A 2021 HFE Update and 5 of My Favorite Articles From 2020

Yes, I’m alive.

I’m exhausted, but I’m still alive.

2020 did a number on me, man. And 2020 part 2 isn’t being much kinder.

But anyway, let me stop with the negativity. I wrote this to give an update, not to complain.

First, I apologize for the lack of content lately. My production was in a good spot early last year, but COVID stuff continues to wreck my routine, and my day job hasn’t gotten any easier, so writing here has been a challenge.

I still have plenty ideas in the works though. Being mentally able to raise those ideas to my standard is the biggest hurdle now. So I just ask that you be patient with me.

Next, I want to thank you all, the readers, for hanging around and showing support. Your emails, comments, and questions are always appreciated. Kind words really mean a lot these days—much more than you probably think.

Finally, I need to update you on the direction of this site too. Due to recent world events and some urging in my own heart, you’ll see more faith-related stuff here in the future. I started trending this way last year, but I wanted to mention that it is intentional.

You’ll still see articles that aren’t directly about theology or Christian living. They just won’t be as much of a focus anymore—at least not for the time being.

I think my best articles are faith-based anyway, so this shouldn’t be too big of a deal.

But now, since this is my first post of the year, I thought I’d round up a few of my favorites from 2020 to close things out.

These are the articles I had the most fun writing last year, and I look forward to making even more in ‘21.

Honorable Mentions:

Do Soulmates Exist? And What Does the Bible Say About Soulmates

Sometimes I write quick posts I don’t expect much from only to really enjoy them a few days later.

This was one of those posts.

A reader asked me a question about the soulmate concept and I pretty much wrote the article in my response.

This one’s a quick read and it should free anyone bound by this seemingly innocent concept. So check it out.

Use This Technique to Write Incredible Long Form Content

My second honorable mention goes to this guy.

This article explains my planning process and the technique I created to write long articles. Anyone who writes for school, work, or a blog of their own will get something out of it.

Preparation and discipline are two of every writer’s biggest needs. And the tried and true process I described there will help you develop them.

My 5 Favorite Articles From 2020

#5: 5 Lessons I Learned In Christian Schools That Prepared Me for Life Today

Now let’s get to the real list.

Christian Schools is an article that does what it says on the can. It describes my most memorable lessons learned from attending Christian schools and how they affect me today.

It’s weird saying that now because this period didn’t mean much to me until recent years. Once I started planning that post though, I realized just how much I took for granted before.

That early education was the only formal training I’ve had in Christian theology. I just used that foundation to judge what I read later in books and on the web.

This post seems to have also influenced a few parents interested in Christian schools too. So it’s cool to know that I’m one reason why other kids will get a good start.

#4: 202 Bits of Wisdom I Would Share with My Younger Self

I was so happy to write this post.

No, not because of the content, but because I was tired.

I had just finished the Going Great series which included 7 posts with similar structures. That series was awesome by the way, but by the end of it, I needed something new.

Enter 202 Bits of Wisdom.

That post didn’t have to flow, it didn’t need a theme, and it didn’t have a sequel. I just wrote sentences.

Writing that was the most freeing feeling I had in months. You can tell I was having fun with it too.

Besides the context of writing though, this one’s actually very helpful. There’s hard learned advice on every topic I cover at HFE. And that’s why it’s in my top 5.

#3: Seeds Before Fruit: Explaining the Necessity of Regeneration and the Priority of the Gospel

Ah yes, my most recent post.

I knew this one was gonna be good before I wrote it. There are just some topics I know I need to do justice, and this was one of them. So I had to be on my game.

This article covers the biblical experience of regeneration. In it, I describe what regeneration is, why it’s always necessary, and the means God uses to make it happen.

It’s a great explanation of what biblical Christians actually are. So it’s a good read for new believers and people outside the faith too.

Professing Christians don’t always present the best picture of what the Bible describes. But hopefully my work there let’s you see how real Christians should behave.

#2: The Practical Importance of Theology: Why Biblical Doctrine Isn’t Just for Old White Men

The next two posts here are my favorites on the entire site.

I wrote this one because I wanted to show how important theology is in everyday life.

Many people today have a false fact-value dichotomy in their thinking. Things like science, politics, and education go in the facts bucket while “religion” is dismissed as a personal value.

My goal was to challenge that mindset.

In the post, I wrote about my own growth in the Christian faith and how I realized the truth of the Bible’s message. Christianity came out the box for me then, and I wrote that post so others could experience the same thing.

Too often, Christians themselves say they believe the Bible but have worldviews that are actually secular. So I wanted to show the logic and reason behind the faith I have.

I love this post and it’s one of my more interesting articles—one that I don’t think I could have written a few years before.

#1: Explaining God’s Sovereignty in Salvation (Why Spreading the Gospel is Always 100% Effective)

This is my absolute favorite article I have ever written.

Predestination and election are two of the most thought provoking topics in the Bible, and I was so eager to write about them. It was literally all I could think about for a month.

This massive post is also an example of the work I could do if I wrote full time. COVID was still new then and I had to take a week off from work due to cost saving measures. So like any normal person with a week off, I spent it writing a 5,000 word article about theology.

But moving on to another interesting fact, this post also revealed that I do have Calvinist leanings.

For those who don’t know, Calvinism is basically a system of understanding salvation with a huge emphasis on God’s sovereignty. My post pretty much explained the whole system. I just chose not to use the label.

Calvinism is a recent thing for me as I didn’t study it much until a few years ago, but after I did some research, it made a ton of sense.

Most arguments against the system use spotty interpretations, man-centered reasoning, and emotional appeals. Yet I never found anything in the Bible that disputes it—at least not after checking passages that seemingly contradict it.

It is worth noting that most mainstream Christians aren’t Calvinists though. In fact, many Christians are actually hostile to Calvinism—mostly because it doesn’t give people any glory.

While I do believe this holistic view of salvation is important, however, it is a secondary issue, so we can agree to disagree.

If anyone asks me though, God’s choice is the ultimate reason why people become Christians. And I hope my work helped you see that.