Search Results for: how the bible came to be

To listen to podcast later, right click link below and “Save target as” or “Save link as” Download Podcast For PDF notes for this class, click Here

To download this audio & listen to it later, click below and “save target as” or “save link as”. Download Podcast For PDF notes for this class, click Here

To download this audio & listen to it later, right click below and “save target as” or “save link as”. Download Podcast For PDF notes for this class, click Here

This is the second lesson in the series. To listen to podcast later, right click link below and “Save target as” or “Save link as” Download Podcast For PDF notes… Read More

To download the podcast and play it later, right click on the “download podcast” link below and select “save link as” or “save target as”. Download talk For even more,… Read More

My professors in seminary told me that the Bible’s claims that there were camels in Israel is false. They say it’s anachronistic. What do you say? Is the Bible wrong?… Read More

September 17, 2024 by Wayne Grudem Warnings against Drunkenness Several New Testament passages specify the moral evil of becoming drunk: I am writing to you not to associate with anyone… Read More

How early Christians viewed the ancient city  Robert Edwards,  August 14, 2024 John Chrysostom on a gold medallion inlayed with enamel (10th–11th century). Photo in public domain, via Metropolitan Museum… Read More

The Newsletter of IBTM with Douglas Jacoby . 14 August 2024 Good morning from Bare, England! It’s been an interesting (and very good) month. Seven days ago I attended a… Read More

The Newsletter of IBTM with Douglas Jacoby 20 March 2024 Good morning from the village of Bare, in Morecambe, Lancashire Spring is here. The vernal equinox—the time during spring when… Read More

The Newsletter of IBTM with Douglas Jacoby Good morning from the massive state of Texas! I’m down here for the Teleios Conference, but also visiting friends in Dallas, Austin, and… Read More

The Newsletter of IBTM with Douglas Jacoby A warm hello from Northwest England! With barely two weeks left in the year, I imagine things are getting very busy. We’re all… Read More

I wrote the following piece in the mid-1980s. The audio talk (14 mins) is based on the original paper. The Man Who Came in from the Cold I remember the… Read More

The newsletter of IBTM 22 February 2023 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching (1 Timothy 4:13). Reading this passage, I… Read More

  August 16, 2022 BAS LIBRARY EXPLORER 83 Real Bible People More than faith is required to confirm that people mentioned in the Bible were, indeed, real people Did Jesus… 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

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

“Just let the Bible be whatever it is.” … But just what is the Bible? What is the Bible? This is a vitally important question. Rob Bell is a famous… Read More

No verse is in a vacuum, and it is important to always read a passage as part of the larger story. Why Have Americans Stopped Reading the Bible? By KATHLEEN COOKE | October… Read More

OPENING OBSERVATIONS The similarities (ultimate truth, longing for the holy) are greatly outweighed by the differences (God, goal, salvation…) General Revelation & Special Revelation Special Scripture (Bible) The person of… Read More

I happened to watch a video by a Muslim apologist. He claims that the Comforter mentioned in the Bible [in John 14] is Muhammad, and that he is also mentioned in… Read More

The King James Version, translated 1611, has been a cherished and favorite of millions of Bible readers. Some claim that the KJV alone is “authorized” — that this version is… Read More

In the previous lesson we examined 10 examples of biblical practices that may have cultural aspects. In other words, before we analyze form and function, the extent to which we… Read More

To listen to the first lesson in the Bible & Culture series (16 minutes), click below. (Note: for a different lesson on the Bible (Old Testament) and culture, please click… Read More

Here are a podcast and notes on Slavery and the Bible (43 minutes). To download the talk, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as”… Read More

Archaeologists discover official seals from Kingdom of JudahFROM WND’S JERUSALEM BUREAUWorldNetDailyFebruary 23, 2009 Click HERE for the article (text below). Israeli archaeologists yesterday announced the discovery of a large building dating… Read More

