Christian obedience is a special kind of obedience. It involves more than mere external behavior, more even than proper motivation. Christian obedience involves the miraculous and mysterious union of divine action and human action. The apostle Paul lays out this mystery in Philippians 2: My beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only…
Category: Health
A Beautiful Savior for the Unattractive
Audio Transcript Happy Friday. Today we are taking up the topic of physical appearance, because the Bible speaks often about physical appearance. Scripture contains dozens of references to physical looks — both to attractiveness and unattractiveness. Those categories emerge all over the Bible, so there’s no need to shy away from this topic. We looked…
Flee the Gospel of Me
On Tuesday, February 7, Lebron Raymone James, Sr. broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career points record — 38,387 points — and became the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. Perhaps the defining image of the night was captured by Andrew D. Bernstein. Look closely, and you’ll notice the photo has something in common with so many iconic images of…
The Hardest Act in Parenting Teens
Audio Transcript Today we look at parenting, particularly parenting through the teen years. Parenting teens is full of pressures and challenges. One source of those pressures are the demands and the questions put on mom and dad for which there are no easy answers. We’re trying to help our teens think for themselves with discernment…
Will they pin you to the wall?
Will they pin you to the wall? Posted by appolus on May 9, 2023 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in…
Rain down upon me now.
Rain down upon me now. Posted by appolus on May 9, 2023 Fire from heaven rain down upon me now Open the eyes of our hearts that might see and bow Go forth before me Lord with your fire and you’re rain Burning all the dross and breaking every chain. By your presence let all the…
Where Does Mark End? Handling Snakes and Ancient Manuscripts
ABSTRACT: The majority of surviving Greek manuscripts include Mark 16:9–20 at the end of the Gospel, and the majority of Christians throughout church history have received these verses as God’s word. Nevertheless, both external and internal evidence suggest that Mark likely ended his Gospel at verse 8, however abrupt the conclusion may seem. Externally, the…
We Travel to a World Unseen
When I talk with modern men who dismiss God without a second to even consider him, I cannot help hearing a herd of cows mooing upon a hillside. These scientifically minded men (they claim) live to stare at the patch of grass in front of them and call the scheme real life. That is all…
The Path from Orthodoxy to Demon Theology
Audio Transcript On this Monday, we jump right into the deep end to talk about the pathway from orthodoxy to demon theology. It’s a heavy topic, one inspired by a text we find in Paul’s first epistle to Timothy. Here’s the question, from a podcast listener named Leland: “Hello, Pastor John, and thank you for…
Are you insipid?
Are you insipid? Posted by appolus on May 7, 2023 Mat 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. This is a very…