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BITE-SIZED RESOURCES FOR SPIRITUAL FITNESS
Brief biblically-based articles that help you move closer to Jesus, experience a transformed life, and become an active disciple-maker.


Tough Love: Encouraging Those Caught in Sin Patterns
“I want to help my friend who's struggling, but I'm afraid I’ll either enable them or push them away.” If you've wrestled with this...
Arnie Cole
5 days ago


The Ministry of Encouragement: Strengthening Others in Their Faith
“I'm not sure what to say when someone is struggling.” “What if my attempts at encouragement fall flat?” “How can I be supportive without...
Arnie Cole
7 days ago


Learning to Listen: A Guide to Hearing God's Voice
“Does God still speak today? And if He does, how do I know it’s really Him?” If you’ve ever asked these questions, you’re asking some of...
Arnie Cole
Mar 20


So You Want to Disciple Someone: A Beginner's Guide
“Me, disciple someone? But I'm still figuring things out myself!” If that thought has ever crossed your mind, you’re not alone! Many...
Arnie Cole
Mar 18


Half-Armored is Half-Ready: Why We Need God’s Complete Protection
Imagine a soldier entering battle wearing a helmet and breastplate but leaving his legs completely exposed. Or picture a warrior carrying...
Arnie Cole
Mar 13


How to Start Identifying and Using Your Spiritual Gifts
Have you ever watched a master craftsman at work? There’s something captivating about seeing someone use their tools with practiced skill...
Bryon Swanson
Mar 11


3 Tips for Starting a Daily Prayer Time You'll Actually Stick With
Have you ever watched a child learn to ride a bike? They start with training wheels, wobbling and uncertain. Then, gradually, they gain...
Bryon Swanson
Mar 6


Investing in Eternity: Why Supporting Nonprofits is a Christian Calling
The gleaming office towers of our cities stand as monuments to worldly success, while our bank accounts and investment portfolios promise...
Bryon Swanson
Mar 4


Start Strong: How Morning Devotions Can Transform Your Day
Ever notice how professional athletes have pre-game routines? They don’t just show up and play—they follow carefully crafted patterns to...
Arnie Cole
Feb 27


Psalm 23: Your Best Life Now
A few years ago, Joel Osteen’s book Your Best Life Now topped the bestseller lists with its promise of health, wealth, and prosperity for...
Arnie Cole
Feb 25


The Church: God's Spiritual Fitness Center
Imagine signing up for a gym membership and paying your dues but never attending a class, joining a training group, or building...
Arnie Cole
Feb 20


The Great Commission is Not the Great Suggestion
Imagine receiving a direct order from the President of the United States. The command comes with full executive authority, backed by all...
Arnie Cole
Feb 18


The Warrior’s Manual: How to Wield the Bible in the Face of Temptation
Picture a master swordsman training an apprentice. The master doesn’t simply hand over the sword and wish the student good luck. Instead,...
Arnie Cole
Feb 13


How to Study a Book of the Bible: Step-by-Step Guide
Imagine being handed a letter from a dear friend who lives across the world—someone wise, someone who knows you deeply, someone who has...
Arnie Cole
Feb 11


Christian Fasting: A Beginner’s Guide to Its Spiritual Fitness Benefits
Professional athletes know a secret that serves the rest of us well: sometimes less is more. Think about it. They deliberately build rest...
Arnie Cole
Feb 6


Better Together: The Spiritual Fitness-Inducing Power of Christian Community
Watch a pride of lions in the wild, and you’ll notice something fascinating: they instinctively know that survival depends on staying...
Arnie Cole
Feb 4


Beyond Mere Ritual: Discovering the Father's Heart in the Lord's Prayer
Have you ever caught yourself saying the Lord's Prayer without really praying it? Perhaps you've mumbled the familiar words while your...
Arnie Cole
Jan 28


At God's Door: The Power of Persistent Prayer
Life has a way of surprising us with unexpected challenges. Perhaps you're facing the heartache of a broken relationship, wrestling with...
Arnie Cole
Jan 23


Why Scripture Absorption is the Key to Spiritual Resilience
Nearly seventeen hundred years ago, a young Christian named Evagrius Ponticus went deep into the desert to fight the devil. Evagrius had...
Arnie Cole
Jan 20


