Latest Posts

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

Iconic Christian Teachers Their Expertise, Platforms, and Styles By Steve Staten Books and films hold up eminent teachers for their contributions to public education and academia. These individuals capture the… 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… 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

A member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses church, his beliefs prevent him from bearing weapons and from joining any organisations intended for war. So at age 20, he refused to attend… Read More

This article is part of the ESV 20th Anniversary series. This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the publication of the English Standard Version. In this article, you will hear the… 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

The Bema Podcast has been very helpful in providing the Jewish / Eastern context of the Scriptures, as well as many things I have missed for many years. It has… Read More

I have a question about John 1:19-28. I noticed that the priests and Levites asked John the Baptist whether he is the Messiah, Elijah or the Prophet, multiple times. Additionally,… Read More

I’m inspired by the teachings of “Christian Spirituality,” found at https://www.glz.org/en/knowledge/introduction. Much is well explained in the many books that I am currently working through (transcriptions of medium transmissions in deep trance). In… Read More

I was reading an article [by Richard Rohr, an American priest focusing on spirituality] and came across the following explanation of metanoia, and it surprised me. “Remember, presence does not happen in the… Read More

Guest Q&A from John Oakes, of evidenceforchristianity.org. Recently, a friend who is a minister in a Christian church was approached by a few members to sign a request for a… 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.

The Rise of the Liberal Latter-day Saints And the battle for the future of Mormonism (Pete Ryan for The Washington Post) By Emily Kaplan Photos by Katherine Frey Tom Jones:… Read More

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

Great Evidences Book     Richard Knopp Today I want to tell you about a new work of Christian apologetics (defense of the faith). It’s Truth God: What Can We… 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

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only… Read More

DR. JAMES GORMAN – SLAVERY’S LONG SHADOW Here is a conversation that Nadine Templer and I had with James Gorman on the impact of slavery on our culture and our… Read More

Further considerations: Learn how the pope essentially rewrote Hebrews 9:12 in order to defend the Catholic doctrine of communion. Click here. Scripture forbids drinking blood (Gen 9:4; Lev 3:17; Acts 15:20)…. Read More

Does God actually hate divorce, as we have often heard? The older rendering of Malachi 2:16, “I hate divorce,” is taken to imply that the Lord disapproves of all divorce… 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

The following is a study conducted by the Oak Hills Church (San Antonio) on the role of women in the church. It’s a great study, not so much for the… Read More

I’ve had reservations regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, and believe Satan has been attacking me with doubt, through the scripture about “the mark of the beast.” I keep thinking about how… 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

Thanks for getting back to me. I recently listened to one of your audio CDs. It was the disc about atheism in “From Facts to Faith.” My question concerns your claim about… Read More

Tell me, Douglas: I want to “up my game” in memorising scripture. Is there any good literature you can refer me to where I can learn effective techniques? There are… Read More

Video: Panel discusses how Christians should respond to same-sex marriage | The Christian Chronicle In a special live event Monday, The Christian Chronicle’s Editorial Board talked to Sally Gary and… Read More

In Luke 4:23 we read “… You will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself’…” Do you know the origin of this proverb? – B.B. I don’t know its origin, though… Read More

The Qur’an mentions prophets being sent to other nations, and records dialogues with the nations, but where in the Bible is it recorded that Iddo, Jonah, Joel, Obadiah, Habakkuk, and… 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

By J. Richard Middleton On July 28, 2021 This is the first in a four-part series as biblical scholar J. Richard Middleton answers the often-asked question, How should we interpret biblical genealogies? In this… Read More

  EDITORIAL   Editorial: Same-sex marriage and gender questions ‘As the culture around us shifts, we remain committed to the spiritual design of marriage.’ Continue reading here.

    DIALOGUE   To affirm or not? That is the question As same-sex marriage gains increasing societal acceptance, how should Christians respond?  

