myself standing at the crossroads in front of our church building. I was debating… Read More

Teleios is the journal of the Teleios Society. The Teleios Society exists to promote holistic Christian spirituality in the lives of disciples of Jesus. The editors believe the Christian community… Read More

  Unity of the Spirit and “Lines of Fellowship” – Matt Dabbs Paul was much more ecumenical than I was growing up. The more I read Paul the more divisive… Read More

  Click here for the podcast version Inspiration in isolation I have been thinking a lot this week about the difference our faith can make to a sense of isolation… Read More

The Scourge of Suicide – Part Three Resources His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by… Read More

Douglas and John, would you please address the issue of Christians smoking mushrooms, especially for healing, from an eastern medical perspective? What about the spirit world? I know some believers who… Read More

   Inter-Generational Unity – Nadine Templer As we strive for unity, one aspect that is often overlooked is the unity between generations, between young and “older” folks, the old guard… Read More

  In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, “science” has become a battleground. There’s an increase in polarization and misinformation around COVID-19, even in Christian circles, and it is costing… Read More

Enjoy the great resources found in this link, including a sampling of the articles below: https://www.fpesdras.org/acerca-de-fpe/pagina-de-arturo-elizarraras/

It’s easy to feel alone in your struggles with porn. We’re here to tell you that you aren’t the only one.  Issue 123 • September 2020 Redeeming the Pain: Marnie’s… Read More

Dr. Timothy Sumerlin – Denver, CO, USA • Sep 23, 2020 Suicides have nearly doubled in the United States among young people in recent years. Other age groups are not immune to… Read More

September 2020 Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason responds to a common challenge from relativists that Christians face when trying to share their views. For more information, visit str.org.

Play. Pause. Pray. Rolan invites us to play, pause, and pray for 100 days (September 16-December 24), as we look into our deepest feelings throughout this COVID-19 pandemic. Play a… Read More

Sharing Solitude in Community – Brandon Bradley In my last article, we explored Henri Nouwen’s idea of a wagon wheel as a simple model of the balance of solitude and… Read More

Rolheiser Virtual Conference Flyer – The Future of Christian Spirituality: In Our Lives, In Our Churches, and In the Academy – Nov 12-14, 2020 See this flyer for all the… Read More

The Biggest “But” by Rob Kranz In my last post, we looked at one of the two big “Buts” in the New Testament regarding women’s roles. 1 Corinthians 14 can seem problematic… Read More

A Strength in Weakness Member’s BI-Weekly Update New Perspectives From Strength in Weakness Ministries Volume 19 | September 4, 2020 A SIW Member’s Bi-Weekly Update Real Life Up Close Let’s… Read More

Treating Every Person with Dignity, Kindness and Respect, While Standing for Biblical Truth Discussing Issues You’ve NEVER Heard on a Podcast Before! Oh Yeah, We’re Going There! Click on a TOPIC to… Read More

AUTHOR Greg Koukl PUBLISHED ON 09/01/2020 TACTICS AND TOOLS Street Tactics are specific conversation maneuvers you can use to navigate graciously, safely, and effectively in what otherwise would be difficult… Read More

– THE STATEMENT – A Christian Statement on Science for Pandemic Times SPANISH TRANSLATION | FRENCH TRANSLATION   We, the undersigned, join together as Christians who uphold the authority of God’s Word… Read More

We Mourn the Passing of Tom Olbricht Tom Olbricht, the extraordinarily gifted founder of the Christian Scholars’ Conference, who shaped generations of scholars, ministers and church leaders for more than… Read More

Patriarchy: God’s Plan? by Rob Kranz In a recent post, I explored the events of Genesis 2 and 3. As I explained in that post, a careful examination of the text’s language… Read More

Statistics show us that kids are being exposed to pornography early, and this is having detrimental effects. This webinar will feature experts from Covenant Eyes who will share valuable statistics, research, and… Read More

On September 11, 2001—a day Time magazine called the bloodiest day on American soil since the Civil War—two jumbo jets slammed into the World Trade Center towers in New York City,… Read More

Dear Discipleship-first Friends, We are asking a few disciple making leaders to describe how they disciple people on race. Ben Barnett is a lead pastor of Bridge Pointe Church in… Read More

The first national survey of the worldview of Americans conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University (@crcacu) shows that although seven out of ten consider themselves to be Christian,… Read More

New Perspectives Listen to Our New SIW Q&A Podcast “Home from Home with Topher & Thomas” Join us, Topher and Thomas, two twenty-somethings who like guys but really love God. We’ll dive head-first… Read More

