Ask the Pastor: Can Someone Be Too Far Gone to Be Saved?
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 27th, 2025
Ask the Pastor: A Question from Matt GarciaOne of the most heartbreaking lies the enemy whispers into the ears of people is this: “You are too far gone for God to save you.” Maybe you have heard it yourself. Perhaps you have thought, “After all I have done, how could God ever forgive me?” It is a heavyweight, a lie that chains people to shame and despair. However, the truth of Scripture reveals so... Read More
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Ask the Pastor: Can Someone Lose Their Anointing?
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 26th, 2025
Ask the Pastor: A question from Matt Garcia- Can Someone Lose Their Anointing? The word anointing carries weight. It speaks of God’s empowerment, His setting apart of a person for a task, and His Spirit resting upon someone to accomplish His work. From the Old Testament prophets to the apostles of the New Testament, anointing is never about personal glory. It is always about God’s purpose.But the ... Read More
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Ask the Pastor: Guarding Your Heart Without Closing It Off
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 25th, 2025
Ask the Pastor: A great question from Lindsey Reed: How do you guard your heart and not close it off?Every once in a while, God presses a phrase into your life in such a way that you cannot escape it. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (LSB). It is a clear command, and yet, it raises a very real question: How do you guard your heart with... Read More
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Simple Ways to Share the Gospel and Your Testimony
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 23rd, 2025
One of the greatest privileges God gives us as believers is the opportunity to share the gospel. Yet many Christians hesitate because they feel unqualified, nervous, or unsure where to start. The truth is that sharing your faith does not require a seminary degree or a perfect script. It requires love for people, confidence in the Word of God, and a willingness to open your mouth. Paul wrote in Rom... Read More
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Don’t Waste What God Has Given You
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 22nd, 2025
As a pastor, I see something that breaks my heart week after week. God has given us incredible privileges, but many of us waste them. We hold in our hands the living Word of God. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us. We have the church, the very body of Christ. And we have fellowship with other believers who are supposed to sharpen us and hold us up. These are priceless gifts, and yet too... Read More
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You Don’t Need a Voice When You Have a Verse
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 20th, 2025
So many Christians are waiting on God to speak before they act. They say things like, “I’m just waiting for God to give me a sign” or “I’ll move when I hear His voice.” But here’s the truth: you don’t always need a voice when you already have a verse.God has spoken through His Word. The Bible is not silent. It is alive, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). Too many believer... Read More
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My Job as a Pastor Is Not to Entertain You, It’s to Prepare You for Eternity
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 19th, 2025
Someone recently told me they didn’t like the way I preached. They said it wasn’t “encouraging enough.” I get it. We live in a culture where church is often treated like a show. People want to be entertained, amused, or patted on the back with positive words that make them feel good for the week. But here’s the truth: my job as a pastor is not to entertain you on Sunday, it’s to prepare you for et... Read More
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Ask the Pastor- Why Yoga Is Not Compatible with the Christian Faith
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 18th, 2025
ASK THE PASTOR(A blog topic request from Lindsey Reed and Cory Graham)I’ll be honest, I’ve never practiced yoga, and until recently, I had not considered the act of yoga itself as sinful. For me, the stretching always seemed like just another form of exercise. But through this study, I’ve come to realize I might be wrong (still wrestling with it). I always knew the yogis, their mantras, and the sp... Read More
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Why “Unspoken Prayer Requests” Are Unbiblical
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 17th, 2025
I want to speak directly to something that has become common in Christian circles, the “unspoken prayer request.” It sounds humble and safe, but when we measure it against Scripture, we find that it’s unbiblical and harmful to the life of the church.Not Knowing What to Pray vs. Withholding a Prayer RequestWe need to understand the difference between not knowing what to pray and choosing not to say... Read More
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The Natural Man’s Responsibility Before God’s Call
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 16th, 2025
“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually examined.” (1 Corinthians 2:14, LSB)When Paul says the natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit, he is not removing personal responsibility. The inability he speaks of is a moral and spiritual inability, not a lack of capacit... Read More
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Why the Natural Man Cannot Understand the Things of God
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 15th, 2025
“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually examined.” (1 Corinthians 2:14, LSB)There is a spiritual wall that every person is born with, a barrier between the human heart and the truth of God. Paul calls this person the natural man—the one who lives according to human nature, apart... Read More
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The Power of a Simple Invitation
by Pastor Jody Burkeen on August 14th, 2025
Church, I want to share something with you that I believe could change lives, literally. It is not complicated. It is not a theological debate. It is not a church program. It is simply this: inviting someone to church.You might be surprised at how powerful that invitation can be. Statistics show that three out of five churchgoers (60 percent) have invited at least one person to church in the last ... Read More
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Recent
Ask the Pastor: Can Someone Be Too Far Gone to Be Saved?
August 27th, 2025
Ask the Pastor: Can Someone Lose Their Anointing?
