New Identity Magazine

To Be A Living Sacrifice

Katie Feindel — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 16:49:57 +0000

It says in 1 Peter 2:4-5 (ESV), “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” What does it mean to be a “living stone rejected by men” and what does it mean to “offer spiritual…

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What Is Theology & Why Do You Need It?

Scott Limkeman — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 21:07:41 +0000

You are a theologian. That might come as a surprise, but it’s true! Everyone’s a theologian. That’s because everyone has beliefs about God and the world. The word “theology” comes from two words in Greek: theos (God) and logos (word). Theology, like any other “ology”, is simply words about something – in this case God. But you might object to being called a theologian, and there’s probably…

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THIS IS US

Lindsey A. Frederick — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 18:12:28 +0000

“Mysterious Being Creates the World in 7 Days, You Won’t Believe What Happens Next!” That’s what I imagine the headline for Genesis, the first book of the Bible, would be if it was written in the digital age. In the Beginning God Created All good stories have a great hook, which sets the tone or scene for what happens next. The Bible is no exception. It opens, rather creatively…

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HOW A ROMAN BISHOP CHANGED THE WAY I READ THE BIBLE

Jeffery Porter — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 18:13:27 +0000

When I became a Christian as a sophomore in high school, it was clear that, as a Christian, reading the Bible was going to be a big part of my life. Every week my Sunday School teacher would ask us how many times we had read the Bible in the previous seven days. At youth group, my pastor encouraged me to memorize Scripture to counteract the worldly information I consumed through movie quotes and…

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HEARING FROM GOD FOR OTHERS

Luke Geraty — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 17:30:18 +0000

I’m an equal-opportunity coffee drinker and pretty much enjoy all things coffee, so I’m often found working in coffee shops. I love the culture found in coffee shops. There always seems to be a nice buzz, and you can easily watch people if that happens to be one of your hobbies. And yes, that does include me, but don’t tell anyone. I was once sitting in a coffee shop when another customer…

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THE GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE GREAT ENCOURAGER

Luke Geraty — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 14:00:22 +0000

Photo Credit: Corpuzzle | Flickr (Creative Commons) A couple years ago I was invited to receive some training to become a certified coach for the family of churches I belong to. I was informed that the training would help me coach people who were planting churches, and it would also help me be a much better leader in the local church I was serving. “Sign me up!” I thought. Before we began the…

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HEALING AS THE KINGDOM COMES SLOW

Luke Geraty — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 17:50:57 +0000

Photo Credit: Carola Ferrero | Flickr (Creative Commons) A few years ago I was in Kenya, a beautiful country in eastern Africa. As a group of my friends, both Africans and Americans, were sharing the good news about Jesus, we approached two ladies with the hopes of building a friendship and sharing Jesus with them. As we began talking, we learned that due to multiple illnesses, one of the women…

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TO MAKE HIM KNOWN

Brandon Hurlbert — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 16:38:17 +0000

What is your view of the Law of the Old Testament? Do’s and Don’ts? Strict adherence to the Ten Commandments? An overbearing family member? If it is, then you might find the notion of Christian obligation to be a burden. This Law is crushing down upon you, and you might feel the need to work very hard to keep all of its demands. You may also think that in the Old Testament, the Law which is better…

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TASTE AND SEE

Gary VanDeWalker — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 20:18:12 +0000

Photo Credit: T-617 | Flickr (Creative Commons) Imagine a group of dwarves huddled together in a stable. They are cold, hungry and scared. Their greatest fear is to be “taken in” by the notion that a lion exists who is the great king of their country. In an instance, the lion appears in their midst. With a shake of his mane, a feast appears before the dwarves. Each dwarf now holds a goblet of…

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MY ENEMY, THE DEVIL

Gary VanDeWalker — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 18:55:27 +0000

There are friends I would rather no one know I have. In the past, I’ve introduced you to two of these friends, World and Flesh. One surrounds me; the other is part of me. These should be my enemies. They distance me from God and dampen my love for Christ. However, I find myself drawing them closer than I should. The enemy that should repulse me most is often the one I pretend isn’t there…

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