Loving Theology

| Getting Motivated series | The Wrong Definition Kills Motivation Our definition of success is absolutely fundamental to the process of getting motivated. It defines our target, our aim. What are we getting motivated to do after all? Moreover, last time we saw what happens when we have the wrong idea about what success is, … How Does God Define Success? Read More » The post How Does God Define Success? appeared first on Loving Theology.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | Getting Motivated series | Inadequacy vs. Fear of Failure In our struggle for motivation, a lot of things can stand in our way. Not least of which is fear, particularly the fear of failure. We all feel it, and to be honest, it's a … What If I Don't Succeed? (Fear of Failure) Read More » The post What If I Don't Succeed? (Fear of Failure) appeared first on Loving Theology.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | Getting Motivated series | When we're considering whether we should do something, whether we should work hard at it, the first question that often enters our mind is this: “Will I be any good at it?” To consider that question, we'll look at the … What if I'm Not the Best? Read More » The post What if I'm Not the Best? appeared first on Loving Theology.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | Getting Motivated series | The good news of the gospel is that our righteousness, our position with God, our spot in heaven is not based on what we've done. On the cross, Christ gave us all this and more when He gave us His … What's Our Motivation? Read More » The post What's Our Motivation? appeared first on Loving Theology.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | Revelations and Glory series | We have all gone through dry seasons where we feel disconnected from Him, seasons where we don't see revelations like we used to. Why does this happen? What causes these seasons to sneak up on us? Whereas we have … Why Am I in a Dry Season? Read More » The post Why Am I in a Dry Season? appeared first on Loving Theology.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | Revelations and Glory series | We have all felt lost at times. We've all struggled with questions about our purpose. Ever found yourself asking “Why am I here?” or “What's the point?” We could describe this as a sense of dissatisfaction. We are no … We Need Spiritual Hunger Read More » The post We Need Spiritual Hunger appeared first on Loving Theology.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | Revelations and Glory series | “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” Proverbs 25:2 Last time we began to see the truth in the first part of this verse about the glory … Revelations that Change Us Read More » The post Revelations that Change Us appeared first on Loving Theology.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | Revelations and Glory | God's Glory Concealed When we study the Scripture, we begin with a mystery that is concealed and, through the process of meditation on His word, God reveals the truth to us. Why did God do it this way though? What … God's Glory Concealed Read More » The post God's Glory Concealed appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Hope series | Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Hope enables us to experience the good promises God has for us even while we're surrounded by the troubles of this life. We saw last time that the Christian life was never meant to be (and frankly cannot be) done without … Hope in Heaven Read More » The post Hope in Heaven appeared first on Loving Theology.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Why Did Paul Say YOLO? … “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 1 Corinthians 15:32 Life can be difficult. Sometimes it's just a season and sometimes it's hard to see when it hasn't been difficult. But somehow, we are called to have … Why Did Paul Say YOLO? Read More » The post Why Did Paul Say YOLO? appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Hope series | What is hope? How is hope different from faith? What are the benefits hope has to offer? Did you know that hope leads to joy and enables patience? I wouldn't mind a little more joy and I know I could use a little more patience. As we kick off this new … What Is Hope Read More » The post What Is Hope appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Modern Idolatry series | Society Can Be an Idol We've seen that God alone defines good and evil. Anytime we decide for ourselves what's good and what's evil, we repeat the sin of Adam and Eve when they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Anything we allow to subtly … Can Society Be An Idol? Read More » The post Can Society Be An Idol? appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Modern Idolatry series | We don't often find ourselves tempted to bow down to a wooden statue but make no mistake, idolatry is very much alive and well in our culture. Idolatry happens any time that we allow something other than God to take on one of His roles in our life. As I've … Have We Idolized Reason? Read More » The post Have We Idolized Reason? appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Modern Idolatry series | More Than Righteousness There are some verses in the Bible that challenge our use of the word “good”. I think we often get confused, thinking that “good” is the same as “righteous”. There are so many verses in the Bible that show us that there's so much more to the … Why is Good So Good? Read More » The post Why is Good So Good? appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Modern Idolatry series | Sometimes it feels like the Scripture is full of paradoxes. Two things we know are true, that operate side by side, but are hard to reconcile. Among the most fundamental of these is works and faith. We know that we are saved by grace through faith and not by our … Why is Faith the Answer to Sin? Read More » The post Why is Faith the Answer to Sin? appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Pro-Life Family Planning guide | Pro-Life Family Planning Intro Understanding Fertility Pro-Life Options for Family Planning Is Hormonal Birth Control Pro-Life? Timing Intercourse to Avoid Conception Birth control works using 3 mechanisms of action: Preventing ovulation (before conception) Hindering sperm reaching egg through in crease in cervical mucus (before conception) Preventing implantation through thinning … Is the Pill Pro-Life? Read More » The post Is the Pill Pro-Life? appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Pro-Life Family Planning guide | Pro-Life Family Planning Intro (this page) Understanding Fertility Pro-Life Options for Family Planning Is Hormonal Birth Control Pro-Life? Timing Intercourse to Avoid Conception Maybe you're asking yourself, why are we talking about this? Does God really care about what we do for birth control? Does our faith really matter … Pro-Life Family Planning Guide Read More » The post Pro-Life Family Planning Guide appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Don't Judge…Help series | What do we do when we see someone struggling with sin? In this series we've focused on Matthew 7, where Jesus calls us first to not simply pass judgement on them, to condemn them for violating God's law. But He didn't stop at what we were called to NOT do, … What Does Judging/Helping Look Like? Read More » The post What Does Judging/Helping Look Like? appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Don’t Judge… Help series | How do we reconcile love with judgement? How do we balance mercy and judgment? Are we even supposed to make judgements? We’ve been in a series exploring Jesus instruction in Matthew 7 to “Judge not, that you be not judged.” In exploring this passage, Jesus illustrates this command by … Judgement That’s Loving Read More » The post Judgement That’s Loving appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Don’t Judge… Help series | As we talk through Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 7 to not judge others, we left off with this verse last week: First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:5 In the … Don’t Judge… Help! Read More » The post Don’t Judge… Help! appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Don’t Judge… Help series | One of Jesus’ most famously quoted statements comes from Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that you be not judged. Matthew 7:1 Jesus is telling us to not judge, and we cannot ignore His instruction. So, what does that mean? If we see something sinful, should we refuse to decide, to … Don’t Judge. Read More » The post Don’t Judge. appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Struggling to Conceive series | We are finally releasing a video for our guide for IVF. Something that can be difficult during that process are all the decisions that need to be made and protecting any lives that are conceived. If you have questions regarding when life begins I’d first check out this post … IVF Guide Discussion Read More » The post IVF Guide Discussion appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Make Room to Be Refreshed | We all want to be consistent in our quiet times! The hard part is getting motivated and staying engaged. The reality is we know our relationship with God is our motivation but why is it that many times we don’t follow through. Forcing ourselves to do it isn’t … How to Stay Engaged in Quiet Times Read More » The post How to Stay Engaged in Quiet Times appeared first on Loving Theology.