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, what should be the Christian response? Bible scholar N.T. Wright and BioLogos founder Francis Collins, two influential Christian figures and long-time… Read More

By Amy Krall, for Stands to Reason In a post where I touched on the change from Saturday to Sunday as the day of worship, I was challenged in the comments to… Read More

  NATIONAL   Protests and prayers Christians respond to George Floyd’s death with outrage, rallies and calls for justice. Find more coverage and interviews related to the death of George… Read More

Dear Discipleship-first Friends, This is your invitation to join David Young, myself, Bill Hull, Renee Sproles, and Ben Barnett for a half-day seminar July 1st on an important topic: King Jesus and… Read More

Dear Discipleship-first Friends, The United States is in the midst of big change. First, it was COVID-19 and all the changes around which everyone had to adopt. Then, it was… Read More

So much has been said and is being said about the tragic death of George Floyd that it almost feels excessive to add to the conversation. But to continue on… Read More

Jesus’ Words for the Grieving As a society we are contending with not only a pandemic and record job losses, but also with the racist violence that has plagued our… Read More

  The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and we have been thrust into a new storm. The wave of voices calling for change after the senseless killing of George… Read More

  Is there a message in the – tragic – mayhem? Access the podcast version of the newsletter by clicking here I have two things in my mind this week…. Read More

Shawn Patterson | Bio Friday, May 8, would have been Ahmaud Arbery’s 26th birthday. On Sunday, February 23, Ahmaud, a 25-year-old African American male, was jogging through Satilla Shores, Georgia. After seeing… Read More

Teaching Our Children about Sexual Ethics and the Bible: A Live Interview With Steve & Deb Bowen for Parents and Grandparents Steve and Deb Bowen oversee the Family Ministry for… Read More

Sermon for the Milwaukee Church of Christ via Zoom in May, 2020 from the book of Jude. Link to the church – https://www.milwaukeechurch.org/; click on ‘Sunday Livestream’. Or…click here for… Read More

A website that may be of interest to you: Unity Draws People to Jesus Our mission is to promote and pray for unity within the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement through the… Read More

May 2020   Focus on the Person Rather Than the Argument Alan Shlemon of Stand to Reason shares how best to use your time if you only have one hour… Read More

What does it mean to “follow” Jesus? We hear the language “follower of Jesus” all the time, but what does it mean to be a disciple, or apprentice, of the… Read More

Message delivered to the Milwaukee Church of Christ on Sunday, May 17, 2020. This is a link to the service. Doug’s message begins at the 23:00 mark.

Home Alone: Surviving the Pandemic for Married Couples

In the Footsteps of Paul during COVID-19 by Dr. Mark Wilson (markwilson@sevenchurches.org) (Mark is helping me lead the Biblical Study Tour to Turkey 5 months from now.) Each spring I… Read More

Helping a Friend with… Anxiety or Depression Part 3 This is the final blog on listening. We’ve covered ways to help your friend (or yourself) when you struggle with anxiety… Read More

The Twisted Scriptures? Sometimes my intent is well-meaning, and yet, my conclusions, actions, and/or attitudes are misguided. Someone said, “any logical deduction taken to its extreme becomes absurd.” For years,… Read More

Drew Theological School Apr 2 · 9 min read Dear Ones, Particularly, in this letter, ones who claim some seriously biblical, or explicitly theological, orientation. Amidst this pandemic, ones who may be wondering……. Read More

Helping a Friend with… Anxiety or Depression Part 2 Last week I shared three ways to help your friend (or yourself) when you struggle with anxiety or depression. They were:… Read More

Webinar para fortalecer liderazgo. Iniciamos el 6 de Mayo 2020 En los momentos de crisis, es muy importante fortalecernos y crecer en nuestro liderazgo.  ¿Cómo vas a verte este tiempo… Read More

NEWS Why Do Pastors Keep Getting Rehired After Abuse? Victims’ advocates caution institutions against plans to “restore” fallen leaders. Kate Shellnutt   Another case of a leader with an abusive… Read More

A Strength in Weakness Member’s Weekly Update New Perspectives From Strength in Weakness Ministries Volume 7; April 30, 2020 A SIW Member’s Weekly Update   Coming Up: How to Break… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 21, The Wealthy Shunammites’ Child (16 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introduction CLEAN 21,… Read More

Helping a Friend with… Anxiety or Depression During this difficult time, we all know someone (or we struggle with ourselves) with anxiety or depression (or both). Eighty percent of all… Read More