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

New Perspectives Vol. 37 Strength in Weakness is a place to connect, a place to feel seen, heard and valued… we find strength in connection. READ A Parent’s Story Loving Our Transgender… Read More

OPINION Image via Pixabay.com Writer recounts the night church stopped being her safe place. Deana Nall Correspondent I was only 13. I was in eighth grade at a Christian school… Read More

The day of small things “Who dares despise the day of small things…..?” (Zechariah 4:10) The story of Christianity is the story of the underdog. It is the story of… 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

New post on Stepping into the Jordan Does the Old Testament Matter? by Rob Kranz A few years ago, a well-known American evangelical pastor made headlines for writing a book in which… Read More

(It seems fair to say we Christians don’t do very well when it comes to hashing out difficult topics—at least without descending into quarreling or acrimony. This is largely (I… Read More

Barry Hankins | The Guardian Rightwing Southern Baptists believe they must ‘save’ white Christian America by embracing Trumpism. A more moderate faction just won control – by the tightest of… 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

The Story: A majority of pastors believe it’s important to incorporate patriotic elements in worship services during July Fourth weekend. Yet a majority also believe their congregation sometimes seems to… Read More

We welcome you to take a look at the 2021-2023 Academic Catalogue for the Rocky Mountain School of Ministry & Theology, including its mission, vision and philosophy. CLICK HERE.

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

Providing authentic answers to questions about the resurrection of Jesus and the historical reliability of the Gospels www.risenjesus.com NABEEL QURESHI Author, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Mike Licona was instrumental in… Read More

Strength in Weakness: An Interview with Dr. Douglas Jacoby on “Gay and Christian?” The following interview appears in Guy Hammond’s new book, Gay and Christian? How Pro-Gay Theology is Crashing… 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

. When Otoma Edje approached me a few months ago and asked if I’d like to join an interview with Kristin Kobes du Mez (Calvin University), I declined. My slate was full,… Read More

BioLogos Insights on Faith & Science The Bible is the foundation of our Christian faith and knowing what it means can sometimes be a challenge. It was written for us, to speak to… 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

By Fiona Veitch Smith I first considered writing a children’s book dealing with the intersection of science and faith when my daughter had just turned 10. She went to a state… Read More

Insights on Faith & Science Biologos has produced a series of short animated videos, designed to ask the big questions. Like the one asked of Francis Collins early in his career as a… 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

​ Thou Shalt Not be a Jerk: Eugene Cho LEE CAMP *  PODCAST New on the Tokens Podcast: ​ Eugene Cho is a Korean-born immigrant to the United States and now… Read More

Greg Koukl and Tim Barnett talk about some negative reactions they’ve received (and seen others receive) to their Christian convictions and give some thoughts on how to respond. Watch Greg… Read More

Wallace Henley, former Senior Associate Pastor of 2nd Baptist Church in Houston, Texas.  | Photo by Scott Belin The Church of Scotland’s General Assembly will soon consider a proposal to erase… 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

Economy of Grace: An Early Christian Take on Vulnerable Mission, by P. Kent Smith Contextualizing principles like those identified by Vulnerable Mission may be used to avoid creating unhealthy dependency…. 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

Following is a question I’ve come across only twice in my life, but it’s a good one, emerging from a Western cultural perspective, and deserves a response. It has to… 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

OTHER WORLDVIEWS Freedom Fading Greg Koukl Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn—Russian dissident, 10-year forced-labor Soviet Gulag inmate, Nobel Laureate, Christian—lamented the “fallacious belief” that “here such things are impossible,” that totalitarianism could not… Read More

Men and Women in Eschatological Perspective: A look at Inaugurated Eschatology in the Understanding of Major NT Gender Passages There have been a multitude of articles and books written on… 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

journey together. humbly. respectfully. We’re Excited to Announce our Spanish Website A Message from Guy Hammond, Executive Director of Strength in Weakness Ministries A Message from Rolando Gonzalez, Leader of… 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

Click 2021 New Releases for the most recent releases from Illumination Publishers.

In 1 Corinthians 15:4 I read about Christ “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” What scripture was Paul referring to? —… Read More

Does the Roman Catholic church correctly interpret the nature of the eucharist [the Lord’s Supper]? Is Christ’s body sacrificed in this ceremony? My friend told me that’s not what they teach…. 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

Bobby Harrington | Bio *Editor’s Note: “The Historical Evidence for the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus” was originally released in 2019 and we’re bringing it back to everyone’s attention at an… Read More

Here you will find a talk plus notes on Easter (7 minutes). To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and you… Read More

I. FOUNDING In the wake of the Second Great Awakening, many sects emerged in 19th century America. A combination of religious liberty and a strong spirit of individualism fostered numerous… 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

