Danger: Doing ‘Jesusy’ Stuff Without Knowing Jesus

Danger: Doing ‘Jesusy’ Stuff Without Knowing Jesus – “There is the difficult truth to sort out in the midst of hard work: it is not our hard works that save, but Jesus’ hard work. It is apparently possible to do a whole bunch of stuff ‘in Jesus’ name’ that has no real connection to him whatsoever.”

7 Important Things God Says About Anxiety

7 Important Things God Says About Anxiety – Here are seven good words from God’s word.

The Book of Revelation Is Not About the Rapture

The Book of Revelation Is Not About the Rapture – “Every time something big happens in the news, especially if it involves the Middle East, it seems a new set of books, reinterpreting the book of Revelation, is published. It is, therefore, no surprise when the reader begins to get the impression that the book of Revelation is a very dark, mysterious book that is difficult, if not downright impossible, to understand.”

Eight Warning Signs Your Church Is Drifting from God’s Mission

Eight Warning Signs Your Church Is Drifting from God’s Mission  - You can listen to the podcast or read the summary.

Serving up a Plate of Self-Control

Serving up a Plate of Self-Control – “If we want to live wisely regarding what we eat, we need to make right choices as God leads us, not as our appetites urge us.”

Every Good Parent Will Have Regrets: Advice to My 30-Year-Old Self

Every Good Parent Will Have Regrets: Advice to My 30-Year-Old Self – What would I tell my younger self about parenting?

What’s Your Foundation?

What’s Your Foundation? – “Here’s the truth: Isaiah tells us that, while everything else on earth is passing away, God’s Word will last forever. It is the most solid foundation in existence, and we are made to build our lives upon Jesus and His words.”

9 Things You Should Know About the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

9 Things You Should Know About the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) – “When earlier this year Illinois ratified the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution, questions arose about the potential for the amendment to be adopted in the near future. Here are nine things you should know about the ERA, its history, and its potential effects.”

Why The Book of Acts Matters For Your Life

Why The Book of Acts Matters For Your Life – The biblical characters and the story of the mission of the gospel in Acts has deep implications for our lives. This book tells a story and reminds us that "God is able to save."

15 Sobering Reminders About Hell (And What It Means for Us)

15 Sobering Reminders About Hell (And What It Means for Us) – “Here are fifteen biblical truths about hell as we consider eternity and our ministry in these days.”

How To Help Your Daughter Respond to Mean Girls

How To Help Your Daughter Respond to Mean Girls – “As parents, we can’t protect our daughters from ever encountering a mean girl. At some point, each of them will. What we can do, though, is help equip them to face mean girls well.”

Three Ways Parents Can Pray for Their Prodigal Children

Three Ways Parents Can Pray for Their Prodigal Children – Here are three key ways to pray.

How to Sabotage a Bible Study

How to Sabotage a Bible Study – Here’s a backdoor approach to having a great Bible study.

Why the Book of Acts Matters for Your Life

Why the Book of Acts Matters for Your Life – “The Book of Acts gives us an example of radical generosity to follow, and we should seek to share with other Christians in need (Acts 4:32). Like Stephen, we should always be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have as Christians testifying to the saving work of Jesus Christ (Acts 7). The book of Acts shows faith in action.”

Missionary Identity

Missionary Identity – “Our culture is a mission field. We must see ourselves as people on mission. This is not our home. This is our mission field. Therefore, we all must see our vocations as mission—as kingdom work.”

Some Advice on Same-Sex Marriage for U.S. Church Leaders From a Canadian

Some Advice on Same-Sex Marriage for U.S. Church Leaders From a Canadian – “Here are five perspectives I hope are helpful as church leaders of various positions on the subject think and pray through a way forward.”

Why Go to Church When I Can Watch Online?

Why Go to Church When I Can Watch Online? – “Five compelling reasons to go to church and be physically present as part of your church community.”

Church Attendance Is Dying. Here’s What’s Next.

Church Attendance Is Dying. Here’s What’s Next. – “Here are three trends as we head into the future.”

Why the God of the Qur’an Cannot Forgive Sins

Why the God of the Qur’an Cannot Forgive Sins – “When matched against one another verse-by-verse, there is a gaping difference between the love of the God of the Qur’an and the God of the Bible.”

Is Smoking Weed a Sin?

Is Smoking Weed a Sin? – “While the parallel between alcohol and marijuana is not exact, the intended effect of recreational marijuana is closest to the effect of drunkenness. Underneath both alcohol abuse and marijuana use is the lack of self-control and sober-mindedness.”

Can a Christian Drink Alcohol?

