Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Jesus Is Not Ashamed of You

Jesus Is Not Ashamed of You – “The redeeming work of Jesus deals with our shame in three ways.”

4 Practical Threats to the Church Today

4 Practical Threats to the Church Today – I believe the author is correct in his short list and I see and feel them all daily.

Personal Sustainability

Personal Sustainability – Some definitely need to pick up the pace of living well for the Lord. For others: “Slow your pace or you’ll never finish the race.” This may be particularly true for millennials who are overwhelmed with life.

What We Need Most

What We Need Most “The biggest need in your life, and in mine, is to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. I’m convinced that more evangelism, more prayer, more fruitfulness, more holiness will flow from the fountain of our lives only when we start drinking more deeply of Christ.”

Die to Yourself Without Losing Yourself

Die to Yourself Without Losing Yourself – “In his letter to the Philippians, Paul exhorts us to ‘in humility count others more significant than yourselves’ (Philippians 2:3). How do we do this and not lose ourselves? In other words, is it possible to be self-sacrificing without being self-obliterating?”

Stop Using Your Personality Test as a Crutch

Stop Using Your Personality Test as a Crutch – Just remember: “Your personality test is not a license to be a jerk.”

The 3 Great Missionary Confusions

The 3 Great Missionary Confusions – Many people call themselves “missionaries” and many people take part in “mission” work, but those words have meaning.

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Memorial Day and My Church’s Bold Request

Memorial Day and My Church’s Bold Request – “Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the moment of singing and not actually consider the words we are saying, but this song has a bold request. Asking the Lord to delay His coming in order for us to just have one more moment in which to share the Gospel!”

A Living Sacrifice

A Living Sacrifice – “We’re called to be a living sacrifice. But the problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar.”

Like Us, Jesus Had To Grow Up Too

Like Us, Jesus Had To Grow Up Too – “Even though nearly all of the first 30 years of Jesus’ life are hidden, from what we know of the geography, history, culture and religion of Israel at that time, as well as the glimpses we get from the biblical accounts, we can build a picture of what it would have been like for Jesus growing up.”

Why Are Stories In The Bible?

Why Are Stories In The Bible? – “The purpose of their stories is not to give you heroes to emulate, but rather to point you to a Person in whom your faith should reside.”

How to Pray for Your Prodigal

How to Pray for Your Prodigal – From my personal prayer experience, this is right on target.

Does God Want Mere Obedience?

Does God Want Mere Obedience? – “One of the things I believe Jonah teaches us is in regards to the nature of repentance and obedience.”

The Soul’s Thirst

The Soul’s Thirst – “Every soul thirsts. This thirst may not be obvious in every moment, but at some point and to some degree every soul thirsts after something, something it does not have.”

Wise and Innocent

Wise and Innocent “What of those of us who are not so comfortable with aspects of the progressive social agenda, who perhaps even find them antithetical to Christian convictions? What are Christians to do when it is wrong to withdraw from public engagement, but threatening to so engage? What might appropriate response look like?”

9 Things You Should Know About Ramadan

9 Things You Should Know About Ramadan – “Because Muslims account for 1.6 billion of our global neighbors, Christians need to become more aware of Ramadan and Islamic practices. Here are nine things you should know about Islam’s holiest month.”

Monday, May 29, 2017

Turn My Eyes from Worthless Things

Turn My Eyes from Worthless Things – “What really brings value, meaning, and purpose to our lives? Biblical ethics is not about simply avoiding corrupting things. It is about learning to enjoy and embrace the things that truly bring meaning and purpose and eternal joy into our lives.”

Are You Accidentally a Narcissist on Social Media?

Are You Accidentally a Narcissist on Social Media? – “No longer is the picture being taken solely for memory purposes, so much as it is being taken for self-promotion purposes...Here are a few steps you can take to help take focus off the self.”

How to Teach Your Kids About Sex

How to Teach Your Kids About Sex – “We have found that the issues surrounding human sexuality, such as self-control and obedience to God, are the foundational character qualities every parent wants to build into his teenager.”

Six Words to Say Through Tears

Six Words to Say Through Tears – “As we search for words to say to someone else who is grieving, we want to make sure that what we’re grabbing hold of, or offering to someone else to hold onto, is profoundly, fully, and eternally true.”

