Showing results by author "Gregory Brown" in All Categories

Mental health is the driving force behind every decision we make—how we live, work, and love. Many of us suffer from depression and anxiety, which impede our choices and quality of life, and despite the proliferation of prescription drugs, the numbers are growing across the globe. But there is another, proven way to achieve mental wellness, beyond antidepressants and talk therapy. Practicing psychiatrist Gregory Scott Brown believes that mental health begins with actionable self-care.

A promising literary star makes his debut with this emotionally powerful saga, set in 1980s Maine, that explores family love, the power of myths and storytelling, survival and environmental exploitation, and the ties between cultural identity and the land we live on.

Fleeing New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina approaches, Henry Garrett is haunted by the ruins of his marriage, a squandered inheritance, and the teaching job he inexplicably quit. He pulls into a small Virginia town after three days on the road, hoping to silence the ceaseless clamor in his head. But this quest for peace and quiet as the only guest at a roadside motel is destroyed when Henry finds himself at the center of a bizarre and violent tragedy.

How can we grow in kingdom character? When Christ came into the world, he preached the kingdom of heaven (Matt 4:17). He taught that not only was the kingdom something future but a present reality, as the kingdom of heaven was in their midst (Lk 17:21). The kingdom consists of all those who profess Christ as Lord—though all who profess are not truly saved (cf. Matt 7:21-23, 13:36-43). In Matthew 5:3-10, Christ introduces the character of those who are truly part of his kingdom. They are the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They are...

What are angels? Who are they and what can we learn from them? In Scripture, angels are mentioned over 250 times in thirty-four books of the Bible. Angels were present, rejoicing at God’s forming of the earth (Job 38:4-7). They visited Abraham’s house and brought judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18, 19:13). They were involved with the transmission of the Ten Commandments to Moses (Gal 3:19). An angel gave prophecies to Daniel about Israel’s future (Dan 9, 10). Likewise, an angel prophesied the messiah’s birth to both Mary and Joseph (Matt 1, Lk 1). An angel strengthened Christ ...

Nehemiah: Becoming a Godly Leader is a fourteen week expositional study of the book of Nehemiah. It considers topics like the characteristics of a godly leader, a godly leader’s priorities, cultivating a life of celebration, characteristics of revival, how a godly leader responds to discouragement, conflict, prosperity and promotion, the tactics of the enemy, and much more. Let’s study it together with the Bible Teacher’s Guide. “The Bible Teacher’s Guide … will help any teacher study and get a better background for his/her Bible lessons. In addition, it will give direction and ...

What is salvation? Why do humans need it? And what is its process? The doctrine of salvation essentially teaches how humans are condemned to an eternal hell by a just and righteous God because of their sins. However, instead of condemning all of humanity without any hope of redemption, God provided a means of salvation, so that the condemned may become righteous and dwell eternally with him in a place of blessing. In this study, we will consider salvation by exploring some of the elements within the order of its process, the gospel message, and theological issues associated with salvation ...

The brilliantly assembled collective of authors behind the book “You say you LOVE me, but do you RESPECT me”, delivers a rare authenticity and vulnerability in what will be hailed as a classic depiction of TRUTH. The writers were able to successfully convey their perspectives on RESPECT through objective, normative, subjective, and complex truths. Raw passion sits at the helm of this literary masterpiece. © 2023 Charles Dixon III

The year was AD 67; persecution was rampant and false teachers saturated the church. Many believers no longer desired to hear sound doctrine and, therefore, heaped up teachers to simply itch their ears (2 Tim 4:2-4). Timothy, a pastor in the church of Ephesus, most likely, was discouraged (1:7, 2:1). With some of his last words, Paul writes from prison to encourage his disciple, Timothy, to complete his ministry (4:5). He commands him to be like a good soldier (2:3-4), a victorious athlete (2:5), and a hardworking farmer (2:6). Above all, Timothy needed to stay faithful to Scripture: he was...

God does big things through small groups: He heals, unifies, encourages, and equips. Christ trained his twelve apostles in a small group. Paul and Barnabas were called to international missions while participating in a small group (Acts 13:1-3). Essentially, all believers owe something to those initial small groups, and many of us have experienced great blessing through contemporary ones. God does big things through small groups, and that’s why we participate in them and aim to lead them. In this study, we will look at the WHY of small group leadership. Why should we participate in and ...

How can we truly live a life of faith? Over 4,000 years ago, God called a man named Abraham to begin a wonderful journey of faith with him. Abraham was a pagan who worshiped idols; however, he left his home, family, and security to follow God. God called Abraham to be a centerpiece in his plan to redeem all people (Gen 12:1–3). All nations would be blessed through him, as he was the father of Israel—God’s priests—and an ancestor of Jesus—the one who gave his life to save the world (John 3:16). Because of Abraham’s great faith, he is called the father of all who believe (Gal 3:7)...