The Ancient Rise and Recent Fall of Tithing: Is yet another time-honored Christian practice fading from view? — Collin Hansen | posted 8/08/2008 12:33PM Original link During the first few… Read More

For tips 1-30, please click here. Bible Reading Tip 31: Hebrews This anonymous letter was written to Christians from a Jewish background. They were apparently tempted to return to Judaism, or… Read More

"I’m a stay-at-home mother and these studies have helped me tremendously to continue to do what I love to do — which is to think for myself! I pray for… Read More

Bible Reading Tip 1: Get a version of the Bible you can understand and enjoy. These days there are numerous readable (and reasonably accurate) translations available to the reader of… Read More

You wrote to me, "Christians would say that some OT laws were concessions. Progressive revelation came as the people were ready to accept it." But I think that’s a little… Read More

On another note, my wife and I have been discipling a couple who said to me one evening that the reason he does not spend so much time reading the… Read More

I see that you have addressed the topic of homosexuality and the Bible in your Q&A. But I wanted to draw your attention to a short study a man has… Read More

On the subject of deaconesses you wrote: “The office of deaconess had not developed until the 3rd century. What does the Bible teach? What was the practice of the first… Read More

Don’t the two following passages in the scriptures rule out that the kingdom of God came on the day of Pentecost? Luke 17:20-21: "Once, having been asked by the Pharisees… Read More

I am reading through Chronicles and have a question about names in the Bible. Do you know the process by which names are translated? I came across one name Evil-Merodach,… Read More

My question is about Matthew 10:23. It seems contradictory when it says that they will not be finished going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes,… Read More

I have a question. I read the Chinese Bible. In a morning Quiet Time I came to Luke 6:38, where the word "funnel" is used, whereas "good measure" is used… Read More

I’m a former Muslim, now a disciple of Christ. I recently got into a bit of a theological argument with Muslims, who argued that God does not have a son,… Read More

Does Hebrews 8:10-11 mean that we will no longer have to teach people the Bible because they’ll already know the Lord? — Joanne Gross (Cincinnati) Not at all! Hebrews 8… Read More

October, 2004 These days there is a lot of talk about good and evil, and a great tendency to label and categorise people who act in particularly antisocial ways as… Read More

Like so many recent conferences taking place around the world, the Orlando get-together was superb for several reasons. First, those who attended truly wanted to be there. I was present… Read More

Non-members can listen to several of the audio lessons (the Jesus N.T. Character Podcast, A Christian Response to Global Financial Crisis; Serving the Poor: Second Thoughts; Avatar; The Hunger Games, etc.), but… Read More

Did Moses really write Genesis? Is he the author of the “Books of Moses,” the Old Testament Law? Jewish tradition holds that Moses either wrote or was responsible for the… Read More

Why isn’t there a book to the Bereans, and why isn’t there more mention of them in the N.T. since they were “of more noble character than the Thessalonians”? I… Read More

Here are a lesson and notes on The Structure of the Old Testament (46 minutes). Download it from here. To download the podcast, right click on the download link, and choose “save target… Read More

What’s the relationship between Jesus and Horus? Are they one and the same, or close relatives? I have heard that the Christians borrowed from Egyptian mythology. There is no relationship… Read More

I read that Irenaeus the bishop of Lyon at end of 2nd century first suggested the “forming” of the New Testament. I read also that the NT was eventually formed… Read More

THE NEWSLETTER OF IBTM with Douglas Jacoby . 25 September 2024 Good morning from Lancashire! I flew in yesterday from Sri Lanka and the Far East. It’s good to be… Read More

THE NEWSLETTER OF IBTM  with Douglas Jacoby . 18 Sept 2024 Good morning from the island nation of Sri Lanka! Due to mechanical problems with the aircraft from the UK,… Read More

Douglas, the Sunday life sessions on the topic of Suffering were great! I was totally captivated till the end, especially seeing the pattern of God’s tendency in the Bible to… Read More

By David Baggett Sep 11 READ IN APP In this month’s installment, I said I would share a few observations about each chapter in my dissertation on the Euthyphro Dilemma…. Read More

