Walking in the Light? – Two Views of 1 John
By Don and Kim Reiher How should you interpret 1 John? This article contrasts two options. Your interpretation of 1 John depends on the perceived purpose of the book. Two Views The first interpretation proposes that 1 John provides proofs of true saving faith. All to whom God gives saving faith will show evidence of […]
Spiritual Sight
By Nate Stevens Beware of Shortcuts The History channel played a documentary on the Donner Party, and it made quite an impression on me. I’ve sworn off all shortcuts. The underlying cause of the tragedy that befell the Donner Party was a man named Lansford W. Hastings. For reasons that are somewhat unknown, but included […]
Hurt by Those Who are Close
By Bud Brown We’ve all been mistreated by acquaintances, business people, and strangers. It is often inadvertent—an automobile accident or a good faith business venture gone wrong. Sometimes the wound is intentional—a merchant defrauds us, or a stranger commits a crime against us. Though they have hurt us, these people are still “out there.” It […]
Top 5 Killers of Spiritual Vibrancy
By Summer Stevens Walking closely with God brings joy, peace, comfort and fulfillment. But sometimes our journey with Jesus feels hollow and devoid of life. We may find ourselves missing the closeness and spiritual intimacy that we once enjoyed, but unsure how we lost it or how to get it back. Here are the top […]
Rescued
By Marcia Hornok Many people think that receiving eternal life and “qualifying” for heaven when we die is like being in a deep ditch with slippery sides. We can’t get out on our own. So God reaches down while we try to scramble up as much as we can; He will grab us and do […]
Romans 5-8: Houston Regional Conference, 2019
Review of Craig L. Blomberg’s The Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel: Issues & Commentary
Edwin Ediger I. INTRODUCTION As Craig Blomberg notes, the content of John’s Gospel is distinctive, was likely written after the Synoptic Gospels, and has been used and misused through the centuries.1 Blomberg provides a helpful list of distinctives of John’s Gospel under five headings: 1) selection of material; 2) theological material, particularly the affirmation of […]
“Abraham Rejoiced to See My Day and Saw It”: Jesus’ Take on Theophanies
Randy Rheaume1 Senior Pastor Stony Creek Church Utica, MI I. INTRODUCTION “Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad” (NET). Jesus’ intriguing words in John 8:56 have puzzled church fathers, scholars, and Bible readers of all kinds for centuries. Indeed, the crowd of Jesus’ original hearers was […]
Recommended Reading for Pastors Who Want to Lead Change
By Bud Brown It has been my privilege to mentor pastors who want to see their churches become more effective at winning people to faith in Jesus. I’ve read countless volumes, journal articles, and academic papers on this topic. At one point, over twenty feet of my library shelves bulged with these materials. I have […]
Top 5 Misconceptions About Free Grace Theology
1. FGT ignores the seriousness of sin, and therefore promotes casual Christianity One of the most common misconceptions of Free Grace Theology (FGT) is that it downplays sin and leads to lawlessness. The argument goes that if someone is not fearful of losing his salvation—if his works don’t matter—he will pursue sin with reckless abandon. […]