What it Means to Invest in Eternity

What it Means to Invest in Eternity – “We all have limited time to invest in our future, and, just as the veteran knew he had one chance invest in his future, Christians have a limited window to invest in eternity.”

Chick-fil-A is Always Closed on Sunday… Except When an Ox Falls Into a Pit

Chick-fil-A is Always Closed on Sunday… Except When an Ox Falls Into a Pit – “The American fast food chain Chick-fil-A is a favorite among Christians for the owners’ unwavering stand against Sunday opening. But it turns out this unwavering stance has some jiggle room to it, when needed.”

How to Seize Your Commute as a Christian

How to Seize Your Commute as a Christian – “How much time do you spend commuting? Whether you’re in a car, bus, airplane, or whatever, you can redeem the time by getting things done while commuting.”

3 Reasons Why Younger Christians Should Attend the Funeral Service of Older Christians

3 Reasons Why Younger Christians Should Attend the Funeral Service of Older Christians – “When was the last time you attended the funeral service for a young person? The funeral home was most likely swarming with people of all ages—young, old, and middle aged. This is the typical pattern for such funeral scenes. However, it’s not terribly uncommon for you to walk into the funeral service for a 90-year old church member and find the funeral home nearly empty. Where is the disconnect?”

The State of Our Union… with Christ

The State of Our Union… with Christ – This is the one that really counts this day.

10 Things You Should Know about Suffering

10 Things You Should Know about Suffering – Dave Furman speaks from experience.

Four Reasons to Remember Your Creator in Youth

Four Reasons to Remember Your Creator in Youth – The Bible says, “Youth, middle age, and old age for your Creator.”

The Gospel Is Never Old News

The Gospel Is Never Old News – “The gospel is not just the ABCs but the A-to-Z of the Christian life.”

Young Teens and Social Media

Young Teens and Social Media – “As with many things, technology can be a useful tool and a source of enjoyment, connection, and education. It can also become an addiction, idol, or tool for malice.”

Too Busy To Love My Neighbor

Too Busy To Love My Neighbor – “Busyness aggravates self-centeredness.”

Over Our Dead Bodies: Embracing the Costs of Warning the Lost

Over Our Dead Bodies: Embracing the Costs of Warning the Lost – We need grace and discernment but without compromising truth.

The Deal

The Deal – This is delivered with generous portions of sarcasm and a lot of truth.

Don't Be a Rich Fool

Don't Be a Rich Fool – “We must not become earth-rich and God-poor. When the day of accounting comes, when the kingdom's currency is requested for entrance into paradise, all the wealthy, fun-loving, permanent-vacation-taking souls will come up totally empty-handed.”

Does ‘Turn the Other Cheek’ Mean ‘Get Walked All Over’?

Does ‘Turn the Other Cheek’ Mean ‘Get Walked All Over’? – “Here are four observations that might help as we consider such questions.”

7 Signs You’re Way Too Busy

7 Signs You’re Way Too Busy – “Contrary to what many of us have been told, we can’t handle it all, nor should we. So how do we know when we’re reaching our limit?”

Small Steps Can Lead to Big Changes

Small Steps Can Lead to Big Changes – “These small changes make a big difference in the life of our marriages. And then eventually, we can take on other small steps in the future. They all add up.”

If God Doesn’t Heal You

If God Doesn’t Heal You – “While we pray, we must attend to a critical distinction: although God can heal us, we must never presume that he must.”

No Greater Gift Than to Pray for Each Other

No Greater Gift Than to Pray for Each Other – Always, we should pray for one another.

If He Calls You, He Will Equip You

If He Calls You, He Will Equip You – “God often stretches us beyond what we think is possible. He calls us to tasks that seem greater than our capabilities. If you’re in a place of insecurity today, wondering how you’re going to handle the assignment given to you, remember three things.”

St. Charles Darwin

St. Charles Darwin – “Evolution may or may not be a religion, as its critics aver, but it certainly has a holy saint who must not be criticized: Charles Darwin.”

Hope for Waiting Hearts

Hope for Waiting Hearts – “When you’re in a season of waiting and feel yourself becoming anxious, run to these and remind yourself of the hope that is yours.”

Trials, Our Blessed Chauffeurs

Trials, Our Blessed Chauffeurs – “We don’t often think of trials as our servants. But surprisingly, they drive us from our insufficiency to God’s all-sufficiency. Like a spiritual uber driver, they chauffeur us to God’s blessings.”

Why Should You Join A Local Church?

Why Should You Join A Local Church? – Here are some good biblical reasons for you and for the people you know.

