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Cultivate & Motivate
Learnings, teachings, and theology for anyone to reference during difficult times, stressful workdays, and times of study and growth.
The Church & Politics
When it comes to the church, there seems to be this idea that politics shouldn't be talked about. In this article, Costi Hinn shares how Christians should approach politics and voting.
How to Identify False Teachers if You Don’t Know the Truth
Recently someone asked, "How can I identify a false teacher if I don't know the truth?" Around the same topic, someone asked, "Even if someone was a false teacher, shouldn't we listen to them with charity?" In this article, Costi Hinn explains how the believer can develop discernment.
Who Will Be the Next John MacArthur?
Due to his immeasurable impact and massive shoes (that took 50+ years to grow), men of all ages ask the same question again and again: Who will be the next John MacArthur? Like mere men, we all have moments of fascination with how God appoints leaders in their time. In this article, Costi Hinn discusses how Christians should view ministry “succession”, warning against potential pitfalls and centering on the truth that Christ will build His church.
How the Church Should Treat Those Who Identify as “Gay Christian”
The term “Gay Christian” has been circulating a lot recently. One cannot be a gay Christian because the title is a contradiction. To be gay is to actively be in sin, and to be a Christian is to follow Christ. On the blog, Costi Hinn unpacks how the church should engage with and respond to those making such claims, speaking the truth in love.
3 (Non-Legalistic) Reasons to Go to Church on Christmas Sunday
Christmas Day is on a Sunday this year, and it is causing a great deal of debate. In one sense, we ought to spend some time thinking deeply about it. After all, Sunday is traditionally the “Lord’s Day” and the church makes a habit of gathering no matter what, because that’s what we do. Yet in another sense, debates can be a little overblown as people lob grenades claiming that those who aren’t holding Christmas Day Sunday services are “sinful compromisers,” while the alleged compromisers fire back, “You legalists!” Wherever you land in this year’s yuletide war over Christmas Day church attendance, Costi Hinn shares 3 reasons his church has chosen to meet on that day.
Four Characteristics that Foster Unity
Unity is hard to come by in the Christian faith, but it’s important to fulfill our calling. And it’s achievable, no matter what secondary differences we may have. In this article, Costi Hinn outlines four characteristics that will foster the kind of unity every believer (and pastor) desires in their local church.
Why Church Membership Matters
There is a “membership epidemic” in the church today that must be addressed and solved. The idea of meaningful membership in the local church nearly went extinct during the past 30 years as churches became more focused on seeker-driven models, getting people to come back and fill the seats, and voting with their feet (the idea that you are a member by attending) based on how “fun” the youth center was; disregarding concern for the lack of biblical content.
Theology Terms Explained: “Ecclesiology”
Ecclesiology is the study of the church and deals with all aspects of the church including its purpose, structure, ordinances, and more. While some aspects of ecclesiology do not directly impact salvation, the way we honor God’s instructions as His church could make all the difference in the world — and in eternity.
Christians & Suicide: Biblical Truths for the Troubled Soul
Each time a pastoral suicide hits the news cycle, the Christian and secular publishing worlds forge an awkward alliance in an attempt to sort through the obvious question that is pressing in on everyone’s mind: how can—or how does—a pastor get to the point where he would make the decision to end his own life?
It’s a good question, and it’s a question that needs to be explored humbly and prayerfully for the sake of current and future shepherds and the overall health of Christ’s church.
Let’s Get Back to Gospel Power
Do you realize that you wield the greatest power on earth when you unleash the power of the gospel? We need not entertain the crowd or cave to culture; we need only to give them what they so desperately need – the truth and nothing but the truth! It is, and always will be the gospel that delivers unstoppable power.
The Call to Witness is a Call to Worship
Our world is deeply fallen. In the midst of our pain and fallenness, voices are crying out for social reform, for economic redistribution, and for major institutional changes to the educational system and law enforcement. After thousands of years of human history, our world is still blinded to the reality that the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.
The Courageous Example of John MacArthur
It’s been impossible for me to miss the controversy that’s been brewing in Southern California between Governor Gavin Newsom and Sun Valley’s Grace Community Church as led by their pastor-teacher, John MacArthur.
The Kind of Preaching the Church Needs
The church needs bold, biblical, unashamed preaching. Though most every church will claim they “preach” and that they preach the Bible, that isn’t necessarily the case. If there is one thing that a church must excel in prioritizing it is not a building campaign, story-telling, TED talks, pragmatic growth strategies, or more programs. It is preaching.
Navigating Different COVID-19 Convictions
If there is one word to describe how we must navigate re-gathering amid COVID-19, it’s this: grace.
Video: Is Tithing 10% Commanded for The Church?
The term “tithing” isn’t as controversial as the definition is. Quite often, in faithful churches around the world, you will hear the word “tithe” attached to “offerings” as a traditionally general way to describe giving. A pastor might say, “This morning you can give your tithes and offerings in the buckets as they go by or online.”
4 Ways to Leverage “Social Distancing”
COVID-19 has changed the way we can “do church” for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean pastors, leaders, and people can’t stay connected. While some Christian leaders may get sucked into the vortex of social revolution or cavalier rebellion, Romans 13:1 reminds us to be law-abiding citizens by respecting governing authorities.
10 Lessons from Online Seminary
This article may ruffle the feathers of those who teach, attend, or believe in mandated on-campus seminary training, but don’t get too fired up just yet. Let’s start by agreeing on this: physically going to seminary can be vitally important for a ministry leader.
3 Ways to Kill Gossip
You don’t tolerate gossip in the church. You slaughter it. If you don’t, it’ll slaughter sheep. There are few more sinister and Satanic assaults on the inside of the church than gossip. Like a parasitic demon, it often creeps in under the guise of victimhood; whispering to its host, “You really need to share your hurts and opinions with someone. It’s the Christian thing to do.”
6 High Commitments for Church Members
If you asked a large group of Christians what “church membership” is, you’d likely get an answer that sounds a bit like this: Church membership is being a part of a church. If you asked that same group what their role is as a member of Christ’s church you may hear: I am supposed to show up at church.
Can We Learn from Paul’s Conversion Assessment?
The conversion and commissioning of Paul the apostle is one that showcases God’s power to save and provides valuable lessons for new believers and their “next steps.” As a Pharisee and persecutor of the church, Paul was zealous for his traditions and outpacing all of his contemporaries in knowledge (Gal. 1:14). No one was better suited for a life of Law than “Saul.” Then, God intervened and (literally) knocked him off his high horse.