| His Final Hours series | Join us in a deep discussion on how to actually love like Jesus did. After all he said it was better for Him to leave so we can have the spirit of truth. this enables us to love just as deeply as He did with His grace! We will … How to Love Like Jesus Did Read More » The post How to Love Like Jesus Did appeared first on Loving Theology.

| His Final Hours series | Jesus Pain Leading to the Cross Thus far, I’ve emphasized the emotional, mental suffering Jesus endured leading up to the cross, but even before the cross He also endured incredible physical suffering. While our focus in this series is the emotional suffering He endured, let’s remember what He did … His Unstoppable Love Read More » The post His Unstoppable Love appeared first on Loving Theology.

| His Final Hours series | We’re in a series going through Jesus’ final hours and what He faced during those hours, the persecution, the sorrow, and the weight of what He endured. Last time we talked about what led up to His arrest. We saw that Judas truly was one of His closest friends … How He Loved When He Was Accused Read More » The post How He Loved When He Was Accused appeared first on Loving Theology.

| His Final Hours series | The Suffering He Faced In His final hours, Jesus experienced incredible hardship. Throughout His life, He faced plenty of persecution. But in the days leading up to His crucifixion, He faced so much more than I can imagine. The one aspect of Jesus’ suffering we are perhaps most familiar … How He Loved at His Arrest Read More » The post How He Loved at His Arrest appeared first on Loving Theology.

| God’s Rescue Plan series | My (Monica’s) Story Last week I vaguely spoke about some painful things I had walked through in my life. I wanted to share  of my story of redemption. I want to show you that even though we might go through some horrible things they don’t need to leave you … How to Process Pain With God Read More » The post How to Process Pain With God appeared first on Loving Theology.

| The Good News series | In this video, we are getting into the practical tips and motivations for overcoming sin. We first discuss the heart of the struggle. What’s the big picture behind why we struggle and how do we really find that motivation to overcome sin. Next, we talk about some practical steps … How to Live Free From Sin Read More » The post How to Live Free From Sin appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Resolved series | Whereas we focused on the scientific answer to this question last time, this time we will discuss this question from the perspective of the Bible. In this resource on Conception’s Significance, don’t forget to explore all the sections: Is an Embryo a Baby? | Scientifically When Does Life Begin? | Scientifically … Is an Embryo a Baby? | Biblically Read More » The post Is an Embryo a Baby? | Biblically appeared first on Loving Theology.

| Resolved series | As we work toward an answer to this question, Is an Embryo a Baby, we’ll break the discussion into two parts: Scientific and Biblical. This post provides an overview to the scientific discussion. Throughout here I’ll also make reference to some of the more detailed discussions on specific parts. In this … Is an Embryo a Baby? | Scientifically Read More » The post Is an Embryo a Baby? | Scientifically appeared first on Loving Theology.