Too Busy to Love My Neighbor

Too Busy to Love My Neighbor – “As you think through your closest relationships and the opportunities you have (or the ones you want) to serve and love your neighbors, make sure your calendar and commitments aren’t working against you.”

How Could Jacob Not Notice He Married Leah Instead of Rachel?

How Could Jacob Not Notice He Married Leah Instead of Rachel? – Just in case you’ve wondered, GotQuestions has some answers. It’s a helpful, reliable website for a lot of Bible questions.

The False Gospel We Don’t Talk About

The False Gospel We Don’t Talk About – “What the perpetrators of false gospels do is to encourage you to be obedient to something other than the gospel. But let’s be clear about what obedience to the gospel really means.” 

Don’t be Scared of Lame Evangelism

Don’t be Scared of Lame Evangelism – “We assume too much of our techniques and approach and think too little of the gospel itself.” 

Four Reasons to Think About Hell Every Day

Four Reasons to Think About Hell Every Day – Here are four reasons not to ignore hell, but to think about it often.

Start Planning Your Own Funeral

Start Planning Your Own Funeral – “We should live today like we’ll die tomorrow. Resolve to think about your death more often. Resolve to plan your own funeral every now and then, at least in your mind.”

A Psalmic Faith

A Psalmic Faith – “I found my Psalmic faith personally challenged last year when my father died suddenly. I was a daddy’s girl. Despite sharing the gospel with him many times, he rejected the claims of Christ.”

12 Signs of Repentance

12 Signs of Repentance – “In Luke chapter 3, John the Baptist calls those who repent to show it by their fruit. But what does the fruit of repentance look like?”

The Demographics of Others

The Demographics of Others – This is an interesting tool to see a snapshot of the world around us and where we fit into that world.

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit – “It is only through recognition of our poverty that we receive the true riches.”

The Fear of the Lord

The Fear of the Lord – “The reality is that people don’t want to fear God because they don’t want God in their lives. Some professing Christians don’t fear Him because they don’t actually know the God of Scripture, while they presume upon His grace to save them.”

The One Social Media Sin We’re All Apparently OK With

The One Social Media Sin We’re All Apparently OK With – “Imagine if your posts and comments on social media glowed with an extra light beyond just the backlight of the screen. The life you infuse into others will be the life you reap in return.”

Saving Our Children From Smartphones

Saving Our Children From Smartphones – Walt Whitman wrote, “There was a child went forth every day, And the first object he look’d upon, that object he became.”

Is This Life Too Short to Determine Our Eternal Destiny?

Is This Life Too Short to Determine Our Eternal Destiny? – “God is just to condemn a person, not just on the basis of seventy years of sinning, but five seconds of sinning.”

How Christian Is Self-Improvement?

How Christian Is Self-Improvement? – “If we feel greater personal satisfaction and self-esteem because of our new disciplines, but it’s not positively impacting the people around us (but perhaps even coming at their expense), then our resolutions are not saying anything positive about Jesus.”

Don’t Waste Your Retirement

Don’t Waste Your Retirement – “The Christian life is not moving toward night; it’s moving toward noon. There are no sunset years.”

Unapologetically Pro-Life—From the Moment of Conception Until the Last Breath on Earth

Unapologetically Pro-Life—From the Moment of Conception Until the Last Breath on Earth – “Being pro-life goes from the womb to the tomb, and Christians need to be unapologetic about those values.”

William Carey’s Greatest Obstacle: The Local Church

William Carey’s Greatest Obstacle: The Local Church – “The local church was thus one of the biggest obstacles that Carey faced in his pursuit of missions. But he would not relent. He continued to bring the plight of the nations before the church until at last his fellow ministers started to desire to see the nations worship Christ.”

When Your Heart Hurts

When Your Heart Hurts – “Today, in particular, thank you for validating our sufferings, and for pledging yourself to us in our hard places and broken stories.”

The Prayer that Turns the World Upside Down

The Prayer that Turns the World Upside Down – “The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer that turns the world upside down. Are you looking for revolution? There is no clearer call to revolution than when we pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” 

4th Reason to Study Lamentations

4th Reason to Study Lamentations – “Previously, we noted three reasons God gave us the book of Lamentations. First, to show us the awful reality of sin so that our hearts will long for reconciliation with God. Second, to remind us how much we need God’s faithfulness, mercy, and love. Third, to reveal his sovereign faithfulness in both judgment and mercy. And finally, let us consider a fourth reason to study this Old Testament book.”

Confused by All the Attacks on the Bible?

