God Who Comes Near: Hebrews 2 and the Gospel’s Contrast with Islam | Tim Orr

God Who Comes Near: Hebrews 2 and the Gospel’s Contrast with Islam | Tim Orr

Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/god-who-comes-near-hebrews-2-and-the-gospels-contrast-with-islam/ [https://renew.org/god-who-comes-near-hebrews-2-and-the-gospels-contrast-with-islam/]  This is an audio version of a written Article from RENEW.org * Check out other great articles on RENEW.org here: https://renew.org/articles/ [https://renew.org/articles/] The Hebrews author provides us in 2:14–18 with some remarkable Christology. The necessity of the Incarnation is discussed, along with Jesus’ death and the role of Jesus as High Priest. These are some of the most important and essential doctrines of Christianity. They speak to the atonement, the work of Christ, and the security of our salvation. Placing these truths from Hebrews over and against Islam makes them even more poignant. The question at the root of this consideration is: How does God relate to humans? Christianity teaches that God comes near to us, suffers for and with us, and saves us through His sacrifice. Islam teaches that God is near in knowledge, power, and mercy, but denies that God could draw near via Incarnation. This makes Hebrews 2:14–18 a text that is in direct opposition to Islam, and at the same time, a great encouragement to Christians. Hebrews 2:14 (ESV) reads, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things.…” The doctrine of the Incarnation, that Jesus became a human (John 1:14; Philippians 2:6–8), is fundamental to Christianity. The Greek word meteschēken (μετέσχεν), “partook,” means total participation. The Incarnation is necessary for three reasons. First, for revelation: Jesus in the exact imprint of God’s nature (Hebrews 1:3); in Him we do not simply know about God, but we know God (John 14:9). Second, for redemption: Only by becoming a human could Jesus be a substitutionary atonement for sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). Third, for relational nearness: Jesus is Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23), not a God who only forgives as he wishes and does not provide a sacrifice. Listen for more... Join RENEW.org's Newsletter: https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/ [https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/] Join RENEW.org at one of our upcoming events: https://renew.org/resources/events/ [https://renew.org/resources/events/] Get the RENEW.org App -- https://renew-app-page.bolt.host/ [https://renew-app-page.bolt.host/]  Be sure to like, subscribe and follow on social media!  You can find us on: Instagram: @the.renew.network  Facebook: Renew.org  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RENEWnetwork [https://www.youtube.com/@RENEWnetwork] Twitter: @therenewnetwork TikTok: the.renew.network  Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/RENEW [https://rumble.com/c/RENEW]

How Much Do You Believe the Gospel? | Jay Greer

Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/how-much-do-you-believe-the-gospel/ [https://renew.org/how-much-do-you-believe-the-gospel/]  This is an audio version of a written Article from RENEW.org * Check out other great articles on RENEW.org here: https://renew.org/articles/ [https://renew.org/articles/] “. . . We have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations.” (Romans 1:5, ESV) From that verse, did you catch what counts as the end zone for Paul? What Paul is aiming his life (and his readers’ lives) toward? The goal is right there in the opening to Paul’s letter to the Romans: Jesus’ name among all the nations. The vision is nothing less than world gospelization. Paul says he’s an apostle of Jesus—through whom we receive grace and apostleship to call all nations to faith in him. To that end, the goal in this article is to call each disciple of Jesus reading this to leverage your life for world gospelization. I would compel each of you to leverage your skills, time, money, prayers, connections, students, congregants, children, and (for some of you) your place of residence for world gospelization. Why? It’s because that’s the resounding “therefore” we get when we read Paul’s letter to the Romans. Romans begins and ends with “all nations.” It begins and ends with people coming to faith in Jesus from all over the world. Through hearing the gospel, they come into a life of obedience to God—obedience that comes from faith: “. . . to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations.” (Romans 1:5b, ESV) “. . . the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith.” (Romans 16:25b-26, ESV) Listen for more... Join RENEW.org's Newsletter: https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/ [https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/] Join RENEW.org at one of our upcoming events: https://renew.org/resources/events/ [https://renew.org/resources/events/] Get the RENEW.org App -- https://renew-app-page.bolt.host/ [https://renew-app-page.bolt.host/]  Be sure to like, subscribe and follow on social media!  You can find us on: Instagram: @the.renew.network  Facebook: Renew.org  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RENEWnetwork [https://www.youtube.com/@RENEWnetwork] Twitter: @therenewnetwork TikTok: the.renew.network  Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/RENEW [https://rumble.com/c/RENEW]

