Blog Archives - Page 5 of 40

In Blog, Feelings, Theology on

August 28, 2023

Am I Enough?

You are enough.

Or, at least, that’s what everybody says. That’s what’s on the t-shirts and the coffee mugs and the pastel Instagram graphics. It’s the mantra of every female empowerment influencer. You are enough. Having a bad day? You are enough. Dealing with “toxic” friends? You are enough. So frustrated with your kids that you can’t get through the day without a glass of wine? You. Are. Enough.

This little phrase is quite popular these days, especially amongst women, even amongst some Christians. These three words are meant to be encouraging, inspiring, empowering, to remind you that you’re doing the best you can do and that’s okay. But while the phrase may make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, it shouldn’t be automatically accepted as authoritative truth. As with everything else, we ought to take it to the Bible and see how it lines up with the teachings of Scripture.

So, what does the Bible have to say about this? Does the Bible teach that we are enough?

Tristany

In Blog, Book Reviews, Jesus on

August 14, 2023

The Character of Christ

Many have tried to argue that the Bible is a guidebook, a road map to this thing called life. If you follow its directions and obey its instructions, then you will be a successful Christian and be well on your way to “good and faithful servant” status.

Of course, this isn’t quite accurate. The Bible is a lot more than just a record of dos and don’ts. It’s the inspired and inerrant Word of God, God’s story of His redemption of mankind. Yes, it contains instruction and guidance, but it also includes hero stories, and handwritten letters, and fulfilled prophecies. Scripture is more than a bunch of rules; it’s a multi-genre book the reveals to us the nature, character, and desires of the God who creates, sustains, and saves us.

And yet, we—especially those of us living in a Western context—still tend to treat what’s written in the Bible as a to-do list, checking off the commands and behaviors that we’re pretty good at and toiling to please God in the areas in which we are lacking. This habit can easily cause us to overlook certain aspects of the Christian life or become weary when we find ourselves unable to overcome our vices. But Jonathan Landry Cruse argues in his book, The Character of Christ, that instead of crossing off items on our scriptural to-do list, we ought to fix our eyes of Jesus and imitate Him.

Tristany

In Bible Study, Blog, John on

July 31, 2023

The Resurrection and the Life

Perhaps one of the foremost reasons many people who once vaguely believed in God have chosen to turn away from Him is unanswered prayer, particularly prayer for the healing of themselves or a loved one. Some of them may have been taught some version of the prosperity gospel, that if they just prayed enough or had enough faith then they would be healed, only to later discover that the level or strength of their faith seemingly had no effect whatsoever on their circumstances. Others simply have a difficult time reconciling their belief that God is good, loving, gracious, and merciful with the fact that He seems to refuse to heal one of His own. Whatever the particular reason, unanswered prayer for healing has caused many in this day and age to doubt or completely run away from God.

Yet, unanswered prayer is not a modern concept or issue. Even back in biblical times there were people who pleaded to the Lord for healing, and their prayers were not answered, at least not immediately. You can open up God’s Word and find numerous examples: Job, David, Paul—all righteous, God-fearing men who prayed and only received silence in return.

When this happens, when we pray and plead to God and hear only silence, we wonder why. Why would God allow this to happen? Why wouldn’t God do something about this? We know He is all-powerful, sovereign, in control of everything that happens in the universe. Why does He stay silent when His faithful people, His own children suffer?

Though God may often seem silent, the truth is that He is always at work, even when our prayers go unanswered. He is always working for the good of those who love Him and for His own glory. We can see this clearly in John 11.

Tristany

In Blog, Book Reviews, Busyness on

July 17, 2023

All Who Are Weary

Busyness seems to be the hallmark of our society. Everybody is busy. Everybody is quickly moving from one thing to the next, barely having a moment to just pause and take a breath. Our daily schedules are packed full, and if we aren’t constantly doing something, we feel as if we won’t be able to accomplish everything we need or want to do.

But after a while, this constant busyness begins to weigh us down. We become tired, weary, burdened by all the priorities and responsibilities we’ve put upon ourselves. And when we allow this weariness to fester in our lives without seeking any rest or relief, it often morphs into anxiety, depression, or a host of other negative side effects.

As believers, we don’t have to sit in this weariness. We don’t have to stay in the anxiety and depression because we have a Savior who loves us, and cares for us, and who has offered to take our burdens upon Himself. What exactly does this look like? Well, Sarah Hauser elaborates on this process in her new book, All Who Are Weary.

Tristany

In Blog, Common Questions, Theology on

July 3, 2023

Is Religious Belief Personal or Objective?

We live in a culture that prioritizes “my truth.” People are encouraged to “live your truth” and believe that “what’s true for you isn’t necessarily true for me.” To the society at large, “truth” is a subjective concept. There is no right and wrong answer or belief system. There is no “objective truth.” You can believe whatever you want to believe with virtually no consequences.

Though this idea is certainly in vogue these days, it’s actually rather ridiculous. It is simply not logical to say truth can be whatever you want it to be. Truth is truth. Period. In her aptly named book, Live Your Truth (and Other Lies), author and apologist Alisa Childers wrote,

“Truth is a thought, statement, or opinion that lines up with reality. That’s it…Truth is true for all people in all places and times.”^[1]

Perhaps you read those three sentences and balked. Well, that’s just one person’s opinion, one person’s truth. Many people, including some Christians, don’t like to say that a person’s belief system is right or wrong, especially since religious beliefs tend to be very personal. But instead of listening to our feelings or cultural mores, we, as Christians, ought to take our cues on this issue from our supreme source of truth, the Word of our sovereign and omniscient God.

So, what does the Bible have to say about this? Is religious belief personal or objective?

Tristany