August 26th, 2025
Ask the Pastor: Guarding Your Heart Without Closing It Off
August 25th, 2025
Simple Ways to Share the Gospel and Your Testimony
August 23rd, 2025
Don’t Waste What God Has Given You
August 22nd, 2025
Archive
2025
March
Back to the BasicsThe Danger of Walking Away from the CrossWhen the Lukewarm Get UncomfortableThe Top 10 Reasons a Church DiesA Call To Be Set ApartPursuing Holiness – Part 2: What It Looks Like in Our Lives and the ChurchBack to the Basics: The Role of Discipleship for the Mature BelieverBack to the Basics: Worship Is a Lifestyle, Not a Sunday Morning ThingBack to the Basics: Returning to a Life That Reflects ChristThe Worst Thing That Ever Happened Was the Best Thing That Ever HappenedBack to the Basics: Giving Is a Lifestyle, Not Just a DonationThe Process of Church Discipline A Pastor’s Heart on Tithing: Let’s Return to Faithful Giving
April
Back to the Basics: Evangelism Isn’t OptionalFrom Head to Heart: Reading Scripture for Transformation, Not Just InformationMan Up and Lead – God's Design for the HomeHead in the Sand: The Danger of Ignoring HolinessGossip: A Spiritual Battle We Must FightLaziness and Complacency in a Christian’s Life: A Wake-Up Call for the Family, the Church, and the KingdomWe’re Here for You—In the Valleys and on the Mountaintops
May
Would You Come to Church With Me?” – The Simple Words That Could Change a LifeGrace: The Power to Do What He’s Called You to DoOur Love for Jesus Should Look Like Hate to OthersWhy Is It Only Offensive When You Talk About Jesus?The Dangers of Deconstructing Christianity as a Christ FollowerPerfected in Christ — Not Perfect YetBattling Depression with Scripture and Prayer: A Pastor’s Heartfelt EncouragementAltar or Stage? The Difference That Changes EverythingThis Hit Me Today: Don’t Just Listen—Live ItWe Live By DyingThe Altar: A Sacred Space for Encounter and Surrender
June
Pride: The Root of All SinThe Difference Between Continual Sin and Oops SinGod Doesn’t Care About Your Happiness—He Cares About Your ObedienceBack to the Basics: 4 Non-Negotiables in the Kingdom of GodConfronted by the Living WordQuitting Has Become the American Way — But Fruit Comes Through Faithful EnduranceTwo Seas, Two Lives: What the Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee Teach Us About DiscipleshipTrue Repentance: More Than Just Saying “Sorry”Why Do I Keep Running from God When I Know I Should Run Toward Him?If There Is Dust on Your Bible, There Is Dust on Your HeartWar or Murder? A Biblical Response to the Iran Conflict—and Why We Stand with IsraelChristianity Is Like a Rock TumblerThe Doctrine of Perfection: A Dangerous HeresyChristianity: Inclusive to All, Exclusive to Follow
July
True Friends: When Loyalty Is TestedTrue Freedom: Independence in ChristThe Less Truth You Know, the Easier It Will Be to Be Led AstrayWe Don’t Need Good Advice—We Need the Good NewsOne Generation Tolerates, The Next CelebratesTithing Again: Why It Still MattersMiracles and a Wicked Generation: Why God Doesn’t Perform to Prove HimselfIf You're a True Christian, Then You've Changed the Way You LiveThe Affair at the Coldplay Concert: When God Brings the Darkness to LightIt’s Hot… But Not That Hot, A Wake-Up Call from the HeatNo, the Gospel Is Not Woke—It’s RighteousFaith Is Spelled R-I-S-KWhat Is Grace, Really? Understanding the Unmerited Favor of GodPart 2: Grace in the Garden: The First Act of Redemption Tracing Grace Back to GenesisPart 3- Grace Through the Law: The Old Testament Isn’t Grace-Free
August
Part 4- Jesus: The Fullness of Grace Grace Has a NamePart 5- Justified by Grace You: Don’t Work for What’s Been Paid ForPart 6- Grace That Transforms: Grace Doesn’t Leave You Where It Found YouPart 7- When Grace Hurts Receiving What You Didn’t Ask ForPart 8- Grace for Others: Extending What You’ve ReceivedFeed the Sheep, Not Entertain the GoatsPart 9-Growing in Grace: This Is Just the BeginningPart 10- The Future of Grace Grace: Will Carry You HomeThe Power of a Simple InvitationWhy the Natural Man Cannot Understand the Things of GodThe Natural Man’s Responsibility Before God’s CallWhy “Unspoken Prayer Requests” Are UnbiblicalAsk the Pastor- Why Yoga Is Not Compatible with the Christian FaithMy Job as a Pastor Is Not to Entertain You, It’s to Prepare You for EternityYou Don’t Need a Voice When You Have a VerseDon’t Waste What God Has Given YouSimple Ways to Share the Gospel and Your TestimonyAsk the Pastor: Guarding Your Heart Without Closing It OffAsk the Pastor: Can Someone Lose Their Anointing?Ask the Pastor: Can Someone Be Too Far Gone to Be Saved?
2024
February
April
May
A Critical Examination of Michael Todd's TeachingsRevisiting Leadership and Accountability: A Critical Look at Mark Driscoll’s CharacterExamining The Teachings of Bill Johnson- Bethel ChurchA Critical Review of Andy Stanley’s Teachings: Lukewarm Understanding of ScriptureRecognizing False Teachers: A Guide for Church MembersGood Shepherds Understanding Bible Translations: Which Ones Should We Trust?Confronting Bad Theology in the Church