Christian blogs – Page 3 – Michelle Lesley

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Doctrinally Sound Christian Women to Follow – 3

Why Don’t You Recommend GOOD Teachers for a Change?

October 4, 2016May 13, 2019 Michelle Lesley

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If you’ve hung out here at the blog very long, it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Berean Research. Amy and Marsha do a fantastic job of keeping tabs on the latest happenings in the world of false doctrine and keeping the rest of us up to date.

Yesterday, Amy posted an article emphasizing Berean’s mission- to build discernment skills in their readers so they can take those skills and apply them to any teacher out there in order to determine whether or not that person is teaching sound doctrine. It’s a “teach a man to fish” approach of simply red-flagging false teachers and false doctrine, and I couldn’t agree with Amy more. It’s a very good way of teaching discernment.

My blog is focused in a little different, more broad-based direction – discipleship – so my approach to discernment is a little different. When it comes to discernment, I warn against the false teachers and provide suggestions for sound teachers. Why? To help you recognize what constitutes bad teaching and what good teaching sounds like in comparison so that when you encounter a new teacher you’ll be equipped to “fish” on your own.

Why am I telling you all this instead of just getting right to Amy’s awesome article? Because I wanted to use this as an opportunity to demonstrate that different teachers (or bloggers) may have different methodologies, but that doesn’t necessarily mean one is right and one is wrong. Sometimes we get it into our minds that unless a preacher, teacher, or author uses our preferred method of teaching, they’re wrong. But as long as that teacher is communicating biblical truth within the parameters Scripture lays out, different strokes for different folks is OK. In fact, it showcases the beautiful way God made each of us unique so that all kinds of other unique people are reached.

Why Don’t You Recommend GOOD Teachers
for a Change?

By Amy Spreeman

It seems every other day we get a request to recommend “good” teachers. The request is either genuine: (“Can you help me find some solid pastors to listen to?”), or made with a generous side of snark: (“Oh yeah? You’re so busy bashing everyone, why don’t you recommend who you think is a good teacher for a change?”)

This is a good time to remind our readers why we are here and why we expose false teachings and name names. Because while we’d love to give you a long list of “safe” teachers, that would not be serving our audience well at all.

Let’s first tackle what we don’t do:

Our work here is not to provide you with that list. We’re also not here to help you compare good teachers with bad teachers. You should be comparing ALL teachers to God’s Word. His holy-breathed-out Scripture is the standard. The Bereans in Acts 17:11 knew this, and Paul gushed with joy at their willingness to compare what he was saying to the prophecies. One more thing: We’re not here to “bash” leaders. If it seems that way to you, then you are probably not used to having your favorite celebrity pastor’s teachings and actions held up to the light of Christ.

So why in the world are we here?

Find out! Read the rest of Amy’s excellent article here.

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A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Blog Posts

August 23, 2016August 22, 2016 Michelle Lesley

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Not long ago, I read an article about overused stock photos. You know, like the one up there ↑ that we bloggers use to add visual interest to our articles. It made me laugh, because if anyone overuses certain stock photos, it’s Christian bloggers. I read articles all the time that use the same photos I’ve used for my own articles, and I’m sure other bloggers recognize a lot of the photos I use as ones they’ve used. Hmm…maybe we’re all using the same image site.

Here are seven stock photos that have made the rounds of Christian blogs (including mine). Do you recognize any of them?

1. This Little Light of Mine

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I think this one might finally be in semi-retirement. For a while there you practically couldn’t read a Christian blog article without seeing this one. Articles on evangelism, marriage, baptism, cutting your toenails in church…it was used on all of them and not really related to any of them.

2. Shebrews

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This one’s usually used on articles about Bible study, so at least that fits. I kind of like it, but then I’m a big fan of both the Bible and coffee. I started to make a comment about how much this Bible is highlighted, but then I realized I have Bibles that look like they were printed on neon yellow paper.

3. Dark Shadows

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There’s a whole genre of these: silhouette lady reaching for the sky. I’m just curious as to how many women have ever actually gone out to the beach or a meadow or the mountains at dawn and thrown their arms up in the air. I haven’t. Maybe I’m missing something and should give it a try. (But I think the something I’d be missing is my nice warm bed.)

4. Miss Lonely Hearts

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I’ve used this one myself and have seen it on countless other blogs, usually in articles about women’s ministry. Guess what the title of the picture is? “Depression.” It does look pretty depressing, but doesn’t it look more like she’s fighting off morning sickness? I spent upwards of a year and a half of my life hunched over like that willing myself not to hurl, so I consider myself something of an expert.

5. Last Man Standing…er…Sitting

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This is what happens when you fall asleep in church (although I can’t imagine anybody falling asleep on those uncomfortable looking pews)- the service ends and everybody gets up and leaves your sorry self. And no, we don’t believe you’re that deep in prayer or meditation. It’s a great picture, though, a perfect fit for articles on church-related topics.