Confused by All the Attacks on the Bible? – “When it comes to the truth of the Bible, our world has found plenty of reasons to reject it. We are bombarded with a dizzying variety of objections. So much so, that the average believer is quickly overwhelmed. It’s a bit like being in a fight with multiple opponents at the same time.”

Reading the Bible Fully in a Year

Reading the Bible Fully in a Year – “We should be reminded that as we read the Bible this year, we don’t just want to read it through, we want to read it well.”

Why Do So Many Evangelicals Support Abortion?

Why Do So Many Evangelicals Support Abortion? – “Foremost is likely that too many Christians take a “I’m morally opposed, but . . .” position, in which they allow their political convictions to trump their moral commitments to justice.”

The Humble Leader

The Humble Leader – “Leadership is often very humbling, and leadership is most dangerous when it ceases to be.” 

Seven Thoughts on the Billy Graham / Mike Pence Rule

Seven Thoughts on the Billy Graham / Mike Pence Rule – “The Billy Graham/Mike Pence Rule establishes that a man will not put himself in situations in which he is alone with a woman who is not his wife.”

What To Say When Someone You Know Is Grieving

What To Say When Someone You Know Is Grieving – As a woman who truly knows what it's like to grieve, Nancy Guthrie gives practical, loving wisdom for how to talk to people who are grieving. 

Parents, Take Note of the Spiritual Practices Common to Kids Who Flourish As Adults

Parents, Take Note of the Spiritual Practices Common to Kids Who Flourish As Adults – “A new LifeWay Research study surveyed 2000 Protestant and non-denominational churchgoers who attend church at least once a month and have adult children ages 18 to 30. The goal of the project was to discover what parenting practices were common in the families where young adults remained in the faith.”

Don't Just Stand There, Say Something: Intention vs. Action in Evangelism

Don't Just Stand There, Say Something: Intention vs. Action in Evangelism – Simply praying for the lost is not enough.

5 Lies Christians Tell About Money

5 Lies Christians Tell About Money – “Here are five common misconceptions.”

Start Planning Your Own Funeral

Start Planning Your Own Funeral – “Death might frighten us because it’s unknown—but it doesn’t have to. If we think about death often, and realize that to live is Christ and to die truly is gain, then we can live lives full of wisdom and godliness. We get to live for Christ today, and we gain him even more if we die tomorrow.”

Why Have Accountability

Why Have Accountability – Miriam McConnell explains what the Bible says about accountability and why every believer needs it.

Do You Think About Your Death

Do You Think About Your Death – “This is why the enemy keeps us from thinking and talking about death. And this is why we must work to keep the brevity of life on the forefront of our minds.” 

3rd Reason to Study Lamentations

3rd Reason to Study Lamentations – “In the first and second post in this little series on the book of Lamentations, we noted two reasons God gave us this very sad book.” Here’s the third.  

Maybe You Need to Wave the White Flag

Maybe You Need to Wave the White Flag – “One of our perennial problems is that we mistake the behavioral tidiness and normalcy of our everyday routines for spiritual tidiness and normalcy. But this is a trap all too common in modern life. We have compartmentalized our spirituality.”

Why It Was Not Good for Man to Be Alone

Why It Was Not Good for Man to Be Alone – “So the fundamental reason why it was not good for Adam to be alone was not because of a need to fulfilled within Adam, but rather because of a deficiency in his ability to accurately image God.”

Why We Should Escape Social Media (And Why We Don’t)

Why We Should Escape Social Media (And Why We Don’t) – “Smartphones promise to protect us from athazagoraphobia — the fear of being forgotten. So we impulsively connect, from the moment we wake up to the moment we must surrender ourselves to sleep.”

4 Ways Sexual Sin Can Kill Your Marriage

4 Ways Sexual Sin Can Kill Your Marriage – This is worth the read for the warnings and advice.

Forgive Us Our What? Three Ways We Say the Lord’s Prayer

Forgive Us Our What? Three Ways We Say the Lord’s Prayer – Is it “sins”, “depths”, or “trespasses”?

Fact Checking The Crown: Queen Elizabeth and Billy Graham’s Friendship

Fact Checking The Crown: Queen Elizabeth and Billy Graham’s Friendship – Did the show take some liberties in depicting the queen’s faith and her relationship with the evangelist?

2nd Reason to Study Lamentations

2nd Reason to Study Lamentations – “There is only one real help in suffering. There is only one genuine hope for those who know their utter hopelessness–God Himself.”

Weariness is Part of the Job

Weariness is Part of the Job – Here is a helpful distinction between burnout and weariness.

To Phone or Not to Phone—and When?

To Phone or Not to Phone—and When? – Eric Geiger thinks through the questions to consider when deciding if/when to give your teen a phone.

Dissect Your Discouragement

Dissect Your Discouragement – “When discouragement is dissected, three lies are often found wreaking havoc beneath the emotion.”

Your Relationship With God Is What Defines You Most

Your Relationship With God Is What Defines You Most – “Relationships define us. Make sure the relationship that defines you best is the one you have with God.”

How to Build Snowmen from a Snowflake Generation

How to Build Snowmen from a Snowflake Generation – “In the end, we created the snowflakes. It’s now our job to build snowmen.”

Sobering Reflections on the Hawaiian Missile Scare

Sobering Reflections on the Hawaiian Missile Scare – “God holds His people fast as they cling to His Son Jesus through faith. He is our only refuge in the day of trouble.” Here are two simple reminders.

4 Reasons to Study Lamentations in Your Small Group

4 Reasons to Study Lamentations in Your Small Group – “This is the first of four posts encouraging you to study the Old Testament book of Lamentations.”

A New Prophet Chosen for the LDS Church

A New Prophet Chosen for the LDS Church – “Yesterday, a new prophet of the 16-million-member Mormon church was announced. Ninety-three-year-old Russell Nelson will now serve as the 17^th prophet and president of the LDS faith.” Here’s an explanation of what this means and why it matters.

She is Broken, and She is Beautiful

She is Broken, and She is Beautiful – “The Church is broken because she is made of broken people. But she is also beautiful because she has been healed by a beautiful Savior. I find pieces of my sanctification in serving alongside the members of the broken and beautiful Bride of Christ. He will surely present her pure and spotless before the Father one bright, glorious day.”

Why It’s Hard for Muslims to Convert

Why It’s Hard for Muslims to Convert – “Most Muslims are born in a Muslim country and/or a Muslim family and simply adopt Islam as their religion by default. What that means is that there is a strong cultural and familial component to being Muslim. Abandoning Islam often means abandoning their family and tradition. That is hard to overcome.”

Mothers, Embrace the Mess

Mothers, Embrace the Mess – Caroline Albanese writes, “I feel trapped in the tension of wanting an immaculate home and a full and vibrant childhood for my kids. I wind up anxious and dissatisfied with the state of my home, and sometimes my life.”

Do You Want the Friends You Need?

Do You Want the Friends You Need? – God brings people into our lives to grow us and stretch us. We would most often choose only those who agree with us and are like us.

Comfort is a Deadly Compass

Comfort is a Deadly Compass – “When given choices we often tend towards that which is going to be the most comfortable and most personally rewarding. But what if our compass is defective?”

When Was Acts Written?

When Was Acts Written? – This is a good example of how biblical books are dated. In this case, what is the most reasonable date for the writing of the book of Acts?

Will #MeToo Cause Hollywood to Rethink its Views on Sex?

Will #MeToo Cause Hollywood to Rethink its Views on Sex? – “While it is certainly a good thing that systemic harassment and predatory sexual behavior are being called out and exposed, the reality is Hollywood has always been one of the chief purveyors of sex as commodity.”

10 Aspects of Gospel-Centered Forgiveness

10 Aspects of Gospel-Centered Forgiveness – “The fruit of the gospel’s work in a person’s heart includes the forming of a posture of forgiveness which flows from grace.” Here are principles from the story of Philemon.

How to Reconcile with Another Christian

How to Reconcile with Another Christian – “How do we reconcile with fellow Christians? In my thirteen years of pastoral ministry, I have found that much of my calling deals with helping those who have been injured by other people—especially other people in the church.”

4 Reasons Why God Isn’t Answering Your Prayers

4 Reasons Why God Isn’t Answering Your Prayers – “God answers every prayer — but he often says ‘no.’ Why does God sometimes not answer your prayers the way you want him to?”

Taking Care of the Poor: The Most Ignored Command in the Bible?

Taking Care of the Poor: The Most Ignored Command in the Bible? – “Chances are, you’re well aware of what the Bible says about the poor. You know the Bible says we should be generous in how we treat them. Very few Christians would argue that God wants us to be stingy around poor people or suspicious of them. So here’s the question: why don’t we obey?”

Why Not Just Teach Them French?

Why Not Just Teach Them French? – This is a great illustration of why everyone needs to hear God’s word in their own language and have their own translation of the Bible.

Lord, Revive My First Love

Lord, Revive My First Love – “The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.”

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Letter from Birmingham Jail – Today we mark the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 15, 1929. Today I read again his masterpiece “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. It still speaks today.

3 Things Heaven Changes

3 Things Heaven Changes – Reflecting on heaven is not just something for “one of these days”. It touches life today.

The Easiest Sin to Justify

The Easiest Sin to Justify – “When it comes to the sin of anger, we can always find an explanation that exists outside of us. We can always dump this sin in the lap of a husband or wife, a child or stranger. Failing that, we can plead fatigue or hormones or waking up on the wrong side of the bed or something—anything!—else.”

Is God a Good Father?

Is God a Good Father? – “Is God a good father? Can it be true? Can we allow our hearts for one solitary moment to bask in this kind of optimism? The answer is either yes or we simply have to reject the whole of the New Testament.”

I Was Denied Service Because of the Company’s Values, and I’m OK With That

I Was Denied Service Because of the Company’s Values, and I’m OK With That – This is an interesting story and lands on a strong application.

Salvation for the Sinking

Salvation for the Sinking – “Sinking times are praying times with the Lord's servants.”

Moralism is Not the Gospel (But Many Christians Think It Is)

Moralism is Not the Gospel (But Many Christians Think It Is) – “This false gospel can take many forms and can emerge from any number of political and cultural impulses. Nevertheless, the basic structure of moralism comes down to this — the belief that the Gospel can be reduced to improvements in behavior.”

Good News for Modern Parents

Good News for Modern Parents – “We’re desperately trying to keep up with the 10 Things Every Parent Must Know, the 12 Mistakes New Parents Make, and the 17 Habits of Highly Happy Families. But we end up feeling confused by conflicting advice, guilty about our imperfections, and afraid of damaging our children.”

How the Queen Has Made Faith Her Message

How the Queen Has Made Faith Her Message – “To the royal household, it is known as the QXB – the Queen’s Christmas broadcast. To millions of people, it is still an essential feature of Christmas Day. To the Queen, her annual broadcast is the time when she speaks to the nation without the government scripting it. But in recent years, it has also become something else: a declaration of her Christian faith. As Britain has become more secular, the Queen’s messages have followed the opposite trajectory.”

The Seven Churches of Revelation

The Seven Churches of Revelation – “The book of Revelation opens with seven letters to seven churches. Each of the seven letters is a prophetic word from Jesus, through the Spirit, who is inspiring John to write. Who were the recipients of these letters? How were they read and understood in the first century? And what are we to make of them today?”

9 Things You Should Know About the ‘Mississippi Burning’ Murders

9 Things You Should Know About the ‘Mississippi Burning’ Murders – This event was a dark day in American history and major event in the civil rights movement.

World Watch List

World Watch List – This map (or list, if you choose) displays those nations where Christians are most persecuted. In other words, it helps direct your prayers for the persecuted church.

What the Devil Doesn’t Want You to Know

What the Devil Doesn’t Want You to Know – “Here is a truth the devil really doesn’t want you to know: the commands of God are not burdensome (1 John 5:3).”

How Humility Holds Marriages Together

How Humility Holds Marriages Together – “Most of us need to learn how to be more humble, and that means in our marriages and partnerships.”

Warnings Against the “Re-Moralization” of Sex

Warnings Against the “Re-Moralization” of Sex – “Only a recovery of a Judeo-Christian ethos or something like it can remoralize sex in a meaningful way–setting boundaries and promoting virtues–that will address the problems of uncontrolled sexual desires and work for the benefit of both women and men.”

4 Reasons Every Church Needs Senior Saints

4 Reasons Every Church Needs Senior Saints – I love our multi-generational church.

Sanctification and God’s Rambunctious Children

Sanctification and God’s Rambunctious Children – “Spiritual adulthood cannot happen in our own strength. In our own understanding, we cannot begin to fathom how to get there. All we can do is realize and accept our childishness and pray for God to make us more like Him.”

What Creation Can’t Stop Saying

What Creation Can’t Stop Saying – “The sun rises and your heart bursts with praise to God.”

What Do We Do with Dreams?

What Do We Do with Dreams? – “As believers living today, we are well advised to, like the centuries of Christians who have come before us, to find out guidance chiefly from the Word of God, the Scriptures, rather than our dreams or even our intuitions.”

Teaching Our Children to Pray

Teaching Our Children to Pray – “By encouraging our children to pray, we are teaching them the language, the practice, and the importance of prayer.”

4 Money Mistakes Everyone Makes

4 Money Mistakes Everyone Makes – “Most people think the easiest way to stop being stressed about money is just to have more of it. But barring a lottery win or stumbling across Blackbeard’s treasure, we’ll have to settle for being smarter with the money we do have.”

The Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous to Be a Christian

The Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous to Be a Christian – Remember and pray for the persecuted church around the world.

6 Qualities of the Posture of Forgiveness

6 Qualities of the Posture of Forgiveness – “The Holy Spirit was kind to include the very personal letter of Philemon in our Bible, as a case study in forgiveness practiced the way Jesus commanded.”

8 Ways to Actually Deepen Your Faith – “Have you been moving forward in your Christian walk? Or do you struggle to enjoy a real relationship with God?”

3 Spiritual Reasons to Do Something You're Not Good At

3 Spiritual Reasons to Do Something You're Not Good At – I found the spiritual applications here to be challenging and encouraging.

Seduced By a Comfortable Life

Seduced By a Comfortable Life – “When we live in affluence, ease, and comfort, it is easy to forget how much we need God.”

Waiting for God to Text Back

Waiting for God to Text Back – “Though our fast-paced hearts celebrate God’s fast-moving deliverances, God does not value the things our world values. In fact, sometimes he displays his glory by moving slowly.”

Hudson Taylor’s Remarkable Christian Conversion

Hudson Taylor’s Remarkable Christian Conversion – “Hudson Taylor was the eminent nineteenth century pioneer missionary to inland China. The story of Hudson’s Christian conversion through the prayerful influence of his mother is somewhat well known and quite extraordinary. 

The Most Common Apologetic in the Bible?

The Most Common Apologetic in the Bible? – “Clifford Williams lists thirteen basic human needs that Christianity meets.”

Let God’s Voice Cast Out Fear

Let God’s Voice Cast Out Fear – “What are some truths we can cling to when fear looms and threatens our faith?”

Don’t Just Read Your Bible

Don’t Just Read Your Bible – “Before any of Israel’s great stories of faith were written, they were spoken and heard in the form of narratives, parables, and sayings. The people lived a Scripture-listening life.”

What’s Wrong with Dressing Immodestly for Attention?

What’s Wrong with Dressing Immodestly for Attention? – “The principle here is this: find the streams that are feeding the river of sensual desire, and cut them off.”

Talk to the Children When Fencing the Table

Talk to the Children When Fencing the Table – “I wanted them to hear me explain why they were not invited to join with us in worship through the bread and cup. What follows are some basic reasons why you should talk to the children when fencing the table.”

12 Observations on the iGeneration

12 Observations on the iGeneration – Eric Geiger continues his summary and analysis.

We Are the Light of the (Cyber) World: Let’s Act Like It

We Are the Light of the (Cyber) World: Let’s Act Like It – Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly...online.

The Life-Changing Benefit of Sticking Yourself in a Rut

The Life-Changing Benefit of Sticking Yourself in a Rut – “And at the end of our lives, when we look back across the paths we have traveled, may we be able to see how the small adjustments and mundane habits determined the destination where we arrived.”

How to Help Your Children Read the Bible

How to Help Your Children Read the Bible – “There is no simple formula for success here. Each child is different, and the Holy Spirit works in different ways and at different times with each one. But I have found certain means of grace that generally prove effective.”

Does My Teenager Really Need Youth Group?

Does My Teenager Really Need Youth Group? – “Student ministry is not perfect. But, if structured properly, it can be a place that helps teenagers become what every Christian parent desires – mature followers of Jesus Christ.”

How To Evaluate Your Life for Fillers and Drainers

How To Evaluate Your Life for Fillers and Drainers – “Managing our energy consumption is as important as managing our money and our time.” 

Is Social Media Bad for You?

Is Social Media Bad for You? – Here are some key areas where it causes harm.

3 Reasons God Sends the Bread of Adversity

3 Reasons God Sends the Bread of Adversity – Here are three ways he gives us the bread of adversity.

The Two Primary Aims of Apologetics

The Two Primary Aims of Apologetics – Apologetics is about persuading others. Sometime we need to persuade unbelievers and sometimes we need persuade believers.

Fear the Lord, Not the New Year

Fear the Lord, Not the New Year – “To fear the Lord is to approach Him with a reverent attitude of worship that regards Him as truly awesome! In short, to fear the Lord sets Him in His rightful place in our lives as not only being greater, but our source of hope, adoration and wisdom.”

Lessons from the Book of Job

Lessons from the Book of Job – “Through Job's story, God offers paradigm-shifting insights to face suffering.”

