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Tristany

In Blog, Holy Spirit, Theology on
October 30, 2022

The Holy Ghost

Today is Halloween—the day where it’s all of a sudden acceptable to encourage your kids to stay out after dark and take candy from strangers. I grew up in a conservative, southern Baptist home, so I never really celebrated Halloween. I attended a handful of fall festivals in my childhood years, but I never went trick or treating, or walked through haunted houses, or decorated with spiderwebs and tombstones.

However, I once saw a Halloween decoration that I think my parents could get on board with. It was an outdoor sign made of different pieces of wood that were all painted in a variety of fall colors, and it read, “The only ghost that lives in this house is the Holy Ghost.”

The Holy Ghost, aka the Holy Spirit, can sometimes be a mystery to many believers. Who exactly is the Holy Spirit, and what exactly does He do in the world and in our daily, personal lives? Well, gang, it’s time to hop in the Mystery Machine and grab your Scooby Snacks because we’re about to discover that this Ghost is not as mysterious or daunting as He may seem.

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In Blog, Book Reviews, Encouragement on
October 24, 2022

A Better Encouragement

Have you ever felt discouraged, down in the dumps, and someone tried to cheer you up with some kitschy phrase like, “You got this!” or “You are enough!” or “Girl, wash your face!”

It’s not that encouraging, right? Sure, it might sound nice in the moment, but when have these little self-help phrases ever actually encouraged you—ever actually strengthened and empowered you to do whatever you needed to do? If we’re being honest with ourselves, these cultural expressions are not truly encouraging. They do not help us when we are weary, and stretched thin, and don’t know how we’re going to make it through the day. Discouragement is a normal part of the human experience, and whether we want to admit or not, all of us need a little encouragement. But as Lindsey Carlson argues in her new book, we, as believers, are in need of a better encouragement.

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In Bible Study, Blog, John on
October 17, 2022

Jesus Draws Near to the Sinner

Have you ever been filled with so much guilt and shame over your sin that you wondered how God could ever forgive you?

I know I have.

Several years ago, I went through a season filled with severe shame over the temptations and sins I was struggling with. I was drowning in guilt and the depression that came with it. I was consumed by my failures and shortcomings, and I would rehearse them over and over in my head, day in and day out until I began to question God’s mercy, God’s love, and God’s forgiveness. How could a righteous, all-powerful God show me mercy? How could a holy, all-knowing God love me? How could a just, sovereign God forgive me, especially when I continued to sin daily?

I’m sure you’ve had one of these seasons. All Christians do at some point during their journey of faith. How can we overcome this shame that threatens to suffocate us, this guilt over past (or present) sin? We can discover this answer in John 8, where Jesus encounters a guilty, shame-filled woman.

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In Blog, Cultural Christianity, Theology on
October 10, 2022

Should I Really Let Go and Let God?

“You just have to let go and let God.”

You’ve probably heard this phrase before. It’s a particular favorite amongst Christian influencers and megachurch pastors. Let go and let God—the idea of letting go of whatever troubles you in this life and letting God take care of you and your situation. In one sense, this little phrase is a great reminder that we’re not ultimately in control of what goes on in our lives and we need to trust God’s sovereign will.

In another sense, this little phrase can cause major theological errors that greatly affect our faith and relationship with God. Before we share this clever quip with someone or use it to define our own lives, we ought to ask: “Should I really let go and let God?”

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In Bible Study, Blog, John on
October 2, 2022

Once Saved, Always Saved?

When I was a young child, I would pray the sinner’s prayer every chance I got. I grew up attending a Southern Baptist church every Sunday, so I’ve witnessed many altar calls in my lifetime. As a child, I knew that I had put my faith in Jesus, and I knew that meant I was saved. But I didn’t feel saved. I felt like surely there had to be something more to salvation than just believing in Jesus. So, I kept praying the prayer, hoping that at some point it would click and I could feel assured that I really was saved. I wanted some big, flashy sign to tell me, “Yes, you are saved!”

Assurance of salvation is something that every Christian struggles with at one point or another. We see how sinful we still are, even after repenting and trusting in Jesus, and this causes us to wonder if our salvation experience really worked the first time. These feelings of doubt and insecurity often beg the question, “Once saved, always saved?”

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