In Memoriam: Ravi Zacharias on Life, Death, Love, and More

| Tue, May 19, 2020 | Culture and Context 2
Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

This morning, the Christian world lost a beloved brother in Christ: Ravi Zacharias. If you haven’t heard of Ravi, let me introduce him.

Born in Madras, India, in 1946, Ravi spent most of his childhood in Delhi. He professed atheism until age 17 when he attempted suicide by poison. While recovering in the hospital, a local Christian worker gave him a Bible, instructing him to read John 14. Upon reading verse 19, “Because I live, you also will live,” his life was forever changed. [Read more…]

National Day of Prayer: The King’s Love for Lowly Sinners

| Thu, May 7, 2020 | Culture and Context

What does it take to pray like a Puritan? And why would we want to?

For the Puritans, prayer was neither casual nor dull but a passionate affair.1 A cry for mercy. Unabashed praise for the Creator of all things. Vibrant expressions of deep Christian faith that are a shining example of holy living. [Read more…]

Why We Should Read Theologians with Whom We Disagree

| Fri, February 21, 2020 | Featured Books

Reading theologians with similar views is like cozying up next to a fireplace on a winter day in a favorite chair. It feels comfortable. Safe. Those like-minded wise ones become leaders of the tribe with which we belong, the theological clique we ascribe to, find affirmation in, and sometimes form pieces of our identity.      

If I’m honest, it’s where I tend to camp. [Read more…]

Scripture: 13 Verses on What the Bible Says about God’s Word

| Fri, January 17, 2020 | Bible Study

Poems and songs. History and narrative. Wars and celebrations. Romance and grief. The Bible is an eclectic book.

But it’s more than a book. It’s a compilation of sacred writings God gave us to know and love him better—it is the word of God. And within our Bibles, we find what A. W. Tozer calls God’s present speaking voice—that which makes the written word all-powerful and as relevant today as it was to first-century believers. [Read more…]

The Trinity: 17 Verses about the ‘Oneness’ of God

| Wed, December 18, 2019 | Theology

Understanding the Trinity—one God in three persons (Father, Son, and Spirit)—takes us into deep theological waters, where the simplest math fails us: 1 + 1 + 1 = 1.  [Read more…]

Where’s Jesus in the Old Testament? Start with These 12 Verses.

| Tue, November 19, 2019 | biblical studies, Products, Theology

We often read our Bibles as if Jesus made his first appearance in this world as a baby in the New Testament. Our story as Christians, we sometimes think, starts with the book of Matthew.

But the Bible’s witness to Jesus did not begin there. A common thread runs throughout the pages of our Bibles from the beginning of Genesis to the last page of Revelation: Christ.

Here are 12 New Testament verses that point to Jesus in the Old Testament. [Read more…]

4 Pastors Who Led and Loved Their Churches Well

| Sun, October 13, 2019 | Articles

The Bible establishes specific qualifications for pastors (see 1 Pet 5:3, 1 Tim 3:2–7, Titus 1:8, Eph 6:4). But above all, they are to “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12)—a tall responsibility.

Today is Pastor Appreciation Day, and to honor the work pastors do for the sake of the gospel, we’re sharing about four pastors who lived out 1 Timothy 4:12 and loved God’s people well. [Read more…]

6 Recent Archaeological Discoveries That Support the Bible

| Wed, July 24, 2019 | Articles, Bible Study
Photo credit: Eliyahu Yanai, City of David

Each time an artifact related to the biblical narrative is unearthed in Israel or the surrounding lands of the Bible it becomes a witness to the perfection of God’s Word.  [Read more…]

Why Biblical Archaeology Makes Faith Less ‘Blind’

| Fri, July 12, 2019 | Articles, Bible Study, biblical studies, Books, Products

Biblical archaeology is archaeology focused on the ancient Near East. It includes places like modern-day Israel, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, and Iran from 1,400 BC through the first century AD. 

And though students of the Bible often overlook archaeology, it’s one of our most significant partners in Bible study—a witness to the events, culture, and people in the Bible’s stories.  [Read more…]

Why the ‘Date’ of Palm Sunday Is so Profound

| Mon, April 15, 2019 | Articles

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.

— Isaiah 46:10, NIV

The significance of Palm Sunday was lost on me as a child. I suspect it’s lost on most Christian adults, too. [Read more…]