We Need a Better Conversation About IVF | Nathan Guy

Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/we-need-a-better-conversation-about-ivf/ [https://renew.org/we-need-a-better-conversation-about-ivf/]  This is an audio version of a written Article from RENEW.org * Check out other great articles on RENEW.org here: https://renew.org/articles/ [https://renew.org/articles/] In 2005, Lewis Black was headlining the Radio and Television Correspondent’s Association Dinner, [https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4463551/user-clip-lewis-black-2005-washington-correspondents-dinner] when he decided to address the politically-oriented crowd with a bit of sardonic levity. “I’m sitting with distinguished Democrats, distinguished Republicans,” said Black, “a group of people who can’t even agree on what the facts are anymore.” It wasn’t just politicians, Black continued: “It’s difficult to figure out what the facts are now.” Take the case of Terri Schiavo, proffered Black. The tragic case of a woman living in a persistent vegetative state involved a widely-reported dispute between Terri’s parents and her husband about whether to remove her feeding tube. The case became a political football, with arguments—and evidence—presented from widely different perspectives. “I have never seen anything quite like [it],” bellowed Black. “One set of doctors that said, ‘Well, she’s brain dead,’ and the other set of doctors said, ‘Well, she could be dancing by Thursday.’” The dispute was about the most fundamental question in existence. “One said she was dead and the other said she was alive,” concluded Black. “If that’s where modern medicine is at…and if that’s where facts are at, we’re in trouble.” A recent ruling [https://law.justia.com/cases/alabama/supreme-court/2024/sc-2022-0579.html] by the Alabama Supreme Court concerning the status of IVF-created embryos in a wrongful death suit lit a firestorm of emotionally-charged rhetoric highlighting a real dispute about the most basic elements of the case. IVF is a pro-life venture, said one side of the aisle; IVF inevitably leads to murder, said the other. The positions could not be more stark. In 2005, Lewis Black was headlining the Radio and Television Correspondent’s Association Dinner, [https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4463551/user-clip-lewis-black-2005-washington-correspondents-dinner] when he decided to address the politically-oriented crowd with a bit of sardonic levity. “I’m sitting with distinguished Democrats, distinguished Republicans,” said Black, “a group of people who can’t even agree on what the facts are anymore.” It wasn’t just politicians, Black continued: “It’s difficult to figure out what the facts are now.” Take the case of Terri Schiavo, proffered Black. The tragic case of a woman living in a persistent vegetative state involved a widely-reported dispute between Terri’s parents and her husband about whether to remove her feeding tube. The case became a political football, with arguments—and evidence—presented from widely different perspectives. “I have never seen anything quite like [it],” bellowed Black. “One set of doctors that said, ‘Well, she’s brain dead,’ and the other set of doctors said, ‘Well, she could be dancing by Thursday.’” The dispute was about the most fundamental question in existence. “One said she was dead and the other said she was alive,” concluded Black. “If that’s where modern medicine is at…and if that’s where facts are at, we’re in trouble.” A recent ruling [https://law.justia.com/cases/alabama/supreme-court/2024/sc-2022-0579.html] by the Alabama Supreme Court concerning the status of IVF-created embryos in a wrongful death suit lit a firestorm of emotionally-charged rhetoric highlighting a real dispute about the most basic elements of the case. IVF is a pro-life venture, said one side of the aisle; IVF inevitably leads to murder, said the other. The positions could not be more stark. Listen for more... Join RENEW.org's Newsletter: https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/ [https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/] Join RENEW.org at one of our upcoming events: https://renew.org/resources/events/ [https://renew.org/resources/events/] Get the RENEW.org App -- https://renew-app-page.bolt.host/ [https://renew-app-page.bolt.host/]  Be sure to like, subscribe and follow on social media!  You can find us on: Instagram: @the.renew.network  Facebook: Renew.org  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RENEWnetwork [https://www.youtube.com/@RENEWnetwork] Twitter: @therenewnetwork TikTok: the.renew.network  Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/RENEW [https://rumble.com/c/RENEW]

