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His Supremacy and Our Satisfaction

May 15, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

Gods glory and our good — I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. -Ezekiel 36:32

(Note: The names and minor details of this story have been changed to protect people’s identities.)

Jose was a drug addict. Although much older now and obviously a different man, his rough, tattooed exterior and muscular build allowed for an easy visual of his former life of crime. By his own admission, he had lived a crazy existence full of violence, quick pleasures, and self-centeredness. Eventually his rebellious ways brought him to jail. It was there God found him. The prison chaplain led Jose to accept Christ and he never looked back. He even went to seminary and began a career in counseling other men who had fallen into the same traps he had.

What Does the Bible Say About Flirting?

April 10, 2018May 13, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

what does the bible say about flirtation — Matthew 18:7

You’re single, you’re walking with the Lord, you want to be married, and you start liking a guy or girl who also loves the Lord. The problem is, that person doesn’t seem to be showing the same interest.

50 Easy Ways to Waste Your Life

March 21, 2018May 11, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

easy ways to waste your life bible — 1 Corinthians 10:31

When I was 19-years-old, a deep fear came over me that I might waste my life. I had just spent the last four years of high school goofing off, living wild, partying with friends, and basically ignoring God. In our senior class yearbook, I was voted with the best laugh. That was my legacy thus far. Thankfully, however, God was not laughing with me or ignoring me.

A Rational Reason for the Reality of Hell

June 2, 2017May 9, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

Whenever questions like “Is hell real?” or “What reasons are there for hell?” or “Does hell really exist since God is love?” are asked, emotional answers are often given.

What Does It Mean to Rejoice Always?

June 2, 2017May 8, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

what does it mean to rejoice in the Lord always? — Philippians 4:4-7

If we’re being honest, in times of trial, to “rejoice always” as we are commanded seems utterly ridiculous.

Certainly the Lord does not mean we should pretend to be joyful when we are really not. Does he? It doesn’t seem authentic to even seek happiness when trials, temptations, and tragedies are present, let alone to actually be happy in times like these.

So what does Philippians 4:4-7 mean when we are told to “Rejoice in the Lord always”?

Zacchaeus’s Conversion Is All Of Us

May 5, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

the conversion of zacchaeus — Luke 19:1-10

Everyone is unique, thus Jesus draws us to himself uniquely. While each of has an individual story of straying and thus God will reach out to us in individual ways, there are often many common themes all of us experience on the road to reunification with God. One such story that depicts the path nearly every conversion is that of Zacchaeus.

Christianity 101 (Part 3): Living Like Jesus

May 4, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

Christianity 101 living like Jesus — Philippians 2:1-13

Imagine you woke up one morning and you were in the middle of the ocean on ship with other crew members. No one knows how you all got there. No one knows what you all are supposed to be doing. You are all just there . . . on ship . . . with no coordinates . . . no mission . . . in the middle of a the vast ocean.

To make matters worse, no one on the ship really knows anything about sailing, navigating, or fishing. All the equipment for survival and a successful mission are present on the ship, it’s just that no one really knows how to use any of this.

Christian Advice for Feeling Judged By Others

May 5, 2017May 3, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

feeling judged by others Christian — James 4:11-12

The Bible says a lot about judging others. For example, Christians should not judge people’s motives, they should not judge non-believers, but they should judge other believers’ external actions if that Christian is living in sin. (For more on what the Bible says about judging others, read this article.)

However, what about being on the other side of the judgement? What should Christians do when they feel judged by others?

2 Reasons that Disprove Meaninglessness

March 23, 2018May 1, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

Acts 17:20-23

If you listened to the world, you’d come to the conclusion that the earth was made through a big, random explosions and through the course of time, organisms slowly evolved into all that we see before us. Random, dumb luck is the reason you and me are breathing oxygen this very moment. And if everything happened by luck, then there can’t really be any true meaning to life – only subjective meaning created in each individual rather than objective, global meaning applied to every human by a higher power.

5 False Gospels Today

May 29, 2018April 29, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

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.