What is the “Gospel”? An Answer in Three Parts
We have probably all received news that changed our lives significantly. We’ve head bad news of the death of family member, a cancer...
Mark Catlin
Jan 17


Why You Should Memorize Scripture (and How It Will Change Your Life)
The Bible is more than a book—it is the Word of God, alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). It is the...
Bryon Swanson
Jan 15


Finding the Power to Live a New Life: An Introduction to the Holy Spirit
In my time as CEO of Back to the Bible , I’ve heard countless stories of people yearning for transformation in their Christian lives. In...
Arnie Cole
Jan 13


The Local Church: God’s Chosen Spiritual Fitness Community
Imagine an athlete training for a marathon. Each day, they rise early to follow a carefully designed regimen, including nutrition,...
Arnie Cole
Jan 9


Resolve to Be Spiritually Fit This New Year
As we turn the page to a new year, many of us reflect on resolutions—ways to better our health, improve our routines, or grow in our...
Arnie Cole
Dec 31, 2024


Three Practical Ways to Begin Cultivating Humility
In our world today, it seems like arrogance and pride are consistently rewarded. It can feel like the most self-promoting, self-exalting,...
Mark Catlin
Dec 30, 2024

Scripture as the Foundation for Spiritual Fitness
When we talk about fitness, we often think of physical exercise, balanced diets, and healthy habits that shape our bodies and give us...
Arnie Cole
Dec 27, 2024


Christmas: A Season for Reflection and Rejuvenation
I know life is busy—so busy, in fact, that it’s easy to feel like we’re barely keeping our heads above water. The holiday season often...
Arnie Cole
Dec 25, 2024


Scripture as the Foundation for Disciple-Making
When the supreme Lord of the universe delivers his “parting words” to the world—the last words we will hear from his lips until he...
Arnie Cole
Dec 23, 2024


Purpose of God’s Word (Part 3): Encourage People as They Follow Jesus
When life gets challenging, where do we turn for strength? In the Christian walk, we’re encouraged to find our endurance, hope, and...
Mark Catlin
Dec 20, 2024

The Purpose of God’s Word (Part 2): Equip People for Obedience
During the past several days, we’ve begun a blog “journey” to understand the purpose of Scripture, and we started with its primary role...
Mark Catlin
Dec 18, 2024

The Purpose of God’s Word (Part 1): To Call People to Salvation by Faith
Have you ever wondered why we have the Bible and what role it’s meant to play in our lives? In my experience, we often talk about the...
Mark Catlin
Dec 16, 2024

The Powerful Effects of Daily Scripture Absorption
One of the unique things about the Bible is that its teachings are always confirmed by the best of social science. Why? Because God is...
Arnie Cole
Dec 13, 2024

How to Break Out of a Spiritual Slump
Have you ever felt like your spiritual life is stalled, or you're just going through the motions? As if you’re in a “spiritual slump”?...
Arnie Cole
Dec 11, 2024


What Does it Mean that the Bible is “God’s Word”?
When we call the Bible "God's word," we’re making an extraordinary claim: that the Creator of the universe has spoken, and His voice is...
Mark Catlin
Dec 9, 2024

How a Simple Change in Habits Can Energize You Spiritually
When Bruce turned 47, he found himself staring down a path he’d been treading for years—one marked by long workdays and late nights,...
Arnie Cole
Dec 6, 2024


Building Endurance Through Times of Pain and Suffering
A young boy with a kite stands in a gusty field, struggling against the wind. The kite dips and dives, threatening to break loose, but...
Arnie Cole
Dec 4, 2024


Sanctification as Spiritual Fitness: Strengthening Your Soul for Life’s Journey
Think about what a game changer it would be if, as I grow older, I could also become more physically fit? While we all know that...
Arnie Cole
Nov 27, 2024

Why Reading the Bible Without Obeying It Is Dangerous
At Back to the Bible, we believe that engaging with Scripture regularly is essential for spiritual growth. Our research shows that Christian
Bryon Swanson
Nov 27, 2024

The Bible: Our Primary Source of Spiritual Nourishment
My wife Char is all about being physically fit. In fact, it seems like you can catch her working out 4 to 5 times a week. One of the...
Arnie Cole
Nov 25, 2024
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