Ray Burns

Approximate Reading Time: 21 minutesWe destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) Truth matters. What we believe is true will always determine our actions. A child who believes a monster lives under her bed will never touch the floor when the lights turn […]

Approximate Reading Time: 13 minutesBe watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13) Men love Paul’s call to action. Writers on biblical masculinity wave it like a flag, men’s groups recite it proudly, and many a man has been chastised for their behavior by the biblical command to “stop acting like a girl.”

Approximate Reading Time: 94 minutes[Note: this is part of a larger article called “Bethel’s False Gospel and Other Issues.” That article is a follow-up to “Why Churches Must Avoid Music from Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation.”] One of the better-known issues at Bethel Church is Bill Johnson’s beliefs about the “kenosis” of Jesus Christ (or what Philippians 2:7 means when

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteCheck it out on: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocks-piles-and-your-depression-part-2-embracing-grace/id1501743376?i=1000738454290 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3B6CrXesBEjxHsvPSZlIsy?si=70fQJne0T063sgVWTeV2Kw RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/onwardinthefaith/feed.xml YouTube: https://youtu.be/MlMLDbcRu_8 Knowing why we’re depressed doesn’t immediately remove the pain of depression. For many, depression can linger far longer than we expect it to, and certainly much longer than we’d prefer. So as we’re putting off the sin that has led to things like

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minutePodcast: Apple, Spotify, or podcast page YouTube: https://youtu.be/XFzbfYSqByI It’s not surprising that those suffering from chronic pain are more likely to experience depression and thoughts of suicide. As Christians, how are we supposed to think about these things? Should we understand depression differently than the world does? Does the Bible offer any hope, or are

Approximate Reading Time: 13 minutes[Note: this is part of a larger article called “Bethel’s False Gospel and Other Issues.” That article is a followup to “Why Churches Must Avoid Music from Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation.”] Dominionism and the Seven Mountains Mandate In the previous point, I mentioned that those of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) believe God commands them

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhy does a sovereign God tell us to pray? He knows what we need, does what He pleases, and can’t be changed by human manipulation. If we’re honest, sometimes it can seem like prayer is pointless, and that makes it even more difficult to “pray without ceasing.” In this episode, I explore why prayer isn’t

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhen suffering, sometimes we go into “survival mode” and set aside many important things in our lives. Sometimes, we wonder if we should bother reading the Bible when it’s too difficult. This episode helps you think through how we should understand the effects of suffering on our Bible reading, how to be on guard against

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf Satan can’t personally attack thousands of people at once, why does the Bible seem to imply he does? Check out how a piece of language we use every day helps us better understand what the biblical writers meant by things like “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

Approximate Reading Time: 41 minutesThis is an expanded version of the notes I use to teach Systematic Theology to my church’s youth group. The goal isn’t to make it “kid-friendly,” but rather to create something valuable for those not exposed to decades of theology. Use this in your own Christian walk or as a guide as you disciple a