Category: Christian History
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John Calvin: Shaping Christianity from the Reformation to the Present
John Calvin was originally trained as a lawyer, a background that would later prove invaluable in his meticulous and systematic approach to theology. Though his father initially sent him to school to study to be a priest, it was the world of law that would shape Calvin’s intellectual foundation and leave a long-lasting legacy on…
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Igniting the Flames of Pentecostalism: The Life and Legacy of William Seymour
Today more people identify as Pentecostal than any other Protestant denomination. This vibrant and diverse movement, boasting over 644 million adherents worldwide, finds its fiery origins in a small, unassuming storefront on Azusa Street in Los Angeles from 1906-1909. It was there, that William Seymour, a humble African American preacher with a powerful vision, ignited…
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Harold John Ockenga: A Visionary Leader
“I never met a man among evangelicals who could compare to the mighty intellect and spiritual development of Harold John Ockenga” – Billy Graham Emerging from the heart of Chicago in the year 1905 was a man who would dramatically shape the landscape of 20th-century evangelicalism – Harold John Ockenga. For over three decades, Ockenga…
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Evolving Platforms: Radio & Television
In the ever-evolving tapestry of human communication, technology has consistently played a profound role in shaping the dissemination of ideas and messages. From the humble quill and parchment to the revolutionary printing press, we’ve witnessed the transformative power of innovation in connecting people with the Christian faith. Continuing our journey through the corridors of time,…
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Evolving Platforms: The Printing Press
Throughout human history, the flow of information has been ever-changing. In the early church in the first century, the Apostles used hand-written letters that were read corporately in the church to deliver messages even when they were in distant lands. Distributed via voyages over stormy seas and journeying through treacherous terrains, those scratched parchments stitched…
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Evolving Platforms: From Quill and Parchment to Blogs, Podcasts and Livestreams
Sermons have always been primarily delivered orally through the generations. However, the medium through which we receive these vital messages has been constantly adapting and evolving over the years. The church and the traditional pulpit still remain the primary platform through which these messages are distributed but over time technology has provided more options by…
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The Man Behind the Pulpit: An Exploration of John Wesley’s Life and Legacy
“I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that, in whatever part of it I am, [it is my] duty to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation. This is the work which I know God has called me to; and sure I am that his blessing…
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The Prince of Preachers
On January 31, 1982, Charles Haddon Spurgeon passed away plunging the city of London, England into mourning. As his body laid in repose in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, over the course of three days more than 60,000 people trooped in to pay their final respects. Eleven days after his death, the streets of London were lined…
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Popular Sermons Through Time II: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Born the 5th child of 11 children on the 5th of October in the fall of 1704, Jonathan Edwards will grow to become one of the earliest and finest American philosophical theologians of all time. His sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God preached on July 8, 1741, during the Great Awakening of…
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Popular Sermons Through Time Part I: The Sermon on the Mount
From the inception of Christianity, reading and listening to the word of God has been part of the most important disciplines for believers to grow. While the tradition of learning religious teachings from a revered teacher is not uncommon throughout ancient cultures, there is a marked distinction in the reaction of the listeners who heard…