church

Don’t Be Who You Are, Be Someone Better

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There is a cultural phenomenon sweeping through our world today, and I think it can best be epitomized by a comment made by Taylor Swift in an interview discussing her hit music video “Shake it Off.” The comment was, “I wanted it to be—kind of—unapologetic about like, ‘you don’t like me for being who I am, watch me be who I am more.’” [1] It’s the phenomenon of being who you are… unapologetically. Some female celebrities who have spearheaded this phenomenon are Jennifer Lawrence (known for her wacky behavior and outspoken nature on unhealthy body image), Taylor Swift (quoted above), … [Read more]

False Teachers in 2 Peter and Jude

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Introduction When discussing the false teachers mentioned in the books of 2 Peter and Jude a few essential questions must be answered prior to drawing any applications about them. We need to discuss their teachings, their methods— or tactics, and also their spiritual standing—or trusts. All of this will form a picture for us to look at while ascertaining fundamental truths, and thus applications and reactions to false teachers we can have in today’s world. The first three sections of this paper will cover those attributes, and the final section will discuss biblical responses to false teachers, both in the … [Read more]

The Hospital Love Letter

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The Bible: Not Just a Love Letter. The Church: Not Just a Hospital. There are two phrases present in the church today that I really get annoyed by. Admittedly, they are for incredibly picky reasons, but that doesn’t stop me from getting annoyed. Honestly, they probably wouldn’t aggravate me so much if people didn’t often try to build doctrine on them. The two phrases are these: The Bible is God’s love letter to mankind The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints. You’re probably thinking right now, “How could you not like those two sayings? They … [Read more]

The Sunday School Answer

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There once was a kindergarten Sunday school class. The teacher was giving a demonstration of how God created everyone, including all the little animals. For her illustration, she asked the kids in her class a question. “What’s brown and furry and has a big bushy tail and eats nuts?” “Jesus!” shouted the children, because as we all know, Jesus is always the answer in Sunday school. The teacher smiled patiently and said, “No… Listen close. What’s brown and furry has a big bushy tail and eats nuts?” Again the entire class shouted “Jesus!” A little bit more impatiently the teacher … [Read more]