“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” -Ephesians 6:11
Like any longstanding group of people, Christians have their own jargon and overused phrases. Someone who comes to faith is said to be “born again.” A Christian who tells her coming-to-faith story is said to “give her testimony.” When sharing the good news of Jesus with non-believers, we urge each… Read More »The Battle’s Already Been Won . . . What Battle?
What are you afraid of? What keeps you awake at night or fills your veins with adrenaline? A quick internet search of the most common phobias yields a CRAZY long list of fears so common they have their own names. A few examples: See one on the list that fits… Read More »No Fear: The Danger of Sin in Your Heart
When you pick up a novel of any given genre, you have certain expectations of what you’ll find, right? If it’s fantasy, the characters must exhibit some type of mystical powers, or at least live in a world where mystical powers exist. Readers of paranormal fiction expect to encounter vampires,… Read More »Christian Romance: The Lies Behind the First Kiss in Fiction
In a previous post, I talked about fighting habitual sin and why persistence matters. Everyone has habitual sins we struggle to let go of. You know which ones they are for you. But some sins creep into your life with almost no notice, like the Virginia Creeper in my garden.… Read More »Look Truth in the Eye: Self-Examination for Christian Teens
Ever play with magnets as a kid? They’re fascinating. Some repel as if a real, physical object holds them apart, while others attract and become near inseparable. This is where all the cliché romantic idioms like “opposites attract” and “Johnny is a girl magnet” come from. Magnets give us a… Read More »How to Overcome Habitual Sin: Why Persistence Matters
Popular culture wants you to think purity is outdated and irrelevant—an oppressive relic spilled over from the Elizabethan Era. “Forget purity. Follow your heart, be true to yourself, do what makes you feel like you.” The typical Christian response, however, would seem to support this tainted view of purity. Wearing… Read More »The Right Reason for Purity: It’s Not What You Think
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Recognize the excerpt? It’s the third article of the Apostles’ Creed, proclaimed in Christian churches worldwide every Sunday. You probably have it memorized.… Read More »Plug Into the Power of the Holy Spirit
When I was very little, I did something very naughty: I stole a lock. From a junkyard. Let me put this in context: Because we lived in a rural neighborhood with no garbage pick-up service, we had to occasionally go to the “dump” to get rid of our trash. That… Read More »What to Do When You Struggle With Temptation
