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The most well-known feature of Calvinism is its famous five points, often referred to by Calvinists as “the doctrines of grace” and represented by the acronym TULIP.[1] There is much more to Calvinist theology than this, of course, but TULIP is definitely the centerpiece. The acronym summarizes the Calvinist understanding of salvation like this:

Each of these points expresses a key component of Calvinism’s understanding of how God saves people. In this article, we’ll take a look at “irresistible grace.”

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*Editor’s Note: If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would you say? How would you advise your younger self in navigating the difficulties? What would you tell yourself to stop obsessing about, and what would you tell yourself to go all in with? Marcus Stenson is a preacher and founding member of the disciple making organization “Be1Make1.” In this letter, Marcus imagines what he might say to help his fifteen-year-old self hang in there when it gets tough and pursue what matters. How can a teenager handle tough identity questions and personal tragedies in ways that grow their faith in God stronger? As you read, let Marcus’s letter help you imagine how you might help guide younger people who could use wisdom and encouragement for what lies ahead. 

Hey man,

I’m writing to put you on game ahead of time. You don’t realize it yet, but I’m just one of a multitude of voices God has put in your life to guide you. Know this: none of this is by accident. Remember when Papaw passed away? How only then you realized then how lucky you were to have an example like him? Remember the dream he visited you in? I know it crushed you, but it also motivated you. Chase it down. I want you to know ahead of time that you’re incredibly gifted, but you owe all of what you will become to God and to the people He has given you. So cherish them.

Realize that for every single person you know, some day you are going to talk to them for the last time, see them for the last time…and you never know when that is going to be. So make sure you live gratefully and graciously with them. Tell them how important they are, and most important of all, pay it forward. Be for others what they have been for you. Do this as often as you can, as deeply as you can, for every single person God brings across your path. You never know who needs your story.

Speaking of that…I’m proud of you. You’re just starting to sense that there’s a larger story at work here. It’s confusing, I know. So far, you’ve spent most of your time trying to figure out where you belong. Growing up on both sides of the tracks has its benefits, but it’s true that you’ve never really “fit” in anywhere. Enjoy it! You’re never going to look back and regret your crisp J’s pulled up to a game of D&D with your guys.

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*Author’s Note: Paul’s encounter with Christ led him to a greater understanding of the faith, and from that encounter, Paul developed a theology of mission that affected everything about him, specifically in four areas:

Each of these contributes to the missiology of Paul, and from them, we can learn much about God’s missio Dei, his desire to reach all nations with the good news of Jesus Christ, and the offer of salvation he extends to each of us. In this article, we’ll explore the nature of Paul’s gospel-centered preaching, and how this formed Paul’s theology of mission.

Paul was called to preach the gospel during his encounter with Christ on the Road to Damascus. In order to understand Paul’s missiology fully, we must examine the components of his message to all peoples, Jew and Gentile alike:

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Each culture develops its own language. This is true not only within ethnic cultures but within subcultures. Within the basketball culture there are words such as “cut,” “flare screen,” “zone,” “help-side,” and “pick-and-roll.” In the workout community I’m involved in, there are terms such as “merkin,” “DORA,” and “side straddle hop.” There are terms within the publishing community such as “galley,” “backlist,” and “Query Letter.” Or what about the music industry? “Tempo,” “pitch,” “timbre,” “in-the-pocket,” or “gig.”

In the name of inclusion, church leaders have been instructed not to use Bible words anymore, so that we do not intimidate or isolate someone who is new to the faith, or searching out the faith. However, that was never my feeling when entering the basketball world or music world, etc. Hearing those new words inspired me to learn the language.

We should clarify something: I’m not talking about “Church-ese.” (Okay, I think I just made up a word.) Church-ese is where a person gets on stage and says something like, “Faith Ninjas will be meeting in the 3D classroom during Afterglow to avoid the MOPS group to prepare for 5th quarter.” That kind of language is unnecessarily isolating. Rather, I am speaking of Bible words such as justification, sin, redemption, atonement, salvation, covenant, and propitiation—words that describe the depth and richness of the gospel.

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Gregory Palamas is a name that frequently appears in the study and reading of the history and doctrine of the Eastern Orthodox Church.* Multiple authors quote his writings, and others cite theologians who have used Palamas’s work to defend their theology. This oft-quoted theologian desired a life of quiet retirement for prayer, but his career as a monk and priest involved him beyond his desires into politics and intrigue. He would receive honors, but his teachings would also be condemned. His life was a series of ups and downs, with an imprisonment and capture by invaders.[1]

Throughout his life, Gregory was writing. Through these diverse writings, readers can understand his theology, which made Gregory Palamas “as central a figure in the East as Thomas Aquinas is in the West,”[2] even acquiring the name “Palamism” to his theology. Gregory was influential during his time and Palamism continues to influence the Eastern Church. In order to understand the whole Eastern Church, it is essential to study the life, theology, and influence of Gregory Palamas.

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Editor’s Note: There seem to be as many interpretations of the book of Revelation as there are readers. It’s true that we find core Christian truths in Revelation— truths which all Christians can agree on—but many questions fall more naturally into the agree-to-disagree, personal conviction category. The question of the Beast’s identity (e.g., Revelation 13) is one which faithful Christians will disagree on, and this article is not meant to provide “the” definitive answer to the question. Nonetheless, I commend this article as 1) being plausibly argued, and 2) providing a very helpful snapshot of how to read Revelation. Its author is Jonathan Young, author of the commentary on Revelation, The Song of the Lamb: The Beautiful and Powerful Art and Message of Revelation. Thoughtful readers will benefit from his inductive style. 