The Redeeming Christ

The Redeeming Christ – “The failure of Adam in the garden was corrected by Christ on the tree, making redemption available to poor, helpless sinners.”

A Theology of the Home

A Theology of the Home – Our early homes can be a source of pain and struggle. Yet the home, for the Christian, points to the greater home of heaven that never fails. “For the church to remain a city on the hill, the light of the gospel must shine brightly in the home.”

Don’t Pursue Feelings, Pursue Christ

Don’t Pursue Feelings, Pursue Christ“Good doctrine is critically important to the health of the Christian and the church. But the church doesn’t need men and women who can merely define repentance. Rather, the church needs people who hate sin and love righteousness.”

Discipleship for the Rest of Us

Discipleship for the Rest of Us – “For those of us who have struggled our whole lives to get our acts together, what does a discipleship built around getting your act together eventually do?” You may want to pick up this book.

Sunday, May 28, 2017

He Was Taken into Heaven

He Was Taken into Heaven – “As we gather to worship, consider these three ways we can honor Jesus as the ascended Christ.”

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Marriage Tips to Grow Your Marriage

Marriage Tips to Grow Your Marriage – “Pray, read, glean, adapt if necessary, and APPLY what you can use. It won’t do anyone any good if you don’t apply what you learn. It will be like scattering seeds upon cement.”

Exhausted Mom, Lift Your Eyes

Exhausted Mom, Lift Your Eyes – “Whatever your age or stage, God is at work in and through you. Don’t lose sight of his purpose as you pick up toys for the tenth time, or as you drive your child to soccer practice, again.”

A Theology of the Home

A Theology of the Home “Whether you are a child learning to read, a freshman in a dormitory, newlyweds settling into a first apartment, an upstart launching a career, a family with a quiver full of children, or a widow navigating life without a spouse, the comfort of home is a stabilizing reality of life.”

How to Win the War for Your Mind

How to Win the War for Your Mind – “In a world gone wild, surrounded by the enemies of our soul seeking to distract and destroy us, we desperately need the truths of the gospel applied to our minds daily.”

3 Truths to Speak To Your Temptation

3 Truths to Speak To Your Temptation – “The temptation to sin is inevitable when you are a sinful person living in a sinful world. But the actual committing of sin is by no means inevitable when you are made a saint through Christ Jesus.”

Friday, May 26, 2017

70 Prompts for Praising God

70 Prompts for Praising God – I added this to my prayer notebook this morning.

Parenting Is Gospel Ministry

Parenting Is Gospel Ministry – “Parenting is much more than controlling the behavior of your children. Parenting is actually about heart exposure and heart change. We know only Jesus Christ can create the kind of lasting change in the human heart that will transform behavior.”

Renew Your Mind

Renew Your Mind – “There are only two options: conformity or transformation. You can be conformed to this world or you can be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The choice lies before you every day.”

The Real Root of Sexual Sin

The Real Root of Sexual Sin – “If we want to stop bearing bad fruit, we must aim our primary attack against the root. And the root of sexual sin is not our sex drive; it’s pride.”

Thursday, May 25, 2017

5 Warnings to Those Who Merely Pretend To Be Godly

5 Warnings to Those Who Merely Pretend To Be Godly – “There is in each of us a dangerous temptation toward hypocrisy, to be one thing but to pretend to be another.”

Running to the Pantry of Good Works

Running to the Pantry of Good Works “I am not a legalist, and you probably aren’t either. However, I still leave the pantry door of good works open. I suspect you do too.”

Gluttons for Good News

Gluttons for Good News – “In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul drags the good news back from the ethers of previous thought and puts it front and center for the Corinthians to consider once more.”

The One Essential Oil

The One Essential Oil – “Five important points make this Christian anointing of the sick distinct from every other anointing.”

These Present Sufferings

These Present Sufferings – “Something in all of us (Christians included) desperately wants to say something in response to these catastrophes, but in doing so we can easily stray into saying too much, or too little.”

The Benefits of Our Justification

The Benefits of Our Justification – “God’s love. Justification by faith grants us access to God in a new way. Thus, there are four big advantages that the Christian now has.”

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

How The Last Five Generations Have Changed Us

How The Last Five Generations Have Changed Us – This is a simple comparison of generations on a variety of worldview issues.

The Nightmare Driving the American Dream

The Nightmare Driving the American Dream – “Millions wear ambition to camouflage their insecurities.” What is driving your fears?

