<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[J. Rowan Hale]]></title><description><![CDATA[J. Rowan Hale]]></description><link>https://www.jrowanhale.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 14:48:16 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.jrowanhale.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[God's Judgment Is Not the Opposite of Love]]></title><description><![CDATA[Judgment is one of the most resisted themes in Scripture. Many treat it as incompatible with love, as though a loving God must set justice aside to be kind. Yet the Bible consistently presents judgment as an expression of God’s righteousness and an integral part of His love.]]></description><link>https://www.jrowanhale.com/post/gods-judgment-is-not-the-opposite-of-love</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698918bf5275ae5022b7b244</guid><category><![CDATA[Scripture Reflections]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 23:43:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_6f49e9e2ed574c16a3e9c136a5697a8a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>J. Rowan Hale</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Does the Bible Mean by "Faith"?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Few biblical words are used more often and understood less clearly than faith. It is frequently treated as optimism, sincerity, or religious effort. Scripture uses the word far more precisely. The Bible does not present faith as a feeling people generate. It presents faith as trust placed in what God has said and promised.]]></description><link>https://www.jrowanhale.com/post/what-does-the-bible-mean-by-faith</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69891711104fdf314aa77a4e</guid><category><![CDATA[Faith & Obedience]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:47:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2d19c6_c072f98601d846389ff5c40a11902989~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>J. Rowan Hale</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Holy God Who Dwells With His People]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the central tensions in Scripture is not whether God is powerful or whether He is loving or whether He is all-knowing. It is whether a holy God can dwell among sinful people. ]]></description><link>https://www.jrowanhale.com/post/the-holy-god-who-dwells-with-his-people</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69890ed20c9b54090fe37da8</guid><category><![CDATA[Scripture Reflections]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:47:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2d19c6_11642c277c7a4517a23e239c7c1ef581~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>J. Rowan Hale</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Can't People Save Themselves?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The idea that people can improve themselves into right standing with God is deeply intuitive. It feels reasonable, after all — if effort caused the problem, effort should fix it. 
Scripture does not agree. From beginning to end, the Bible presents salvation as something people need precisely because they cannot accomplish it on their own.]]></description><link>https://www.jrowanhale.com/post/why-can-t-people-save-themselves</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698917b55275ae5022b7b07b</guid><category><![CDATA[Scripture Reflections]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:47:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2d19c6_f24c932539fd499cb418bb5a39e37b58~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>J. Rowan Hale</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why God Chooses So Many Younger Sons]]></title><description><![CDATA[Strength, position, birth order, and human expectation do not determine God’s choice. Scripture does not present these reversals as surprises to God. They are deliberate acts that communicate something about how He works.]]></description><link>https://www.jrowanhale.com/post/why-god-chooses-so-many-younger-sons</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6989176d40d7c5baf3aef6de</guid><category><![CDATA[Scripture Reflections]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:47:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2d19c6_fafa558c19024169ab8be364fc17c71b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>J. Rowan Hale</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[God Who Speaks]]></title><description><![CDATA[From the opening chapter of Genesis onward, God’s relationship with humanity is governed by His initiative. He speaks, and reality responds. ]]></description><link>https://www.jrowanhale.com/post/god-who-speaks-from-creation-to-the-prophets</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6988e15940d7c5baf3ae911f</guid><category><![CDATA[Scripture Reflections]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:47:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2d19c6_94240f18aa79498dade8d6d2af458c4d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>J. Rowan Hale</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The God Who Provides a Substitute]]></title><description><![CDATA[Substitutionary atonement is not one theory among many. It is the only biblical answer to the problem created by sin. If sin is real, judgment is real. If God is holy, then salvation cannot come through effort, insight, or moral improvement. It must come through a substitute who can stand in the place of the guilty.]]></description><link>https://www.jrowanhale.com/post/the-substitute-god-provides</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698913802cdf0885c993c359</guid><category><![CDATA[Scripture Reflections]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:47:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2d19c6_76dabbdba3d141b3b2c99185919bebb6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>J. Rowan Hale</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why This Site Treats Scripture as Authority, Not Inspiration]]></title><description><![CDATA[Scripture does not present itself as raw material for creativity. It presents itself as instruction to be received.]]></description><link>https://www.jrowanhale.com/post/why-this-site-treats-scripture-as-authority-not-inspiration</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69891872104fdf314aa77cce</guid><category><![CDATA[Writing Process]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:47:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_bd814c00dc22418882c9f21a99d40664~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>J. Rowan Hale</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Mountains Matter in Scripture]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mountains appear in the Bible with such frequency that it is easy to stop noticing them. They form the backdrop of key moments, but they are rarely explained. Scripture assumes the reader will pay attention. When it comes to mountains, the repetition is purposeful.]]></description><link>https://www.jrowanhale.com/post/why-mountains-matter-in-scripture</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69891800104fdf314aa77bf9</guid><category><![CDATA[Scripture Reflections]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:47:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2d19c6_8645e1da1fc243e38c7d4eca90d61b67~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>J. Rowan Hale</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>