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Who created the official list of New Testament books and Why? Can we add to them? Why do Christians say these books are “infallible”? And did the writers of the New Testament have any idea that they were writing “infallible Scripture” when they wrote them? Part of the Teaching Series at Substance Church called, “Theology…

Here at Substance, we start every year with a season of fasting. Of course, nobody HAS to fast; but, when you understand what the Bible teaches on fasting, you’ll realize that we “get to” fast.  It’s actually an incredible opportunity. In both the Old and New Testament, God powerfully rewarded those who fasted. “Those who…

“Should we celebrating Halloween?” Every year, people ask me this question: And I always respond with a question: “What is your definition of Halloween?” It never ceases to amaze me what comes out of people’s mouths. If you define Halloween as a holiday where people sacrifice babies, then my answer is “Probably not. I would avoid…

Someone recently asked me: “Why aren’t you saying more about Charlie Kirk?” To be fully honest, I’m still processing it. I realize many of you are looking for me to give words of wisdom. Yet I keep hearing the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit reminding me: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and…

After the shootings here in Minneapolis – both the political assassinations in June, and the slaughter of innocent Christian kids at the Church of the Annunciation – and now the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I’ve been reflecting on how to respond. Those of you who’ve followed me a while, you know, I don’t like inserting…

[Versión en español a continuación] God is ALWAYS speaking. The question is, are we listening? (The Ikigai Blog) Over the years, whenever I feel anxious, it’s a sign that I’ve gotten out of alignment with God’s Spirit. When the Bible talks about God’s calling (e.g., Ephesians 4:1; Eph. 2:10), it’s not merely referring to His…

Did you know that your motivation increases in proportion to the clarity of your plans? If you have a detailed plan for working out, reading your Bible, guess what: You will have more motivation too!  Whenever we attempt to acquire a new habit, the mere process of detailing our goals to a “where and when…

Change is the only constant in life. And that results in grieving, which is the natural consequence of experiencing change. Many of you are reading this because some form of traumatic change has come upon you. And the good news for those of us who are believers: “We do not grieve as those who have…

The Bible constantly calls us to honor our authorities: 1 Peter 2:17 says, “Honor your kings (political leaders). Leviticus 19 talks about honoring the elderly. Ephesians 6 talks about how to honor parents, spouses, and bosses. But how do we honor people who aren’t honorable? How do we critique people in a way that’s honoring?…

My wife and I have always been obsessive planners. And after having made a million failed plans, I’ve discovered a few tricks that can give our goals a bit more traction! So before you make another frail and disappointing resolution, consider these 4 principles that can place your dreams in the fast lane: (1). Don’t…