What Is This Thing Called Church?

What Is This Thing Called Church? – “The greatest problem in missions right now is disagreement over what constitutes a local church.” 

Can Self-Forgetfulness Make Us Happier?

Can Self-Forgetfulness Make Us Happier?“The thing we would remember from meeting a truly gospel-humble person is how much they seemed to be totally interested in us. Because the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.” —Timothy Keller

What 1,000 Americans Avoid Most

What 1,000 Americans Avoid Most – “Many Americans are more worried about their reputation than their conscience. They worry less about guilt and fear and more about avoiding shame, according to a new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research.”

3 Ways We Hate Sin in Others More Than in Ourselves

3 Ways We Hate Sin in Others More Than in Ourselves – “Our own sin can fail to anger us the way someone else’s sin does. Here are three common examples of this.”

Four Reasons to Bring Your Bible to Church

Four Reasons to Bring Your Bible to Church – “This Bible vacuum in a worship service concerns me for several reasons, so allow me to offer four reasons why every believer should bring their Bible to church.”

Survey: On Most Moral Issues Americans Are More Permissive Than Ever

Survey: On Most Moral Issues Americans Are More Permissive Than Ever – “For whatever reason, we are failing to be faithful to Christ and his call to proclaim the gospel when we allow Scripture to be perverted and rejected by those who claim to be our fellow believers.”

Don’t Waste Your Life Following Your Passion

Don’t Waste Your Life Following Your Passion – “The truth is finding your passion is most often the product a lot of faithful work that is pursued to the glory of God because it is your duty.”

Is Your Church an Institution?

Is Your Church an Institution? “To call anything an ‘institution’ today can be its death sentence, including a church. Should we be ashamed of the institutional aspects of our churches?”

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Seven Ways the Old Testament Deepens our Love for Jesus

Seven Ways the Old Testament Deepens our Love for Jesus – The Old Testament connects us with Jesus’ past in the following ways...

3 Ways to Exhort the Aging

3 Ways to Exhort the Aging – “Aging people experience progressive losses: parents, friends, colleagues, career, driver’s license, and perfect health. Then life-threatening health challenges are encountered, usually heart disease or cancer. And finally, there is the certainty of death. In these realities, though, there are implicit spiritual incentives to grow. Here are three ways to encourage and exhort the aging.”

What Should I Do When I’m Struggling to Read God’s Word?

What Should I Do When I’m Struggling to Read God’s Word? – “There are times when I read God’s Word…and the words seem to fall flat.| I’m hungry to hear from God, eager to meet him in my Bible—yet nothing jumps off the page or particularly moves my heart.”

Beware the Graduation Speech

Beware the Graduation Speech – “Just don’t believe everything you hear in the graduation speech.”

Preaching the Gospel with Words: Why There’s No Other Way

Preaching the Gospel with Words: Why There’s No Other WayWe marginalize evangelism when we say the good news is social action.”

Worldliness: A Rich Person’s Problem?

Worldliness: A Rich Person’s Problem? “Is worldliness a problem for the rich or for the poor? For those with many possessions or few? For people who live in a western society or a developing country?”

The Parable of Anthony Weiner’s iPhone

The Parable of Anthony Weiner’s iPhone “Could one of the lessons of Anthony Weiner’s fall be that we should take our digital technology more seriously as a potential stumbling block?”

Monday, May 22, 2017

Two Words That Summarize The Entire Bible

Two Words That Summarize The Entire Bible – “The story of the Bible is all about fresh starts and new beginnings.”

Eliminating Spiritual Toxins

Eliminating Spiritual Toxins There are Christians who “carefully guard their spiritual diet but make no effort to avoid or eliminate sinful, spiritual toxins from their lives. Faithfully studying God’s Word is vital to our growth, but it’s not the only factor. We need to recognize sinful attitudes and motivations as carcinogens that can wreak havoc in our spiritual lives.”

The Lifelong Pursuits of a Godly Man

The Lifelong Pursuits of a Godly Man – “In his first letter to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul uses athletes as a metaphor to describe how believers are to approach the Christian life.”

5 Ways Every Christian Grows

5 Ways Every Christian Grows “Paul’s metaphor of the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit can help us, though. Here are five things that are true of fruit trees and, therefore, true of the fruit of the Spirit.”

