Critics of Christianity often accuse the entire religion of being a patriarchal religion, saying that it de-values and denigrates women and gives men privileges which they don’t deserve. So, here’s a question for us to consider honestly: Are they right?

The answer is partially yes and partially no. They are correct that Christianity is a patriarchal religion. That simply means that it relates to a patriarch—a father. And of course, God is that Father.

But to the rest of the claim—the one about de-valuing women, etc.—God’s own words retort with a strong ‘no.’

While critics would claim that men are given preference in the historical narratives, the reality is that plenty of women are given the chance to prove themselves faithful, and they do it (Jochebed, Miriam, Ruth, Priscilla, Deborah, Phoebe, etc)! Additionally, there are plenty of men and plenty of women who prove un-faithful—whose faithlessness and selfishness ruins the lives of those around them. Overall, the stories are surprisingly balanced, portraying both men and women as mixes of good and bad. While critics would claim that men are privileged in the early church, both genders play important roles there and in Christ’s life—as prophetic voices, as evangelistic pioneers, and as generous servants.

I realize that many of these responses gain no credence with a world that is decidedly bent on opposition to the Bible. But I still find encouragement in God’s grace and his appreciation for both men and women in Scripture. And I’m truly, deeply grateful to God for the faithful women, both then and now, whose lives have shone brightly as lights in this dark world so that others might glorify our Father who is in heaven (cf. Mt. 5:16).

- Dan Lankford, minister

Ben Franklin listed thirteen personal virtues for life. The first one said: “Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.” Franklin was not a Christian, but that self-prescribed advice has both practical and spiritual value. It distills the principle that excess—whether of food, drink, luxury, sex, entertainment, comfort, etc.—is not healthy. We are much better off with a governing amount of self-control.
 
Excess dulls our minds. Like a bear waking up from hibernation, our minds become groggy, weary of the work required by life and relationships. And this can’t be the state of people who take every thought captive to Christ (2 Cr. 10:5), who know how to answer each person (Co. 4:6), and who continually prepare our minds for action (1 Pt. 1:13). We are called to have clear minds with strong wills tuned to serve God skillfully.
 
Excess dulls our spirits. Jesus was forever telling us that people who need something respond best to him (cf. Mt. 5:3, 19:24, etc). But if our lives are glutted with all sorts of comforts and indulgences, what will we feel that we truly need? What will cause us to desire Christ and not simply acknowledge him? It takes a certain degree of ‘soul hunger’ to desire the spiritual fullness that he offers (cf. Mt. 5:6). Excess doesn’t lead to that.
 
Therefore, we practice self-control. We choose contentment. We shouldn’t torture ourselves with starvation and the like, but we would each be wise to self-impose some moderation—to stop eating before we’re full; to fast and pray; to put marital sex on pause and devote ourselves to prayer; to just walk in some less comfortable shoes once in a while. And we should be generous, letting go of our excesses (God once condemned the Northern Kingdom after its fall with these words: “she… had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy” [Ez. 16:49]).
 
Over time, those of us who practice the wisdom of God will eventually develop an aversion to excess. Not that we’ll resent all comforts, gifts, and blessings; but that self-control will make us averse to what leads to dullness. It teaches our hearts and minds to need only that which will truly satisfy: God.

- Dan Lankford

The hospitality industry. An inhospitable environment. Southern hospitality. “Thank you for your hospitality.” What’s the key to making that core concept work as it should? Plain and simple: it’s about people.

Hospitality is a Christian virtue because fellowship—a word that means sharing, participation, connection—is a Christian virtue. Hospitality’s not about a house; it’s about people. It’s not about prestige or extravagance; it’s about people. It’s not about entertainment; it’s about people. It’s not even about proper etiquette, cleanliness, dishes, serving, or recipes (cf. Martha [Lk. 10:38-42]); it’s about making genuine, sincere connections with people.

I have been around church families where it was said, “We just don’t really do hospitality. It’s not really our thing.” But there are two big problems with that: 1) That’s essentially just shrugging off one of the Spirit’s commands, essentially saying to God, “We’re simply not interested in doing the thing that you’ve asked us to.” And 2) It betrays disinterest in people—those who are God’s and therefore our siblings in faith, as well as those who are lost and who need our evangelistic guidance to be saved. If we are truly God’s children, we cannot be possessed of a casual, dismissive attitude toward those who are made in his image.

So let’s all look for opportunities to show hospitality—to ‘love strangers,’ sharing what we have with them, welcoming them into our homes, our hearts, and our lives. It’s an expected, commanded part of the Christian life.

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hb. 13:2)

- Dan Lankford, minister

I suppose it’s slightly different for everyone, but I know that for many people, the idea of some kind of ‘success’ doesn’t even call to their hearts any more. It sounds too daunting, too distant, too elusive, and frankly, too hard to be worth it. But, as the title of this article says: Succeeding at most things is easier (and easier on us) than failing at them.

Think about it: Which is easier in the long run? To put in the extra effort required to turn in assignments on time? Or to procrastinate, then still be required to finish and also to deal with your regrets?

Which is easier in the long run? To do the maintenance on the car when it’s due? Or to ignore it until it’s too late and face the larger expenses of repairs?

Which is easier? To obey your parents with a respectful attitude? Or to disobey, make excuses, mouth off… only to suffer the consequences, plus still have to obey the original command?

Which is easier in the long run? To make healthy food and exercise choices? Or to indulge day after day and eventually live with preventable-but-now-incurable health problems?

Which is easier? To train up a young child in the way he should go? Or to try and persuade him to change his wrongful ways once he is old and will not depart from them?

Many things in life—our careers, our relationships, our finances, our homes, our grades, and others—require extra effort in order to succeed. But it’s worth it. Failure forces us to work, but choosing diligence leads to success. It’s actually easier to succeed than to fail.

“The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.” (Prv. 12:24)

- Dan Lankford, minister

As a 90’s kid and a public-school attendee, I vividly remember the D.A.R.E. programs and the “Just Say No” campaign. These were anti-drug abuse programs that encouraged children to exercise self-control and, “Just say no to drugs.” According to them, overcoming the temptation to use drugs was that simple, “Just say no.” In more recent years, those programs have been roundly criticized for their ineffectiveness. Ultimately, they just didn’t work. 

Typically, people take one of two extreme positions on self-control; either it is as simple as just saying, “No,” or we are incapable of truly controlling ourselves. Yet, I believe the Bible paints a more balanced picture than that. Here’s what it teaches us…

First, it is possible for us to not only exercise self-control, but to gain self-control. Everyone has moments in which they control themselves and subdue their passions, but Peter seems to be talking about something more impressive than this when he advises us to add self-control to our faith (II Peter 1:6). He means that this can become a part of our character. We can become the kind of people who, as a rule, control ourselves.

Secondly, self-control must be added. The big mistake of the “Just Say No” campaign was the assumption that all school aged children naturally came equipped with remarkable powers of self-control. Peter indicates that self-control doesn’t come naturally. We’re not wired that way. It’s something we must add. The natural state of man is not defined by inner strength, but weakness. As Jesus cautioned His apostles, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). 

Thirdly, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). That means this quality is added to our faith when we are filled with the Spirit. So often we seek to add self-control by simply trying harder to “Just Say No,” and yet the best way to add self-control is to focus on filling ourselves with the Spirit letting the word of Christ and His glorious Gospel fill our hearts (Ephesians 5:18). When the Gospel fills our hearts, self-control is the inevitable result. 

- Jonathan Banning

Recently, the world was given a great spiritual insight from a surprising source: Disney’s Mufasa. Here’s the truth that one of the songs laid out: “If you wanna go fast, go alone. But if you wanna go far, we go together!” Now, that is some surprisingly Biblical wisdom!