Beginning At The Beginning

Beginning At The Beginning – Jasmine Holmes writes on the need to start in Genesis to understand Biblical Womanhood. She reflects on the Creation narrative, and what it means for women. 

20 Truths from Enter the Ring: Fighting Together for a Gospel-Saturated Marriage

20 Truths from Enter the Ring: Fighting Together for a Gospel-Saturated Marriage – Here are some good and mostly missed marriage principles.

Trust Your Bible — Not Your Experience

Trust Your Bible — Not Your Experience – “It is far more important that you interpret your experience from the Bible than from your memory.”

Sabbath as a Sermon for the Ambitious

Sabbath as a Sermon for the Ambitious – “It’s fascinating how many articles on Sabbath are appearing in both Christian and secular media. What’s also interesting is how many Christians are re-discovering Sabbath after years of rejecting it due to legalistic associations in their youth.”

Seeing with Gospel Eyes

Seeing with Gospel Eyes – “No matter the health of our natural eyes, there’s an ophthalmological corrective than can only take place as the gospel does its work on the eyes of our hearts.” 

4 Ways We Should Never Settle in Marriage

4 Ways We Should Never Settle in Marriage – “There are times when we should never settle, especially in marriage.”

What Is Addiction?

What Is Addiction? – “The word addiction is now a regular part of our vocabulary. But what does it mean? How might we define it biblically? Most simply, addiction may be defined as voluntary enslavement to sin (Romans 6:12-13).”

Five Ways Satan Undermines Muslim Conversions

Five Ways Satan Undermines Muslim Conversions – “Let me give you some encouraging news: despite some unsubstantiated stories and exaggerated statistics, it is true that history has never seen so many Muslims bowing the knee to the Lord Jesus!”

11 Reasons Church Membership Matters More than Ever

11 Reasons Church Membership Matters More than Ever – “Although church membership may not be moving the needle like it did in the second half of the 20^th Century, I believe it is more important than ever. Carefully note these reasons why.”

Why ‘Falling Out of Love’ Never Justifies Divorce

Why ‘Falling Out of Love’ Never Justifies Divorce – “Staying married is not first about staying in love. It’s about covenant keeping.”

I Need You To Watch Over Me

I Need You To Watch Over Me – “There is hope in the fact that the eyes of the Lord are upon us. He is watching and because we are in Christ this is a comment of encouragement.”

4 Problems with Downplaying God’s Wrath

4 Problems with Downplaying God’s Wrath – “Many Christians seem to want to tone down, or even excise completely from our creed, the doctrine of divine wrath. It is seen as an embarrassment—something to be ameliorated, qualified, explained, reconfigured.”

Knowing and Engaging the Mission of the Church

Knowing and Engaging the Mission of the Church – “When I meet a fellow believer, there is an instant connection and bond that’s formed. I immediately feel comfortable and connected with them. The reason we feel that connection is not only because we are brothers and sisters in the Lord, but because we share a common mission and devotion.”

Cultural Myths About Truth and Love

Cultural Myths About Truth and Love – “So Satan--with an insatiable desire to reduce love into deeds that are void of truth or to communicate truth through self-righteous arrogance--today employs five deceptive myths.”

The FAQs: What You Should Know About the Iranian Protests

The FAQs: What You Should Know About the Iranian Protests – “Many of the current protestors are calling for a regime change. The government crackdown, which included sending Revolutionary Guards into at least three cities, has lead to 21 deaths and more than 1,000 arrests.”

6 Cracks in a Secular Worldview

6 Cracks in a Secular Worldview – “When our friends hear the claims of Jesus, they wonder why we’d believe such fantastical things when there is a perfectly rational, coherent view of the world available to us. But if we look at the secular ground on which we supposedly all stand, we’ll realize it’s more like pack ice floating away from land. And there are cracks in the ice. Here are six of them.”

‘Do Not Be Discouraged’: YouVersion Bible App Tops 300 Million Downloads

‘Do Not Be Discouraged’: YouVersion Bible App Tops 300 Million Downloads – “Nine years ago, YouVersion’s Bible app was one of the first 200 free apps in the brand-new Apple App Store. Within seven years, it had been downloaded 200 million times. In 2017, the Bible app reached 300 million installs.” 

Your Fresh Start Begins Today

Your Fresh Start Begins Today – “I eventually realized all of us have two choices when it comes to healthy living. We can engage in a foolish, unhealthy lifestyle and pay the consequences, or we can wisely steward what God has given us as a sacred gift and seek to please Him with our health choices.”