6. Cup O’ the Mornin’ to Ya!

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Mmmmm…more coffee. Look at its steamy goodness filling that bright, airy room with an awesome Arabica aroma. This hypnotic focal point almost prevents you from seeing the bed that somebody forgot to make up. What do coffee and untucked sheets have to do with anything in the Bible? I’m not sure, but I confess, I’ve used this photo before.

7. Bible Study, Baby!

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Could this photo be any more adorable? Probably only if we could see this little cutie’s face. I’ll be honest, I love this picture and I don’t care how many bloggers use it. It might not work for an article on circumcision or eternal conscious torment, but, hey, give it a try anyway. It’s too precious to pass up.

Those are the seven most used stock photos I’ve seen floating around the Christian interwebs. What about you? What are some photos you’ve seen over and over on Christian blogs and web sites? Post a link or the photo in the comments below!

Apologetics, Bible Study, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday ~ 10 Bookmarkable Biblical Resources for Christian Women

June 23, 2016June 26, 2021 Michelle Lesley

Originally published August 1, 2014.

Questions. As Christian women, we’ve all got them: “How can I grow in my walk with the Lord?” “Where can I get some good advice on being a more godly wife?” “What’s a great resource for biblical parenting?” These days, it can be hard to know where to turn for great answers that are also biblically sound. Here are ten biblical resources to get you started.

1. Your Bible.
Remember 2 Timothy 3:16-17?

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

It might sound painfully obvious, but sometimes we go on the hunt for answers that are hidden in plain sight in God’s word. Study your Bible daily: good sized chunks of it, in context, from a good translation. And make some notes as you read.

2. BibleGateway
I can’t recommend this site highly enough. Want to check out a different version of the Bible? BibleGateway has dozens (and in scads of languages besides English), some even available in audio format. It also has a phenomenal concordance, Bible commentaries, dictionaries, and other tools to help you as you study God’s word.

3. GotQuestions.org
Always wondered what a particular verse means? Want to know what the Bible says about a certain topic? GQ answers–from Scripture– your toughest Bible questions. Their articles are brief and easy for even the newest Christian to understand.

4. CARM.org
If you’re new to studying apologetics, theology, or doctrinal issues (or even if you’re not), the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry is an awesome clearinghouse of information. CARM’s articles are informative, yet written in easily understandable vocabulary for those of us who aren’t seminarians. While it covers a massive range of topics, two of its strongest points are its “Religious Groups and Cults” section (explaining what various non-Christian groups believe, how those beliefs are contrary to Scripture, and how to share the gospel with people from these groups), and its new, but growing “Preachers and Teachers” section, which examines the teachings of popular Christian teachers.

5. Answers in Genesis
Don’t let the name fool you– AIG is so much more than a fantastic Creation resource. They have articles on every biblical topic you could imagine, plus great resources and curricula for home school, Sunday school, and Vacation Bible School. And, if you’re ever in the Cincinnati area, be sure to check out the amazing Creation Museum and Ark Encounter!

6. Grace to You
The media ministry of John MacArthur is a godsend to the church. Here, you’ll find sermons on just about every passage in the Bible, a store with all of Dr. MacArthur’s books, Q&A articles, the MacArthur Study Bible introduction to every book of the Bible, and so much more!

7. Berean Research
What in the world is going on in the church these days? Amy and Marsha will keep you up to date on the latest news about well known churches, ministries, Christian personalities, and movements and events inside evangelicalism. Wondering if you’re hearing false doctrine or following a false teacher? Berean Research has the answers.

8. RickThomas.net (aka: Counseling Solutions)
A Fellow with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, Rick Thomas has served as both a counselor and pastor, and currently runs a training program for biblical counselors. His articles deal with a number of discipleship-related topics, but his Scripturally-rooted counsel on marriage, parenting, and other relationship issues is without peer. Articles appearing on the site are rapidly archived, so read them right away, or consider becoming a paid member (only $5 per month, and well worth it in my opinion).

9. Shepherding the Heart Ministries
Tedd Tripp, author of the superb, gospel-centered parenting book, Shepherding a Child’s Heart, provides helpful, biblical information on his web site for moms and dads seeking to be more godly parents. He answers a number of parenting questions via brief videos, and you can even contact him with your own questions.

10. Challies.com
Tim Challies is a Christian blogger and author. I love his daily thoughts on life and the Lord, but his book reviews are another strong feature of his site. Tim reviews dozens of popular Christian books every year. Most of his reviews are of non-fiction books (usually Christian Living and theology), but if a fiction book is making a big impact, he’ll review it. If you want to know how the Christian books you’re reading stack up to Scripture, run the author’s name through the Challies.com search bar and check out Tim’s review. For true bookaholics, Tim sends out a daily list of good books that are on sale (or free!) for Kindle, and his weekly “Free Stuff Friday” is usually a giveaway of more awesome books.

Your turn:
Are you a fan of any of these resources?
Got another doctrinally sound resource you’d like to recommend?