The Centrality of the Word in Discipleship

The Centrality of the Word in Discipleship – “For optimal health during the day, we need exercise. We may need medicine. We could use a nap. But before anything else, we need basic nourishment. We need breakfast. The slow walk through the Word is the sustaining food on which the other helps build. But without that basic sustaining food, we are set up for failure no matter what other well intentioned help we receive.”

Biblical Womanhood Doesn't Begin and End with Proverbs 31

Biblical Womanhood Doesn't Begin and End with Proverbs 31 – “All Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, gives us information about what it means to obey Christ and live a life set apart for him, regardless of the gender-specific nature of each passage.” – “All Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, gives us information about what it means to obey Christ and live a life set apart for him, regardless of the gender-specific nature of each passage.”

Do I Need to Confess Every Sin to Be Forgiven?

Do I Need to Confess Every Sin to Be Forgiven? The question is, “Are you holding onto a sin, and refusing to turn from it?” 

What If I Don’t Feel Forgiven?

What If I Don’t Feel Forgiven? “There is an important difference between guilt and guilt feelings. The distinction is between that which is objective and that which is subjective.”

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Our Sins Are Many, His Mercy Is More

Our Sins Are Many, His Mercy Is More – “Christians often feel like they are on a tightrope between believing our sin is too small for us to confess or too big for God to overcome.”

You, Yes You, Are a Minister!

You, Yes You, Are a Minister! – “There is way more ministering to be done in the church than can be done by paid pastors or even by elders. Your church needs you to minister the Word!”

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Better Than Busy

Better Than Busy – “The fast-paced busyness of life that pushes God to the margins can easily turn into burnout. Lots of us are crying out for ways of handling the busyness before it does.”

God’s Google

God’s Google “God has got his own version of Google and, until recently, it was the one Christians relied on. God’s version of Google is called the local church.”

You Can’t Anxiety Attack Your Way Out of God’s Love

You Can’t Anxiety Attack Your Way Out of God’s Love“It would be easy for me to let you get cozy with our anxiety, so let’s make a deal. I’m going to aim for the jugular, and then I’m gonna bandage it up all nice and good. Ready? Here it goes.”

Marriage Communication: Too Much? Too Little?

Marriage Communication: Too Much? Too Little? – Marriage Communication Styles: Condensers and Amplifiers.

Women Use Porn Too

Women Use Porn Too – “We must stop assuming pornography is a men’s problem, because it’s not. It’s a human problem.”

Friday, May 19, 2017

How God Uses Questions in the Bible

How God Uses Questions in the Bible – “Through questions, God forces us to turn our gaze on ourselves, our hearts, and our motivations. He makes us look deeply into ourselves, knowing that He already knows, and then own up to that which we have either been unable or unwilling to see previously.”

If I Have Enough Faith, Will God Heal Me?

If I Have Enough Faith, Will God Heal Me? Randy Alcorn and Joni Eareckson Tada answer.

Don’t Hide Those Gray Hairs

Don’t Hide Those Gray Hairs “A multibillion dollar beauty industry keeps the charade going, all the while showing little-to-no respect for the elderly. When it comes to getting older, our culture offers three options: delay, disguise, or despise.”

What Happens to Our Pets When They Die?

What Happens to Our Pets When They Die? – “Will our animals be in heaven? It’s best to be honest and say we don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised if God, in generous wisdom, allows us to enjoy the company of familiar animals in glory. But we can be certain of two things.”

Crying “Wolf!”

Crying “Wolf!”“What are the fruits – or the attitudes and behaviors they exhibit – that we are to know them by? Because these wolves can be very clever, appear to be nice in certain settings, and often act very zealous for the kingdom of God, they can easily fool the flock. Here then are five primary traits they have.”

Why Control-Craving Hearts Get Angry

Why Control-Craving Hearts Get Angry – “God started using my anger to reveal my control-craving heart. I started recognizing that my surface-level anger stemmed from an underlying desire for control. So to rid myself of anger, I’d have to rip out its root—control.”

Thursday, May 18, 2017

True Friends Are Hard to Find

True Friends Are Hard to Find – “They pray bigger things for you than you pray for yourself. They believe with you when your faith is weak. They make space for you when life falls apart, and they rejoice with you when all is well. Most importantly, true friends remind you in every encounter who and what is most important.”