By David Baggett Aug 21 So I said that in this installment I would begin to discuss my dissertation. Writing a dissertation is a daunting task. For many, it’s the… Read More

THE NEWSLETTER OF IBTM With Douglas Jacoby . 4 September 2024 Good morning from Northern England! Do you enjoy the outdoors? One of our new favorite things to do is to head… Read More

According to Qur’an 5:32, God had “ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as… Read More

C.S. Lewis, who was no stranger to tragedies in his life once wrote “Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new… Read More

The newsletter of IBTM  with Douglas Jacoby . 7  August 2024 Good evening from Atlanta! I’m back from an excellent family visit to St. Augustine, FL and an encouraging friendship… Read More

Immortality and Human Flourishing By J. Warner Wallace JUN 25 READ IN APP The afterlife we experience in the future can change the way we live today. Imagine working long… Read More

by John Teal It is possible that we are unable to see God’s entire path from where we begin the journey. So, he leads us to a new place, not… Read More

May 04, 2024 by: Wayne Grudem 4 Arguments against Euthanasia In addition to arguments that can be made from the Bible against physician-assisted suicide (Ex. 20:13, “You shall not murder”),… Read More

͏ By Paul Copan Apr 21, 2024 READ IN APP Introductory Remarks In his March 15 (2024) article, “‘Save Alive Nothing That Breathes’: How Should We Understand Divine Commands to Destroy?”,… Read More

Like most of us, in October 2023 I was shocked by both the Palestinian assault on Israel and the violent Israeli response. The issues are tangled and complex. But what… Read More

Deconstruction and the Road Back Home By Christopher Reese JAN 29 READ IN APP Large numbers of Americans today are departing from the church and sometimes the Christian faith. About… Read More

The Newsletter of IBTM with Douglas Jacoby Good evening from London! I’m en route to Iceland (London stopover)—to teach in Reykjavík. We hosted Norwegian friends (the Bloms) this past weekend—a… Read More

The Newsletter of IBTM with Douglas Jacoby Good morning from rainy Bare, England—and Happy New Year! First off, thanks for your end-of-year donations. These ensure IBTM is well positioned to… Read More

The Newsletter of IBTM with Douglas Jacoby Good afternoon from rainy England! We trust you are well. Here in NW England we were able to spend time with 10 different… Read More

Yesterday I heard a preacher say Immanuel [Isa 7:14] means “God with you.” My antennae stood straight up because I think the Bible says “with us.” In my opinion, the… Read More

By Christopher Reese Nov 17, 2023 It’s obvious to any observant Christian in America that we live in a time in which religion is marginalized by the culture-forming institutions of… Read More

Q: What is “Commonwealth Theology”? Is it true that we who are non-Jews have Jewish blood in our veins, and are the “House of Ephraim”?  .PDF version TEXT VERSION (following]… Read More

IBTM Newsletter 4 October 2023 Good evening from sunny, windy Northern England! Yesterday I returned from a teaching weekend in Oslo—the 8th visit to Norway since we moved back to… Read More

AUG 18, 2023 READ IN APP Abortion has been a hotly debated topic in the US for decades, especially following the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973 that… Read More

IBTM Newsletter 23-8-23 Good morning from Scotland! This will be the last newsletter sent from our residence of the past three years—Livingston, a town between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Next week… Read More

Used with permission from John Clayton, Does God Exist? It is upsetting. These days, it also seems inevitable. Lies are told, and many people believe them. Maybe that was overstated…. Read More

September 11, 2023 by: Rosaria Butterfield Lie #1: Homosexuality is normal. Included in this lie is the belief that homosexual orientation is true and immutable—fixed and never-changing. Homosexual orientation, a nineteenth-century… Read More

  July 2023 – Updates & Ministry Overview First and foremost, we thank God for your continuous love and prayers for us and for our ministries.  God has continued to… Read More

