Parchment & Pen Blog

Why do you believe in God? “Because I know deep in my heart that he exists.” Why do you believe Christ rose from the grave? “Because I have experienced the same power in my life.” Why do you think the Bible is true? “Because it speaks to me in places that no other book has.” [...]

Left unchecked, experience is the most powerful source of belief in our lives. As the old saying goes, “You can’t argue with someone’s personal experience.” This is true in a limited yet real sense. Once someone has a personal experience, it becomes personal and it is very hard to take it away or argue against [...]

Wonderful news. My back has been healed. Wait. Shelf that. I need to back up. The moment I proclaim victory over something is the moment it usually comes back with a ferocious force and undermines (to say the least) my victory procession. I remember when I prayed for my sister Angie when she was fighting [...]

(While the following story is true, names, addresses, and particular details have been changed for obvious purposes.) While on the internet the other day, my friend came across a pastor whom he thought had some interesting comments. This pastor had the title of “Reverend.” This means one of two things: 1) he is a self-proclaimed [...]

Can you imagine it? Jesus, five years old, sitting in math class, 1 A.D. (Okay, maybe he was homeschooled, but just roll with me here!) He gets back the quiz he took the previous day. The result? 95%. Jesus missed one! But wait…could Jesus have erred? Back up. Pop quiz. Did Jesus ever stumble and [...]

Join C. Michael Patton and Tim Kimberley as they discuss the question “Does God Change?”

Special Session: Does God Change? [ 56:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

What is the most confusing passage of Scripture? I know, I know, it’s hard to choose. There are a lot of passages that make us scratch our heads. For example, who were the “sons of God” who married the daughters of men in Genesis 6:4? And who were the “men of renown” that were their offspring? [...]

Many of you know my love for music. I am not a musician (in any sense of the word!), but music is such a big part of my life. As one poet put it, “You can have the army, you can have the government, give me the music, and I have the people” (if anyone [...]