THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS contains two main themes. First, Christ has reconciled all creation to Himself and to God. Second, Christ has united people from all nations to Himself and to one another in the Body of Christ. Ephesians provides vital instruction regarding who we are in Christ through redemption and sanctification; information which, unfortunately, …
Let’s Go to Theology Class: What is the Church?
The following is a summary of my most recent class in pursuit of my master’s in theology at Colorado Christian University. After reading in Grudem and McGrath, and any appropriate Elwell articles, critique Grudem’s definition of the church. Here are your guiding questions: Is this definition adequate for what the church is, in its essence? …
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Repent, Believe, Follow
By Steven Barto, B.S., Psych. I WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION about what it means to truly follow the way of Jesus. There are, unfortunately, nearly as many explanations of this critical theology as there are people who believe in it. Certainly, this is not what Jesus intended to happen in the Body of Christ. …
Regarding Christian Theology and Psychology in Treating Mental Illness
The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet. —Frederick Buechner GOD CALLS PEOPLE. It might not be the calling of Abraham to leave the land of Ur and go forth into wilderness he knew nothing about, or the calling of Moses, confronted with the …
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Courage & Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential
The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet. —Frederick Buechner God calls people. Whether it is the calling of Abraham to leave the land of Ur, or the calling of Moses, confronted with the burning bush, or the calling of Isaiah who encountered the …
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God Calls Us to Service But We Make the Decision to Answer His Call
God gave Moses the dream of leading the children of Israel out of 400 years of slavery, but Moses had to make the decision to confront Pharaoh. God gave Noah the dream of saving the world from the flood, but Noah had to make the decision to build the ark. God gave Abraham the dream …
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You Ask Me How
You ask me how you can be used to minister life to the Body of Christ [the Church]. Not by setting out deliberately to do a lot, nor indeed by running away...and doing nothing, but simply by letting the cross operate in the normal course of your walk with the Lord. Let the "slaying of …