Jesus the Good Shepherd (Pastor)

I have been around ministry my entire life. Both of my grandfathers were pastors, and I spent a lot of time with them. I was raised in the church, around church leadership teams, and served in a high capacity at a very young age. I have now been in full-time ministry for twelve years. I […]

Thoughts on Justice and Persecution from the Beatitudes

I grew up in the church. I have heard “The Beatitudes” read over and over again. Here is what they say: Matthew 5 NIV: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for […]

Joshua Harris, Faith Deconstruction, Losing My Religion, & A Part of my Journey

“I would be willing to give up Christianity.” This was the thought that went through my mind at age 19. That’s me in the corner That’s me in the spotlight Losing my religion – R.E.M. I know that I was in the middle of a series about heresy, but I am taking a break from […]

There is Less Heresy in Christian Circles Than People Think! Part 2

If you have not read part 1 of this series, you will want to read it for the foundation of this conversation. Click here to read it: https://davidruybalid.wordpress.com/2019/06/08/there-is-less-heresy-in-christian-circles-than-people-think-part-1/ There are problems with saying, “the Bible clearly says…” about every view and doctrine that we hold. Modern science as we know it using logical data, research […]

There is Less Heresy in Christian Circles Than People Think! Part 1

A moment of vulnerability: Over the past 15 years, I have re-engaged with my faith in a fresh way. It started with me wrestling with what I believed generally about God and then led to me working out what I believed about the Bible. At a certain point, I landed a more orthodox perspective of […]

The Meaning of Holiness

I graduated from a Christian High School. I remember a song that we would sing in chapels. Holiness Holiness Is what I long for Holiness Is what I need Holiness Holiness Is what you want From me I would hear the word “holiness” often. If you asked the high school version of me what it […]

When We Make Poor Choices by Faith

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. People of faith know that there is a world and a reality that is outside of what we can comprehend. We know that there is a divine power that is actually in control. When we struggle […]

How Jesus’s View of the Gospel leads us to Social Justice

John MacArthur and many people in his theological camp have released a statement about social justice. You can read it here: https://statementonsocialjustice.com. Any stance of social justice would come out of an individual or body of believer’s understanding of “the gospel”. This I believe is why MacArthur and the other signers have made it a […]

Are We Aware That We Are Disagreeing with the Holy Spirit?

A little while back I tacked some of these same concepts that I am writing about here from the view point of Jesus in “Are We Unaware That We Are Disagreeing with Jesus?”. In this post I am tackling this same idea from the perspective of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and I will […]

Jesus is not a lion, but He is a lamb!

I believe that the lion and the lamb conversation is one of the most misunderstood concepts that is taught about Jesus. Many songs, sermons, and statements have been made about Jesus being the lion and the lamb, but do we really understand this concept and what the Bible has to say? “The Lion the Witch […]