Join us for a conversation. Common Grounds Unity presents this conversation with Dr. Nick Zola & Dr. Douglas Jacoby on Saturday, March 20. Details on the flyer. Zoom meeting link… Read More

The following is a response to my podcast “Jesus & Politics” from a thoughtful brother one generation behind me. I listened to your talk “Jesus in politics,” and I couldn’t agree… Read More

On March 17, 461 A.D., Saint Patrick, Christian missionary, bishop and apostle of Ireland, dies at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland. Today he is honored with the annual holiday of St. Patrick’s Day. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/saint-patrick-dies

It’s time to bestow America’s highest civilian honor on the renowned civil rights attorney and preacher. Trindi G. Mitchell Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and John Lewis are three… Read More

How can we know we’re in Jesus’ kingdom, and live in it with his intensity? In Colossians 1:13 the apostle Paul assures us that God has brought us into the kingdom of… Read More

If Jesus is real, why are there so many different churches? Because there are many different Jesuses (2 Cor 11:4)! The only way to know we are following the real… Read More

Does Jesus’ appointment of 12 apostles connect to the 12 tribes of Israel?  Yes, indeed. The 12 patriarchs (Levi, Judah, Benjamin, Dan…) were the 12 sons of Jacob, whose covenant name… Read More

Why did Jesus speak Aramaic and not Hebrew?    Why don’t Italians still speak Latin? Why don’t Britons speak Middle English—or even early Modern English (Shakespeare, KJV)? Because languages are constantly… Read More

Any thought on the hair length of Jesus as he is currently portrayed, in light of historical norms? In far too many films and works of art, Jesus is portrayed… Read More

Since most atheists require evidence, what would be the best way to approach them, aside from using scripture? Why not the way Paul approached the Athenians (Acts 17), or the… Read More

Famous Christians 2: Patrick Here are a podcast plus notes on St. Patrick’s Day (8 minutes). To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

BibleBrew https://www.biblebrewpodcast.com/ Available on Spotify (Coming soon to Apple Podcast as well….) Instagram: @biblebrew BibleBrew is a space for respectful dialogue as we journey through 21st century popular topics such… Read More

The following contribution is from J. Tyrone Marcus, author of Unbeatable! Seven Pillars of Personal Excellence and co-teacher in the Damian Jean-Baptiste Caribbean School of Ministry. You can follow his… 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

What was Jesus’s approach to politics? And what are the implications for us today? Opening thoughts     Politics is the management of power. Dictionary def: “the activities associated with the governance… Read More

Dr. Francis Collins, NIH Director and founder of BioLogos, receives the Moderna COVID-19 vaccinee. Should you get the COVID vaccine? Many Christians are saying “no” or “not yet.” Here are… Read More

James: background There are many Jameses in the Bible. This translates the original name Jacob. This James is the younger brother of Jesus (the 2nd of Mary’s 5 sons). Ya’akov was… Read More

February 2021 If Jesus is God, and Jesus is praying to God, then Jesus must be praying . . . to himself. Well, if that’s what you think, this video… Read More

From Wikipedia: “Panentheism (‘all in God’), from the Greek πᾶν, pân, ‘all,’ ἐν, en, ‘in,’ and Θεός, theós, ‘God’) is the belief that the divine pervades and interpenetrates every part… 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

“As you can no doubt imagine, we often say in despair, ‘What’s the point of the war? Why, oh, why can’t people live together peacefully? Why all this destruction?’ “The… 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

I recently came across something claiming to be “The Very First Bible.” It claims to be an authentic translation. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this—whether we need to know… 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

The Torah intimately connects justice and righteousness: If we don’t treat our fellow humans justly, our religion is a sham. In Isaiah’s time, God’s people are spiritually unhealthy—at an all-time… Read More

The Glory of the Lord We’ve covered a lot of territory—66 chapters of the Word of God (5.5% of the entire Bible), rich in content, metaphor, and power. As we… 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

No Eye Has Seen, No Ear Has Heard… The people’s prayer, which began in chapter 63, continues… 64:7—The Jews request Yahweh to come in judgment / vindication. Touching the mountaintops alludes… 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

If you had asked me ten years ago whether evangelicals would ever give up ground on the issue of homosexuality, I would have said “no way!” Sure, the evangelical movement… 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

