May His Abundance Never Scare You
My struggle with PPA after Ivan’s birth was much worse than it was with either of my girls. It came at night in waves. Just as I was about to go to sleep, I would have intrusive thoughts about Ivan suffocating. Or my girls running into the road. Of me falling down the stairs with the baby in my arms. I would wake up gasping and crying as Josh reached out to calm me, holding my head and praying me back to sleep.
Contemplative Prayer: Biblical or New Age?
“Put simply, the contemplative life is the steady gaze of the soul upon the God who loves us. It is “an intimate sharing between friends,” to use the words of Teresa of Avila.” That’s how contemplation is described by Renovare, the ministry founded by spiritual disciplines expert and lifelong pastor, Richard Foster.
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Ask Anything Q&A: Jewish Feasts, Friendships with Non-Christians [Transcribed]
Every few episodes in our current podcast series is a quick compilation of Ask Anything Monday questions. I answer these rapid fire, covering a range of ideas and topics sent in by you! In this episode, we talk about:
dating for experience versus dating for marriage
friendships with non Christians
why charismatics are accused of being New Age
the origins of Mennonite churches
How to Determine Core Doctrine
In this long awaited episode – a transcription of my Discernment 101 classes – I break down some of the essential pieces for discerning through Christian content online, in books, and in conversations using Albert Mohler’s theological triage method and my own hacks for determining theological bias.
What is Dispensationalism?
In this episode of Verity Podcast, I break down the history of dispensationalism, how it spread so quickly throughout the continental United States, and the impact it has had on our view of the church and end times theology.
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Is Breastfeeding a Moral Issue? [The Women’s Issues Series]
In the third segment on women’s issues on Verity podcast, we are discussing the controversy around breastfeeding: Why is it that this has been raised to the level of a moral issue? What does Scripture say about it, and how has this played out in history?
Breastfeeding is just one example, though, of a greater issue: The guilt and shame of the mommy wars.
The Cross We Won’t Carry: Unity, Orthodoxy, and Theological Pride
Francis Schaeffer is credited with saying, “Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.” There is something monstrous about a gospel obscured with condescension. There is a bitter aftertaste to cancel-culture Christianity. And yet… how do we know when something should genuinely be rejected as heretical or heterodox? There are guiding principles to Christianity, truths defended and held for thousands of years. These are not to be lightly taken. Can we hold to biblical orthodoxy without losing our hearts?
How to Love the Graceless Christian
I was the graceless Christian. I remember well the inner criticism, the judgmental eye, the pride harbored in my heart. It’s never far enough away for me to become careless about it. I’ve grown in my understanding for and appreciation of grace, and each day I walk more in victory. But I remember who I could be without Him. Years into this walk with Christ I’ve grown to deeply appreciate clarity on core doctrine and graciousness for second and third tier issues. Knowing which is which is fundamental, in my opinion, to spiritual maturity.
Is Easter Pagan?
A few years ago I first saw an infographic running around Facebook about Easter and its “pagan origins”. I was intrigued by this accusation. I knew that it often came from Messianic and Hebraic Roots communities, but since I try to entertain other views, I did some serious digging.
Cessationism and Continuationism: Two Views of Spiritual Gifts
Do the revelatory spiritual gifts – tongues, healing, and prophecy – continue to modern day? If not, why are they so prevalent in Acts? If they do, why do we see them practiced in strange and chaotic ways? And what does the Bible say?
A History and Theology of Worship
Is it wrong to listen to certain forms of music? What about worship music from a church who has had some questionable teachings?
Four Views of the End Times
A lot of people have eschatology on the brain these days. With all the speculation about the end of the world, one world governments, microchips and 666, it’s hard to know where to draw the line between what’s biblical and what is not!
Calvinism and Arminianism: An Overview
The terms Reformed and Calvinist, though not the same, are often used interchangeably. So if you have been introduced to “reformed” theology, this would be a good listen for you. If you are a Calvinist who has been taught that Arminians compromise the gospel or are “semi-Pelagian”, I would also encourage you to listen! You might be surprised at what Arminius actually taught.
