Bible

Discernment Guide

Discernment Pocket Guide

Going to church, a Bible study, or a Christian conference? About to start a Christian book, listen to a Christian podcast, or read a Christian blog post? Whatever Christian content you are about to take in, don’t forget your Bible, discernment, and this guide. They can help you to avoid or escape the snare of false teachings. […]

Learn Discernment and Stay Safe from False Teachings

BIBLICAL DISCERNMENT is vital. Without it, anyone can fall prey to false teachers and their teachings. We can get snared by these false teachings when we are not able to see how they differ from sound biblical teachings and the Bible. As a result, our knowledge of God and His word suffers. For these reasons, we need to learn discernment and get better at it every day. This article will help you do that. […]

A Zero Fluff Bible Study on the Deity of Christ: Lesson 1

Welcome to Lesson 1 of A Zero Fluff Bible Study on the deity of Christ!

We will begin our study by examining singular verses that demonstrate the deity of Christ. Reading these verses alone (in context of course) shows that Jesus is in fact God. These are primary texts on this topic, for they address the matter clearly and directly. They don’t leave you wondering about the identity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s Word: A Sword Like No Other

The printed text in our Bibles may look ordinary, but the Scriptures are supernatural. God’s word, a sword like no other, can pierce the division of soul and spirit and judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. That’s supernatural and terrifying and awesome. We serve a holy God and His word is beyond precious. […]

Bible Reading Plans and Polls

It’s one week into the new year already! Time to talk about Bible reading plans. Too late? No! Though this post was written in December, I waited till now. I’m hoping it might serve as encouragement that seven days, seven weeks, or seven months after January 1 is not too late to begin or start again if you have gotten off track.

But first, 3 quick Poll questions about Bible reading. […]

Twenty-Eight Years Later on the 28th

Although my testimony could be summed up with the much loved words “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me”, there are more details I like to share. Today, I’d like to share another small part of my story. For some reason, my testimony tends to be a bit long. Maybe it’s because I cherish every single event that led up to coming to know God and those events occurred over years. I’ve yet to write it all down; but I like to share what I can, when I can, to God’s glory.

I never tire of hearing the testimonies of others, for in them are glimpses of the power and work of God. If you have yours posted online and would like to share it, please put the link in a comment below. I would love to read it. […]

Class on Discernment: Living Proof Live Simulcast

Beth Moore’s Living Proof Live simulcast is quickly approaching. It is scheduled to air September 12, 2015. Many churches have signed up to participate along with women who will watch from home. If you are one of that number, I invite you to do something as you watch. I invite you to turn the simulcast into a class on discernment. This means, we will use the simulcast to practice the ability to confirm truth and detect error in a Bible message or teaching. Some may feel it is unnecessary to do that with a Beth Moore event since she is so established and well liked as a Bible teacher. I would respond that it is always necessary to be discerning at every event or service where God’s word is taught. It is necessary even when the preacher you’ve sat under for 20 years gets up to preach.

Discernment is so important for our spiritual well-being. It is our Biblical responsibility. (1 John 4:1) The example of the noble-minded Bereans encourages us to do as they did. (Acts 17:10-11) […]

Introducing New Feature: Do You Take This Verse?

This post is the launch of a new feature on Chapter 3 Ministries! I’m calling it “Do You Take This Verse?”. The name is a play-on-words that brings together what has been traditionally asked during a marriage ceremony (Do you take this woman/man?) with the idea of living out Bible verses in our marriages. […]

Facing the Challenges of 2015

2015 promises to be a year to remember. This year our oldest is getting married and graduating from college and our youngest is graduating from High School. In case you are wondering, we only have two. :) I have oftentimes affectionately referred to them as “my bookends”. I came up with this years ago because of the way they used to flank me on the couch when we were saying goodbye to their papa whenever he left to photograph a wedding. We have a couch right in front of a picture window that overlooks our driveway. As my husband was heading out, we would all kneel on the couch, with me in the middle, and watch as he got in his van and drove away. We would wave, tell him we loved him in sign language, and then pray for his safe return. I cherish those memories and hold tightly to them as this new year starts. […]

Bible Reading Plans for 2015

The new year will be here soon! It’s not too late to start thinking about whether or not you would like to start a Bible reading plan in 2015. I enjoy plans. They help me to be more regular with my reading.

Not all reading plans are the same. Though many are geared towards reading through the whole Bible in a year, there are more options available. There are some that will extend the reading out for two or three years or shorten it considerably. I once went through the Bible in six months. To be honest, it wasn’t planned. I was pregnant and suffering with “morning” sickness so badly that all I could do was read! Some plans focus on just parts of the Bible like the gospels, the Old or New Testament, or bring you through the same books more than once. Plans can also go through the books in the order they appear in the Bible or go through the Bible in the order that things took place chronologically in history. I prefer the latter. […]

Beth Moore 2014 Simulcast Review Part Two: Bible Interpretation Issues

This is Part Two of my review of Beth Moore’s September 13, 2014 Living Proof Life Simulcast streamed from Fort Wayne, Indiana. You may read Part One here. I recommend reading them in order. This part of my review takes a look at Beth Moore’s problematic practices of Bible interpretation. The kinds of problems that exist are the practices of eisegesis, proof texting, and the allegorizing of the scriptures. I became aware of these problems when I first grew more familiar with her and her ministry back in August. If you have been following my posts about this you might remember that I decided to learn more about her because our local church was going to be hosting a Living Proof Life Simulcast. Since I had only heard her name and was unfamiliar with her material, I decided it might be a good idea to check things out. I did some research which lead me to articles that listed a number of problems including those in the Bible interpretation category. […]

Knowing the Real Thing from the Fake

Counterfeiting is alive and well in America and across the world. The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC), an organization dedicated to fighting counterfeiting and safeguarding intellectual property, reports that the Department of Homeland Security confiscated counterfeit goods worth more than $1.7 billion at our borders in Fiscal Year 2013. The coalition also reports that counterfeiting is a major problem worldwide.¹ When I think of counterfeiting, I immediately think of money; but all sorts of goods are also counterfeited including car parts, handbags, watches, and jewelry. I wonder if 3D printing technology will open up a whole new world for counterfeiters. If so, the government and the IACC are going to be quite busy.

Being aware that there are fakes out there can go a long way in protecting us from being taken. This is true not only for consumer products but also for matters of faith. We need to look out for counterfeit Christianity. […]