It’s not uncommon to have an unpleasant church going experience or be turned off by the words, behaviors or attitudes of other Christians in your community. Flawed people often produce flawed results. The discomfort caused by such experiences can often lead us to ask the very simple question: “Do I really have to go to […]
THE EMPOWERING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR EVANGELISM
One of the most important roles that the Holy Spirit has in the life of a Christian is related to God’s mission. God’s mission of transforming and redeeming the world includes the spreading of the good news about Jesus, including his life, death, and resurrection. Christopher J. H. Wright, in The Mission of God, writes about […]
CONSCIOUS RELATIONSHIPS
I felt guilty the first time I logged onto eHarmony. “I’m just looking”, I told myself, “There’s no harm in looking.” But I felt like I was cheating on God. Wasn’t I supposed to wait for him to find my match? If you’re a Christian single, you’re probably no stranger to this concept. Well-meaning moms […]
MY ENEMY IS ME
There is an enemy of mine, living closer to me than any other. He comes with me wherever I go. He lives with me. No matter how fast I run, he is there. He remains with me because he is Flesh, the desires I have as a human being. As in, “the spirit is willing, […]
AFFECTION IS A LOVE THAT IS NOT FOR SHOW
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the most well known theologians in the last 100 years. A literature professor by trade, he was the author of over 70 books ranging from the fantasy fiction of the Chronicles of Narnia series to the allegorical fiction of The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce. He also wrote […]
A FORK IN THE ROAD
Conviction and condemnation are distant cousins. I wouldn’t call them siblings, but they do belong in the same family. They both have to do with the way we deal with our mistakes or, as the Bible puts it, our sin. They are universal feelings, yet they don’t always stem from universal actions. Some may feel […]
NO COOKIE-CUTTER CHRISTIAN
I have this awesome friend. His name is Tyler. He’s one of the smartest, funniest, and overall best people I’ve ever met. And when we did meet, back in college, we got along instantly. We just meshed. So when he told me he hadn’t grown up in church—like I had—I remember being surprised. And when […]
ACCEPTING CHRIST
Many people accept that Christ existed. Many people accept that he died. Still others accept not only that he died but that he rose again and that he is God. Many would accept his existence and the facts about his life much like they accept that the world is round and spins on an axis […]
UNCOMMON UNITY
Community, or lack thereof, is an epidemic sweeping our nation. We’ve replaced face-to-face conversations with text messages and quality time in the company of other people with time on Facebook. The contrast between these things cannot be overstated. There is a generation of Millennials who seem to value relationships less than previous generations and who […]
Fresh for Fall! A New Issue!
We hope you enjoy the latest issue of New Identity Magazine! You can read it online or download it for free. You can also purchase a print copy here. Enjoy! Cailin