Thank you for attending QCC2020! Quarantine Church Con 2020 Summary What an incredible time we had together last week! God brought together over 1,000 of his people to be equipped… Read More

How to access the abundance Access the podcast version of the newsletter by clicking here Abundance or scarcity? What is your outlook right now? I’ve been reading Dallas Willard’s book,… Read More

Dear Discipleship-first Friends, I hope the subject line got your attention because it is a vitally important question for the North American Church. Most of us have been trained to… Read More

 “if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5 NIV11) Trust, Die,… Read More

Believing in the Resurrection of Jesus How can we be believers in Jesus if we were not there and did not see him after he was raised from the dead?… Read More

  Notes: If you’ve been a regular listener to the Language of God podcast you’ve probably noticed our recent episodes have been a little different in attempt to respond to these times we’re… Read More

How not to ‘sink’ Access the podcast version of the newsletter by clicking here Thank you so much to everyone who gave me feedback on the topic of loneliness, especially… Read More

DISCIPLESHIP Some of us were lonely well before the pandemic. How do we find God’s comfort now? Clarissa Moll This past Sunday, I took my children for a walk in… Read More

  Dear Douglas, I am delighted to invite you to a special live stream with Francis Collins on Monday, April 6 at 8 p.m. EST! Francis Collins is the founder of BioLogos… Read More

Compassion or Judgment? Choose Today! You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. – John 8:15 ​ Compassion or Judgment? Facing loss is never easy and suicide in particular, is… Read More

Listen to Dr. Penny Cox, a follower of Christ and a general practitioner in Britain, as she speaks sensitively and compassionately about end-of-life issues.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you….Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIV11) Mar 23, 10:21 AM Access the… Read More

New Podcast Series Something to get you through the Covid 19 crisis with your spirit intact. Introducing the new daily podcast based on the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) The… Read More

Viral Christianity by Rob Kranz The beauty of a blog is that you are in full control of what you write about. Most of the time, I write about things I… Read More

Can Your Church Thrive in Exile? A Conversation with Randy Gariss Randy Gariss was minister of Joplin’s College Heights Christian Church when a mile-wide F5 tornado mowed into Joplin. Randy… Read More

Five Years in the Making & Nominated for Best Documentary & Best Director at the 2018 International Christian Film Festival in Miami Learn More

I find it very significant that on the last night of His life Jesus talked a lot about joy. Not exactly the topic you would expect from somebody about to… Read More

What does revival look like in the 21st century?  Are You Creating Disciples or Consumers? An Interview with Kelvin Teamer Church leaders often want to preach what feels good, and church people… Read More

We now begin CLEAN sub-series Reanimation. To listen to CLEAN podcast 20, The Widow of Zarephath & Son (17 minutes), click on the arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target… Read More

Christian theologian Dr. William Lane Craig during debate at Purdue University, Feb. 1, 2013. | (Photo: Nicole Byrd) It’s true – time really does fly. Eight years ago, I wrote an article… Read More

Mental Health in the Church Setting Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. – 2 Thessalonians 1:4 I’ve… Read More

Dear marriage supporter, If two men can marry one another, why not three? Or why not two men and a woman? What’s so special about the number two once it’s… Read More

CT PASTORS Polyamory: Pastors’ Next Sexual Frontier These once-taboo relationships are showing up in churches across the US. Preston Sprinkle and Branson Parler   A pastor recently told me (Preston)… Read More

Discipleship-First Friends, I am just completing an experiment in disciple making with some current and future leaders in the staff at our church that I wanted to share with you…. Read More

Sharing one’s faith—evangelizing—is a core practice among many religions. For Christians, it’s viewed as a mandate from Jesus himself before he departed earth: commanding his disciples to “spread the good… Read More

www.washingtontimes.com 5 mins read Religious conservative leaders at the national level see the fight over gender issues as make-or-break. (Associated Press/File) U.S. church attendance is dropping, but Hope Church in Memphis, Tennessee, is… Read More

Renew.org If you had the opportunity to sit down and talk with a world traveling disciple maker, what questions would you ask? As for me, I was curious about what… Read More

      Everyday Disciple Maker: Debbra Stephens CLICK HERE TO LISTEN Whether you work in sales or in a school, whether a preacher or a plumber, there is one… Read More

Do you have a friend who needs good dating advice? Send this to him or her! Click here for more.

