Knowing & Doing

Most of us live our daily existence in denial of the possibility of death. Yet how does an awareness of our mortality affect the way that we live? When we schedule our priorities and follow our passions without regard to eternity, our vision becomes distorted. We miss the big picture. Gary Thomas shares insights into how a Christian understanding of death can help us turn our lives the right side...

In a world where most struggle for any clear moral foundation, God presents before us an opportune moment. Learn more in this episode with Dennis Hollinger narrated by Aimee Riegert.  Read this article online.

Randy Newman explains that before we even start some evangelistic conversations, the deck is stacked against us, as nonbelievers assume they’re morally or intellectually superior to believers. Many outside the faith see us as narrow-minded, in­tolerant, homophobic simpletons. He gives us some valuable techniques to level the playing field so our words are considered rather than dismissed. Read thi...

Jerram Barrs challenges us to consider what it means to work as unto the Lord and to honor those who do so. Learn more about the place and value of work in a life of worship.  Read this article online.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's life and writing were deeply influenced by his religious faith. Learn more about J.R.R. Tolkien's spiritual journey, his friendships with others like C.S. Lewis, and the impact Tolkien's faith had on his creative writing. Read this article online .

In the second installment of this two-part series, Dr. Aikman points to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s warnings of the war between intellectual forces on one side who describe themselves as “progressive” and those on the other who are advocates of a Judeo-Christian worldview. Read more here .

Like most of pre-Soviet Russia, Solzhenitsyn had been born into a Christian tradition and was baptized as a child. However, as Marxism took hold throughout the country, atheism became Aleksandr’s world view. Learn how he came to turn from atheism and fully embrace Christianity. . . Read this article online .

Composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote masterpieces that have found their way into the standard repertoires of major orchestras for decades. CSLI Senior Teaching Fellow, Randy Newman, shares how Rachmaninoff’s music can help us experience “longing” and beauty in profound ways. And he shares details about the composer’s life that may inspire you.

After the Bible, John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is the best-selling Christian book of all time, and for centuries was widely read and highly influential in evangelical households. In recent years, however, this book has been read by fewer people, in part due to its now archaic language. In this article, Edward Glancy recommends this classic book and passes on a number of tips for reading it toda...

We have little idea what brought Perpetua to faith in Christ, or how long she had been a Christian, but thanks  to her diary, and that of another prisoner, we have some idea of her last days—an ordeal that so impressed the famous Augustine that he preached four sermons about her death. Learn more in this special Knowing & Doing Podcast. To read this article online, please click here .

V. Raymond Edman was a pastor, missionary, professor, and author who served as the fourth President of Wheaton College. In this episode we explore the journey of V. Raymond and the nature of the exchanged life. We'll see that the exchanged life is the result of the indwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ made real and rewarding by the Holy Spirit. To read this profile of faith, please click here .

James M. Houston concludes his two-part series by sharing that Narcissism is globally reflective of deep-rooted fallacies about the human identity. Since it is expressive of ‘original sin’, it seems too inherent to expect a resolution. Read this full article online .

James M. Houston explores Narcissism in part 1 of a two-part series. He discusses how theology can be taught as an educational program like any other topic, without directly speaking to our way of life. This heightens our need to relate the gospel, not just to “church” or “the academy,” but to how we identify ourselves and how we actually live daily. To read this article online, please click here...

Hear the remarkable story of servanthood and love as we follow Pamela Rose Moore’s journey as she reflects on the Dutch missionary evangelist, Cornelia ten Boom known as “Corrie.” Read this article online .

Mark Talbot discusses the importance of a biblical view of vocation that we find in the book of Genesis. He helps us to “really understand the gospel” and be “what God means you to be”. Read this article online . Recommended Reading: What is Vocation? by Stephen J. Nichols God At Work : Your Christian Vocation in All of Life by Gene Edward Veith Jr.

Music is a great gift, with the power to take us to another world. Though music can move us so much, it makes a poor god! In this article, Dr. Newman expounds on both the common grace and the common ground that can be found through the gift of music. Read this article online. Recommended Reading: The Gift of Music: Great Composers and Their Influence by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson.  "I hav...

Learn how you can share your faith with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and more. Communicate winsomely and engage in healthy conversations with loved ones about issues that truly matter. In this message Dr. Joel Woodruff, President of the C.S. Lewis Institute, shares practical insights and lessons for Conversational Apologetics.

In this excerpt from J.C. Ryle’s classic book Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots , Ryle presents twelve points to create a picture of practical holiness. Read this article here . Recommended Resources: Holiness (Abridged): Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Root s (Moody Classics) by J.C. Ryle

Pastor Bill Kynes explores the burning question - How can a loving God send people to hell? This message is adapted from a chapter in Bill’s book Seven Pressing Questions : Addressing Critical Challenges to Christian Faith (Minneapolis: NextStep Resources, 2015). Read the article here .

In a culture where Christians are affected by fragmentation and compartmentalization, Randy Newman argues that getting “back to the Bible” means pursuing a holistic vision for what it means to be human and what that looks like in every way. Then, we will love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. To help us do this, he recommends reading Jonathan Edwards’s classic The Religious Affecti...

Jim Phillips discusses studying classic Western literature, and how knowledge of the classics can open up opportunities for gospel discussions. Recommended Resources: A Christian Guide to the Classics by Leland Ryken The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts that Shaped Our World by R.C. Sproul

Tom Tarrants observes that judging from recent research and anecdotal evidence, it appears that very few professing Christians in America think fasting has a place in the Christian Life. He observes, however, that from the earliest days of the church, fasting has been recognized as an important way to draw near to God, deepen one's relationship with Him, and seek His help in times of special need....

If we hope to engage in conversation about weighty topics, we need to have some level of competence in listening, asking good questions, and pursuing rich conversation. Read the full article here .

It is difficult to think clearly about Francis of Assisi. The first thing that comes to mind is the gentle saint who preached to birds, tamed wolves, and padded about in flower-filled fields basking in the love of God. But it’s also difficult to imagine how such a benign figure could turn thirteenth-century Europe upside down. Read this article online .

Major Warren Hamilton Lewis was a kind-hearted and genuinely humble man, who spent most of his years living a quiet and retiring life. Learn more about his life in this audio production. Click here to read this full article.