I came across a video recently in my social media feed of a preacher making a claim that the church should be about entertainment. Is that true? Let's unpack it. Pastor Ed Young of Fellowship Church, in Grapevine, Texas, sparked controversy in a recent sermon. Young drove onto the stage in an expensive car. Specifically he drove a Rolls-Royce, which typically costs around $200,000 to $600,000. (It's possible he may have rented the car, which can also be pretty expensive.) The

The following article will provide a list of some of the most prominent creeds, confessions of faith, and catechisms. But let's start with a quick note on the terms. There is a distinction between creeds, confessions, and catechisms. They may sound like the same thing, but they are not. Creeds are general statements covering core beliefs. They are typically focused on the primary, orthodox beliefs of the Christian faith (e.g., the Trinity, the gospel, the second coming of Jes

We love hearing stories about God's grace working powerfully upon a human heart. Specifically, I mean that we love hearing testimonies of dramatic life change. We love radical salvation stories: God's powerful grace, sinners pursued and saved, and sin left behind for holiness. These things are good. I rejoice in God when I hear stories such as these! But—I'm afraid that sometimes we lift these radical stories up so high that it can cause a sad, troubling effect. Many ask them

As I reflect on Scripture, I am astonished that God inspired divine words and delivered them to us. Imagine how it would be if we didn't have clear and authoritative words from him. But, thankfully, we do! And God ensured that those words were recorded in a book. Further, they have been preserved faithfully by the Spirit for thousands of years. Now, one of the most basic ideas in all of theology is the fact that God has revealed his thoughts through words (i.e., special revel

Type of Doctrine: Typically Secondary or Tertiary "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." -2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV throughout) Why Does It Matter? Church offering declarations are used by some churches—especially those with leanings towards the Word of Faith and prosperity “gospel” beliefs. What are they? Are they biblical? When did churches begin using them? Although worship liturgy is typically

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly." -Psalm 84:11 (ESV throughout) There is a lot of confusion over what Scripture says about success. Christians may be confused about how to think about success, given the variety of opinions on it. Here are just a few examples. Many Views on Success Some say that the pursuit of success is idolized and should be rejected. However, others say to

Meals are powerful moments of connection. There is something about sharing a meal that builds community. Because the Bible has many pages, the theme of sacred meals can easily be lost. In the following article, we will look at the biblical theology of sacred meals in two sections: (1) the Old Testament and (2) the New Testament. OLD TESTAMENT Meals appear throughout the Old Testament. Occasionally meals are used to make covenants with people while other times they are used to

One of the most confusing concepts I ran across in seminary was "biblical theology." The terminology seems straightforward. I knew what the Bible was; I knew what theology was; but when you put the two words together it seemed like everyone defined it differently. When I tried to wrap my head around the concept, my head started spinning. Initially, it was hard to appreciate what I could not define. It is sometimes difficult to see the value in something that you don't underst

We Americans are pragmatic people. In many ways, pragmatism was built into the fabric of our society due to necessity. When people moved to North America about four hundred years ago, they had to figure out how to survive. They needed to grow food, build homes, develop businesses, and build a society. There were many immediate needs. Learning needed to produce something. As time went by, pragmatism developed into a philosophical movement. According to Merriam-Webster, pragmat

Type of Doctrine: Tertiary " . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . ." -Romans 3:23 ESV Why Does It Matter? You might hear the message in teaching, preaching, music, or casual conversation: Every sin is the same to God. It is often meant as an encouragement. But is this message true? Are all sins the same to God? This article will explore two views and cover some key Scriptures. Though aspects of the doctrine of sin are undoubtedly primary or seconda

Type of Doctrine: Debated (Some say primary while others say secondary or even tertiary. Others stress that the atonement is multi-faceted and one theory alone doesn't encapsulate the Bible's teaching.) "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."

Type of Doctrine: Typically Tertiary "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." -Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV Why Does It Matter? Some pastors and Christian teachers emphasize the true biblical teaching that we shouldn't waste our lives, but it is often applied in a way that leads to chaotic, busy lives. On the other end, some past

“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” -Revelation 21:22-23 (ESV throughout) Scripture shows a nuanced story of God's presence from the beginning to the end. It's artistic, symbolic, and easy to miss. In this article, we will look at how God’s presence was lost and how God gradually invaded enemy territo

"17 He (Jesus) said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'" -John 21:17 (ESV throughout) In our day, we often see a striking overemphasis in churches on either evangelism or shepherding. It seems like one of the two, evangelism or shepherding, is pursued wholeheartedly wh

“It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” -Romans 4:24a-25 (ESV throughout; emphasis mine) In Romans 3, Paul claims that no one is righteous (Rom. 3:10). Everyone has sinned . Everyone has fallen short . There is no human being that has lived righteously . C. S. Lewis has said, “Christ takes it for granted that men are bad. Until we really feel this assump

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” -Psalm 139:7-10 ESV Some moments, as a Christian, are powerful . We sense that God is with us. By the Spirit, we can discern his presence in the room. It feels like God i

Why do we push past God-ordained limits? Many of us live what appears to be a limitless life (though no one can truly live in a limitless manner!). We try to do too much in an hour, day, week, year, and lifetime. We willingly take on unnecessary debt and live beyond our financial limits. We often stack so much on our schedules that we can't rest. Why? It seems like churches would challenge us on this practice. It seems like they would call us back to sanity. It seems like the

"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." -Proverbs 15:3 ESV Sometimes just thinking of how much God is beyond us almost shuts our brains down. We truly cannot fathom it. Undoubtedly, that is true when we consider God's knowledge. In Proverbs we are told, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good" (Prov. 15:3, ESV throughout). He sees all things. He understands all things. He knows all things. We

Type of Doctrine: Typically Secondary or Tertiary "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." -Galatians 6:2 Why Does It Matter? Christians disagree over whether psychology can be integrated with Christianity. There are views all along the spectrum on this issue. Some say we should not incorporate psychology at all (e.g., many biblical counselors). Others say that we should include some insights from psychology (e.g, Christian therapists who integrate some

Type of Doctrine: Debated “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers . . .” -Ephesians 4:11 ESV Why Does It Matter? New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a phrase that is tossed around in theological circles today. What is it? This article will explore the definition, the complexity of defining it, the concerning beliefs from NAR, and some concluding observations. Regarding theological triage, this topic is debated. While there are many