Reliable Truth

Why do men have difficulty being transparent and sharing vulnerable details about their lives Richard contends that it comes down to problems associated with pride, which drives men to worry about being seen as a failure by those around them. In his book  The Power of a Humble Life  Richard explains why men especially struggle with pride and humility—and how pride is, quite literally, the driving...

Have you ever thought about the prodigal son's older brother? From Luke 15:25-28a: “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.   ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’   The older brother beca...

How does a person become "lost?" Many times it's because they have run out of relationships—they've burned through all their relationships, for all kinds of reasons. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, that's what this young son has done. He didn't have anybody to go to. He's in this distant land. He's run out of money, food and resources. He has no friends. Why d...

Where is the love and hope of the Cross? They are found in the person of Jesus Christ alone,  "who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time."  - 1 Timothy 2:6 This Good Friday annual message from Richard and The Center features a unique performance by  the Birmingham Boy's Choir. >>Watch on YouTube

Mark continues his study in Colossians chapter 1: "...The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." &...

What does true freedom look like in our lives? The parable of the prodigal son is what I consider one of the most significant of all of Jesus' parables, taken from Luke 15:11-32. I discussed this parable with some of the older men in our Bible studies, and several of them said they didn't like this parable because the older brother gets "the short end of the stick." Today we are...

Do you need encouragement in your prayer life? We are studying another powerful prayer of Paul to believers from the first chapter of Colossians. Paul is talking about a knowledge that goes deep into the very fabric of who you are in your affections, your feelings and in your mind. What is this knowledge—this deep intimacy with the Almighty that he's calling us to? It's the knowledge of wh...

Where does true belief begin? True belief is an issue of the heart, not the head. Many people believe that a God of love cannot also be a God of wrath. Think about that. But author and pastor Tim Keller says there is no love without wrath. In the book Hope Has Its Reasons Becky Pippert writes, "Think how we feel when we see someone we love ravaged by unwise actions or relationships. Do we res...

Is Hell real? In the past most people did not have a difficult time with the idea of hell. But modern American sentimentalism is one indication that people today tend to care only for the softer virtues of God like love and tenderness. They have forgotten the hard virtues of holiness, righteousness and justice. So as we seek to come to terms with the hard issues like hell, we must consider the que...

How much is enough? This question can apply to many different areas of our lives, but today we're looking at this question in regard to money and wealth. Other than theological issues like faith and God's kingdom, the number one issue that Jesus addresses in the Bible is the issue of money and wealth. He doesn't condemn wealth. He doesn't say that money is inherently evil, but Jesus sternly warns...

Have you given much thought to retiring someday? Richard's guest is Phil Reddick leading this seminar on how to maximize your impact as you think about retirement or are already retired. Meet our guest panelists: Mark and Julie Edwards  - Mark is with McGriff Insurance Services. Julie is a full-time homemaker. Felix "Tank" Tankersley  -  Tank is a Senior Wealth Advisor at BMSS Wesson Wealth Soluti...

What kind of man are you? What kind of man am I? Jesus' well-known "Beatitudes" from His Sermon on the Mount contains some of His most vital promises to us. These verses are Jesus' formula for how to have a successful life and a successful eternity: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." - Matthew 5:6 >>Watch on YouTu...

Are you looking to strengthen your prayer life? Join Richard's guest Dr. Mark Gignilliat as he teaches on the prayers of the apostle Paul. Paul's prayer to believers, from the first chapter of Colossians: "...Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love...

Did Jesus have an opinion on money and wealth? There are five primary teachings given by Jesus in the Bible. The Kingdom of God God the Father Faith The nature of Satan and the power of sin Life and everyday living, money and wealth Jesus says a lot about money—He says a lot of hard things about it as well. Why do you think he taught on money and wealth? I believe one of the main reasons is becaus...

What is Epiphany? The idea of epiphany is a pulling back of the curtain, so that one can see something clearly. These are normal, historical events that can be explained by natural cause and effect. Yet these epiphany moments reveal that there's a lot more going on here than what you see on the surface. This is the unveiling. It is a revealing. >>Watch on YouTube Dr. Mark Gignilliat is profe...

Where do you find community? Do you feel isolated from others? Philip Zimbardo, a psychologist who taught at Stanford, and by the way was a Christian, says this: "There's nothing more detrimental to a person's life than isolation. There's no more destructive influence on physical and mental health than the isolation of you from me and us from them." Zimbardo believed a primary strategy of the evil...

Why is instruction important? The purpose of instruction is to help us understand the basis and foundation of our faith. Deuteronomy 5:32-33 gives us this wise instruction: "So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your...

As we start this new year, what kind of plans, thoughts and ideas have you been having? Have you made any resolutions. Two days ago I went to the gym early in the morning - usually only a few people there, but this day the parking lot was jam packed!​ ​Of course by mid-February things will probably be back to normal. My question to each of us today is, "Do​ we need to make any sort of resolutions...

Both CS Lewis and RC Sproul asked, "If you could boil down take Christian theology and boil it into one word, what would it be?" Love? Faith? They answered that the one word would be Grace . Grace is like a huge bank account and faith is the account number to get access to it. God provides the grace, and we respond to it with faith. Another way to look at it is to contrast 3 words and what they me...

What does God promise to those who hope in Him? Last week was an overview of chapters 1-39 of the book of Isaiah . Something occurs between chapter 39 and chapter 40 that is kind of seismic. It's like the car of the prophet Isaiah just shifted into a different gear. Chapter 40 describes where God is moving from judgement to redemption, pronouncing comfort and peace to His people: "Do you not know?...

How does Isaiah present the gospel? Early church fathers, interestingly enough, would refer to Isaiah as the fifth Gospel. I love that term. It would be Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and then Isaiah, right? Because Isaiah is a prophet, he prepares us for the gospel in ways that are pretty unique in the Bible. Isaiah points us to Christ. Then we can see our need for Christ - our need for the new coven...

Where do you look when you need help? Jesus boldly claims who He is in John chapter 10: "Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the Gate for the sheep. All who have come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the Gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal an...

What Child is this? We sing the familiar song at Christmas, but who are we singing about? John 1:14 explains who this Child is to us. This is the scripture that I think so much of our Christian faith hangs on: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." - John 1:14 Jesus. The Word, who is the very being of God Himself, at one with the Father, the Instrument of creation, the beginning One, has take...

What kind of man or woman are you? Just after the 911 attack, I was in New York City. I've seen some real heroes to me from the New York City Fire Department. I remember their courage and selfless service to save lives - to give up their lives. I want you to open your hearts and really examine yourself. What kind of man or woman are you? Each one of us is called to lead in some fashion. Ask yourse...

What are two words that represent some of the most important issues in life? The two words are  light  and  truth.  Interestingly, in the Bible, Jesus Himself boldly claimed, "I am the Light" and "I am the Truth." In John 3:19-21, Jesus tells us,  "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil ha...