Category Archives: Discernment

Is the King James Version God’s “Perfect” Word?

Posted on February 29, 2024 by russellmckinney

There are some Christians who staunchly believe the King James Version of the Bible is a “perfect” translation. This belief is called “King James onlyism.” I encountered this belief early on in my pastoral days and have since spent untold … Continue reading →

Posted in Balance, Bible Study, Discernment, God's Word, King James Only, Pastors, Preaching, Scripture, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Temptation’s Wreckers

Posted on February 3, 2024 by russellmckinney

As a lifelong resident of North Carolina, I’m interested in historical tidbits of information about my state. Somewhere along the way, I picked up an old legend about Nags Head, a town located on the Outer Banks of eastern North … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, Change, Choices, Contentment, Deception, Decisions, Discernment, God's Will, Greed, Lust, Problems, Temptation, Trials | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Does Satan Exist?

Posted on January 15, 2024 by russellmckinney

I once watched an interesting debate on the topic: “Does Satan Exist?” The debate was held at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington and featured four speakers. Two argued for the existence of Satan and two argued against it. Arguing … Continue reading →

Posted in Belief, Bible Study, Discernment, Doubt, Faith, Satan, Scripture, The Bible, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Simple Test for Standards

Posted on December 8, 2023 by russellmckinney

You’ve probably noticed that Christians have wildly different standards when it comes to matters of personal holiness. Sometimes these differences stem from nothing more than the generation gap. Other times they are created by the varying diversities of local cultures. … Continue reading →

Posted in Choices, Christian Liberty, Conscience, Decisions, Discernment, Doubt, Dress and Appearance, Entertainment, Faith, God's Guidance, God's Will, Guilt, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Sin, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t Be Fooled by Those South Winds

Posted on November 21, 2023 by russellmckinney

The main point of today’s post takes a little bit of time to set up, so I hope you’ll bear with me as I lay all the groundwork. That groundwork involves a brief overview of Acts chapter 27. In that … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, Choices, Counsel, Deception, Decisions, Discernment, God's Will, Problems, Seeking Advice, Temptation, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting, Weather | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Three Factors in Determining God’s Will

Posted on November 15, 2023 by russellmckinney

Like a lot of preachers, I have an extensive collection of file folders where I keep illustrations. For example, in my “A” files I have folders for: “Abortion,” “Alcoholism,” “America,” “Angels,” “Animal Rights,” “Astrology,” and “Atheism.” Next, the “B” files … Continue reading →

Posted in Choices, Decisions, Desires, Discernment, God's Guidance, God's Will, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Problem With an Unequal Yoke

Posted on November 6, 2023 by russellmckinney

A Christian girl once told Charles Spurgeon, the legendary preacher, that she was about to marry a man who didn’t attend church or make any allegiance whatsoever to Jesus. Spurgeon, true to form, quickly reminded her of the command from … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Choices, Discernment, Discipleship, God's Will, Influence, Marriage, Personal Holiness, Sanctification, Temptation | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Everybody Is Not Your Friend

Posted on November 1, 2023 by russellmckinney

The story that I want to use for this post is an old one that has been passed around in preachers’ circles for quite a while. I have no idea whether or not the story is true, and if it … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ's Death, Communication, Deception, Discernment, Friendship, Humor, Truth, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How’s Your Contending?

Posted on October 18, 2023 by russellmckinney

Jude was the earthly half-brother of Jesus. He was also the writer of the Bible’s book of Jude, which is a letter he wrote to his fellow Christians. Jude’s original plan was to build the letter around the subject of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible Study, Christian Unity, Courage, Discernment, Discipleship, Doctrine, Faithfulness, God's Word, God's Work, Ministry, Pastors, Preaching, Salvation, Scripture, Service, Truth | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Word About the Media & Polling

Posted on October 16, 2023 by russellmckinney

An international automobile race was once held in the Soviet Union. With that country being under strict Communist control, the international media was forced to rely upon Pravda to report the race results. Pravda was the mouthpiece newspaper for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion, Bible Study, Capital Punishment, Current Events, Deception, Discernment, Discipleship, Doubt, God's Word, Homosexuality, Politics, Scripture, The Bible, The Death Penalty, Truth | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments