Many seeker-sensitive preachers will teach that the Four Soils are the four stages of the Christian life, often to lessen the harshness of Christ's words in that parable. In the article, Costi Hinn explains the meaning of this parable and why it's so important to get it correct.

For the Gospel is not afraid to call out false teachers. No pastor, church, or Christian resource ministry should be — especially in today’s world. But is there a metric for ministries or pastors to use when determining how often — or whether to, at all — name names?

The greatest threat to the church is not the blowing winds of culture from the outside, but false teachers who infiltrate from the inside. Those who look like sheep but are wolves. Those posing as shepherds but are charlatans. These false teachers will most certainly be conduits of cultural ideologies, while at the same time, spewing licentious lies and exploiting people with their greed.

Through online communication channels like email and social media, I receive a large amount of questions and loathe the fact that I can’t keep up with them. While God doesn’t “need” anyone, and He is absolutely faithful in saving souls and guiding them to solid spiritual food, I often think back to how He used the kindness of Christians to point me to helpful resources when I needed them the most.

False teachers and abusive leaders need to maintain their power. Therefore, they use a series of threats to keep people quiet and in line. Get out of line? You might hear one of the seven statements I’ve listed below. You can add, “…or else…” to each one.

Hate is a strong word. Using it should always be done in prudent fashion. People today hate a lot of things, but we must ensure we’re hating the right things. Hate is simply defined as “intense or passionate dislike” and can be a helpful learning tool for others who may be wondering why you feel so strongly about __________ (insert issue here).

Many Christians don’t contend for the faith because they don’t know why they should. Like a football team who hits the gridiron without a rally cry, the church can often be overtaken by naysayers who demand silence in the name of tolerance. This tends to rattle many passionate Christians who insist that we contend for the faith.

Beamers, Benz’s, and Bentleys. Mansions, maids, and millions. These terms are synonymous with the prosperity gospel. If you’re new to planet earth or haven’t watched television during the past ten years, here’s a simple definition of the “prosperity gospel” to get you up to speed: Jesus Christ minors in saving sinners, but majors in making you healthy, wealthy, and happy!

Why in the world does church history matter? That’s a question more Christians should be able to answer – and a highly important one at that. In his phenomenal work, Why Church History Matters, Robert F. Rea defines history as “the study of the past in order to understand the present and improve the future.”[1] History teaches us valuable lessons about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

A few years ago an excited woman in her 20’s ran up to me one Sunday at church – she was a newer attendee who had been kicking the tires on our church for a few weeks when my last name must have clicked. It’s not like we talked about it every Sunday at our church – our members don’t really focus on that. We have a lot of important ministry to do and I’m just another one of the pastors. But sometimes, it comes out in conversations and you never know what you’re going to get.

It had been over three hours since the service started, and I was really starting to feel God’s presence in the building. As I stood next to my friend, the music was deep and intense. The lighting made everything feel so intimate, and a slight fog danced through the air. The lead singer’s voice was so beautiful – Jesus Culture’s music is so anointed.