These posts separate the facts from the fictions of Christian faith, exposing some of the folk-beliefs, superstitions, false practices, and outright heresies that plague the modern church. We hope they provide some clarity of thought, or at least challenge you to re-think your assumptions about what is, and isn’t, Christian faith.
Is Christianity a Superstition? - I recently saw a news report about a roughly carved wooden cross given as a gift, the bark of which has markings that could resemble a face – maybe even, the face of Jesus. Is it the face of Jesus? Is it a miracle? Or does it just remind us of a face with a … Continue reading Is Christianity a Superstition?
Three Ways Doubt Can Strengthen Your Faith in Christ - Doubt is not the same as unbelief. If you’ve ever been told to “let go of your doubts,” or “just trust God.” If you’ve ever been told your faith was weak, or been rebuked for your doubt—as if doubt was the same as unbelief—then, read on. This post will help you.
What Does it Mean to Believe in Jesus? - It’s common knowledge that the heart and soul of Christianity is belief in Jesus. But, what does it mean to believe in Jesus? That question is the basis of Paul’s teaching about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. And it is apparent from Paul’s comment in verse 2 that belief in Jesus can be “in … Continue reading What Does it Mean to Believe in Jesus?
The Difference Between Faith and Wishing - During my early years as a young Christian, I gathered some wild ideas about faith. The first influencers in my young Christian life were the TV preachers of the late 70s—yeah, I know—and the pentecostal movement from which I first heard the gospel about Jesus (well, sort of anyway). From these two influencers, I heard … Continue reading The Difference Between Faith and Wishing
What Makes Faith “Christian?” - If you ask the average man or woman on the street if he or she believes in God, you’re likely to get a “Yes.” In fact, most Americans say they believe in God despite the general secularism of American society. ❯ Yes, but… But, probe a little behind that “yes,” and you’ll hear a lot of … Continue reading What Makes Faith “Christian?”
The Credibility of Christian Faith (or, Crazy Stuff Christians Believe) - Rational. Credible. Objective. Cogent. Reliable. Attested by history. These words describe the Christian faith. So for example, when Luke wanted to be clear that he was not writing a collection of folk-stories about Jesus, this is what he told his audience up front [emphasis, mine]: Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things … Continue reading The Credibility of Christian Faith (or, Crazy Stuff Christians Believe)
Treating Prayer Like Magic - I recently received an email requesting prayer for a woman with cancer. So I paused, turned my attention to God, and prayed to Him on her behalf. I prayed God would heal her, but if not, that He would comfort her family and glorify His name through this person’s experience. But something in the email … Continue reading Treating Prayer Like Magic
Why WWJD Isn’t WJWD - ❯ WRONG Imagine that a deaf person followed Jesus around and watched everything He did, but heard none of what He said, and then wasn’t around to see the last week of Jesus’ life at all (that whole cross and resurrection thing). And then, imagine that this person came up with a slogan to summarize what he … Continue reading Why WWJD Isn’t WJWD
The Religion About a Relationship - Have you seen the wildly popular YouTube video, “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus?” Watch it. It’s 4 minutes of well-produced spoken word video describing the author’s view of the essence of Christianity. It has people (about 14 million at this writing) talking about Christianity, spiritual life, and of course, Jesus – which is … Continue reading The Religion About a Relationship
How to Know That You Are a Christian - Am I really a Christian? Do you ever ask yourself that? It’s a healthy question to ask once in a while, don’t you think? After all, we don’t want to take something like eternal life for granted. Think of the Pharisees, who thought God put them on “auto-save” by virtue of being Abraham’s descendants. But … Continue reading How to Know That You Are a Christian
Average Us 