What’s Really Behind Your Bible Study Struggle
One of the question I receive on a weekly basis is “What do you do when you just don’t feel like studying the Bible?” It’s something all Christians will run into at one point or another. This isn’t a foreign experience, even for the long term faithful Christian. But that doesn’t mean it’s something we accept; something we grow apathetic about. It’s something we overcome.
The Glory Days Are Here (and Yet to Come)
I’m told the good days are over.
If the election turns out one way, things will never be the same. If a vaccine is mandated, or if it isn’t; if the House changes, or if it doesn’t; if the businesses open, or if they don’t – the good days are over. There is no hope.
Do Not Merely Listen: My Response to Ravi’s Fall
Ravi Zacharias was one of the “good ones”, I thought. When he died, I celebrated the fact that a man had completed a life’s work for the gospel without scandal. He died a champion for the faith – or so I believed. I cried through the memorial video released by RZIM, but at the time, they were tears of joy for the legacy I believed Ravi had.
How Our Family Celebrates Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and like All Saints Day, we like to celebrate this small holiday in a way which connects to its church history. Though we no longer have access to much history of Saint Valentine (who was likely a conglomeration of more than one person by that name), the church legends associated with him grant much greater meaning to this holiday than the commercialized version would have you know.
What Discernment Is Not
As Christians take to the interwebs warning of this deception and that false teacher, discernment becomes more pressing. And yet… it’s not just the false teaching we need to be discerning about. It’s the people WARNING against false teaching. Yes: we need to be able to recognize the difference between true discernment and fear-led immaturity. Many of the very people talking about “discernment” are in the latter camp.
It Takes More Than Two to Make a Marriage
My hands shook as I poured a glass of tea and my voice trembled when I spoke: “So… in my marriage…” I almost choked on the words, launched into a circle of women I barely knew. Women older than me, married ten, fifteen, thirty years to my three. Women whose marriages looked happy and beautiful and good.
Apostles, Prophecy, and the Passion Translation with Mike Winger
I have followed Mike Winger for years now and am constantly blessed by his dedication to truth and his gracious way in presenting it. Recently, Pastor Mike has been working on a scholarly project regarding Brian Simmons’ Passion Translation, inviting Old Testament and New Testament scholars to speak to the book and its usage of Hebrew and Greek.
The Five Email Newsletters I Never Miss
As I limited my time on technology and social media last year, I found myself drawn toward email for keeping up with friends and the world. Isn’t it funny how email was the first “big thing” and it’s still here?? I’ve found that reading longform newsletters and blog posts is much more refreshing than the 15-second hits of Instagram and Facebook. There’s more room for explanation and context, more room to sit and read instead of tapping through.
How to Really Love Your Child
I can’t forget the time I held an “Ask Anything Monday” on Instagram and someone asked me for my five favorite parenting books. I answered honestly: I don’t have five! I barely read any. My kids are ages 5, 3, and 4 months at the time of writing and I’ve read two ?? parenting books so far. Honestly, I find most parenting books either behavior-focused or too lenient and child-centric. I don’t like labels (gentle parenting? So anyone who doesn’t subscribe to that model… isn’t gentle? No thanks!) and I’m very selective about who I listen to regarding parenting. That leaves me with not many options.
On MLK Day: What If We Listened?
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Would you believe I spent most of my life thinking of this day only in terms of retail sales and ski resort blackout dates? I knew who MLK was (sort of) and what he did (a little) and I knew his actions were significant for black men and women. But I’m not black, so I paid little attention.
Are We Part of Esther’s Anointing?
A few months ago (in the heart of 2020) I received a rush of questions regarding “the Esther anointing” – a particular anointing of God on women to bring the power and transformation of God’s kingdom to political and social spheres. This phrase was new to me and I could not find much regarding its origins. Eventually I was clued into the book from which the phrase was taken: The Esther Anointing by Michelle McClain-Walters.