Greg Cochran

From bombings to bobblehead income: The diversity of persecution in new testament perspective

  According to the New Testament, persecution occurs in various forms — from beatings (Acts 5:40), stonings (Acts 7), and imprisonment (Acts 16) to insults (Matthew 5:11), slander (Acts 14:2), and lies (Luke 26:59). The New Testament does not define persecution by the kind of action taken against Christians. Rather, the New Testament defines persecution…

Religious liberty and persecution: a global perspective

Our suffering brothers and sisters beckon us not to let the cost of following Christ in our culture silence our faith.

Part 2 – Worthy of double honor | Expository advocating

  Editors note: Find Part one of this series here.  Prepare  The last thing a pastor or preacher wants to think is that he is the only one prepared for Sunday morning. That doesn’t mean you need to write your own sermon during the week, but you might be surprised how much more you get…

Lessons I learned in seminary

  1 Timothy 4:16 – “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” As I prepare to enter my final semester of seminary, and have pondered what lessons I might share with those considering that call or just…

The moral revolution threatens religious liberty

  Religious liberty is one of the hallmarks of the American constitutional order and a matter of Christian conviction. Far too many Christians fall into the trap of believing religious liberty is somehow granted by the United States Constitution. The framers of that Constitution understood, to the contrary, they were merely recognizing a right that…

3 ways to encourage your weary, faithful pastor

Your pastor doesn’t need flattery, but he does need genuine, biblical encouragement that helps him keep his hands to the plow.

Politics, religious liberty, and the Christian

Apathy and ignorance about politics are not a Christian virtues.

Daniel and the faithful in the hands of a saving God

The book of Daniel has much to say about the unrivaled sovereignty of God. He is the God of history and the King of kings, and his dominion is an everlasting dominion. It also has much to say about the faithfulness and courage of those who live under his sovereignty in the face of rival…

20 Tips to help you finish your dissertation

  I haven’t met many Ph.D. students who don’t like to write. Some may like writing more than others, but most enjoy writing—or, at least, the satisfaction of having written. Wherever you find yourself on the love-for-writing spectrum, a dissertation awaits completion, and you must finish. Here are a few tips to help you. 1. Write sooner. The…

Sexual Orientation: A Case Study in Biblical Theology

The Bible’s Big Story: Creation to Consummation

Islam and ethnic identity

If Christians are to understand their Muslim neighbors (locally and globally) and share with them effectively, it is necessary that we grasp how they understand themselves.

‘Greater than the darkness’: Storytelling and the light of the gospel

  In the dark days of World War I, British soldiers carried with them in the trenches an epic poem they treasured deeply. It cast a spiritual meaning to the war, providing a national and religious icon. G.K. Chesterton’s The Ballad of the White Horse retold the AD 878 victory of Alfred the Great over the Vikings…

Top 10 most read post of 2014

  We are grateful you take the time to read the Southern Blog. Our goal is to share with you great content that will help you in your ministry. Here are our top 10 most read posts of 2014.   1. 10 Reasons you cannot be a missionary — David Sills “I travel and speak in a…