Set the Soundtrack of Your Mind

Set the Soundtrack of Your Mind – “Leave your mind on autopilot, and distractions will dictate your life. Set your mind above, and God will.”

Parenting is Discipleship

Parenting is Discipleship – “Being a parent is far more than building relationships with our children.  It is the duty of Christian parents to go beyond building your child’s athletic resume or teaching your child a trade.  We have a much larger task and responsibility.  Parenting is the work of discipleship.”

5 Principles for Disciplining Your Children

5 Principles for Disciplining Your Children – “While not all methods work for all children, I’ve found these principles work for a variety of children, regardless of their age, sex, or disposition.”

Are You Too Familiar With Jonah's Story?

Are You Too Familiar With Jonah's Story? – “Has the story of Jonah become such a routine part of your Christianity that you forget to ask what God wants you to learn through this narrative? I'm afraid that often in the church, we have informed brains and unchanged hearts. You and I know stories and verses and theology, but we fail to apply them to our everyday faith.”

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

How to Stir Up One Another

How to Stir Up One Another – “Sometimes a pot-stirrer shakes things that ought not be shook. But other times, stirring the pot is necessary. Even helpful. The writer of Hebrews actually instructs those who believe and follow Christ to stir each other up.”

The Difference Between Nice and Kind—and Why It Matters

The Difference Between Nice and Kind—and Why It Matters – “Since the early church, disciples have walked the risky and sometimes dangerous road of kindness. Kindness is a radical way of living biblically. It’s a fruit of the Holy Spirit on Paul’s short list in Galatians 5. It’s not a duty or an act. It’s an imperative.”

In Pursuit of Christian Womanhood

In Pursuit of Christian Womanhood – “Paul directed Titus to teach the older men to model godliness and instruct the younger men as to what Christian manhood looks like, and where he instructed Christian women in matters of godliness and exhorted them to train up the younger women. In verses 3-5, we see the pursuit of Christian womanhood, as defined by the Bible not our culture.”

When Satan Demands to Have You

When Satan Demands to Have You – “If you’re a believer, what the enemy wants is to fail your faith. He wants to have you: eternally defeated, estranged from God, condemned for eternity – But Jesus promises he won’t let you go.”

7 Ways Parents Unfairly Provoke Our Children

7 Ways Parents Unfairly Provoke Our Children “There are times when we so provoke our children that anger is the fitting and inevitable response. Here I offer a few ways that we, as parents, may provoke our children to that kind of anger and discouragement.”

In Defense of the Unspoken Prayer Request

In Defense of the Unspoken Prayer Request – “The person who asks for a request that is “unspoken,” though, is almost always someone genuinely grappling with a burden or a dilemma. The burden is so great that he or she doesn’t even feel ready to talk about what that burden is.”

Six Things to Know About God’s Wrath

Six Things to Know About God’s Wrath“This theme of the wrath (or anger) of God toward sin and sinners is clearly and widely taught in the Bible. This truth is so interwoven with the hope of our peace with one another and with God that if we lose our grasp on the one, we lose our hope of the other.”

Is Body Image My Idol?

Is Body Image My Idol? – “Pursuing physical fitness becomes sinful self-glorification when we no longer do so to overcome our own sin, serve others, and glorify Christ.”

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Just-Around-the-Corner Spirituality

Just-Around-the-Corner Spirituality “If I can just get around this next corner, then I will be able seek after God in an undistracted and more wholehearted way.”

What to Do When Life Gets Really Hard

What to Do When Life Gets Really Hard “What do you do when you are faced with various trials, tribulations and difficulties throughout your journey?”

Fast from Food, Not Facebook

Fast from Food, Not Facebook – Jesus said, “When you fast...” At heart, fasting is simple—it is refraining from a specific thing for a specific time and a specific reason.

Evangelism is a Four Letter Word

Evangelism is a Four Letter Word Evangelism isn’t what it used to be and is uncertain of what it should be.

What Does a Happy Marriage Really Look Like?

What Does a Happy Marriage Really Look Like? – “In Christ, conflict is not a deal breaker but a path to depth and intimacy.” 

How Should Parents Respond to their Children’s Sexual Sin?

How Should Parents Respond to their Children’s Sexual Sin? – Tim Challies writes, “I recently received an email from a parent who had discovered her teenager in sexual sin, and was wondering how to respond to it as a Christian parent. That’s a good question. Here’s what I believe the gospel commands from us as parents in addressing our children’s sexual sin.”