Throughout the Torah, God was trying to teach his people to care for the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the immigrant among them. But again and again, those people were neglected by the well-to-do among Israel. Why? Because, in one preacher’s words, “Kindness is inefficient.” It slows us down in life if we care for those who are needy, elderly, impaired, or weak. And yet, God didn’t guide his people to grow fast in the land they were going to possess; he guided them to “live long in the land” (Dt. 5:33, etc.). If he had wanted them to go fast on the road of life, they would have to ignore many fellow travelers. But he wanted them them to go far, so he taught them to go together.

Throughout the New Testament, the same is true: God wanted the Christians to go far in life; to become a kingdom that would never be shaken (cf. Hb. 12:28). And so, rather than filling his letters full to bursting with strategies for fast growth, hostile takeovers, and cultural transformations from the top-down… he talked to them about how crucial it was that they remain united. Their togetherness is one of the key topics in Romans, 1st Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st Thessalonians, Philemon, Hebrews, James, and 1st John.

And of course, Jesus himself is the perfect example of this. How much more could he have gotten done in his lifetime if he just 'didn’t have time for' the disciples and their foolishness? What if he had left them and gone to seek out better followers who would learn quicker, be more spiritually-minded, and have more influence? Wouldn't that seem like the more efficient use of his time? Actually, yes. But kindness is inherently inefficient, and Jesus' patience with the disciples is an important part of how he turned twelve ordinary men into the authoritative mouthpieces of his new, heavenly kingdom.

“If you wanna go fast, go alone. But if you wanna go far, we go together!” That sometimes tests our patience. It often requires us to forgive. It occasionally seems like wasted effort. But it’s one of the keys to being God’s people and ‘living long in the kingdom he has given us to possess.’

- Dan Lankford, minister

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I think we understand why that is. The only reason a chain is effective is because all the links are interlocked. If one of those links breaks, the whole chain becomes useless. Therefore, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

When Peter writes the “Add To Your Faith” passage, he doesn’t just give us seven qualities to add, he gives us seven qualities that build upon one another – seven qualities that are linked to one another. First, he tells us to add “Arete” to our faith. In other words, we should pursue excellence in spiritual things, but what good is excellence without knowledge? So, Peter tells us to add knowledge to our excellence. He does the same with knowledge. We should add knowledge to our faith. We should seek to discern God’s will for us, but what good is that knowledge if we do not possess the restraint necessary to live by it? So, Peter tells us to add self-control to our knowledge (II Peter 1:6).

The word translated “self-control” is the Greek term, “Egkrateia,” and it means temperance, strength, power and mastery over self. Peter tells us that Christians need to possess the ability to control our passions and desires. We need to learn to master ourselves.

It seems to me that, for many of us, this is where the chain of faith often breaks. We’re content to strive for excellence. We’re happy to add more and more knowledge. Yet, when the moment of temptation comes we struggle to choose good. Self-control is often our weakest link. I think we ought to own that and determine together that we are going to do something about it.

For the next few weeks we’ll dig deeply into what the Bible has to say about how we can add self-control to our faith.

- Jonathan Banning

If you’ve been in very many discussions about religion with the general public, you’ve likely heard someone casually use the word legalism—most likely to criticize other religious folks who are serious about doing what God says. (“All they ever talk about is the rules. It’s just rules, rules, rules… They’re so legalistic.”) Some of us might think we’re legalists if we preach and teach the Bible’s specific commandments—that legalism essentially boils down to being “too conservative.” But Inigo Montoya can teach us a lesson: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

The word legalism has a specific definition. It describes the belief that we can save ourselves by perfectly following God’s laws. It’s not just being “conservative” or “serious about following God’s rules.” Legalism doesn’t need an external, divine Savior; it only needs an individual and their perfect adherence to a religion.

And that is a patently unbiblical belief. The nature and effects of sin are simply too damning to be overcome by ourselves, no matter how hard we may try. It is only by the grace of God, received through sincere, obedient faith in Jesus, that we can be saved. It’s absurd to think, after reading the New Testament, that we could ever earn salvation just through good works and religious fervor.

