Author: Van Barrett

FAITH. By the grace of God, I am a Christian.  I don't mean the superficial, thanking-God-after-winning-an-award-type Christian either.  This is real to me.  I was a mess of an individual (by God's standards) whose only hope was redemption through Jesus Christ.  Currently, I am a faithful member in good standing at a local church. FAMILY. I'm a husband and father by God's grace.  I have the greatest wife on the planet and a daughter whom I adore.  This doesn't mean we always get along, but I know I've been given far more than I deserve as it relates to them.  EDUCATION. I have an undergraduate degree in business management and a graduate degree in theological studies. Jesus, theology, evangelism, ministry, and apologetics are passions of mine, so the blog generally centers around those topics. Writing is a way for me to formulate my thoughts as not to drive my family insane since I probably border somewhere between an over-thinker and contemplative. So, there's a little bit about me, a little background that I hope will provide insight into blog posts.  Just another flawed individual seeking to be used by God. -Van Barrett (pseudonym)

Commonly Misused Bible Verses #7 – (Rom. 5:6?)

ByVan Barrett January 15, 2023 0 Comments
“God helps those who help themselves.” - Algernon Sydney (c. 1698; later quoted by Benjamin Franklin) This is yet another saying that isn’t really Scripture, but some people think it is. Although it sounds like “Bible” and sounds like something from Proverbs, it isn’t. The Bible actually says something quite different. As we explore this statement more, we’ll look at a Scripture...

Exegetical and Apologetic Faithfulness

ByVan Barrett November 6, 2022 0 Comments
 On the surface, exegesis and apologetics may seem like two unalike disciplines of Christian studies, but they have more in common than it may appear.  After all, exegesis entails the interpretive approach of “ extracting from” the text and apologetics deals with the idea of providing a written or oral defense of the Christian faith. Yet, these two concepts converge in a way that I...

Commonly Misused Bible Verses #6 – Is. 11:6

ByVan Barrett September 11, 2022 0 Comments
“…And a little child shall lead them.” - Isaiah 11:6d ESV Common (Mis)usage: Whether it’s stated as “a child shall lead them” or “a child shall lead the way,” the phrase that’s taken from this passage of Scripture is usually meant to communicate a child’s capability within a Christian context. The implication is that children have their role in God’s kingdom (and they...

King David and Bathsheba: Adultery or Something Else?

ByVan Barrett August 14, 2022 0 Comments
 The below post seeks to address the recent and now common refrain that David raped Bathsheba.  In it, I address rape in a rather direct fashion.  It’s not my goal nor intention to cause any victims of rape to relive trauma as a result of this straightforwardness. While that may be a negative consequence for some regarding this post, I still believe this to be worthwhile because of a...

A Word of Caution to the Hypercritical Christian

ByVan Barrett July 24, 2022 2 Comments
 This post highlights my personal observations. It also includes a warning that will be especially applicable to a sect of Christianity: Reformed (aka Calvinists). Though I wouldn’t categorize myself as Reformed, I find a lot of their teaching helpful to the church. I write this with the utmost love, caring for the Church, which undoubtedly includes Reformed Christians. I pray that...

Commonly Misused Bible Verses #5 – 1 Cor. 10:13

ByVan Barrett July 3, 2022 0 Comments
“He won’t put more on you than you can bear.” - ??? Up front, this one isn’t outright a Bible verse; it’s misquoted.  Yet, it is loosely based on a Bible verse and altered just enough to lose its proper meaning.  The verse most closely resembling that quote is 1 Corinthians 10:13 from the King James Version (KJV), and it reads (emphasis on the related words):  There hath no...

Phone Tapped

ByVan Barrett June 18, 2022 0 Comments
 The following are my experiences, but if they’re also your experiences, perhaps you can employ some of the measures I took in order to restore parts of my life and draw closer to Jesus. It finally happened. I finally realized what many others had already realized about their phones, but I didn’t want to believe it. No, this isn’t about the government listening to phone...

Look to Him!

ByVan Barrett May 29, 2022 0 Comments
The other day, the Lord reminded me of my need to focus. Not merely to focus on the tasks I needed to complete, but to focus on Him.  For me, some days are rife with spiritual advances and Spirit-filled faith, living.  Other days have the semblance of the Christian life but are also marred by my sin and failures. This day was of the latter variety but with a most welcome twist: I experienced...

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