The Staggering Consequences of Neglecting Your Bible

The Staggering Consequences of Neglecting Your Bible – “Often when we read the first Psalm, we are struck by the qualities of a life characterized by delight in God’s Word. The life marinated in the Scriptures leads to a life that is faithful to God.” 

The Secret to Taming the Crazy Busy Life in 2018

The Secret to Taming the Crazy Busy Life in 2018 – “How does biblical community simplify our lives? It focuses and limits them so we can grow in grace together.”

They are Our Children, After All

They are Our Children, After All – “In a perfect world, Christian parents would teach their children the gospel, and it would be embraced quickly, and without incident. Children would go seamlessly from childhood to godly adulthood without a blip on the screen.”

I Couldn’t Call God ‘Father’

I Couldn’t Call God ‘Father’ – “In Islam there are 99 names for Allah. Not one of them is “Father.” I am from a family of six children. My father never showed us love. Whenever I heard of people speak about the love and support of their fathers, I had no idea what they meant.”

Does Your Doubt Dishonor God? What No One Says About Weak Faith

Does Your Doubt Dishonor God? What No One Says About Weak Faith – “It’s hard writing words you suspect will be misunderstood. My heart goes out to struggling saints who are prone to find fresh reasons to feel discouraged...My aim is not to take wheelchairs away from those who really need them, but to admonish the idle to stand and become strong in the Lord.”

Living By Prayer

Living By Prayer – I read this several years ago. It was a good word today.

Beginning of the Year Check-In Questions for Christians

Beginning of the Year Check-In Questions for Christians – “Don’t leave your spiritual growth up to spontaneity. Make a plan. Now that we’re in 2018, here are some questions to ask as you formulate ways to grow.”

My Spiritual Fitness Plan for 2018

My Spiritual Fitness Plan for 2018 – “If you want to grow more mature this year, you will need to get serious about reading your Bible consistently. LifeWay’s largest research project identified eight Biblical factors that consistently show up in the life of a maturing believer, the top being Bible engagement.” 

Deep Bible Reading Strategies for the Tired and Busy

Deep Bible Reading Strategies for the Tired and Busy – “Find a slot once a week where you do some serious digging in the word.”

How to Read Through the Bible in a Year With Kids

How to Read Through the Bible in a Year With Kids – “One of the most important spheres of influence in which we can lead Scripture engagement is within our own families. But often this is the most difficult place to start! That’s why we asked J.R. Briggs, founder of Kairos Partnerships, to give us some tips.”

An Incredible Invitation From the Creator of the Universe

An Incredible Invitation From the Creator of the Universe – “God wants me to be asking him for things all the time? He’s not too busy running the universe to hear my petty requests? I mean, I’m dust. Does he really want me to keep coming to him all the time with my needs and desires?” 

How To Be Happy This Year (Hint: It’s Not Complicated)

How To Be Happy This Year (Hint: It’s Not Complicated) – It’s simple and practical.

Bearing the Burdens of the Broken

Bearing the Burdens of the Broken – “Most of us want to give to others without being burdened. We think we’ve earned our burden-free life, and we’re reluctant to step into any situation that puts weight back on our shoulders. But that’s not what people who have experienced the power of the gospel should look like.”

Christ’s Dependence on the Holy Spirit

Christ’s Dependence on the Holy Spirit – Christ needed the Holy Spirit at his birth, in his growth, in his ministry, in his suffering, and in his exaltation. What was the role of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s life on earth?

Corporate America’s Strange New Gospel

Corporate America’s Strange New Gospel – “‘Mindfulness,’ a meditation practice that is in essence Buddhism without Buddha, is everywhere in corporate America and celebrity culture.” This interesting article looks at mindfulness as the latest trend in the vein of self empowerment and prosperity gospel.

A Gospel-Shaped 2018

A Gospel-Shaped 2018 – “Our only New Year’s resolution is to believe the gospel more fully and gladly.”

Making a Fresh Start with God

Making a Fresh Start with God – “Here are three subtle but important shifts in your time with God that can make a huge difference in your relationship with God.”

The Turn of the Year

The Turn of the Year – “The turn of the year is a good time to look back and to look ahead. In times past, many healthy Christians would use significant seasons – the new year, for example, or a birthday, or the anniversary of one’s conversion (if known) – to pause and to ponder the course of their lives. It was for them, and could be for us, a season of searching self-examination. It was a means of doing their souls much good.”

A New Year, A New Bible Reading Plan

A New Year, A New Bible Reading Plan – “We need to read large sections of Scripture and stop to meditate on short passages. Here’s a reading plan that allows you to do both.” I’ve been blessed by it several times.