Spiritual gifts can be controversial and overwhelming. The basic concepts are clear in Scripture, but we are often worlds apart in our understanding of how those concepts should be borne out. Some people practice spiritual gifts too little, others seemingly too much. Before we can properly practice spiritual gifts, we must understand what they are. Read More
Category: Radi-Call
Valuing Scripture
The Word of God is a great gift. Think about it—where would we go to learn who God is if we didn’t have His Word? While creation does testify of God, we can’t fully know Him simply by studying the starry sky or a nearby bush. We can look within, but our own hearts are deceitful and our minds are darkened (Jer. 17:9, Rom. 1:21). We can’t hope to know Him unless He first shows Himself to us. The Bible is that revelation, God’s gift to us—Himself. Scripture is the source of all knowledge of God; therefore, to truly know God we must know His Word. Read More
The Place of Music in the Church
Music. How do we use it and how does it affect us? Josh reminded us several weeks back that music is an integral part of our Christian faith. Trish then gave us six reasons why music is important in our personal lives. It is a great gift that, used properly, is a God-given blessing that bolsters us as we struggle and sing our way through this life. Read More
Three Ways We Can Value Scripture
The Word of God is a great gift. Think about it—where would we go to learn who God is if we didn’t have His Word? While creation does testify of God, we can’t fully know Him simply by studying the starry sky or a nearby bush. We can look within, but our own hearts are deceitful and our minds are darkened (Jer. 17:9, Rom. 1:21). We can’t hope to know Him unless He first shows Himself to us. The Bible is that revelation, God’s gift to us—Himself. Scripture is the source of all knowledge of God. Read More
Why Theology Matters
The word theology often reminds us of stuffy libraries and even stuffier scholars. We see it as an intangible world of theories and arguments, totally removed from daily life. But, while we may sometimes view it as an accessory to Christianity, it’s really an essential element of every Christian’s faith. All Christians must be theological in some sense. We can’t grow spiritually without right theology; we can’t even maintain true faith without it. Read More
Gospel Relationships: Transcending Work and Weather
Church relationships are vital for every Christian. Scripture has no category for an unchurched Christian, so to be a Christian is to be in the church, both globally and locally. And the local church manifests itself in the relationships between its members. Through these relationships we maintain our faith, and through them we grow into the image of Christ. Read More
Pursuing Sexual Victory | Article 3 of 3
The pursuit of sexual victory must begin in our minds. Paul reminds us that our bodies are to be a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God. He immediately follows with a reminder that true transformation starts in our thoughts (Rom 12:1-2).
We can never think lofty enough thoughts about God. He is supremely higher, holier, and more benevolent than we have the capacity to understand. Though we cannot know Him fully, we can know Him truly, and we must diligently pursue an accurate knowledge of Him. The resulting awe is a powerful tool for fighting sin.
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Pursuing Sexual Victory | Article 2 of 3
Sexual sin is often overwhelming. We flounder, clueless where to begin. But the root of every sin is our rejection of God. We are comfortable rejecting God when we don’t truly know or love Him. We must stir our hearts to greater love for God, a love which flourishes under a growing knowledge of Him. Read More
Pursuing Sexual Victory | Article 1 of 3
It is, of course, impossible to cover every aspect of this issue in a few short articles, but we aim to lay a solid biblical foundation by detailing several principles. This piece is a joint effort between my wife and myself to establish the root of purified Christianity. As we discussed this series we saw a similar thread in our thoughts – the Gospel of Christ. In the following articles we will be applying the fundamental truths of the gospel to the gritty day-to-day of our experience. I will be addressing other young men, and my wife will do the same to the young ladies. Our goal is one—holy, Christ-exalting lives. Read More
Christian Integrity
As Anabaptists, we are taught early on of the importance of following through on what we say. Honesty, consistency, reliability – these are pivotal character qualities for us, and I dare say we’ve done well at retaining them. Many of our communities are founded on collective integrity, and our businesses flourish because of our reputation of being trustworthy folk.
Yet, sin has a way of uprooting even the sincerest intentions, and none of us are free from the temptation to bend the rules when it’s convenient. Often, our integrity flows only from tradition or good morals, but when that’s all we have, we will break when strained. Our testimony, our faith, and indeed, even our Christianity are at risk when we fail to maintain our integrity.
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