Learning for Life

Learning for Life “The lack of teachability is probably the single greatest hindrance to our growth in grace and it’s a form of pride.”

The Best Discoveries Begin as Problems: How to Read Proverbs

The Best Discoveries Begin as Problems: How to Read Proverbs – The book of Proverbs sometimes puts contradictory exhortations back-to-back? What can we learn from this?

Monday, May 15, 2017

Monday Morning Care Casting: Phil. 4:6-8

Monday Morning Care Casting: Phil. 4:6-8 – Just what I needed on this Monday morning.

Your Pain Has an Expiration Date

Your Pain Has an Expiration Date – “The apostle makes clear that it is vital for us as children of God to have right views of suffering, trial, and tribulation because they are part of God’s plan for our future glory.”

Watching Your Spiritual Diet

Watching Your Spiritual DietJohn MacArthur shares some thoughts on spiritual immaturity: “The root cause of their arrested development is spiritual malnourishment—their souls are starved for wholesome spiritual food. 

Embrace the Life You Have

Embrace the Life You Have – “How do we get past this nagging feeling that there should be more to life? Or that perhaps we are being denied the life that we should have? The life that, if we were completely honest, we believe we deserve.”

What Rob Bell Gets Right and Wrong About the Bible

What Rob Bell Gets Right and Wrong About the Bible “In What Is the Bible?, Bell comes to the Bible having already decided who God is and how he interacts with the world. It’s neither the text nor tradition that gives the Bible authority, but the interpretations of its readers (272). Rather than allowing Scripture to govern his views, Bell’s prior conclusions reign supreme.”

3 Errors of the “Word of Faith” Preaching

3 Errors of the “Word of Faith” Preaching “It’s one thing to criticize Joel Osteen’s preaching on various different levels—both serious and jokingly (such as on The Babylon Bee), but at the foundation, what’s wrong with this approach to preaching?”

Prayer Isn't Magic

Prayer Isn't Magic – Good reminders about what prayer is and what prayer isn’t.

Advance! Advance in Stature

Advance! Advance in Stature – “He (Jesus) fully depended upon God and did all things to the glory of God. He shows the way to surrender our bodies to God, he shows the way to devote our sexuality to God, he shows the way to joy, to fullness of life.

The Real Story of Christianity and Abortion

The Real Story of Christianity and Abortion “The shame is not that evangelicals hold these pro-life convictions now. The shame is that there was ever any evangelical equivocation on such a matter of life and death and human dignity.”

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Let Joy and Sadness Mingle This Mother’s Day

Let Joy and Sadness Mingle This Mother’s Day – “Mother’s Day. Few holidays can rival it for emotional highs and lows.”

A Tribute to Mothers Who Send Their Children Into Missions

A Tribute to Mothers Who Send Their Children Into Missions “I sat listening in a room filled with mothers of missionaries as they shared their stories. At first their words mirrored that of most mothers whose children were grown and gone, laughing about the fingernail polish stain that remains in the carpet to this day, or the clanging noise the dryer still makes years after the rocks fell out of their little boys’ jean pockets. Each memory was tethered to a story, and each story had exponentially grown in value as the years passed.”

How to Not Ruin Your Own Mother’s Day

How to Not Ruin Your Own Mother’s Day – “This Mother’s Day, thousands of moms will be disappointed because the day didn’t turn out the way they expected. But there is hope. There’s a way to have a disappointment-proof Mother’s Day. And it starts with us.”

Every Good Church Is Messy

Every Good Church Is Messy – “No one should be surprised that the church is made up of sinners — it’s one of the admissions that opens the membership door in the first place: we are not perfect and never will be in this life.”

Marriage Wounds

Marriage Wounds – Here’s a neat little article about marriage.

8 Items for Christian Parents to Ponder

8 Items for Christian Parents to Ponder – The old Puritan John Flavel offers these 8 considerations to Christian parents, asking that you would ponder each one and allow them to motivate you to call your children to respond to the gospel.

The World’s Persecution Problem

The World’s Persecution ProblemChristianity Today tries to make sense of the numbers of persecuted Christians in the world.

