What is spiritual warfare? Why do some avoid it? Isn’t the Bible just ‘out of date’? Who is our enemy? Does possession still happen? How do we win?! I discuss all this and more (put on your seatbelts) with Jon Thompson, author of Deliverance.
Tag: spiritual growth
What does it mean to be born again? (Sermon)
It’s a crazy time, like living through an emotional earthquake. What does Jesus means when he says to be ‘born again,’ and how can this radical re-orientation of our lives stabilize and equip us for the living of these days?
Being born again, a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus (Growing Deeper with John 3:1-21)
What in the world does it mean to be ‘born again.’ We’ve heard the term, maybe even used it. We can’t see God’s kingdom without it, says Jesus. This episode is a Bible study of Jesus’ powerful words to Nicodemus in John 3:1-21.
Your Divine D.N.A. [Sermon]
Do you misunderstand (or undervalue) what it means to be deliberately adopted by God and deprive yourself of that knowledge and assurance? Do you know what it means to grow in both grace and truth? That’s what I explore in this sermon on John 1:6-18.
Adoption, incarnation, and growing in grace and truth (Growing Deeper with John 1:6-18)
When God adopts you, you gain a new special status. This gives great assurance in life as you seek to grow in grace and truth. This episode takes us through John 1:6-18 to fill in the details.
Trials can be trainers and teachers [Sermon]
What if a current trial was God training or teaching you to become more holy? What if God didn’t want lesser things for you, but greater? That’s what I explore in this sermon on Hebrews 12:1-13.
Urgent: Approach God’s throne with boldness (Growing Deeper with Hebrews 4:14 – 5:10)
If we don’t know God’s heart, we’re less likely to go to him when times get tough. But if we do, we can find grace and help in our urgent times of need. That’s what this sermon explores on Hebrews 4:14 – 5:10.
Conscience, the Puritans, and forming our minds today – a talk with Richard Topping
In this podcast episode, I talk with Richard Topping, professor and principal at VST, about conscience, the Puritans, society, and forming our minds today.
Courage and holy boldness no matter what (Growing Deeper with Acts 4:1-31)
In this episode of The Pulse Podcast I give an in-depth look at Acts 4:1-31, a story about the disciples faith in the face of threat as a part of the young church; I stress 3 takeaways for our situation today.
How to grow wiser—with thanks to J.I. Packer
Wisdom. What is it? How do we get it? With help from theologian J.I. Packer, this podcast shares 3 insights. Information can fill the head; but wisdom can fill the heart.
Pray—as a first resort [Sermon]
We know prayer is important, right? But let’s be honest. It’s easy to get in a rut. Here are three helps from Luke 18:1-8 and some practical tips.
Better Than Before? [Interview]
I hear a lot of people saying something like this: ‘I really want things to go back to how they were before COVID-19.’ I get
How Trials Can Make You More Resilient [Sermon]
Trials are tough. But they can actually make you more resilient. This message is about how.
Proactive Partnership [Sermon]
This sermon is Part 1 of 4 in a series called ‘Mature: 4 things mature people do on the path of joy.’ It’s about the much-misunderstood but important role ‘fellowship’ plays.
5 Helpful Study Bibles
Reading the Bible is important — and it can also be hard to understand sometimes! So here are 5 Study Bibles that can help.
Asking God to establish your plans [Sermon]
Welcome to a new year, to a new decade, and to the next chapter of your life! At this time of year, a lot of
The Courage Equation [Sermon]
What are you facing in the next year? This Christmas Eve message explains ‘the courage equation’ and four ways to draw closer to God in the pursuit of courage.
A Dummies Guide to the bazillion translations of the Bible
Wonder what to make of the bazillion Bible translations? This blog explains the 4 main types, and gives some advice. Enjoy!
Help When It Hurts (summary video, links)
Here’s a video that summarizes my 3-part teaching series called “Help When It Hurts.” It includes the rationale for the series (hint: hurt is a
But Deliver Us From Evil: Understanding the spirit-world battle you’re already in [Podcast]
What do you mean about a “spirit-world battle”? I know, I know. To a lot of people, it sounds pretty crazy. It sounded crazy to
Matthew Ruttan 