Hospitals, like many of society’s most vital institutions, have deep Christian roots that are often overlooked today. Guenter B. Risse’s Mending Bodies, Saving Souls: A History of Hospitals explores this history, and while it was a challenging read, it offered valuable insights into how Christians shaped medical care throughout the centuries.

At Christ Church Bellingham, we say Jesus “descended into the grave” rather than “hell” in the Apostles’ Creed. This change wasn’t arbitrary—it reflects careful theological and historical reasoning. We’ll explore why this wording matters and how it aligns with Scripture.

Is magic always evil, or is there more to consider? A question from a student got me thinking about how Scripture and Christian tradition approach this topic. Let’s take a closer look.

To know Christ and him crucified.

To trust God with all our hearts. 

To have the Spirit. 

Have you ever felt unsettled by something—a conversation, a decision, or even a passage in the Bible? Intuition, our ability to quickly sense and assess, is a powerful gift. But as helpful as it can be, intuition can also mislead us, especially in our spiritual lives. What do we do when God’s word challenges our feelings or instincts? This article explores how progress in faith often means embracing discomfort, trusting God’s truth over our emotions, and growing through what doesn’t sit right.

Spanking is a challenging topic in today’s parenting landscape, and within our church, it’s sometimes seen as unusually emphasized. At last year’s Parenting Conference, we discussed spanking openly, as many parents struggle to talk about it yet are curious about its role in raising children. Reflecting on my own journey, I now see the value of addressing this practice clearly and without shame. Grounded in biblical wisdom and supported by recent studies, this article explores why many Christian parents view spanking as beneficial, emphasizing the need for it to be done with love, self-control, and a commitment to guiding children in truth.

Last year, Pastor Nate outlined three key strategies for overcoming sin—gospel, community, and behavior—in his article, “What Should I Do if My Husband is Addicted to Pornography?” This summer, I saw these principles in action as I led a group of men through Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace. By applying these strategies, the men made significant progress and have remained porn-free for over three months.

Editor's note: To mark the end of Dr. Rob Rayburn’s “My Life in Great Books” series, we thought it fitting to compile a comprehensive list of his recommendations—all 152 of them. Dr. Rayburn is arguably the most well-read minister in our presbytery, and anyone who has had the privilege of hearing him preach or lecture can attest to his vast knowledge. If he recommends a book, you can be sure it’s worth your time. Why not print out this list and start working your way through it?

Through the years, I have thought about what books would sit on my bedside table as I came to die, added books to my list or subtracted them, and then, in the providence of God, had the opportunity to put my choices to use.

Other Christian traditions have also produced enormous libraries of Christian books, and it shouldn’t surprise us that some very special and valuable books will be found where Presbyterians would be unlikely to go looking.

Studies are important, and so is preparing for the responsibilities on the other side of your diploma, but Jesus warns that you can gain the whole world and forfeit your soul, so I’m eager to give you advice about the latter. 

Poetry must be a very important, even essential, means of human communication because there is so much of it in the Word of God. Certain subjects require it, or, at least, only poetry can do them full justice.

As you may know, Christians have not all thought about prayer in the same way, nor have they practiced prayer in the same way. There are a vast library of books on prayer and reading these books will be a great encouragement in the life of prayer.

How do you help a teen deal with the shame of sexual sin? How do you talk with your teen when they do sin sexually?

Your role as a parent is not simply to allow some things and not others, nor to enforce rules. Especially as your child enters the teenage years, your role is to train your child in making wise choices.

The ministry and the spiritual life belong together. … When our ministry does not emerge from a personal encounter, it quickly becomes a tiring routine and a boring job.

These kinds of conversations happen regularly for every parent—from the time that their children start talking until they move out. One of the most important disciplines for Christian parents is to use these conversations as a time to lead children to Christ.

A Rule is about planning or organizing your life around your goals as a Christian. It’s drawing a line backward from who you want to be to what you are doing now to become that person.

As our culture descends further and further into the mindless void of technology and media consumption, more and more people are grasping for some structure to help them direct their lives in meaningful ways. And Christians are looking for structures that help them direct their lives Godward. 

Are the “sons of God” worshipers of Yahweh who have intermarried with pagans, or are they angels who have gone into human women? How can we decide which interpretation is the right one?