During the second half of 2022, for professional reasons, I was deployed on a field mission in Sudan (Africa) for three months. (North) Sudan is an Islamic country, where most… Read More

Jana Harmon JUL 9, 2023 Over the past ten years, I’ve listened to and learned from over 100 stories of former skeptics as they described religious conversion from disbelief to… Read More

IBTM Newsletter 5 July 2023 Edinburgh, Scotland As mentioned last week, I am deeply struck by the message of Ruth. Not the message of how we should emulate her fine… Read More

The Newsletter of IBTM Edinburgh, 21 June 2023 Hello from sunny Scotland! It’s the first day of summer (if you’re in the northern hemisphere). For us, dawn began at 3:25… Read More

A conference paper for the Symposium, ‘Men, Women and the Church’ St John’s College, Durham, September 4, 2004 by the Bishop of Durham, Dr N. T. Wright I am very… Read More

By Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell APR 26 During the Roman Empire, the most influential religions other than Judaism and Christianity were the mystery religions. In broad terms, these religions… Read More

THE WORLD OF THE BIBLE: How Scripture fits together & what it means for us today Tyndale House Day Conference in Edinburgh 22nd April 2023 | 9:30–16:00 (BST) We’re coming… Read More

January 17, 2023 In the midst of the high octane culture wars of the last ten years, Christians have been labelled all sorts of things: intolerant, bigoted, arrogant, narrow, dogmatic,… Read More

IBTM Newsletter, 8 March 2023 Good afternoon from Edinburgh! This past weekend I flew to London, staying with old friends Malcolm and Penny Cox. Saturday was a full day of… Read More

The newsletter of IBTM February 15, 2023 Greetings from Beersheba, Israel! Our time here is nearly over. Next tour: Turkey, June 2023. Today’s newsletter is an offering of photos from… Read More

A Year in Review and a Welcome to 2023Written by John TealJanuary, 2023 Growing up in Michigan, we had water everywhere! My county alone had about 450 lakes. When I… Read More

Note: The following was constructed from an 8-part series in our 2022 newsletter. Catholicism’s Seven Sacraments The Council of Trent (1545-1563) affirmed: “If anyone says that the sacraments… are not… Read More

January 09, 2023 by: Rebecca McLaughlin The Greatest Movement of Women in History! Some of my friends think Christianity has pushed women down. But Christianity actually lifted women up. We… Read More

Thomas Jefferson on Jesus By Colin Brown and Craig A. Evans Dec 10 Two works that specifically dealt with the historical Jesus were unpublished pieces compiled by Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826),… Read More

Read the pdf version here: God’s Other Servants (Andy Fleming), or read below. GOD’S OTHER SERVANTS God’s Servants for Justice and Punishment …………………………………. 2 Christian Service and the Governing Authorities… Read More

Daniel McCoy | Bio SHARE How destructive is the sin of greed? Greed is an attitude that craves more and more and can never find enough. Colossians 3:5 equates greed with idolatry,… Read More

By Lisa Quintana Brent Lyons was finishing up his Master’s degree at Talbot School of Theology in science and religion and just knew he wanted to reach nonbelievers with all… Read More

Gordon Fee once told his students on the first day of a New Testament class at Wheaton College that they would—someday—come across a headline saying “Gordon Fee Is Dead.” “Do… Read More

Political and cultural divides are creeping into churches. Social media has given Christians a louder voice to express views on cultural issues and even church membership. In “Not in It to… Read More

What Are Bodies For? By Branson Parler Oct 14 ▷  LISTEN SAVE What are bodies for? The overarching story of our secular age is one of liberty. The main command of… Read More

September 20, 2022by: Rebecca McLaughlin Who Is Jesus? In the episode “A Good Man Goes to War,” the British sci-fi hero Doctor Who prepares to fight. His pregnant best friend Amy… Read More

Written by Rubel ShellySeptember 2022 Edition The following article is reproduced by permission of its author, Rubel Shelly. This list of ten practices was handed out at Harbor: The Pepperdine Bible… Read More