Friday, May 12, 2017

5 Facts About Mothers and Mother’s Day

5 Facts About Mothers and Mother’s Day – This Sunday is Mother’s Day. Here are five facts you should know about the holiday and about mothers in America.

Why We Don’t Need to Fear the Moment of Our Death

Why We Don’t Need to Fear the Moment of Our Death – “Years ago, I interviewed a young man from Burundi who told me something profound: ‘If I fear death as unbelievers do, I have nothing to offer unbelievers.’ Only when you are free from the fear of death are you really free.”

My View from the Worship Team

My View from the Worship Team – Often the congregation talks about what they see on the platform at church. What do the people on the platform see?

Five Truths About the Holy Spirit

Five Truths About the Holy Spirit – It’s a good and important list.

Men, Lead Out in Prayer

Men, Lead Out in Prayer – “Men, if we want our country and community to change, if we want to see people come to Jesus, we have to be spiritual leaders who are leading out in prayer.”

What Our Stay-at-Home Mom Taught Us

What Our Stay-at-Home Mom Taught Us “You can’t google our mother and see her accolades. She doesn’t speak or write for others. She has no public platform. She doesn’t even have a Facebook account. Yet, for our lives and ministries, she has been more influential than any other person.”

The Cross-Resurrection Contradiction

The Cross-Resurrection Contradiction At the heart of Christian faith is a commitment to a God who enters into suffering.

Three Great Soundbites That Make Terrible Theology

Three Great Soundbites That Make Terrible Theology – “There are other very helpful sound bites that often get used in church. They are good preaching and make a helpful impression upon us. But, again, we don’t want to turn them into absolute statements or our faith will similarly stumble. Let me mention three common ones related to sin.”

How to Talk About Sin in a Postmodern Age

How to Talk About Sin in a Postmodern Age – “We will either worship the uncreated God, or we will worship some created thing (an idol). There is no possibility of our worshiping nothing.”

Research: Only 17% of Christians Actually Have a Biblical Worldview

Research: Only 17% of Christians Actually Have a Biblical Worldview – “Postmodernism, rooted in the theory that objectivity doesn’t exist, finds a pretty welcome audience with practicing Christians.”

The Drive to Abolish Male and Female—and Childbearing

The Drive to Abolish Male and Female—and Childbearing “Ectogenesis would be one of the most important steps in the ‘manning’ of women. It is important to notice that our culture perceives the ‘potential’ of women largely in terms of their liberation from their nature, rather than in their flourishing within the inherent directionality and order of that nature.”

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Laying Aside a Crushing Weight

Laying Aside a Crushing Weight – “Perhaps the weight to which the Hebrews-writer refers is the weight of self-importance, self-aggrandizement, and self-enthronement.”

The Uncomfortable Subject Jesus Addressed More than Anyone Else

The Uncomfortable Subject Jesus Addressed More than Anyone Else – “The doctrine of hell is uncomfortable for most of us. However, our understanding of hell shapes our view of the gospel, God’s holiness, and our depravity. If we don’t accept the reality of hell, we won’t rightly understand the glory of the gospel.”

A Mom’s Children’s Devotional Recommendations

A Mom’s Children’s Devotional Recommendations – “Don't ever forget, God is abounding in grace for exhausted parents who are doing their best. ‘Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain’ (Ps. 127:1). As you partner with God in building a biblical home, take heart that all of the strength, power, grace, and hope comes from Him alone.”

The Particular Importance of Not Being Particular Important

The Particular Importance of Not Being Particular Important “If you’re interested in being somebody in your life, think again. Chances are, Jesus is not on board.”

Four Tips to Encourage Single Christian Women in their Work

Four Tips to Encourage Single Christian Women in their Work – “The topic of Christian singleness and vocation, like life’s most pressing and difficult questions, deserves a rich theology. Whether we’re packing lunches or sitting at an office computer, we owe it to ourselves to wrestle with the Lord and dig into scripture to reflect deeply and soundly about our vocations.” 

Hi Mom! - from Igniter Media

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Why Does God Command Us to Rejoice Always?

Why Does God Command Us to Rejoice Always? – “The answer is found by looking to the future and the eternal hope promised to every Christian, which is the context for the command to sufferers to rejoice in difficult times.”

Mom, Do You Feel Appreciated?

Mom, Do You Feel Appreciated? “I just don’t think we give you enough credit. That’s why I love a national day where we recognize the role of Mom. But Mom … you have to read this: being appreciated cannot be your goal.”

