salvation

It’s none of my business what atheists teach their children, I know. And I have enough to do rearing my own five sons. But occasionally one will hear advice so bad it must be answered. In this case, the advice is for atheists to “lie” to their children about the existence of God. In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal psychoanalyst Erica Komisar notes upward rates of anxiety and depression among children and adolescents and argues that much of this can be explained by the decline of religious observance.  And she has the data to back up her claims—showing how belonging in a religious community lowers risks for mental illness. She further expresses alarm at the fact that the last 20 years have seen a 20 percent drop in attendance of religious services and that nearly half of under...

A Prayer for Grieving at ChristmasBy: Dena Johnson “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10 NASB I’ve spent the last eight months doing everything I can to keep my faith strong, to trust God. But this week, I am losing the battle. I am collapsing under the weight of this year. The last few days, I find myself simply falling apart. I can’t hold back the tears another moment. I can’t put a smile on my face and pretend I am doing just fine. I can’t hold in the grief that is filling every inch of my being. Perhaps you understand. Perhaps you too feel as if this year has been a nightmare, destroying your peace and security. Perhaps you feel as if your very life is crumbling, collapsing. Perhaps you c...

God Is Our Wonderful CounselorBy: Gina Smith Some friends were having challenges in their marriage and asked if they could come over to talk with me and my husband. We were happy to meet with them and prayed for God to give us the words He knew they would need to hear. After they shared with us some of the struggles that they were facing in their marriage, we began to remind them of what they already knew – that God has given us everything we need to have victory in the battles that we face in our marriage relationship. In Isaiah chapter 6, when Isaiah announces the birth of the promised King, he is announcing the birth of the one who would help and sustain us through dark times. This announcement of the king uses four significant and important names. The first name he used was the name: “...

There are several “sayings” I find myself repeating to the staff and leaders of our church: “If you think the mission is competing with other churches, you need mission lessons.” “A hundred churches could open their doors within a mile of our campus and it wouldn’t matter. We’re not after the person who is looking for a church. We’re after the person who doesn’t even like churches.” “We would be so much bigger if we were after transfer growth. Transfer growth is easy. Just offer the biggest, best, glitziest services and programs you can that are totally designed to meet the felt needs of the already convinced.” “It’s one thing to lure someone who wants to fly from Charlotte to Miami to use your airline. Just offer the cheapest, most convenient, highest-value service. They’re making a decis...

A Father’s Prayer for His DaughterBy: Brent Rinehart “Behold, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:3-5) The father-daughter relationship is particularly important. According to the Institute for Family Studies, well-fathered daughters are more likely to graduate from college, get higher paying jobs, are more self-disciplined and confident, and are less likely to become sexual active or pregnant in their early teenage years. How do we even begin to ensure our daughters are “well-fathered”? Well, it begins with being pre...

Murder, anger, gossip, lies, stealing, adultery, are all sins. Most believers would agree these are obvious on the list of bad things we shouldn’t practice. But what about the subtle habits of the mind, such as anxiety? Is it a sin? It’s a great question since many have and deal with anxiety. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that 40 million adults or 18.1% of the population have an anxiety disorder.  What Is Sin? First, let’s look at what the word “sin” means. Merriam Webster Dictionary defines it as “a vitiated (spoiled or corrupt) state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God.” In other words, sin is separation from God, even if only momentarily. Billy Graham once said, “A sin is any thought or action that falls short of God’s will. God is ...