The Reliability of the Gospels: FAQs By Craig Blomberg Sep 12 Years ago, a well-known company that helped individuals compute and file their taxes ran a series of television ads… Read More

The Trinity and Latter-day Saints By David Baggett | Bulletin Roundtable Aug 11 In this month’s Roundtable discussion, the team is tackling topics related to other religions (see Part 1 by Paul… Read More

Other Religions: Islam By Paul Copan | Bulletin Roundtable Jul 27 If you find our weekly free articles helpful, we encourage you to become a subscriber to our monthly newsletter. The… Read More

Field of Dreams Written by John TealJuly, 2022 The beloved 1989 movie Field of Dreams begins with Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) alone in a cornfield. Ray hears a voice saying,… Read More

Imagination as an Anchor of Faith: Samuel Taylor Coleridge and C. S. Lewis By Joshua M. McNall Jul 15 Editor’s note: For context, “Science Mike” in the following excerpt refers… Read More

Open in browser Was Jesus A Unique Kind of Miracle Worker? By Mikel Del Rosario Jun 27 If you find our weekly free articles helpful, we encourage you to become… Read More

There are several reasons the Jewish Sabbath is no longer a requirement for God’s covenant people. (For more, see this article.) I take up the theme again to share some… Read More

Mere Science By Rebekah Valerius Apr 22   In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis sought to describe the beliefs that have been “common to nearly all Christians at all times.”[1] It could… Read More

What Is Metaphysics and Why Is It Important for Christians? By Tyson James Apr 19 One day, a close church friend asked me, “What is metaphysics?” Dr. Paul Gould notes… Read More

The Worldview Bulletin Newsletter The Question I’m Asked Most, Part 1 By Paul Copan and Melissa Cain Travis | Bulletin Roundtable 18 hr ago 3 For this month’s Roundtable discussion,… Read More

. I. Meeting the Kandos How much do you know about the Dead Sea Scrolls? If you’re like most people, you have heard of these ancient artifacts. Most people leave it… Read More

Introduction C.S. Lewis used the term ‘a great cataract of nonsense’ to describe how people use a modern idea to construe Bible theology. One such example, perhaps the best example,… Read More

AUTHOR Greg Koukl Published on 5/1/2013 https://www.str.org/w/two-miracles A Christian’s theology is minimally defined by two miraculous events. The first miracle no one ever saw, because it The first miracle no… Read More

December 06, 2021 by: John Piper A Mysterious Star O​​ver and over, the Bible baffles our curiosity about just how certain things happened. How did this “star” get the magi from… Read More

What is the 10/40 Window? The Moroccan Arabs in Morocco are a large unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window.   The 10/40 Window is the rectangular area of North Africa, the… Read More

By Krista Wenzel On Monday evening I went to see the much anticipated documentary film, Patterns of Evidence: Exodus by filmmaker Tim Mahoney and Thinking Man Films. Filmaker Tim Mahoney in Luxor,… Read More

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

One of the classes I attended at the 2021 Evangelical Theological Society’s annual meeting was “Archaeology and the Exodus.” For several decades some biblical scholars have denied the historicity of… 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

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 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

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

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

(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

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

​ 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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

​ ​ ​​ ​ 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

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

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

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

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

  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

The apostle Paul 1 Cor 7:10-12, 15 “Not I, but the Lord” and “I, not the Lord.” Paul reveals the Lord’s will on an issue common in the Greco-Roman world:… Read More

Included in this post: My own reflections on race, as a white American (first appearing in the newsletter, 10 June 2020). Sources for reflection—if you’d like to invest in relevant… Read More

Introduction Titus was a major figure in Paul’s life, although not mentioned in Acts (which is selective). We come across him 13x in NT, 8 times in 2 Cor—also Gal,… Read More

The following two hundred plus articles are searchable nowhere else at this website, as they are found only in newsletter pdf files. USE SEARCH OR SCROLL DOWN TO THE ITEM… 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

