Ray Burns

I love Christ, my wife and four kids, the Oxford comma, and board games. Although saved at 18, it took 10 years for me to stop chasing idols and find true satisfaction in Christ. God's given me a passion for teaching and writing, and with that a deep burden to be my creator's instrument in giving His people a profound, unshakable relationship with their savior.

Bethel’s False Gospel and Other Issues (Exploring the Worship Music Debate #3)

Approximate Reading Time: 44 minutes[Note: This article is a work in progress. I will update it as time allows, but I want to help people see that the greatest danger of Bethel Church is their false gospel, while all other issues are symptoms of that false teaching.] After looking at the broad issues surrounding churches using music from Bethel, […]

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How Do I Grow in Spiritual Maturity? (2 Peter 1:5-8) [video]

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesJoin my monthly supporters: www.Patreon.com/OnwardintheFaith One-time donations: PayPal https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/OnwardintheFaith?locale.x=en_US Venmo https://account.venmo.com/u/Ray-Burns-6 What a difference a word makes. 1 Peter 1:5 says that we must supply a variety of spiritual disciplines. Does that mean our spiritual maturity is a result of our personal strength? Do we need to figure out strategies to be more self-controlled or

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Exploring Popular Verses About Satan (video) – Understanding Satan #6

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesWatch the full series: Understanding Satan We did it! This rounds out my lengthy discussion on who Satan really is and what he can do. Although I can’t dig deeply into every single verse, this episode will better equip you to think about Satan in a way that fits with the rest of what God’s

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Why Churches Must Avoid Music from Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation (Exploring the Worship Music Debate, Part 2)

Approximate Reading Time: 34 minutesMusic is important to most Christians. However, most Christians spend very little time thinking about why music matters to the church. To most, corporate worship is just something that’s always done, and all that really matters is that the music somehow talks about God. However, as we’ll see in this article, there’s far more to

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Why Churches Can Sing Music from Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation (Exploring the Worship Music Debate, Part 1)

Approximate Reading Time: 11 minutes[An important note: There has been some confusion on the tone of this article. After the introduction, it’s intentionally written from the perspective of someone who would say using music from these churches isn’t a problem. It’s intended to present a fair and strong version of this argument. If you read this article as someone

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Can Christians Forgive Sins? (John 20:23)

Approximate Reading Time: 26 minutesJesus Christ forgives sins. However, a few brief words from our Savior imply that Christians, or at least Christian authorities, also have the power to forgive sins. If so, I suspect many of us aren’t fully submitting to Christ’s words. The question, of course, is whether we understand His words correctly. We see the clearest

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Understanding Satan (Series)

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis series goes beyond tradition and assumptions by taking a biblical look at Satan. Learn his powers and limitations, his true goals, how he accomplishes them, and how Christians truly engage in spiritual warfare. By the end you will understand Satan, and our lives in Christ, in a completely new light.

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Oil Anointing, Faith Healing, and Catholic Confession in James 5:14-15?

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteSubscribe and listen on your Apple or Android device! Why does James say a sick person should call an elder to anoint them with oil? Does God promise healing after faithful prayer? How does all of this forgive our sins? Come check out what James 5:14-15 is really talking about. Join my monthly supporters: www.Patreon.com/OnwardintheFaith

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