Trampling Out the Grapes of Wrath Chapters 62-66 pick up a number of themes from the first few chapters of Isaiah. Try to listen out for them—see how many you can… Read More

Zion’s Day Dawns* In the previous reflection we saw that caring for the poor isn’t just an add-on to our Christian discipleship. (“… If you pour yourself out for the hungry… 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

True Fasting, Wickedness, Justice & Judgment In Isaiah 56-57, there is a strong contrast between the unity of the Lord’s people (56:1-8) and division in the present community (56:9-57:21). Similarly,… Read More

A House of Prayer for All Nations 56:1-8—Justice and righteousness intimately connected. “Son of man” (v.2) is a Hebraic expression meaning mortal. No one is excluded, e.g. foreigners and eunuchs…. Read More

Christ, New Jerusalem, Fresh Start We now come to the 4th Servant Song. But who exactly is the servant this time? It can’t be Israel. He appears to be a… Read More

Awake and Depart! We now enter a new section of Isaiah (chapters 49-55), where there is no Babylon or even mention of Cyrus. The servant figure becomes more prominent – three… Read More

Potter, Predator, Peace Context:  Cyrus has claimed to be divinely appointed by Yahweh to free the Jewish exiles, resettle Judah, rebuild the Jerusalem temple, and reign over his people. 45:9—The… Read More

The Servant of the Lord & a Pagan Messiah  42:1-8—Behold (= lo, in Middle English)—Look at this! This behold is part of a much longer series, and contrasts with my… Read More

Proclaiming the Good News Isaiah 40 leads off with the return from Babylonian captivity, as the Persians now rule. But why should an 8th-century narrative appear right before a 6th-century… 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

Is the “rod” in Proverbs 13:24 actually an implement for disciplining a child? Does the Bible require corporal punishment for disobedient children? This is a fair question, and an increasingly… Read More

Intimidation, Deliverance, Healing, Babylon Our next study covers territory also found in 2 Kings 18:13-20:21 and 2 Chronicles 32:1-33. Many names are familiar from previous chapters, like Hezekiah, Sennacherib, Shebna,… 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

Although our Bible’s chapter numbers are more modern, the most famous Dead Sea Scroll, the great Isaiah scroll (over 7m long, or 24′), has a small break between our chapter 33… 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

The Noble One Makes Noble Plans In Isaiah 30:11 we heard the words of God’s wayward people: “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things,… Read More

Stupor, Stone, Tongues, Hypocrites, & Easy Religion We have recently discussed many important themes, especially in the last reflection. One critical example is justice (“For you have been a stronghold to… Read More

The victory of Yahweh over foreign nations and invaders is depicted cosmically in chapter 24. Now the magnificent vision broadens, becoming even richer and deeper. 25:1-8—This is the language of… Read More

Tyre & the Cosmos In the last reflection we saw Isaiah in anguish—over Babylon and over Judah. He reminds us of the apostle Paul, and especially of Jesus—men who truly cared… Read More

Isaiah in Anguish 21:1-5—Dramatic language refers to the fall of Babylon, as Elam, Media, and Persia unite in the attack. The Negeb (Negev) is the southern desert of Israel. In… Read More

Une série sur l’apologétique des adolescents ©2018, Douglas Jacoby et Page Pennell. Traduction par Anne Du Sault et Franck Gnonteme. Existe-t-il un Dieu créateur et durable ou est-ce que la… 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

Gluttony is a real struggle for me sometimes. Proverbs 23:2 says to put a knife to your throat if you’re given to gluttony. What is meant by “put a knife… Read More

I came across a book outlining the difference between sin and iniquity. The author defines iniquity as generational soul sin. I’m finding the book interesting and enlightening, but perplexing too…. Read More

African Drama: The Naked & Barefoot Prophet 17:1-3—Damascus is the principal fortified town in Syria. Background: the Syro-Ephraimite crisis of 735-732 BC—hence the prophecy against Syria and Israel. The setting is Jerusalem—who… Read More

a beacon of hope for bringing peace to the streets Watch Kit here talk about his new book: https://vimeo.com/499400056 Hear how we can shatter the pipeline from schools to prisons… 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

Moab is Undone, God Weeps Reviewing the last talk (“Babylon & Judgment Day”): The judgment on ancient Babylon, like all divine judgments, resembles the ultimate event—Judgment Day. There are connections,… 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

