I love reading through the Old Testament. The Old Testament is rich with threads of the gospel—hints of what God was planning from before the world began. However, it is easy to overlook look them. They are often understated—they’re not the main point of the passage, but they are present. There are several gospel themes in Genesis alone, more...

Unless we’re talking about language development, it’s a good idea to understand words before we use them, especially when they may be emotionally charged. One commonly used—and abused—word describing Christians is intolerant. Of course, some prickly, pugnacious persons call themselves Christians but deny this claim by their lives. True Christianity shouldn’t be equated with abuses committed in Christ’s name....

The Big Questions Does life have meaning? Is there purpose to our existence? Questions like these are not unique to the modern thinker. People have been asking the same question for centuries. The answers that have been offered are the ones consistent with the competing worldviews and belief systems of the time. These are questions asked inside a philosophy...

A Chinese proverb says, “If you want to know what water is, don’t ask the fish.” Water is the sum and substance of the world in which the fish is immersed. The fish may not reflect on its own environment until suddenly it is thrust onto dry land, where it struggles for life. Then it realizes that water provided...

Unless you travel in very specific social circles, it’s entirely possible that you’ve never had a conversation about worldviews. Actually, that’s not true. If you’ve talked about politics, religion, parenting, education, or any kind of social issue, you’ve had a worldview conversation. What is a Worldview? But what exactly is a worldview? The simplest way to understand it is...

why sound doctrine matters in student ministry What do your students actually believe about God? Jesus? The Bible? Themselves?  Imagine if you were able to get the teenagers at your church to honestly answer those questions. If they told you what they really thought, rather than what they think you want them to believe, what kinds of answers do you think...