Articles
Articles from Sola 5 Pastors
Contending for the Faith: The Urgent Need to Contend
The epistle of Jude delivers an urgent and timeless message to the church to contend for the faith. While many may shrug off this command, Jude provides a compelling reason for vigilance: because threats to the faith often come from within. This is crucial to...
Contending for the Faith: The Faith for Which We Contend
The book of Jude is brief—just 25 verses—but it carries weight beyond its size. Though Jude himself is a somewhat familiar figure to many, we understand him to be the youngest half-brother of Jesus and the brother of James, leader of the Jerusalem church. Despite the...
The Transforming Power of Truth: Finding Refuge from Shame
In the digital age in which we live, public shaming has emerged as a prevalent issue, often leading to devastating consequences. In March 2013, Adria Richards overheard two men at a technology conference sharing a sexist joke. She took a photo of the men and tweeted...
Fasting: A Neglected Spiritual Discipline
In his teaching on spiritual disciplines in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses three key practices: giving (Matthew 6:1–4), praying (Matthew 6:9–14), and fasting (Matthew 6:15–18). While Christians often focus on the first two, fasting remains perhaps the most...
In the World, Not of the World: Living as Faithful Disciples in a Secular Age
Christians often speak about the need to be in, but not of, the world. By this, we mean that while we necessarily live in and interact with the world, the world’s values, beliefs, and behaviours do not define us. One text that highlights this reality is John 17:14–16,...
Dealing with a Dangerous God: The Danger of Pride in Christian Discipleship
In our walk with Christ, we easily embrace the truth of God’s love, which is faithful to apostolic testimony (1 John 4:8). However, we sometimes forget that God is also dangerous in his holiness. Scripture reminds us, both through direct statements—“our God is a...
Living in the Light of Forgiveness
Forgiveness lies at the heart of the gospel. But forgiveness is not, as some have suggested, unconditional. In fact, there are at least three biblical conditions to forgiveness. First, forgiveness is conditioned on the finished work of Christ. God does not simply...
Transforming Speech: Using Our Words to Give Grace
In a world where language is often wielded as a weapon, Ephesians 4:29 calls Christians to a radically different approach to speech: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace...
Eat to Grow: Engaging Scripture as a Means to Maturing in Christ
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified...