Ray Burns

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteClick the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Android podcast app. “I want to grow in wisdom, but I’m just not smart enough.” This is a statement too many Christians have said, and in this episode I want to do away with this kind of thinking. Wisdom and intelligence are […]

Approximate Reading Time: 16 minutesChrist died. Christ resurrected. But something happened between those two events that isn’t clearly described in the Bible. Christ’s spirit went somewhere while His body was in the tomb, and we easily wonder where He went and what He did. There is a lot of speculation out there about what exactly happened while Christ was

Approximate Reading Time: 32 minutesIt may seem odd to speak to Christians worldwide about one specific church. However, this discussion is important because Life.Church isn’t just a local church, but a church continually creating a global outreach. Not only do they have churches in 12 U.S. states (including a recent church plant in my own state of Iowa), but

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteClick the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Android podcast app. An important character in the story of Christ’s resurrection is often accused of being a former prostitute. This episode looks at what the Bible really tells us about Mary Magdalene, as well as how long-standing traditions can warp how

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteClick the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Android podcast app. Just because baptism isn’t required for salvation doesn’t mean it’s not expected after salvation. There are many Christians who haven’t yet been baptized, yet God’s word has no hint that baptism is meant to be done months, or even years, after someone is

Approximate Reading Time: 7 minutes(This article also includes a podcast discussion. Click the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Android podcast app.) Through the recording of Christ’s earthly ministry, the gospel writers reveal many people whom our Savior interacted with. Some are present for a moment in the story, while others pop up several

Approximate Reading Time: 16 minutes(This article also includes a podcast discussion. Click the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Android podcast app.) Growing up, I remember feeling like the decision to get baptized was a huge deal. Many people I knew treated it as a difficult choice to make after salvation. It wasn’t uncommon

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteClick the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Android podcast app. No one gets excited about being tempted to sin. However, we often approach it with the idea that we just need to survive long enough to resist it. Sometimes we succeed, oftentimes we don’t. However, when the temptation passes,

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteClick the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Android podcast app. The death of a child is painful for everyone involved. As Christians, we know that this life isn’t all there is. That often leads us to wonder what happens to babies or children who die before understanding the gospel.