It’s an accusation that’s been around a long time. Even in ancient times, critics of Christianity noticed some parallels between Christian beliefs and pre-Christian myths. In the late second century, a philosopher named Celsus charged, “The Christians have used the myths of Danae and the Melanippe, of the Auge and Antiope in fabricating this story of […]
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Study: Read through the Greek New Testament in a Year
After a few years of using other Bible reading plans, I’m returning in 2020 to a plan that I’ve used in the past to read through the New Testament in Greek each year. The plan that I’ve found most useful for that is one from Denny Burk, which is based on a plan prepared by […]
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Rob Plummer: The Perplexing Problem of When Quirinius Governed Syria + “The Living Years” (Mike + the Mechanics)
This week’s episode covers the birth of Jesus, death, resurrection, and everything in between! It’s only a few days until Christmas 2019—a celebration which, this year, Timothy has very helpfully renamed “The Star Wars: Episode IX After Party.” At some point between now and Christmas Day, millions of people throughout the world will hear these words […]
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Apologetics: An Overlooked Difference between the New Testament Gospels and Gnostic Gospels
Richard Bauckham points out a distinction between the New Testament Gospels and most of the Gnostic Gospels which—while rather obvious when one reads the Gnostic Gospels—is frequently overlooked: The [New Testament] Gospels are biographical narratives whereas most of the Gnostic Gospels are post-resurrection revelations. Typically in Gnostic Gospels Jesus appears to the disciples after the […]
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PROOF: Martin Luther on Beards and Human Depravity
There’s nothing we can do to change our sinful nature. From time to time, we may have calmed our consciences by pulling the plug on a sinful habit or two. Perhaps we flushed a few pills down the toilet, vowed not to gossip so much about our coworkers, or made a New Year’s resolution to […]
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PROOF: What Is Outrageous Grace? #4DaysUntilPROOF
An excerpt from the forthcoming book PROOF: Finding Freedom through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistible Grace God’s choice to adopt certain sinners as his children solely on the basis of his own good pleasure is sometimes known as “unconditional election.” In the simplest possible terms, unconditional election is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto […]
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PROOF: God Doesn’t Need You—and That’s Good News
A little more than a decade ago, my wife and I sat at a table in a cramped office that reeked of scorched coffee and mildewed carpet. While social workers shuffled around us, we pored over page after page in a file that never seemed to end. “Cruelty to animals.” “Persistent patterns of theft […]
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Apologetics: Did Christians Create Their Faith Or Did the Faith Form Christians?
What factors actually formed the New Testament and the faith of the early church? Conspiratorial reconstructions suggest that church leaders selected texts that preserved and expanded their own political powers. If so, what shaped the early church were books and theological beliefs that were chosen with the goal of control. The problem is, the […]
[Read More...]PROOF: The Beauty of a Plan that Never Fails
An excerpt from the forthcoming book PROOF: Finding Freedom through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistible Grace: It’s perfectly possible for you or me to have a plan and pay the price but then lack the power to make it happen. That’s why we sometimes need a vacation to recover from our vacations. That never happens […]
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Family Ministry: Training to Launch Your Church’s Family Ministry
Have you ever wondered how to promote a family ministry model in your church? Perhaps you’re just curious about what family ministry is all about. Whether you’re ready to dive in or just testing the waters, RightNow Media and I have partnered together to provide a practical online course to help those who might […]
[Read More...]Family Ministry: How Paul’s Teachings About the Family Apply Today
Not long ago, I shared with Christianity.com some thoughts about how Christians can apply Paul’s teaching in their homes. Paul established a priority-changing paradigm for marriages and families in Ephesians 5 and 6. He invited parents to view their task not simply as behavioral management but as gospel proclamation, viewing their children not only as […]
[Read More...]Family Ministry: Growth, Retention, and Gospel-Motivated Ministry
Sometimes, when a ministry makes much of Jesus and the gospel, the results do include numeric gains or stellar retention rates. Seven weeks after Jesus erupted alive from a garden tomb, three thousand women and men confessed Jesus as the risen Lord, and the congregation still kept growing (Acts 2:41–47). Before long, well over five […]
[Read More...]Apologetics: What Blinds People to the Gospel?
Church History: What Are the Gnostic Gospels and Why Do They Matter?
Christianity.com: What are the Gnostic Gospels?-Timothy Paul Jones from christianitydotcom2 on GodTube.
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Church History: What Did Francis of Assisi Mean When He Said, “If Necessary Use Words”?
You’ve probably heard the quotation at least a few times, most likely in a sermon encouraging people to live their faith in the world. “‘Preach the gospel at all times,’ Francis of Assisi said. ‘If necessary, use words.’” It’s a heartwarming sentiment with two flaws. First off, St. Francis never said it; second, even if […]
[Read More...]Family Ministry: Gut Feelings, the Gospel, and the Big Lie About Nine-Out-of-Ten
“So, tell me,” I ask, “why do you want to transition your church toward family ministry?” “Well,” the pastor begins “nine out of every ten kids are dropping out of church after they graduate, aren’t they? Evidently, what we’re doing right now isn’t working.” “Mm-hmm,” the children’s director agrees. “Eighty-eight percent is what they said […]
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Apologetics: Gospel-Centered Apologetics
So much can depend on the answer to a single question. “Will you marry me?” “Did he get the job?” “Was I accepted into the program?” “Did she survive?” “Will you forgive me?” Sometimes, everything comes together—or falls apart—in the shadow of a single question. The Christian faith is that way. In the case of […]
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