106 results for tag: gospel

Jesus – More Than a Man

By Greg Albrecht— When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:13-15). More than two thousand years ago, Jesus asked his closest disciples the same question that he has asked humans ever since. Who do you say that I am? The answer his disciples gave then, and that you and I give today, radically determines the direction of our lives. Even those who have been skeptical of the claims that people ...

God Really Likes You

by Greg Albrecht Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."—Revelation 21:1-4 Does God love ...

What’s So Bad About Cults?

By Greg Albrecht If PTM wants to get lots of letters from readers, all we need to do is publish an article explaining and defending Christ-centered-Christianity against some wrong teaching or biblical misinterpretation. Defending and explaining biblical doctrines is called apologetics. An apologetic article in The Plain Truth usually results in a tidal wave of letters and emails, pro and con. The cons often go something like this: "Why are you so critical of other Christians? Why don't you just leave other people alone and let them believe what they want?" Most Christian denominations were originally formed because they disagreed with ...

Son of a Preacher Man

By Greg Albrecht— Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" —Matthew 16:24-26 The passage in Matthew that forms the basis of our message talks about losing your life so that you might gain it. At first it may seem to you that Jesus' assertion amounts to little more than theological double-talk. But this teaching begins to make ...

When Your Dreams Wind Up in the Pit

By Greg Albrecht— "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the richly ornamented robe he was wearing—and they took him and threw him into ...

September 2019

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Creating God in Our Own Image – pg. 1 Heart and Soul – pg. 2 Blessings and Curses? – pg. 5 My Cousin Valerie – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8 CLICK on MAGAZINE COVER BELOW for Flipping Page Format [real3dflipbook id="190"]

August 2019

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Greg Albrecht: Healthy Faith or Toxic Religion?– pg. 1 Keith Giles: The Gospel: Information or Transformation?– pg. 6 Brad Jersak: Is Christ in All People or Only in Christians? – pg. 10 Peter Enns: The Bible's True Purpose – pg. 12 Brad Jersak: Three Visions of Salvation -pg. 14

November 2018

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Enslaved by Religion...Or Free in Christ? – pg. 1 Success by Excess Is Not True Greatness – pg. 2 Thanksgiving Banquets and the Kingdom of Heaven – pg. 5 When Life Downsizes – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8 CLICK on MAGAZINE COVER BELOW for Flipping Page Format [real3dflipbook id="180"]

July 2018

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Ashes to Ashes – pg. 1 The Center of the Gospel – pg. 2 When Your Time Comes – pg. 5 Between Eeyore and Pollyanna – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8 CLICK on MAGAZINE COVER BELOW for Flipping Page Format [real3dflipbook id="176"]

A Season of Unfortunate Events? Superstition vs. the Gospel – Kenneth Tanner

Enduring a season of unfortunate events? Does God seem absent or aloof? Feel as though you have fallen out of favor with God? Many of us grew up with Christian pastors, teachers, friends, and spiritual guides who taught by osmosis that if things were going wrong in our lives or the lives of others—if life was not one moment of glory followed by another—there were two possible answers: either we were not doing all the right things or we were not believing all the right things. A lack of faith, a misstep here or there, results in hardships and divine disfavor. Most people call this superstition. What it is not is the gospel. It’s ironic that for ...

Words are only part of the gospel – Lazar Puhalo

Words are only a part of the gospel. The life and actions, and the way Christ treated the outcast and "sinner" is the greater part of the gospel. It seems that far too many people see a set of laws and rules in the gospel, and do not see the light and life in which often, social conventions and rules are simply overturned. Not only is the Parable of the Prodigal at the heart of the gospel, but something too often overlooked: Under the law, a leper is not only an outcast who cannot enter the temple precinct, but it is forbidden for anyone to even touch a leper. Christ, however, heals the leper precisely by touching him. Touching the leper ...

May 2017

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Blessings - Why You... and Not Someone Else? – pg. 1 The Stretch Marks of a Mother's Love – pg. 2 A Covenant... Not a Contract! – pg. 6 Dog's Grace – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

April 2017

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Brad Jersak: The Wounds that Heal – pg. 1 Cindy Brandt: Easter: The Game Changer – pg. 6 Paul Young: The Shack - Interview with Paul Young – pg. 7 Greg Albrecht: "Have I truly accepted Christ?" – pg. 10 Greg Albrecht: The Mother of Us All – pg. 11 Brad Jersak: The Great Descent – pg. 15

March 2017

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Two Parades – pg. 1 A Son or a Hired Hand? – pg. 2 Grace Notes – pg. 5 No More Gatekeepers – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

February 2017

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Greg Albrecht: How Great is the Love? – pg. 1 Cindy Brandt: Outgrowing the Christian Bubble – pg. 5 Rob Grayson: Fear God... Or Fear Not? – pg. 7 Greg Albrecht: "I feel like I never do anything right!" – pg. 9 Jeff K. Clarke: This World IS My Home and I am NOT Just Passing Through! – pg. 10 Josh Valley: Being Cross-shaped in a World Bent out of Shape – pg. 13 Brad Jersak: Ghouls, Ghosts... and Gospel! – pg. 15

January 2017

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Faith in Jesus or Faith in Sinai? – pg. 1 Religion - Where is the Love? – pg. 2 Cargo Cult Christianity - All about Appearances – pg. 5 Missed Opportunity – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

Winter 2016

Articles: Dare to Hope...Can All Be Saved? - page 4 32 Scriptures that Dare Us to Hope - page 6 7 Myths about Christian Universalism - page 8  "If you want to see folk damned..." - page 12 Changing Diapers for God - page 15 Nones and Dones - page 16 One Road; Two Ditches - page 20 A Perfect Plan for Your Life? - page 23 Jesus, Son of Adam - page 24 "When the time had fully come..." - page 25 What Itching Ears Really Want to Hear - page 31

Fall 2016

Articles: Remembering 9-11: 15 Years Later - page 4 When Towers Fall - page 11 Five Stages of Religious Violence - page 14 Religion That's Lost Its Way - page 16 What's so "Christian" about Christianity? - page 17 "Fear Not" - page 18 Raising Children with Fearless Faith - page 20 The Dogs of Legalism: Can Religion Help with Stress? - page 21 The Therapeutic Massage of Prayer - page 25 George MacDonald's Spiritual Journey (& mine too) - page 26 House of Cards - page 27 Times of Refreshing and Restoration - page 31

Nov-Dec 2016

Articles: The Parables of Jesus--Part 2 - page 1 For Those Who are Banged Up a Little - page 2 "No" to Wrath and "Yes" to Love--Part 2 -page 5 A Little at a Time -page 7

Sep-Oct 2016

Articles: The Parables of Jesus--Part 1 - page 1 Living a Life of Love - page 2 "No" to Wrath and "Yes" to Love--Part 1 - page 5 "That's more than I wanted to know..." - page 7