Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that believes the true pinnacle of intelligence is feigning complete and utter ignorance. It’s the get-out-of-jail-free card for every awkward social situation and existential crisis life throws your way. Genius has never been so delightfully simple or simply delightful. You’re welcome. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are labeled the Synoptics due to their similarities. These Gospels lay it out clearly – the kingdom of God requires something from us. But the demands of Jesus and His kingdom are humanly impossible to attain. Then John show ..read more

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that believes there’s no need to learn from your own mistakes when you can learn from the mistakes of people who take your advice. In 2014, I wrote a 25-page eBook entitled Discipleship in Crisis: 9 Reasons Why Discipleship Isn’t Working Today – Problems & Solutions. For years, we’ve given the book away to everyone who subscribes to my UNFILTERED email list. Recently, however, one reader pointed out that at least two of the links inside the book were broken. So last month, we had them fixed. Note that I wrote this book before ..read more

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that wants you to know the word “bed” looks like an actual bed. You’ll never unsee it now. You’re welcome. Last month, my wife and I had lunch with the king of radical ecclesiology — Jon Zens, along with his dear wife. During our conversation, we discussed legalism and why so many Christians are still attracted to it. (If you’re new to my articles, I addressed legalism in depth last summer in my treatise Jesus vs. Moses. That treatise features a seminal piece by Zens, and it has cured many legalistic souls from the virus.) While w ..read more

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that believes taxes are just a yearly subscription to the country you live in, and childhood is the free trial. The following article has been in my blog queue for awhile. I’m only now releasing it. — Have you ever had this experience? You attend a Christian conference and a celebrity preacher delivers a sermon. You’re bored to tears. There’s no life, no power, no insight, no revelation. Yet the friend who attended with you is mesmerized. After it’s over, he feverishly exclaims, “Now wasn’t that amazing!” You’r ..read more

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that used to have a tricycle with 2 wheels so it could only go around in a circle. I’m relieved! After almost three years of working on the manuscript almost every day, I will be ready to turn in the revised and expanded version of The Untold Story of the New Testament Church to the publisher next Tuesday, March 19th – the first day of spring. We are hoping for a 2025 release. Thanks again to all of you who donated to make it possible for multiple scholars and editors to make the manuscript as accurate as possible. I’m not sure ho ..read more

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that sometimes wonders what happened to the people who asked it for directions. Quick update for those of you who asked: the premium SCRIBE online training for aspiring authors and accomplished authors is available from now until March 17th. Then it closes for a year. Go to ScribeOnline.org for details. Last year, I watched a new documentary on the infamous crime boss John Gotti. It was called “Get Gotti.” What impressed me was that Gotti was tried and acquitted in three high-profile trials. As the documentary continued, the reaso ..read more

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that wants you to know that if it received a dollar every time it thought about you, it would start thinking about you. Quick update: I appreciate all the positive feedback on last week’s article on discernment. Also, for those of you who asked about my online training for authors that covers all things publishing, writing, marketing, etc. the SCRIBE online training is open now until March 17th. Once you have it, it’s yours for life and you take it at your own pace. Now for today’s article. Over on The Deeper Christian Life Networ ..read more

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that broke up with its gym. We were just not working out. “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” ~ Hebrews 5:14, ESV To discern means to discriminate or distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong, the Spirit and the flesh, God’s way and man’s way. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the ..read more

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that recently rented a car. It didn’t really need one, it just wanted to make one less available so one businessman would have to take an uber. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” ~ Romans 3:18 In the New Testament, grace is power as well as pardon. It is through God’s unfailing grace that we receive His forgiveness as well as access His power to overcome sin’s dominion. There is, however, a version of grace that desensitizes a person to the fear of the Lord. It’s what I’ve called “the gospel of libertinism ..read more

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that’s aware that some of its subscribers are only in it for the welcome jokes at the beginning. And that’s okay. It was encouraging to discover that so many of you felt God’s vivid presence in dramatic ways when you listened to the audio I dropped in last week’s article. Today’s article is somewhat related since the music from last week’s feature was created by non-believers. (Just the music, not the lyrics or the vocals.) The question before the house right now is, “Can Christians benefit from consuming non-Christian art, music ..read more