About
Why the name FAN AND FLAME?
When the apostle Paul discipled a young pastor named Timothy, he would remind Timothy that God had given him a gift but that he must also cultivate it. “Fan into flame the gift of God,” the veteran missionary would tell him (2 Tim. 1:6).
I take this advice to mean that the young pastor was to do whatever it took to keep the fire burning. If only embers remained, well, get on your hands and knees, put your nose in the kindling, and blow. Never mind the smoke searing your eyes; keep the fire alive. Don’t let it be extinguished. In fact, toil to make it grow.
By itself, the Bible can seem pretty confusing. All of us—myself included—need others to guide the way and spur us on.
This is why I write, for the two-fold meaning of “fan into flame.” As I write, I’m trying to keep my fire alive. But I also want to write to fan into flame your joy and passion and hope. I write to give you clarity on what the Bible says about the good news story of Jesus. And my desire is to infuse the writing with accessible, riveting scholarship.
Benjamin Vrbicek
Benjamin and his wife Brooke have six children. He is the lead teaching pastor at Community Evangelical Free Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He earned a degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Missouri and a masters of divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary. He was previously the managing editor for the Gospel-Centered Discipleship website. He is coauthor of Blogging for God’s Glory in a Clickbait World and author of Don’t Just Send a Resume and Struggle Against Porn.
Benjamin is currently writing a book with Baker Books about the return of Christ. It’s scheduled for publication in the summer of 2026 and titled The Restoration of All Things: How the Promise of Christ’s Return Brings Us Comfort Today.
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How can you help?
It takes a lot of time to keep this blog running, but not a lot of money. Really, it just takes a few dollars each month to purchase web hosting, books, editing, and maybe a few cups of coffee.
If you like what you read and think others would too, perhaps you’d like to help toss a log on the fire. I would greatly appreciate it. And just so you know, all donations go into a special fund dedicated to helping me “fan into flame” the craft.
* FAN AND FLAME is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. Essentially, when you click over to Amazon from my site and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, which helps me continue blogging.