There probably isn’t a more important question that we could answer: Am I Saved? How do we know if we’re saved? What does it mean to be a Christian? Let’s resolve what we must do to be saved. Let’s resolve once and for all if we are saved. If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Paul gives two aspects that work together to produce salvation: confession and belief. Let’s not settle for what’s at the surface though; there’s a depth to each of these and how they produce salvation. The post How to Know If I Am Saved appeared first on Loving Theology.

Our culture often suggests that it’s foolish to believe in God. I want to explore that and resolve this question for us. Specifically, my goal is to demonstrate that belief in God is quite reasonable. By reasonable, I mean that belief in God, a creator of everything, is consistent with and serves to explain scientific observations. There seems to be this idea that, “Yes society once needed God to explain how everything came to be, but now... The post God and Reason appeared first on Loving Theology.

The New Year brings an opportunity for a fresh start from this past year. In this video we are discussing how Joseph and I have previously taken on resolutions. Let’s define what resolutions are How they can be helpful What resolutions are really worth our time. How can we finally be successful in these resolutions? The post Resolutions That Matter appeared first on Loving Theology.

As I prepared to talk about Christmas this year I came across something so significant. I found a parallel between Jesus' birth and the way He lived his life that I had never heard someone talk about. The way He came into the world and where so perfectly symbolized the way He would live His life. In this video we will be discussing: 1.The parallel between Jesus' birth and lifestyle 2. The gospel from a new perspective *Also, I do another dance just for you! The post Jesus Birth and Life (A Christmas Story) appeared first on Loving Theology.

We can either overcome adversity or allow it to define us. Hardship can either produce good for us or harm. What can we do to enable good to come out of adversity? How do we overcome adversity? Can we really come out on the other side better as a result of the struggle? What does it mean to be More than Conquerors? While God does not cause hardship, He doesn’t... The post How to Overcome Adversity appeared first on Loving Theology.

Last time we saw How God Works All Things for Good. However, we saw that we also have a part to play, that our response to suffering enables us to receive the good that God wants to produce for us in it. This also means that adversity can either produce good for us or harm us depending on our response. In this post, let’s get specific on what things prevent us The post What Keeps Us from Overcoming Adversity appeared first on Loving Theology.

In Why We Suffer, we talked a lot about the good that hardship can produce in us. Indeed, this truth was evident in each of the stories we looked at in that series. However, when we look around us, the stories we hear don’t always have that same conclusion. In fact, more often than not we see the opposite. It often seems that hardship causes harm rather than good. Whether it’s poverty, abuse, or disability, these adversities seem... The post How God Works All Things for Good appeared first on Loving Theology.

In the last post, we explored how God does not always display His love by preventing suffering in our lives. Rather, He shows His love to us by comforting us through our sufferings. In that post, I mentioned that I would like to bring this idea to life through a few stories. As I think about people in the Bible that God loved who suffered, it’s hard to ignore the plight of the Israelites in Egypt. It becomes the most real to me when I imagine the life of a Hebrew woman named Jochebed told in Exodus 2. When Jochebed got married... The post His Plan for Our Pain appeared first on Loving Theology.

“When I set aside what I wish He would do for me with His power, I begin to see how much He does for me with His presence.” I wanted to talk about God’s love for us. As I think about His love, my thoughts are often drawn back to the question of pain and suffering. When we are in distress it’s easy to wonder where God is if He loves us. Sometimes, the presence of suffering can feel like evidence that He doesn’t care. But the Bible is actually quite comfortable declaring His love for us and acknowledging our suffering in the same breath. For example, consider... The post His Companionship in Our Distress appeared first on Loving Theology.

For our post this week I put together this video. Join me as I talk about the voice of God. People always teach on prayer and talking with God (as we have done in this series) but what does God actually sound like? Do we hear Him audibly? He can do that. Do we see signs throughout our day? Yes, this can be confirmation. Does He speak through people? Yes, of course! However, let's talk about The post How Does God Talk to Us? appeared first on Loving Theology.