Q: Thanks for sharing about your personal spiritual retreat in Canada [October 2019]. This is making me curious (and I suspect that others might be wondering also) about what is… Read More

Recently I caught up with one of the workshop presenters at our November 6th Gathering, Christian Ray Flores. Christian is a Renew.org co-founder and has an interesting perspective on culture and… Read More

Bookmark the list for Bible study, reference, and sharing with others. Top 100 Bible Verses on Money and Wealth Also see the Topical Index of Money and Wealth Scriptures The latest… Read More

How well do we know God’s Word? Here’s a tool to evaluate our level of Bible knowledge. The diagnostic test at 3 levels has been constructed with the help of many around… Read More

“. . . members together of one body and sharers together . . .”  (Eph. 3:6) Shared Church aims to encourage Christians and churches to practice participatory body life—the one-anothering… Read More

Kidogo – Christian Practicals 2.67K subscribers Guy Hammond used to live a gay life before he became a Christian. Now, as Christian minister, he runs an international ministry dedicated to… Read More

By CSN on Sep 05, 2019 01:00 pm There are many ways you can assess the spiritual health of your church members. Faith, regular church attendance, and engagement in community… Read More

Don’t Be Fooled Into Believing These Final Two GRIEF MYTHS You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot… Read More

A North Carolina sheriff’s deputy sues his former employer for religious discrimination after it wouldn’t accommodate his request to not train a female officer one-on-one. David Roach August 20, 2019… Read More

Dear Discipleship-First Tribe, We want you to become the disciple maker God intends you to be. For those of you who are church leaders, we also want you to develop… Read More

Late last year, I noticed our family checkbook was getting very light. Dread filled my mind as I realized that we would need to borrow money to pay our bills… Read More

First – Learn from Disciple Making Leader: Small Circle Steve McCoy is the leader of Small Circle, one of our trusted disciple-making partners. Here’s what he told us about his ministry… Read More

FORT WORTH, Texas — Dr. Kent Brantly sat on his counselor’s couch and wept. The tears came last summer as the Christian physician visited with Dottie Schulz, a missionary care volunteer… Read More

I was recently able to catch up with Renew Gathering speaker Mark Moore. We talked about life transitions, creating a legacy, personal discipline, and a new book he has written… Read More

  Headlines were buzzing with the announcement. Facebook had introduced a new metric that would significantly revamp their algorithms. Continue here.

In his own words, comedian Ricky Gervais went “from Jesus-loving Christian to fun-loving infidel in one afternoon.” Ricky Gervais was 8 years old. He was drawing the Crucifixion as part… Read More

After his wife became Muslim to appease militant Islamists, he fled with their children — and found Christ. Erik Tryggestad President and CEO DONO-MANGA, Chad — In this rural African village,… Read More

Two New AMAZING Videos From SIW! P.S. Put your seat belt on! #1. What Does the Bible Say bout Being Transgender? By Brandon Redler 3.3 min #2. Why I Left My Transgender Life Behind … Read More

To listen to lesson 10 in the CLEAN series, The Four Samaritan Lepers (10 minutes), click on the play arrow. Or you can download the podcast by right clicking here and choosing ‘save… Read More

WHO ARE WE? SELF-TEST: Rank the following terms in order of usage–what you usually call yourself. Christian Disciple Brother Saint Many of us answered 1-2-3-4, right? But in the New… Read More

Renew.org     4 Things I Would Like to Say to Taylor Swift as a Pastor   June was a big month for Taylor Swift as she embraced LGBTQ month,… Read More

History — We Are Church A Brief History of We Are Church. Excerpt from Letters to the Church, by Francis Chan. Why I Left My Megachurch In 1994, when I… Read More

Two twin boys were raised by an alcoholic father. One grew up to be an alcoholic and when asked what happened he said “I watched my father”. The other grew… Read More

LEARN CHURCH PLANTING FROM OUR PASTORS a note from francis Haven’t you always been a bit confused about Church?  You read about the unstoppable power, miraculous love, and outrageous sacrifice… Read More

Something ominous is happening to young men today; it’s a crisis…and strangely, we are not talking about it. A recent USA Today article captured the essence of the crisis with the article “Boy Crisis Threatens America’s… Read More

Father’s Day is just around the corner. Covenant Eyes would love to see all the dads out there take the Dad Challenge. What better time to start this challenge but… Read More

Two video sermons taken from the book of Hebrews: iFaith 19 (Heb A), “Christ is Supreme,” and iFaith 20 (Heb B), “The Truth about Falling Away”. Listen to either or… Read More