But we shouldn’t react by giving ourselves license to sin or be lax about it. Salvation brings transformation, making us follow God’s ways more ardently. “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Tt. 2:11-14)

The Bible opposes legalism, and we should too. It is “a different gospel” (Ga. 1:6-7), and preaching it denies Christ’s saving power (cf. Ga. 2:15-21). But we must understand its meaning. We don’t have to be spiritually checkmated if accused of legalism. The next move can be as simple as asking, “What exactly do you mean by that word?” Let’s not give up the chance to persuade someone to obey God, and let's be determined not to be crippled by an opponent’s misrepresentation of truth.

- Dan Lankford, minister

When it comes to adding spiritual knowledge to our faith, the prime source for that knowledge is obvious: it’s the Bible (cf. 2 Tm. 3:16-17). But what about the abundance of other sources available? Books, magazines, blogs, sermons, podcasts, and even these articles all purport to teach; but how do we know if we’re getting trustworthy knowledge from them?

While some books, organizations, and people claim to be teaching the Bible, they’re doing it wrongly and often in self-serving, harmful ways (Paul warned that this was happening in his time; cf. Phil. 1:17, 2 Cr. 10-12). So how do we know if we’re getting correct knowledge? How do we know if it’s what God really wants us to know?

Here’s one piece of advice that will go a long way: Consider the *assumptions* that the teacher/writer is working from.

If they assume that right and wrong are determined by men, that the Bible was written by men, and that religious doctrine is from men… If they begin with the assumption that God revealed more of his will to someone else after the apostles’ work was finished… If they assume that the Christian way is mostly determined by a particular culture of men… Or if they work off the assumption that a particular Christian group’s word is authoritative simply because it’s that group, then we should look elsewhere.

If, on the other hand, the teacher/writer assumes that the Holy Spirit revealed his will truthfully and completely in the Bible, and if their goal is to expound that without changing it, then we can almost always learn something valuable to our faith from a source like that! If they point us back to God himself and persuade us to trust him, then we can be grateful to learn from them.

These checks on assumptions work well whether applied to commentaries, podcasts, YouTube videos, sermons, blogs, workbooks, devotionals, or ‘Christian living’ books. The firmer the teacher’s commitment to God’s will in God’s word, the more we can be sure that we’re learning something worthwhile from them. It’s not just that we would stand against certain types of sources, but that we should have some wisdom to guide our pursuit of spiritual knowledge from all potential sources.

- Dan Lankford

When Jesus was only 12 years old, His family made the trek to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. After all was said and done, the family made their way back home assuming that Jesus was tagging along somewhere in the group when, in fact, He’d stayed behind in Jerusalem. When they found Him, He was sitting in the temple in the midst of the teachers (Luke 2:41-45).

I don’t know about you, but for some reason I’ve always had the impression that Jesus was in the temple teaching the teachers. As if little boy Jesus was showing up all the seasoned veterans. Yet, that’s not quite true. Luke tells us that He was listening to them and asking them questions (Luke 2:46). The preteen Jesus stays behind in the temple, not to teach, but to learn. When He tells His parents that He must be about His Father’s business, that business was not preaching to the grown ups but learning from them - adding knowledge to His faith (Luke 2:49). Later, Luke records that as Jesus aged He grew in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52). Isn’t that fascinating?

No one fully understands all the intricacies and dynamics of what it means for Jesus to simultaneously be God and Man, but one thing seems to be clear - that Jesus added knowledge to His faith just as I must add knowledge to my faith. That fact should helps us appreciate two things...

First, that we should hunger and thirst for knowledge of His word like He did. We need to understand that being busy in our Father’s business is not just a matter of engaging in good deeds, it also involves learning. In fact, as it was with Jesus so it is with us, our involvement in the Father’s business should begin with seeking to understand His will and grow in His wisdom.

Second, if we develop such a hunger and thirst, we can grow in wisdom and knowledge as He did. Of course, there are some attributes of Jesus that we’ll never share, but we have the opportunity to grow like He did. If I dedicate myself to listening, learning, and asking as He did I will continually add knowledge to my faith.

- Jonathan Banning