by Bill Koogler | Aug 30, 2026 | Articles
For years I preached “love” the way I was taught to preach it. English only gives us one word for the whole range, so I went looking for hidden compartments in the Greek (agape and phileo) to feel like I was being faithful to the text, and I found...
by Bill Koogler | May 28, 2026 | Articles
There is a moment most of us have witnessed at some point in a church, a ministry gathering, or a leadership meeting. Someone raises a genuine concern, carefully worded and offered in good faith. The response does not engage the concern. Instead, it redirects....
by Bill Koogler | May 18, 2026 | Articles
A few weeks ago, I had some discussions with friends about discipleship and the process of helping followers of Jesus become mature in their belief, doctrine, and practice of their faith in Jesus. As we talked a familiar discussion transpired that I have had with...
by Bill Koogler | Apr 28, 2026 | Articles
Phil sits on a wooden chair in his home, surrounded by members of his church small group, as he harshly tells his friend Youil of three years how he needs to behave as a “mature” follower of Jesus. Phil said what everyone was thinking, and it crushed...
by Bill Koogler | Mar 18, 2026 | Articles
For many readers, the phrase “fear of the Lord” lands with the wrong emotional weight. It sounds like bracing for punishment, like living on edge before a displeased God. If that is what we hear, Proverbs begins to feel less like an invitation to wisdom and more like...