The book of Revelation is a message, a sermon, which a reader would get up and read to a gathered church. Someone would read it out loud start to finish, straight through, no time to stop and analyze details. And yet it was meant to be clearly understood by John’s original audience. It was publicly sent out and filled with many commands to all the churches to obey the words of the prophecy.

How is it that such a complicated book was meant to be understandable to a first-century church gathering?

Through repeating themes throughout the book, Revelation invites us to focus on the broad message rather than on every detail. For example, Revelation sets up many of the issues provoking the letter’s writing in chapters 2-3 where Jesus directly addresses each of the seven churches with a crystal-clear message. And then every aspect and image in Revelation 2 and 3 will reappear throughout the rest of the book, fleshing out the same themes using details that resonated with their present situation. And the book is entirely, from start to finish, revolving around Hebrew scriptures, our Old Testament, known extremely well and even memorized by this audience.

So let me give an example of how, if you focus on the message as a whole, it makes a lot more sense. Moreover, if you know about the historical and Old Testament background, you can really have even more confidence in its meaning. Let’s go through what we learn about “The Beast” in every appearance of it in Revelation, focusing on the broad message rather than every detail. By the end, you should have a good idea of the identity of the Beast in Revelation.

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How do our children see God based on the way we pray?

Do they picture Him as the almighty Creator of the universe, the Shepherd of their souls, the One who holds the galaxies in place and knows the number of hairs on their head? Or, if we’re honest, does He come across more like a fairy godmother who shows up at dinner and bedtime to bless the food and grant us a good night’s sleep?

Prayer is one of the most formative practices in the Christian life, and yet it’s something many of us were never really taught—especially when it comes to praying with our kids. We know we should, but we’re unsure of what it should sound like, feel like, or how to make it a natural part of family life.

If we want our children to know God, we must show them how to talk to Him. Below are five approachable ways to help our kids experience prayer in a way that is real, engaging, and deeply rooted in the character of God.

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When the apostle John was just a small child, he likely made his first pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem with his family. His father Zebedee, his mother Salome, John, and his older brother James all trudge south along the winding road through the Jordan Valley. To avoid crossing through Samaria, they take the traditional longer route to the ancient city of Jericho. From there, they follow the arduous Jericho Road. The dry, rocky, and dangerous road ascends 3,500 feet over 17 miles before arriving at Jerusalem.

It is not hard to imagine the young John, weary and thirsty, asking his parents again and again, “How much farther?” Mile and mile, Zebedee might have answered, “It’s just over the horizon.” Finally, just before the end of the road, the caravan would have topped the ridge of Mount Scopus, singing the Psalms of Ascent joyfully as their destination broke into view. According to Jewish tradition, John would have climbed that ridge singing these words from Psalm 121:

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

Fast forward to the very end of John’s life. Now an old man, he has been exiled to a small rocky island in the Aegean Sea. John must be weary from his travels. For decades, he has been treading along the narrow way, the unpopular path of believers in Jesus Christ. Now, he is the last of the apostles still alive.

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Sometimes fear crushes our imagination.

Nearly 130 years ago, two young dreamers named Wilbur and Orville Wright ran a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio. They came from an influential and scholarly family. It appeared that books would be their future, maybe as lawyers, doctors, or scholars. But these siblings were more town than gown, and they couldn’t be pulled away from their shop at 22 South Williams Street.

This was unimaginable because people in this era feared bicycles.

Do you know how far a child could drift from home on a bike? Have you heard about the bad influences in the nearby town?

Cyclists were perceived as unsafe, unwise, and possibly sinful. It was like Uber, AI, and vaping all in one.

The Wrights were even more controversial for their second dream: this bicycle might fly. If someone was nervous about a kid traveling to another county, imagine what they would think about crossing the Atlantic Ocean by air. Not that this mattered, because it wasn’t like these men were actually going to create a contraption that could fly. Not only did most people find the project unlikely, they deemed it scientifically impossible. Birds fly; people do not.

Yet Wilbur and Orville committed themselves to a dream that could change the course of history. One person said that they didn’t just invent flight; they opened up a door to the world.

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We believe in the gospel. It is not just “good news”—it is the best news a human being can ever hear. It tells us about the greatest act of redemption that ever happened. The gospel addresses our biggest problem as human beings and our most tragic reality: we need the hope of the Messiah, we are separated from God because of our sin and, without rescue, we will face God’s judgment at the end of our lives. Through the good news of Jesus, God blesses us with forgiveness and present and future life in his kingdom. The gospel invites us to live as his kingdom citizens today, as we pass along the mercy and redemption and truth he gives us. And we will live in his consummated kingdom forever, fulfilling our ultimate purpose as human beings in the renewal of all things. What a privilege it is to share the gospel with others!

Yet we have noticed a trend when it comes to the gospel. It concerns us.

In many churches, we see leaders preferring acts of compassion and social service as a replacement for inviting people to embrace Jesus’ gospel. These acts are not merely a part of a holistic response to human need which includes sharing the gospel. Instead, these leaders are guiding their churches to serve the homeless, help the refugee, and meet the needs of the hurting…as the whole package. They intend to do nothing further. Caught up in an over-emphasis on social justice, they are not seeking a tasteful way or strategy to show the full love and salvation of God. The gospel story, which compels us to meet human needs, becomes eclipsed by its afterglow. 

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