A Meditation on Ephesians 4:29 | Chad Ragsdale

If God Is Good, Where Is He? | Jacob Hartman

Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/if-god-is-good-where-is-he/ [https://renew.org/if-god-is-good-where-is-he/]  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/] Have you ever been asked, “If God is good, where is He?” This is something I have been thinking through lately. I have family and friends who have recently gone through cancer diagnoses and treatments, the loss of loved ones, and other hardships that can be encountered as one navigates life. Two of my friends are reflecting on Psalm 3:5 as they are navigating their difficult circumstances. A natural reaction to unexpected hardship is to ask the question, “If God is good, where is He when life isn’t good?” At its core, I understand this struggle. Watching someone you care about hurt is hard to reconcile with a belief in a God who claims to love. Seeing violence and disasters on the news makes it difficult to believe that God is in complete control. Even just the simple struggle of wondering why God doesn’t just appear in the sky to remove any doubt, instead of wanting us to search Him out in the ways He has already revealed Himself. It can all seem overwhelmingly difficult. I have heard it put this way: “If there is a God, either He isn’t all-powerful or He isn’t perfectly good.” This is something that a lot of people wrestle with and will continue to do so on this side of heaven. David’s response to his hardship with the reminder that God sustains him in his sleeping and his waking, I think, gives us a clue about the answer to these questions. I think we can approach an answer from two directions: dealing with pain and remembering who is in charge. 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 Do We Know the Bible Is Inspired? | Dyron B. Daughrity

Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/how-do-we-know-the-bible-is-inspired/ [https://renew.org/how-do-we-know-the-bible-is-inspired/]  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/] Christians have faith that the Bible is inspired by God. With deep humility, we trust that God has revealed himself through Christ, and that the testimony of the early Christians is trustworthy and true. The Bible’s contents have been put to the test for two thousand years and still survive, indeed they thrive. No other piece of writing in all of history has endured the scrutiny applied to the Bible. But how do we know it’s inspired by God? Not every reason persuasive to Christians will be persuasive to everybody else. But here are some of the reasons that have convinced Christians throughout the centuries that the Bible is inspired by God: 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]

Disciple Making Tactics Can (and Should) Vary | Ralph Moore

Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/disciple-making-tactics-can-and-should-vary/ [https://renew.org/disciple-making-tactics-can-and-should-vary/]  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/] Jesus’ tactics varied widely. He spoke to large crowds, spent much time with his disciples and confronted religious hypocrisy. He healed people and cast out demons. But his varied tactics all linked together in a continuum. Each part fit with all the other parts, pointing toward a common goal—the kingdom of God. In order to reach nations at “the ends of the earth,” Jesus first gathered a substantial crowd, then culled out all but a few people. Settling on 12 men and a few women, he singled out just three—Peter, James, and John—for His inner circle. From these few, He launched the greatest movement in human history. Unfortunately, we struggle to find evidence in the book of Acts that these three, who were closest to Jesus, engaged in disciple making the way He did. They must have made disciples, but if they did, their activity is not recorded in Acts. We do see a natural progression of growth in the deacons Stephen and Philip. However, there is nothing concrete to say that their growth was the result of one-on-one contact with any of the apostles. It looks as if the apostles were so busy running what had quickly become a mega-church that they had little time for disciple making. 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]

Fasting: A Surprising Journey into Joy | Michelle Eagle

Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/fasting-a-surprising-journey-into-joy/ [https://renew.org/fasting-a-surprising-journey-into-joy/]  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/] Fasting: A Surprising Journey into Joy * Desperation led to a new spiritual rhythm. In a season of overwhelming burden, the author turned to fasting and found unexpected peace and clarity through surrender. * Weekly fasts reshaped her spiritual focus. As she practiced this discipline, moments of hunger became reminders to seek God’s presence with greater intentionality. * Letting go made space for deeper love. Releasing emotional and spiritual weight empowered her to lead, disciple, and care for others with greater freedom and joy. 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]

Review of Daniel Darling’s ‘In Defense of Christian Patriotism’ | Chad Ragsdale

Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/review-of-daniel-darlings-in-defense-of-christian-patriotism/ [https://renew.org/review-of-daniel-darlings-in-defense-of-christian-patriotism/]  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/] “America is living through a crisis. But it’s probably a crisis you haven’t noticed. It’s a crisis of ingratitude.” These are the first words of Daniel Darling’s book In Defense of Christian Patriotism. This line brought to my mind an embarrassing experience I had several years ago. My wife and I were on a Caribbean cruise. There was a loud karaoke bar located near the middle of the ship where every evening guests at various levels of intoxication would embarrass themselves and entertain everyone else with their personal rendition of their favorite songs. One evening, my wife and I were walking past the karaoke bar and heard someone croaking out the words to the Lee Greenwood hit “Proud to be an American.” If there were such a thing as Independence Day carols, this song would certainly be near the top of the list. I’ll admit that I don’t really like that song. It always struck me as overly sentimental and cheesy. So, when I heard this song coming from the bar, I cynically smirked, grabbed my wife’s hand, and led her quickly there. I did NOT want to miss it. 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]