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Theology

In Blog, Church, Theology on
August 14, 2022

One Another

Church attendance in America is steadily declining. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, only thirty-six percent of professing Christians attend a local church at least once a week. Only forty-six percent attend at least once a month. This means that over half of those who claim to be Christian in this country never attend church or only attend a few times a year—probably on Christmas, Easter, and other special occasions.[1]

There are many reasons why someone may have stopped attending church over the past few years. Perhaps after the COVID-19 pandemic, they didn’t see a need to return to an in-person gathering when they can just watch the services online.  Maybe they’ve fallen prey to the deconstruction movement and are rethinking what they believe about God and the Bible. Or it’s possible that the rise of sexual abuse allegations against pastors and other church leaders have convinced them that the church is a broken system that can’t be repaired.

However, the truth is that Christians need the Church. God created human beings for community, and we’re not meant to do life alone (Genesis 2:18). Christians are commanded to gather with a local body of believers because we need the help and encouragement they can provide as we continue in our faith journey (Hebrews 10:24-25). The Church is our community, and as our community, we have a role to play in it. As the Church, we are to welcome one another, grow one another, and serve one another.

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In Blog, Progressive Christianity, Theology on
July 10, 2022

Five Lies of the Progressive Gospel

Can Christianity progress? Apparently, a lot of people think so.

Over the past several years, there has been a movement of professing believers reexamining and deconstructing the Christian doctrines they have always believed in. They call themselves “progressive Christians,” though the term “Christian” is being used loosely here, as this group now holds beliefs that completely disagree with and go against nearly everything the Church has affirmed for the past 2,000 years.

There are different reasons for why someone has become a progressive Christian. Some of these folks have had bad experiences with the local church and hypocritical, abusive leaders. Some could never make sense of what the Bible teaches and were quickly dismissed whenever they tried asking questions. Others just feel like what they were taught in Sunday School growing up doesn’t match up with the loving, affirming God they believe in. These situations caused them to rethink their faith and ultimately reject the biblical gospel in favor of a progressive one.

What’s so wrong with the progressive gospel? A lot. Far more than can be covered in one little blog post. But there are five progressive Christian beliefs in particular that are absolutely untrue and antithetical to the good news of God’s Word. These five lies ought to be exposed and avoided at all costs by true, Bible-believing Christians.

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
June 12, 2022

God the Father

Father’s Day has always been a good day for me. It’s a day when I can intentionally remember, appreciate, and celebrate my own father. My dad has always been there for me, always encouraged me, and always provided for me. All my life, I’ve known that I can trust him and rely on him. But I know for many of you, this has not been the case. Father’s Day has always been a difficult day for you. It’s impossible for you to remember, appreciate, and celebrate a man who abused you, who abandoned you, who ignored you, who disappointed you. He wasn’t there for you, and he didn’t protect you as he should have. He was a man who could not be trusted or relied on.

If you’ve dealt with this kind of experience in your life, it may seem strange to you when God is described as a Father in Scripture (Isaiah 63:16, Jeremiah 3:4, 2 Corinthians 6:18). It may even cause you to question God’s character. Will God abandon me? What if God doesn’t come through? Can God really be trusted? It’s understandable that we may have the feelings, thoughts, and questions when our only reference of a “father” is our sinful, earthly ones. What does the Bible mean when it calls God our Father? It means He does six key things.

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In Blog, Salvation, Theology on
May 16, 2022

Just As If I’d Never Sinned

One Sunday when I was in middle school or early high school, my pastor was teaching about the difference between the three parts of the salvation process: justification, sanctification, and glorification. As he was describing justification, he said “When I am justified, it’s just as if I’d never sinned.” This play on words has always stuck with me and reminded me of what being justified means.

But even this helpful phrase may leave you wondering—What exactly is justification? How is justification possible, and how can I know if I’ve been justified? What happens to me when I’m justified? If you’ve ever considered these questions, keep reading because this post is for you!

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In Blog, Prayer, Theology on
April 17, 2022

Prayer Basics

Without communication, a relationship will never survive. I’ve had many friendships fade away because I just lost contact with them. And the same is true with other kinds of relationships, too. Marriages that lack communication often end in divorce. Miscommunication between bosses and employees tend to result in missed deadlines and uncompleted tasks. Parents who never communicate or cultivate relationships with their children are often estranged from them later in life.

Our relationship with God is no different. While a lack of communion with God won’t end in divorce or loss of relationship, forsaking practices like prayer and Bible reading can hinder one’s fellowship with God, making them feel like God is far away from them. Bible reading is a fairly straightforward discipline, and it’s rather easy to recognize how God speaks to us through His Word. But many Christians struggle with prayer. Who do we pray to? When should we pray? What should we pray for? Even people who have been believers for years are asking these questions, and all of them and more will be answered in this Prayer Basics post!

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