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.

Why Did God Allow the Church to Split? Part 3: Catholic Teachings that Went Too Far

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Approximate Reading Time: 8 minutesAs Catholicism spread around the world, gaining both political and religious power, the inevitable happened. By being given the ability to have power, leaders gained a desire to not just maintain that power, but see it continue to grow. Biblical understandings went unchecked, grumblings were met with persecution, and the Bible itself became a tool […]

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Is It Okay If I Don’t Understand God?

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Approximate Reading Time: 8 minutes(This article also includes a podcast discussion. Click the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Google podcast app.) Throughout history, people have been creating their own gods. They’re often humanoid, although animals and spirits have been popular as well. Whatever form they take, these gods are always easy to understand.

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Upcoming articles for the week

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Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteStill hurting, but excited to write My chronic pain is still active enough to affect my ability to concentrate. I have several articles I can’t wait to write, but it’s a slower and less-polished process at the moment. However, here are a few articles I have planned for the week. I may not get them

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What is Onward in the Faith about? (And why are my articles so long?)

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Approximate Reading Time: 5 minutesOver the last year, I’ve developed a better understanding of what this ministry is and the role it’s meant to fill in the lives of my brothers and sisters in Christ. While I don’t think what I do is unique, God has used the encouragement of others to show me where he’s uniquely gifted me

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Why Did God Allow the Church to Split? (Part 2): How the World Became Catholic

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Approximate Reading Time: 6 minutesWhen we consider the historical Roman Catholic church, it’s easy to imagine that it’s simply always existed in its current form. Yet the grand buildings, authority structure, and even the belief system didn’t just pop into existence. In fact, the Catholic Church is the result of historical Christians simply trying to make the most sense

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This week at Onward in the Faith

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Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteCelebrating 400 Facebook followers This weekend, my Facebook page hit 400 followers. It’s exciting to know that so many people want to dig deeper into their walk with Christ, and I’m so glad I get to be a part of that. If you’re new around here, I’ll be hitting several of my ongoing series this

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3 Dangers of Nominal Christianity

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Approximate Reading Time: 8 minutesThe Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. While many of us know where we’d like to be, it can take years to get there. As such, each of us will find ourselves at different points of spiritual maturity, having different convictions and levels of integrating Christ and the gospel into our daily lives.

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Why Did God Allow the Church to Split? (Part 1): Modern Christianity, Divided

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Approximate Reading Time: 3 minutesIf there’s one thing about Roman Catholicism that many Christians can compliment, it’s their unity. Unlike the rest of mainstream Christianity, Catholics don’t get embroiled in differences of opinion and interpretation. There are no in-house debates over things like Bible translations, music, denominations, or even what the Bible teaches about certain things. If you’re a

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Let Death Remind Us Who We Live For

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Approximate Reading Time: 6 minutesThis Sunday, the famous basketball player Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash. Although all death reminds us of our mortality, the sudden death of a well-known person tends to cut through the noise. It makes us stop and realize how easily and unpredictably our fragile forms

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