Babylon & Judgment Day In our reflection “Rod, Axe, Fire, Shoot, Signal, Sing,” we saw that Assyria was to be judged. “Punishment for the Punisher” is a good title for… Read More

Rod, Axe, Fire, Shoot, Signal, Sing Background: Doom for Judah & Jerusalem, then for Israel. (Why both kingdoms? Because Isaiah preached in the final years leading up to the destruction… Read More

Unto Us a Child is Born “This is one of the best known messianic prophecies in the Old Testament and, in its present context, it stands as the impressive climax… Read More

Faith or Fear? Usual human fears include fear of heights, drowning, germs, public speaking, and death. But in Isaiah the common fear (which we see in chapters 7-8) is political fear—fear… Read More

“Here Am I, Send Me!” Chapters 1-5 = Introduction. The next section, 6-12, begins with the cleansing of a single sinner, and end with the song of a redeemed community. Isaiah… 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

Vineyard, Woe, Invasion Chapter 5 falls into three sections: a parable, woes, and an announcement of coming judgment. PARABLE Vs. 1-7—Here we find a short “love song.” God loves his… 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

Purified by Fire Looking back on the previous units in the series, we have seen how society destabilizes and eventually collapses in the absence of righteous leadership, and when God’s… Read More

The Crisis of Leadership & the Collapse of Society vs. 1-2—Removal of food and water (siege conditions, leading to the full of the north, with its capital city Samaria, in… Read More

The Mountain of the Lord & the Holes of the Ground On v.1—Let’s keep focused: every verse in the Bible has a context – it is written by someone for someone… Read More

Two Cities, Unquenchable Fire, Glorious Future Review (from reflection 1): Sin is serious. In particular, idolatry and social injustice two sides of a coin. God punishes his OT people through foreign invaders. But there… Read More

Come Now, Let Us Reason Together Images of the Messiah: Glorious King (chapters 1-37), Suffering Servant (38-55), and Coming Conqueror (56-66). Contrast with Israel’s inglorious, self-centered, and (ineffectual) monarchs. v.1—vision (see Num 12:6-8). Judah and… 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

  “A narrow escape” It was Wednesday morning. I was part-way through my prayer walk in the woods. I heard a noise above me in the canopy. A small branch fell… Read More

Discover all the courses being offered on the new AIM Europe page: https://aimeurope.athensinstitute.org

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

Advent is a season in the traditional Christian calendar gradually developing in the centuries after the time of Christ’s apostles. If your background is in Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, etc. you… Read More

A Medical Account of the Crucifixion Simplified & Amended [1] Hanging, electrocution, knee-capping, gas chamber: these punishments are feared. They all happen today, and we shudder as we think of… Read More

Glory Divine and Glory Departed What motivates me as a Christian? Am I seeking the glory of God, or personal honor? But before we can answer that question, a clarification is in… 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

Point Park, part of the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park, sits atop Lookout Mountain overlooking Chattanooga, TN. In the years after its 1895 dedication, numerous markers and monuments were erected to… Read More

Interview with John Piper, Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org Critical race theory is a divisive topic among many Christians today. In a special episode, Pastor John explains why we should be… Read More

Introduction There are 13 Josephs in the Bible. This Joseph is mentioned 13x in the NT: Matt 1:16, 18-19, 24; 2:13, 19; Luke 1:27; 2:4, 16; 3:23; 4:22; John 1:45;… 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

iFaith Bible Project The iFaith project takes us through the entire Bible. From each book of the Bible are produced 1 or 2 video sermons. All talks are 15 minutes… 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

The name Salome There are two Salomes in the NT— no surprise, given the popularity of the name in the 1st C. Salome comes from shalôm, peace. Top 10 first century… Read More

Tim Barnett shows how some details in the Gospel of Luke—that we may be inclined to skip over—actually help point to the truthfulness of the New Testament.

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

John Mark Identity Mark may not be John Mark. John was a common name in the Jewish world, and Mark a common name in the Roman world. And having a… 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

BioLogos Alister McGrath | Doorway to Wonder Alister McGrath joins Jim Stump to talk about his book Born to Wonder. 10/29/20 Read More >

  You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 One of the most vital things we can do for our children is to teach… Read More