Excerpt from Exodus 21: God’s Emancipation Declaration — Chapter 2: God’s One-Sentence Abolition of Slavery The question comes hard and fast from those who challenge the Bible: if God is a loving God, why doesn’t He abolish slavery? It should be easy. Being God, He should be able to write a one-sentence command in the Bible to stop people from enslaving each other. The answer…

Excerpt from Exodus 21: God’s Emancipation Declaration — When someone tells you they’re hurting — listen. A lot has been said about the Bible over the years — some true, some false. Much of it has been good and helpful. Some of it has been painful. As a pastor and author, I’ve had the privilege to listen to…

Exploring the dynamics of history’s most pivotal moment — Exploring “what if?” scenarios deepens our grasp of historical events. Often we know what happened. But what would have happened if key decisions changed? How would the dynamics of the situation alter the outcome? Pontius Pilate held Jesus’ life in his hands. On one hand, he could execute Jesus, releasing…

Letting the text say only what it says — There are times when solving a mystery may hinder our faith. In John 8, Jesus writes in the dust while confronting a mob. The text gives no specifics about what Jesus wrote. …

And perhaps a trace of hope — I’m often wrong. When I’m wrong I don’t want to admit it. I want to dig in, fight back, and defend, even when I know just how wrong I am. But God continues to haunt me with the hope of repentance. I’m not trapped in my mistakes. …

Deconstructing the destroyer of faith — Fear destroys Christians. Fear-driven churches burn far too many Christians every year, driving them away through fear-based methods of control, manipulation, and brainwashing. Fear is an easy tool for power-hungry leaders to wield. Keep the people afraid and they won’t dare budge out of line. These church leaders claim to…

Staring into the separation between Father and Son — On the Cross, in the midst of His greatest agony, Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46, ESV). Jesus could no longer hear the Father. Much has been written about the Father forsaking Jesus. Often we consider the theology, the meaning, the message. But…

Truth lives — or dies — in history — This is one of the most important questions you’ll ever ask. If Jesus Christ rose again after dying, then everything changes. It means that death is defeated. It means that this life is not the end. It means that Jesus can do what no mere human could ever do. …

Considering the evidence — both comfortable and disconcerting — Articles today often proclaim the news of Christianity’s demise. Even Christian publications announce tragic news, such as this piece by The Christian Post highlighting how 3,500 people leave the church every day. Should Christians be concerned? Is Christianity shrinking? Nope. Because it’s not. Christianity is surging worldwide Christianity is growing five times faster than…