We’ve seen the cartoons: Satan with horns, a pitchfork, surrounded by flames and ruling over hell. But is “Satan is the ruler of hell” actually what the Bible teaches?

In this episode of The Pastoral Associates, we continue our “Things We Believe That Are Not in the Bible” series by separating the biblical Satan from the version we’ve inherited from movies, cartoons, music, and popular culture. We’ll examine what Scripture says about Satan’s authority, his limitations, his activity in the world, and his ultimate defeat.

Satan is real. His influence is real. But he is not God’s equal, he does not rule hell, and he does not have ultimate authority. He is a created and rebellious being operating within limits established by God—and because of Christ’s victory, his final judgment is certain.

For Christians, that means we don’t have to live in fear of Satan. We take him seriously, stand against his schemes, and live with joyful confidence in the victory of Jesus Christ.

We’ve all heard it said: “When someone dies, God needed another angel.” But is that actually what the Bible teaches?

In this episode of The Pastoral Associates, we continue our “Things We Believe That Are Not in the Bible” series by looking at what Scripture really says about angels, humanity, death, and the hope of resurrection. We’ll discuss why humans don’t become angels when they die, what makes humanity uniquely created in God’s image, and how Christians can speak truthfully and compassionately about death.

The good news isn’t that we become angels—it’s that in Christ, death does not have the final word.

In this episode of The Pastoral Associates, we continue our series “Things We Believe That Are Not in the Bible” by tackling the popular advice: “Follow your heart.”

Is your heart really a trustworthy guide? We look at what Scripture says about our desires, why our hearts can deceive us, and why the answer isn’t simply trying harder to change them. The good news is that God doesn’t tell us to follow our hearts—He promises to give us new ones.