The Making of a Modern Pharisee

The Making of a Modern Pharisee – “We are born legalists. But Pharisees are informed legalists.”

Everything Is Awful (But Only on Twitter)

Everything Is Awful (But Only on Twitter) – “If you spend most of your day scanning social media sites and blogs, you will probably come away with a very specific idea of what American culture is like.” It may not be like that at all.

How Differently Do Men and Women Communicate?

How Differently Do Men and Women Communicate? – “When honoring others pervades our conversations, communication becomes a tool for countering the effects of the fall and furthering God’s kingdom agenda for both men and women.”

20 Quotes from Erik Raymond’s New Book on Contentment

20 Quotes from Erik Raymond’s New Book on Contentment – These are good quotes in a world of discontented people.

David Gushee: Our “differences are unbridgeable”

David Gushee: Our “differences are unbridgeable” – “On the one side are the traditionalists who believe that homosexuality is a sin. On the other side are the revisionists who believe that homosexuality is not sinful. The differences between the traditionalists and the revisionists go right to the heart of what it means to be a Christian.”

Sleep Disorders and the Glory of God

Sleep Disorders and the Glory of God “With sleeplessness comes unique suffering. The side-effects tend to be many, complex, and severe. It can be hard to understand. Perhaps at times, we could benefit to brush up on both the struggles and glories of sleep disorders.”

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Stirring One Another Up

Stirring One Another Up – “He’s calling us to a robust, durable encouragement that has a bite to it.”

The Surprising Upside to Sadness

The Surprising Upside to Sadness – Sadness brings with it some amazing gifts.

Ten Questions Christians Should Ask of Their Entertainment

Ten Questions Christians Should Ask of Their Entertainment – These questions are easily and more conveniently avoided. Don’t pass by this lightly.

Hooray for the Bible’s Last Command!

Hooray for the Bible’s Last Command! – There is much to celebrate in the last command of God’s word.

You Become What You Eat

You Become What You Eat – “Hope is to our soul what energy is to our bodies.| Just like our bodies must have energy to keep going, our souls must have hope to keep going.”

Jesus Saves from Morality

Jesus Saves from Morality“We don’t like to be or associate with people who are clean from a sense of duty. We want to be around those who like being clean.”

Seven Things Church Members Should Say to Guests

Seven Things Church Members Should Say to Guests Friendliness to church guests is more than just shaking their hand. Here are some good ideas for showing church hospitality.

Monday, May 8, 2017

Jesus and the Past Tense

Jesus and the Past Tense Does grammar really matter for the Christian? J. A. Medders challenges the way we talk about Jesus and points us to put who Jesus is in the right tense. 

4 Ways Christians Can Stand Out at Work

4 Ways Christians Can Stand Out at Work – “Driven by a unique view of humanity and a love rooted in the wisdom of the cross, we can stand out at work in at least four ways.”

The Shape of Gospel Astonishment in Psalm 24

The Shape of Gospel Astonishment in Psalm 24 – Jared Wilson provides a devotional on this blessed psalm.

The Unexpected God: How He Meets Us in Disappointment

The Unexpected God: How He Meets Us in Disappointment – “But the very heart and center of the Christian faith should remind us daily that our expectations do not typically map onto the grandeur and goodness and wisdom of God. The cross reminds us that God sent us the Messiah we really needed, not the one anyone expected.”

The Christian and Hospitality: Putting the Gospel on Display

The Christian and Hospitality: Putting the Gospel on Display – Hospitality is a call to all Christians. Lauren Rae Konkol shares the simple, messy part of welcoming others into your home. She speaks from experiences of receiving this Christian care and encourages all to follow suit. 

Three Things Every Parent Needs to Know

Three Things Every Parent Needs to Know – “Parenting need not conjure up fear in the hearts of young moms and dads, but rather joy, for successful parenting is possible, but only if parents know three important things.”

I Just Want Her To Be Happy

I Just Want Her To Be Happy “I have been a medical doctor in the United States for more than thirty years. Today, I often hear American parents say, ‘I just want my child to be happy.’ Unfortunately, when you let contemporary American kids do whatever makes them happy, the result is likely to be teenage girls who spend all their time on Instagram or Snapchat, and teenage boys whose favorite pastimes are video games and pornography.”