Practices of Disciple Making Churches: Convictional Leadership

Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/convictional-leadership/ [https://renew.org/convictional-leadership/]  This is an audio version of a written Article from RENEW.org * Check out other great articles on RENEW.org here: https://renew.org/articles/ [https://renew.org/articles/] Church leaders have come to the same realization—your congregation is only as passionate about making disciples as you are. It’s a sobering thought. A clarifying one. And for many leaders, a moment that reshapes everything. Because here’s the reality: your church will never rise above your own personal commitment to making disciples. Sit with that for a moment. Read it again before moving on. Let it settle into the places where excuses tend to grow. If personally and relationally making disciples who make disciples isn’t showing up in your calendar, shaping your conversations, or directing your decisions, then it’s not truly a conviction. It’s merely a belief you mentally affirm, a line you agree with but don’t build around. And beliefs, however true, don’t transform churches. Convictions do. Somewhere along the way, many churches have drifted. We’ve learned to celebrate attendance more than obedience. We’ve prioritized relevance over reverence. We’ve built ministries that dazzle the eye but rarely multiply the heart. Some have substituted Jesus’ mission for their own ambitions. And all the while, the command Jesus gave us—to make disciples who make disciples—slides quietly out of view. The issue isn’t that churches don’t want to make disciples. The church doesn’t have a disciple making problem. The issue is: the church has a leadership conviction problem. Church leaders have come to the same realization—your congregation is only as passionate about making disciples as you are. It’s a sobering thought. A clarifying one. And for many leaders, a moment that reshapes everything. Because here’s the reality: your church will never rise above your own personal commitment to making disciples. Sit with that for a moment. Read it again before moving on. Let it settle into the places where excuses tend to grow. If personally and relationally making disciples who make disciples isn’t showing up in your calendar, shaping your conversations, or directing your decisions, then it’s not truly a conviction. It’s merely a belief you mentally affirm, a line you agree with but don’t build around. And beliefs, however true, don’t transform churches. Convictions do. Somewhere along the way, many churches have drifted. We’ve learned to celebrate attendance more than obedience. We’ve prioritized relevance over reverence. We’ve built ministries that dazzle the eye but rarely multiply the heart. Some have substituted Jesus’ mission for their own ambitions. And all the while, the command Jesus gave us—to make disciples who make disciples—slides quietly out of view. The issue isn’t that churches don’t want to make disciples. The church doesn’t have a disciple making problem. The issue is: the church has a leadership conviction problem. Listen for more... Join RENEW.org's Newsletter: https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/ [https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/] Join RENEW.org at one of our upcoming events: https://renew.org/resources/events/ [https://renew.org/resources/events/] Get the RENEW.org App -- https://renew-app-page.bolt.host/ [https://renew-app-page.bolt.host/]  Be sure to like, subscribe and follow on social media!  You can find us on: Instagram: @the.renew.network  Facebook: Renew.org  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RENEWnetwork [https://www.youtube.com/@RENEWnetwork] Twitter: @therenewnetwork TikTok: the.renew.network  Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/RENEW [https://rumble.com/c/RENEW]

Helping Our Students Navigate Doubt, Deconstruction, and Faith | Cody McCully

Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/helping-our-students-navigate-doubt-deconstruction-and-faith/ [https://renew.org/helping-our-students-navigate-doubt-deconstruction-and-faith/]  This is an audio version of a written Article from RENEW.org * Check out other great articles on RENEW.org here: https://renew.org/articles/ [https://renew.org/articles/] I’m not sure about you, but I sense a spark of revival taking place in our country right now. The name of Jesus is being proclaimed, and people are being saved. Our God is truly on the move. That said, our enemy is also at work. In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of what some have called a new wave of “fresh atheism,” often coming on the heels of something known as deconstructionism. For those unfamiliar with the term, here is a helpful definition: Deconstructing Christianity is the process of critically examining and dismantling traditional or deeply ingrained beliefs, doctrines, and practices in order to evaluate their truth and relevance. This process is often triggered by doubt, disillusionment with the church (such as racism, abuse, or hypocrisy), or personal experiences. The goal may range from rebuilding a healthier, more authentic faith to abandoning faith altogether. Unlike simply rejecting Christianity outright, deconstruction involves intentional questioning of core beliefs, authority, and cultural interpretations. People walking away from their faith is nothing new—it has been happening for centuries. What feels different today is how these ideas are being rebranded in ways that are appealing, trendy, and particularly influential among younger generations. Over the last few years, we’ve unfortunately seen students drift away after being shaped by clever social media videos that claim to “expose” the church as dishonest or out of touch with history and science. Listen for more... Join RENEW.org's Newsletter: https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/ [https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/] Join RENEW.org at one of our upcoming events: https://renew.org/resources/events/ [https://renew.org/resources/events/] Get the RENEW.org App -- https://renew-app-page.bolt.host/ [https://renew-app-page.bolt.host/]  Be sure to like, subscribe and follow on social media!  You can find us on: Instagram: @the.renew.network  Facebook: Renew.org  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RENEWnetwork [https://www.youtube.com/@RENEWnetwork] Twitter: @therenewnetwork TikTok: the.renew.network  Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/RENEW [https://rumble.com/c/RENEW]