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

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

Pharaoh’s daughter / Pharaoh (daughter / father, and princess / king) 14th BC Exodus 1:15-17, 22; 2:1-10 The hero is a pagan, a worshipper of the Egyptian gods—the daughter of… Read More

Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Stepping into the Jordan Patrons, Prophets, and Preachers by Rob Kranz One of the advantages of teaching is that I always… Read More

Scripture: Luke 2:36-38 . Bio: Hannah (Hebrew) = Anna (Greek & Latin). In some ways she reminds us of her OT namesake (faith, presence at the house of God, deep… Read More

After the pandemic, will people return to church?   Some ministers fear the attendance decline will outlive the COVID-19 outbreak. Bobby Ross Jr. Editor-in-Chief Anote on the Facebook page of… Read More

Used with the permission of John Clayton, of Does God Exist?, who wrote this article Because we live in a time when virtually all of our information comes from news sources… Read More

Here you will find a podcast plus notes on The 4th of July (11 minutes). To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

June 15, 2020 Dead Sea Scrolls Genetically Fingerprinted Animal skin DNA reveals some scrolls came from beyond the Qumran caves A highly technical study released on June 11, 2020 in… Read More

Used with the permission of John Clayton, of Does God Exist?, who wrote this article Because we live in a time when virtually all of our information comes from news sources… 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

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

      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

Douglas Jacoby,  Washington DC (1993) (recommended by Russ Ewell, San Francisco) Prejudice is ugly and widespread, knowing no borders. Yet even more detestable is the use of biblical authority to justify… Read More

Something You Can Never Be CLICK HERE TO LISTEN   Have you ever been told an expression by somebody older than you which makes absolutely no sense to your generation?… Read More

By John Ortberg on January 1, 2020 This piece has been adapted from the transcript of a sermon delivered by John Ortberg at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church on January 5, 2014, and has… Read More

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. (Matt 5:1-2 ESV) Mountains in the Bible are associated with Moses (Exod 19-20),… Read More

Are the Crusades the Ultimate Black Mark Against Christianity? by Rob Kranz “How could anyone defend a religion that would sanction the Crusades?” Having spent a year living in Jerusalem in the… Read More

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

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

Participants on the May/June 2019 Israel tour came from Canada, the Bahamas, the U.K., U.S., Cambodia, Zambia, South Africa, Singapore, and Australia. Here are their responses:   “This tour brought… Read More

“Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them” (Isa 1:14). I also find something… Read More

If you read the Bible—especially the New Testament—it’s pretty easy to come away with a bad impression of Samaritans. In fact, most of us would probably rank the Samaritans just… Read More

Is the Holy Land the Promised Land? Leading evangelical supporters of President Trump tout the modern state of Israel as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Scholars in Churches of Christ… Read More

Weary of attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen, Christians in Nigeria ask how long they’re supposed to “count it all joy.” JEREMY WEBER IN JOS| OCTOBER 19, 2018 Image:… Read More

. PAGE 1 of 2 2019 BIBLICAL STUDY TOUR (27 May—3 June) Registered to date: 35. Registered for post-tour: 16. Nationalities of participants: Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Zambia, South Africa, Bahamas,… Read More

Discipleship-First Tribe, Discipleship·org asked Roy Moran to write a two-part blog on Disciple Making Movements. We asked Roy to do this because he’s an expert on Disciple Making Movements and… Read More

How do we come to grips with the eternal destiny of the multitudes that die because of weather catastrophes like tsunamis, or atrocities like the Holocaust? First of all, we… Read More

Christians are familiar with the story of Jesus’ last night on earth: the Last Supper, Gethsemane prayer, betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion the following morning. But Jesus isn’t the only… Read More

Study Suggestions (by Michelle Wright, 2018) This is in no way an exhaustive guide, but just some thoughts and passages to reflect on while we are in Israel. I hope… Read More

Dear Friend, Summer is one of the most exciting times of the year for us at Tyndale House. This year’s busy season began in May with the arrival of scientists… Read More

