Blog, Podcast, YouTube, and Books by Ray Burns
Approximate Reading Time: 7 minutesWake up. Go to work. Come home. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. This is the Monday-Friday pattern of the average American, and over time it becomes a steady, though monotonous, routine. After 8-10 hours at work, exhaustion sets in and we’re ready for the day to be over. But then we check the mail and get a […]
Who Gets the Best Side of Us? Read More »
Approximate Reading Time: 6 minutesChristians aren’t too well known for their humor. To be fair, the Bible isn’t really either. Yet there is a particular verse that always strikes me as funny, even years after happening upon it. And perhaps it speaks more of my own sense of humor because this verse is found it one of the least
The Funniest Verse in the Bible Read More »
Approximate Reading Time: 7 minutesIn Part 1 we looked at the original purpose of the Sabbath, seeing that Israel was commanded to keep it for a specific purpose. Now let’s take a look at how we are meant to understand the Sabbath today. We’ll look at several reasons why Christians aren’t required to keep it, then in Part 3
Should We Keep the Sabbath? Part 2: Today Read More »
Approximate Reading Time: 5 minutesIf you’ve only been exposed to mainstream Christianity, the title may seem very silly. Many believe that we do keep the Sabbath, we’ve just moved it to Sunday instead of Saturday. It may surprise many to learn that the Sabbath is a very special thing that most Christians don’t truly keep. Before we discuss whether
Should Christians Keep the Sabbath? (Part 1: Origins) Read More »
Approximate Reading Time: 3 minutesFor some of us, technology can never fully replace the feeling of a book. However, there’s simply no denying that technology affords so much utility and convenience, normally requiring no more than a little space on our phones. The Olive Tree Bible app (iOS, Android) is one such technology, allowing access to millions of pages
Olive Tree Bible (app recommendation) Read More »
Approximate Reading Time: 6 minutesGod very purposely calls Himself our Heavenly Father. He perfectly guides, matures, and disciplines us as a loving father should. However, far too many people imagine God is distant or abusive. Never because of how God has treated them, but because of the image created by their own distant or abusive fathers. It’s sometimes difficult
Loving God Despite an Abusive Father Read More »
Approximate Reading Time: 9 minutes(This article also includes a podcast discussion. Click the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Google podcast app.) Over time, people have had different ideas about God. Very rarely are they purposely malicious, but instead stem from a misunderstanding of Scripture and God’s very nature. In the past, we’ve discussed the
Why Open Theism Just Doesn’t Work Read More »
Approximate Reading Time: 4 minutesMy sister got married this weekend. Everything about the wedding put Christ in the center, and it was amazing to see two people who have so purposely prepared to model their marriage after Christ and His bride. Something I hadn’t anticipated, however, was the wonderful conversations I’d have with other believers who had come to
The Blessing of Christian Conversation Read More »
Approximate Reading Time: 6 minutesA dad is out shopping with his toddler. The toddler performs their job to perfection, grabbing everything in sight and letting the entire store know when they’re unhappy about Dad stopping them. Meanwhile, Dad is trying to keep calm, finish his mission, and get his child home for a much-needed nap. When he finally gets
Dad, Don’t Babysit Your Children Read More »
Approximate Reading Time: 3 minutesUnderstanding the worldview of a Muslim equips us to share the gospel at a much more personal level. While not knowing enough about a religion should never keep us from obeying Christ’s command to preach the gospel, God can use us to greater effect if we understand not only what we believe, but what the
What Do Muslims Believe? Part 3: Sharing the Gospel Read More »