Contributors

Zack James Cole

Zack James Cole grew up in the Bible Belt of the American South. He became a United States Marine in 2004 and served on Active Duty until 2009. He was deployed to Iraq twice during Operation: Iraqi Freedom. He earned his M.Div in Theological Studies from Liberty Theological Seminary. He now serves as an Associate Pastor at Suwannee Station Family Life Church in Suwannee, Georgia.

Christ Hold Fast

Before God, I Swear This Creed

  • By Zack James Cole 11/11/19
How do I know the expectations of every Marine even though I am not able to cite specific orders from Marine Corps handbooks? The Rifleman’s Creed tells me.
  • Christian History
  • Creeds and Confessions

Ruined By the Gospel

  • By Zack James Cole 09/25/19
The gospel is a one-way rescue by God, through Jesus, for sinners, courtesy of the Holy Spirit exploding faith into an individual who is hearing the good news.
  • Reformation Doctrine
  • Law and Gospel
  • Salvation
  • Gospel

The Lord's Funeral

  • By Zack James Cole 08/02/19
One area where my theology was completely backward was the Lord's Supper. Growing up I remember that it felt more like the Lord's Funeral.
  • Ministry of the Church
  • The Lord's Supper

On the Quarterdeck

  • By Zack James Cole 07/22/19
Did the suffering stop? No. It actually got worse. The commands of what exercise to do next sped up and intensified for both of us. The Guide was allowing himself to be smoked with me.
  • Practical Theology
  • Comfort
  • Suffering

Declaration of Dependence

  • By Zack James Cole 07/04/19
The gospel of Jesus Christ is also a declaration. It is a declaration of something that has already happened.
  • Justification
  • Vocation
  • Christian Freedom

Sleeping Ugly

  • By Zack James Cole 05/14/19
Do you remember fairy tales? Tales of magical creatures and far away fantasy lands? They were legends of lore that included dragons, magic, a moral to the story or a hero saving the day.
  • Practical Theology
  • Assurance of Salvation
  • Salvation

The Grace Pirate

  • By Zack James Cole 02/12/19
You have heard it said that "Dead men tell no tales." “Ah, but they do tell tales!” says I.
  • Jesus Christ
  • Justification
  • Grace

The Final Review

  • By Zack James Cole 01/29/19
With a new year comes many new things. In the corporate world, we again introduced to our yearly performance review.
  • God the Father
  • Judgment
  • Jesus Christ
  • Reformation Doctrine
  • Law and Gospel

On Being Haunted

  • By Zack James Cole 10/16/18
I am often haunted by my past. I am daily haunted by what I should be doing.
  • God the Father
  • Promises of God
  • Jesus Christ
  • Sin

NOT the Gospel

  • By Zack James Cole 09/06/18
There was a TV show back in the ‘90s called “Dinosaurs” that I used to sneak into the living room at night to watch.
  • Arts and Culture
  • Film and Television
  • Jesus Christ
  • Salvation
  • Gospel

Turnt

  • By Zack James Cole 08/27/18
When I hear the word “repentance” my mind quickly goes to those old terror inducing Chick Tracts.
  • Reformation Doctrine
  • Law and Gospel
  • Salvation
  • Repentance

Enemy Prisoner of War

  • By Zack James Cole 05/28/18
In the United States Marine Corps, part of my training involved Enemy Prisoner of War (EPW) handling. The 6 rules of EPW handling are:
  • Jesus Christ
  • Sin
  • Satan

Someone Over the Rainbow

  • By Zack James Cole 04/04/18
I hate driving. I am more of a “pew-pew” guy than a “vroom-vroom” guy. I battle my own heart every day in Atlanta traffic.
  • God the Father
  • Promises of God
  • Ministry of the Church
  • Baptism

Knowing is Half the Battle

  • By Zack James Cole 02/26/18
I cannot recall how many times I sang along to this theme song, punching and kicking as a kid in the 80s. But much of my desire to join the Marine Corps had its genesis in the 80s cartoon “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.”
  • Arts and Culture
  • Film and Television
  • God the Father
  • Promises of God
  • Jesus Christ
  • Ministry of the Church
  • The Lord's Supper

The Gift of Righteousness

  • By Zack James Cole 11/27/17
The words “gift of righteousness” will bring about two completely polar opposite feelings: One of Dread. One of Relief.
  • Holy Spirit
  • Sanctification
  • Jesus Christ
  • Justification
  • Righteousness

Bruised and Smoldering

  • By Zack James Cole 11/14/17
“Obey God and he will bless you,” says the wind and the reed is bent over and bruised throughout. “God will never stop loving you but you can disappoint him,” says the wind and the once lit candle is now a sad smoldering wick.
  • Jesus Christ
  • Justification
  • Grace
  • Practical Theology
  • Assurance of Salvation

Living in a Van Down By the River

  • By Zack James Cole 05/23/17
My experience as a Christian did not revolve around Christ. It revolved around asking, “What is God’s will for my life?” Hunting the answer to this question was my god, and I paid homage to it every day.
  • Arts and Culture
  • Film and Television
  • Jesus Christ
  • Justification
  • Grace

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