Have you ever felt alone? The fear of being alone certainly ranks among our deepest and most meaningful. But the word “alone” doesn’t fully describe it; after all, we can be surrounded by people, even friends and family, and still feel alone. I long to feel a true connection where I’m loved even when I’m unlovable, where I can share every unbecoming thought without fear of judgment but assured of my unreserved acceptance. While I treasure my closest friendship (Monica), we are each limited in patience and grace, and we are both affected by... The post Overcoming Loneliness appeared first on Loving Theology.

“Is that You God?” Have you ever had a thought while you’re praying and wondered whether it was His voice or just your own? How do we discern if He’s talking to us? In John 10, Jesus explains our relationship with Him as a Good Shepherd with His sheep. He assures us not only that He will speak to us, but that we will recognize His voice: “The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. … and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.” (John 10:3-4) So, how do we develop... The post Learning God’s Voice appeared first on Loving Theology.

Have you ever found yourself wondering if God’s trying to tell you something? I know I have. We long for His direction in our life, but it can be hard to know when He’s speaking. Sometimes I think I’ve heard Him, but when everything goes wrong, I start wondering if I missed the mark. Other times I don’t really know what to do, and I wish He would just make it easy and give me a sign. But figuring out whether it actually was a sign from Him is just as difficult. However, at a very fundamental level, our communication with God isn’t based on... The post Does God Still Speak? appeared first on Loving Theology.

In our post for Father’s Day this year, we issued the first release of a guide for Christian couples who are trying to conceive, including a guide for IVF. We also promised to release further updates to this guide as we had time to put the research we’ve done in the best format for you. So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce the first major update to this guide for couples who are trying to conceive. The post TTC Guide Intro appeared first on Loving Theology.

A lot of things can make us happy for a little while, but, once the newness fades, the happiness seems to fade right along with it. We all struggle to feel satisfied at times, but how do we approach that struggle? Join us as we take a very practical, “how-to” look at our series on satisfaction and ask the question, How do we find satisfaction? The post How to Find Satisfaction appeared first on Loving Theology.

Whether it’s more work or more play, we’ve seen in this series that neither promise to satisfy. However, we often experience our most meaningful success and our most lasting joy in the context of our closest relationships. Whether it’s friendships, dating, marriage, or family, perhaps relationships can offer what success and pleasure can’t on their own – satisfaction. If any relationship could, our closest and deepest one (marriage) certainly has the best chance. So, let’s take a look at marriage to see if it can provide satisfaction as we ask the hard question: Can my soulmate satisfy me? The post Can Soulmates Satisfy appeared first on Loving Theology.

Why did God make pleasure? Can our desire for pleasure ever be fully satisfied? What does enjoying pleasure look like as Christians, in what ways are we limited? Like we discussed last week, God wants us to enjoy life’s good things. Whether it’s relaxing with a glass of wine, admiring the beauty of nature, traveling to a new and exciting place, or even having sex, God made it all for us to enjoy. Pleasure is defined as “a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment”; it is essentially the experience of happiness. So, if we pursue pleasure, will we find happiness? Will we find satisfaction? The post Satisfying Our Desire for Pleasure appeared first on Loving Theology.

What can we do to be successful? How do we know when we’ve achieved success, or, more specifically, at what point does success bring satisfaction? So often, success can leave us feeling empty or even sorrowful as we wonder "What's the point?" How can we find a meaningful success that satisfies our desire to leave an impact? Join us as we talk about all of this: 1. The Ingredients of Success 2. Success and Sorrow 3. Meaningful Success The post Satisfied in Success appeared first on Loving Theology.

Are you happy? A lot of things can make us happy for a little while, but, once the newness fades, the happiness seems to fade right along with it. How can we find it again? What does it mean to be happy? From Harvard studies to the Pharrell Williams song, from America’s Declaration of Independence to Bhutan’s measure of Gross National Happiness, it’s easy to say that “the pursuit of happiness” is central to us as people regardless of the culture, or sub-culture, in which we find ourselves. But, for all our searching, it remains just that: a pursuit, a search. Now, we ... The post How to Be Happy appeared first on Loving Theology.

What should we forgive? EVERYTHING. How do we forgive even the hardest things? After releasing new videos for our series on forgiveness, we have a new discussion style video to help make this series very practical. Join us as we talk about how we forgive and what that process looks like, including: How do we know when we need to forgive? Once we’ve forgiven, it feels like we can check it off the list and put it behind us, but forgiveness can often look more like a cycle rather than a checkbox. So, how can we identify when we’re struggling with unforgiveness and ultimately find inspiration to forgive again? The post How to Forgive appeared first on Loving Theology.