Intertwined (2 Free Sample Chapters)

Our Happiness Is Tied to God's Glory

Read two free sample chapters from my newest book, Intertwined: Our Happiness Is Tied to God’s Glory (Two Free Sample Chapters PDF)

As children we imagined we would find the perfect spouse, the perfect job, buy the perfect house, go on perfect adventures, and well . . . have the perfect life. Somewhere along the way, however, we quickly realized we will experience many things on this earth, but perfection is certainly not one of them.

Christianity 101: The Importance of Your Bible (Part 6)

Key Text: Psalm 119:9-16

Why is the Bible so important

Psalm 119:9-16

Core to Christianity is the Bible. Without the Bible we would not know God in all the fullness that he has revealed himself through the Scriptures. God has ordained the Bible to be central in the Christian’s life not to replace a personal relationship with God but to enhance it.

Positive Psychology and Christianity

Science, Happiness, and God’s Greatest Commandments

the science of happiness bible christianity

Romans 13:8-10

To talk about happiness seems so trite, doesn’t it? Corny even. It certainly doesn’t feel like it has much impact on the weightier matters in life, most importantly our walk with God. As Christians, happiness is great, but obedience, that’s the real point to all this. Right?

5 False Gospels Today

false gospels in the church today

In Galatians 1:6-9, Paul warns us of false gospels. The real gospel is based on Christ alone, faith alone, grace alone, is found in Scripture alone, and is for the glory of God alone.

There is only one true gospel, but there are countless false gospels that have come and gone through the ages. But what about today? What are some common false gospels that are trying to creep into churches?

Below are 5 false gospels seen in the world today.

What’s the Purpose of God’s Law?

Romans 3:19-31, Four Purposes for God’s Law

God's law purpose

Romans 3:19-31

What’s the purpose of God’s law? If we are saved by grace and through faith, what’s the point of the law? If Christ came to fulfill the law, does this mean God’s law no longer applies to us since Christ accomplished it for us?

By studying Romans 3:19-31, we can see four purposes in the Bible for God’s law.

What Was God’s Purpose for Israel in the Old Testament?

What was israel's purpose in the Old Testament

Genesis 12:2-3, Genesis 22:17-18

As Christians, it is easy to read the New Testament and understand God’s plan for the world. He wants to save people from sin through Jesus Christ.

Sin has corrupted everything. Not only is the punishment of sin to go to hell, it brings hell into every area of life. You cannot live your purpose of imaging, serving, and glorifying God while under the curse of sin. So it’s no wonder God seeks to reverse the effects of sin and make us into new creations. But as we read the Old Testament, things can get a bit murkier.

The Ultimate Guide to Christian Singleness

By Mark Ballenger

There are already so many great books on Christian singleness. Just do a Google search on “books on Christian singleness,” “Christian books about being single,” “best books for Christian singles,” “Christian books on finding a spouse,” “finding a godly husband,” “how to be a Christian in college.”

The results will be endless.

I’m sure you will find a lot of helpful advice in these Christian books about singleness. However, most of these Christian books about being single focus on one aspect of singleness: your relationship with God, godly dating, finding contentment as a Christian single, how to find a Christian spouse, and other such topics.

I believe the Ultimate Guide to Christian Singleness is so special because it covers nearly every common question asked about singleness. I get right to the point in these thirty chapters. I don’t waste time with long stories. And I give you extremely practical steps to take in each of the four stages most Christian singles go through. It’s great for small group Bible studies or for individuals too.

If you want answers, this book on Christian singleness was written for you.

Below is the full description. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at MarkBallenger@ApplyGodsWord.com.

Hoping you find the love, security, and guidance you need during your season of Christian singleness.

For God’s glory and our good,
-Mark

What’s the Point of Reading the Bible?

"Just Reading the Bible" Is Not the Point

The Bible has never been more available to people. For example, by simply clicking on BibleGateway.com or downloading the free app, you can have every version of the English Bible right in your pocket.

But no matter how many options we have to read the Bible, we never will read it unless we know why we should. So what’s the point of reading the Bible? If you can’t answer the question, “Why should I read the Bible?” odds are you probably won’t read it.

What Does the Number Three Mean in the Bible?

The Number Three and God’s Sovereignty

meaning of three in Bible

Matthew 16:21, Acts 2:23-24

God reveals his power in many ways, but one of those ways is by prophesying what’s going to happen and using specific numbers repeatedly, such as the number three.

Biblical Numerology is the study of numbers in the Bible. Many times when we start studying numbers in the Bible, we get off track because it often times requires us to make inferences at the meaning of these numbers. Most times the Bible does not explain why certain numbers are used in certain situations.

So when studying the numbers mentioned in the Bible, like the number three, we must be careful to only draw conclusions that are obvious and supported by other parts of Scripture.