There is great confusion and controversy over the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Who is he, and what does he do? Is he some type of force? Is he an energy or a thing? Likewise, topics such as spiritual gifts, the baptism in the Spirit, and being filled with the Spirit tend to incite differing views and discord, even amongst the sincerest and most devoted Christians. Because of all this, some have hesitated to study or teach on the Holy Spirit. This is unfortunate, since the Holy Spirit makes possible both the redemption (John 6:8-9, Rom 8:11) and sanctification (1 Pet 1:2) of believers. In ...

Crete was a difficult ministry. Culturally, the people were known for being lazy, deceptive, and combative (Tit 1:12). Though difficult, many churches there needed to be discipled and built up. Consequently, Paul visited to minister to the Cretans and eventually left Titus there to continue the work. In Paul’s letter to Titus, he encourages his son in the faith and gives him various instructions. Titus was to select elders in all the churches to help train the believers, teach them sound doctrine, and protect them from false teaching (Tit 1:9-10). In addition, Paul emphasized that the ...

Everybody has a form of eschatology—beliefs about their future or the world's. For some, eschatology brings despair because everything ends in death—including the individual and the universe. Some have a vague hope of the afterlife. For Christians, they should have a certain hope because God has laid out his plan for the end times in Scripture. He reveals these things to teach his saints about his glory and control over history, to encourage them in uncertain times, and to equip them for good works, among other things. For these reasons, we should not neglect eschatology but instead ...

Unlike other epistles, James is not so much concerned with doctrine but living out doctrine. Over half the words in this epistle are commands. James believed that true faith produces the corresponding works, and if it does not, it is not true faith (Jam 2:14-26). Even the demons believe in God but are not saved (2:15, 19). True faith not only hears God’s Word, but obeys it (1:22). It not only sympathizes with the poor but also cares for them (1:27, 2:1-13). It affects one’s tongue (1:26, 3:2-12) and how one responds to conflict (4:1-3, 11-12), trials (1:2-4), money (5:1-6), planning (4:...

Ecclesiology is the study of the church, which is God’s people throughout the world. God has chosen the church to be his global representative (Matt 28:19) and to glorify him throughout eternity (Eph 3:21). The church is God’s temple (1 Cor 3:16) and his family (Gal 6:10). It is Christ’s body, including various members with different spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:12-28). It is the salt and light of the world (Matt 5:13-14). While on earth, Christ promised to build his church and that the gates of hades will not prevail against it (Matt 16:18). It is the most important institution in the ...

The battle for purity in society is raging, and unfortunately, many are captives or severely losing. David lost this battle as he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Solomon lost it as he had 1,000 wives and concubines to fulfill his lust. If we are going to win this battle, we must be strategic and disciplined. Winning is important to protect our lives, our families, our churches, and most importantly to honor our God. How can we win the battle for purity? In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, Paul commands believers to avoid sexual immorality and to learn to control their bodies in a way that is holy ...

Who is Jesus Christ? This question elicits a lot of mystery and confusion. Some say Jesus was only a regular human—maybe a wise man or prophet. Others say he is a created being, like an angel. Still, others say Jesus is God but not human. While others say he is both fully God and fully human. Who exactly is Jesus? Scripture teaches that our eternal destiny depends on how we answer this question (1 John 4:2-3, Rom 10:9-10); therefore, it befits us to reflect on this question and answer it correctly. In Christology, we’ll consider what the Bible says about Jesus Christ, so that we may ...

The book of Philemon is Paul’s letter to Philemon, a wealthy believer, seeking to reconcile him with Onesimus, his runaway slave. Onesimus previously was useless and most likely a thief; however, after hearing the gospel, he became tremendously useful, including becoming Paul’s assistant in Rome (Phm 1:11-13). Since Onesimus broke the law by running away from his master and could legally receive the death sentence, Paul wrote this touching letter to appeal to Philemon to take Onesimus back, not only as a slave but as a dear brother in the faith (Phm 1:16). The book ends with a cliff-...

What is the Sermon on the Mount? In Matthew 5-7, Christ climbs a mountain with his disciples and from there gives his most famous sermon. He starts by describing those who are members of his heavenly kingdom (Matt 5:3-10). They are the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, those who hunger for righteousness, the merciful, etc. Those who are truly heavenly citizens don’t just have a profession of faith but experience a faith that changes their life and character—they are new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Christ warns those listening to his sermon of potential deception—if their ...