Tag: Christoa

  • Armageddon: The Iranian Conflict and End Times

    Armageddon: The Iranian Conflict and End Times

    Well. I finally saw the word used in association with events currently at play in the Middle East. In her post, Coston claimed that, in the last battle, the nations wouldn’t necessarily fight against Israel but against Christ. I have to say, I have never actually seen such a narrative in the text of Scripture.…

  • Preparing the Way

    Preparing the Way

    John 1:6-8 There was a man sent from God. This man was not Jesus. John, the gospel writer, suddenly stops talking about Jesus in order to introduce another character in his narrative—John. He is not introducing himself. This is a different John, John the baptizer. John the baptizer is a man sent from God. He…

  • Life, Our Most Treasured Possession

    Life, Our Most Treasured Possession

    Reflecting on John 1:3-5 John doesn’t claim any certain method. He doesn’t give us a timeline of origins. He simply claims that all things came into being through Him, the Word, and apart from Him nothing that exists came into being. Consider, again, the Genesis 1 account. In the beginning God created the heavens and…

  • Let Me Introduce You to This Jesus

    Let Me Introduce You to This Jesus

    John 1:1-2 Have you ever wondered what came first? I mean, something had to come first, right? Many stories have been told about the origins of all that exists in what we perceive as a very material, raw, and observable universe. Perhaps it was a chance universe with chance physical laws amid many other chance…

  • Sign Up To Guest Star in Season 2; Beginning February 5, 2026

    Sign Up To Guest Star in Season 2; Beginning February 5, 2026

    I certainly have those friends I love to have theological conversations with. If you’d like to guest-star on the show, click the button below. My topics for the show are limited to issues in ministry, exposition, and theology. If you have a topic on your heart that falls in or overlaps those categories, I would…

  • Season 2; Beginning February 5, 2026

    Season 2; Beginning February 5, 2026

    I took a huge step back from content development so I could settle into a new pastorate at Alex Southern Baptist Chapel. Thinking about my content ministry for the next year, 2026, I checked the numbers. To my surprise, listener and reader engagement has increased, not decreased, as I’ve taken it easy. I’m not sure…

  • Thoughts About Calling a New Pastor from Beyond the Local Church Walls; Conflict Prevention and Seeking the Local Church’s Good

    Thoughts About Calling a New Pastor from Beyond the Local Church Walls; Conflict Prevention and Seeking the Local Church’s Good

    Speaking about calling a new pastor from outside the congregation is very difficult to do in an expository way. “Outside hire” is a foreign concept to the New Testament and early church. The typical procedure was to appoint people from within a congregation who aspire to be pastors (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1). While it is…

  • Church Revitalization is not a Bad Word

    Church Revitalization is not a Bad Word

    Whether in church or personal life, we all need seasons of revitalization. Our temptation, though, is to pretend nothing is wrong and conduct business as usual because, if things change, we may look like we failed in our endeavors. I have a reminder for you: The results were never ours to boast about in life…

  • Make Pastors Small Again

    Make Pastors Small Again

    Starting about six years ago, my philosophy of pastoral ministry has changed significantly. The shift was so significant that I ended up quitting the ministry altogether. Part of my departure from ministry had to do with church hurt. Most of it had to do with my pride and the fact that I found my identity…

  • The Problem of Pain: Perfect Paradox

    The Problem of Pain: Perfect Paradox

    God is perfect, at least that’s what you claim. Tell me how a perfect God can create anything imperfect. Yet, according to your holy book, the very prize of God’s creation fails. The most important of God’s works is also the most depraved and the cause of all suffering in the world. People are selfish.…