(Adapted from chapter 21 of The Spirit.) Jesus deliberately played down the miraculous. Then why did he do so many miracles — if they weren’t really necessary? Now, we never… Read More

How the cross became Christianity’s most popular symbol Throughout the world, images of the cross adorn the walls and steeples of churches. For some Christians, the cross is part of their daily… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (23 minutes), or right click here, in order to download, save, and listen later. 1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I… Read More

Two of the most encouraging verses in the Bible are found in 1 John 5. Verse 3 says God’s commands aren’t burdensome. Walking in the light—and basking in it—isn’t only… Read More

“Let me start off by saying that I’ve gotten incredibly lucky and have no student debt at all.” -Said No One Ever Just kidding. Many have been blessed tremendously to have… Read More

In the first part of chapter two John warns his readers to follow Jesus, not the world. He is responding to a serious problem. Christians are defecting, leaving the faith. In the second… Read More

In the late first century, there were false concepts of Jesus circulating in the Christian world. Just as today there are numerous false Jesuses (perhaps best known is the one… Read More

As noted in the last message, it is possible that the Gospel of John concluded with chapter 20, and that chapter 21 is an addition, either by the original author or by someone… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (19 minutes), or right click here, save and listen later. 18:1 After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples… Read More

Jesus has been preparing his apostles for the persecution to come (15:18 into chapter 16). Persecuting Christians will come to be seen as service to God (v.2). John’s gospel was… Read More

Having heard Jesus’ prediction of his betrayal, and death, the apostles are understandably anxious. That is why in 14:1 Jesus tries to calm them. We too may have our own reasons for… Read More

Jesus speaks to the apostles in chapters 13-16, on the eve of his death. For an excellent study on John 13:31-17:26, read The Last Discourse, by James Greig. Even though he knows… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (19 minutes), or right click here, save and listen later. 27 Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, deliver me… Read More

In the previous chapter Jesus proved that he was truly the light of the world. Here we find the third and fourth I am statements: “I am the door” (vv.7,9)… Read More

This entire chapter illustrates how Jesus is the light of the world (8:12; 9:5). Without him all are blind. Click on the arrow to play the podcast (21 minutes), or right… Read More

Last time (lesson 17) we stopped at John 8:11. The rest of chapter 8 reveals an escalation in tensions between Jesus and the Jewish leadership. The acrimony culminates in an… Read More

The beginning section of today’s podcast (on John 7:53-8:11) some may find a bit academic, or even unsettling. Please bear with me; certain explanations need to be made. Soon we… Read More

Today we finish John 4 and begin John 5. Click on the arrow to play the podcast (25 minutes), or right click here to download and listen later. 43 When the two… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (18 minutes), or right click here to save and listen later. 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,… Read More

We come to the ever-popular John 3!  While most who profess Christ know only verse 16, the entire chapter is chock-full of incredible passages. For example, verse 16 requires faith… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (24 minutes), or right click here to listen later. Introduction Jesus’ core group of disciples, his apostles, has grown. In chapter 2 he… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (20 minutes), or right click here to listen later. Last time we looked at the first two days; today we will read about… Read More

In this lesson (20 minutes), we will finish our study of the prologue (1:1-18), which sets the stage for the entire gospel. Click on the arrow to play the podcast,… Read More

Like most people, I make New Year’s resolutions, but I have a unique focus with some of my goals. I want to want what God wants, and God wants more… Read More

I’m writing to share a recent blog post—an excerpt fromBecoming a Disciple Maker, a free eBook Greg Wiens and I wrote. The article’s called “We Can’t Be Like Jesus If… Read More

OCTOBER 30, 2017 / STEVEKINNARD TEAMwork A Bible Talk for Athletes (and everyone else) Opening question: Name someone who has been a great teammate to you. Explain why. I think of a… Read More

In your school days, maybe you loved science class, or perhaps you dreaded it (I hope not). I’ve been a science lover since childhood — these were the early years… Read More