Can a Christian Drink Alcohol? – Max Lucado said, “One thing for sure, I have never heard anyone say, ‘A beer makes me feel more Christlike… Fact of the matter is this: People don’t associate beer with Christian behavior.”

7 Spiritual Realities of God’s Church

7 Spiritual Realities of God’s Church – “The Bible is full of descriptions and metaphors of how God sees the church. Each one helps us to understand a facet of the church’s spiritual identity and God’s love, care, and communion with the body of believers.”

What’s Really Important in Life?

What’s Really Important in Life? “What are the goals you set for yourself, for your children? Do these goals center on things like grades, good jobs, a sound financial position, a comfortable house, personal accomplishments, a secure retirement? These all have their upside and they are important!  But are they the most important things in life.”

Ten Lessons for Growing Older

Ten Lessons for Growing Older – Today is a good day to start learning these lessons.

Don’t Argue Like Those Who Have No Hope

Don’t Argue Like Those Who Have No Hope – “There is a way to speak to one another and debate one another and learn from one another that acknowledges that some day we will all know as we are known, and we will all be one in an endless mutuality of love. So don’t argue like those who have no such hope.”

How Do I Cling to God — When Life Feels Easy?

How Do I Cling to God — When Life Feels Easy? – “I’ve seen more Christians drift from God when life was a breeze than I have when life was hard.”

The Tight Grip of Jesus

The Tight Grip of Jesus – “Obedience is not the same as remaining, it is a product of it. But the point here is not to give an exhaustive biblical explanation on obedience. The point here is that I need to be reminded about what remaining really is because I am a prideful branch.”

Jesus Understands Your Loneliness

Jesus Understands Your Loneliness – “Loneliness is what we feel when we’re isolated from others. Loneliness often has less to do with others’ physical absence and more to do with feeling disconnected or alienated from them. Or misunderstood by them. In fact, these are far more painful species than mere absence, because we feel the isolation of being despised and rejected.”

Who or What Will Rule My Heart Today?

Who or What Will Rule My Heart Today? – “Lord Jesus, today, like every day, somebody or something is going to seize the passion and preoccupation of my heart. Some entity will be the ruler of the manor and the fascination of my imagination.”

Three Heart Attitudes of a Faithful Parent

Three Heart Attitudes of a Faithful Parent – “Parents, if your desire is to see your children’s hearts become responsive to the gospel, the place to start is with your own heart. There are 3 core heart-attitudes to cultivate that will help mold your heart to be God’s  instrument for presenting Christ to your children.”

3 Ways to Graciously Engage KJV-Only Believers

3 Ways to Graciously Engage KJV-Only Believers – This is also a reminder to do all things with kindness and grace.

What’s the Mission of God? See the Church

What’s the Mission of God? See the Church – “Together, the church demonstrates the reconciling power of the gospel. Our different life experiences give texture and color to our message. Our diverse gifts complement one another. We show that life together under the reign of God is the good life. The church should be at the heart of mission, and that happens naturally and inevitably in church planting.”

A Good Marriage Isn’t a 50/50 Deal

A Good Marriage Isn’t a 50/50 Deal – “Marriage is not 50/50. Divorce is 50/50. Marriage has to be 100/100. It isn’t dividing everything in half, but giving everything you’ve got!”

Perfect Peace for Anxious Souls

Perfect Peace for Anxious Souls – “The peace that Jesus gives is not circumstantially based. It is peace in bad circumstances.”

Where Do People Who Never Hear of Jesus Go When They Die?

Where Do People Who Never Hear of Jesus Go When They Die? – “The best way to answer this question is by answering a different one. Why do people go to Hell?”

10 Things You Should Know about Christian Ethics

10 Things You Should Know about Christian Ethics – From Wayne Grudem: 10 things you should know about Christian ethics.

We Need to Regain and Teach an Understanding of the Physical Nature of the Resurrection

We Need to Regain and Teach an Understanding of the Physical Nature of the Resurrection – “So why does all this matter? Because if we don’t get the resurrection of the body right, we’ll get nothing else right concerning our eternal future.”

God’s Way to Success

God’s Way to Success – “God wants you to experience spiritual victory, but you must act upon biblical truth.”

When the Honeymoon is Over

When the Honeymoon is Over – “A new believer ‘gets saved’ and is enamored with Jesus Christ. Inevitably, a diligent Christian will find something in scripture which is directly oppositional to their life and philosophy. At this point, I think the reaction some Christians have is like that of the newlywed who has found a blemish on their spouse.”

The Morning Before a Sexual Fall: How the Battle for Purity Is Lost

The Morning Before a Sexual Fall: How the Battle for Purity Is Lost – “Whose mouth fills your head? In the moments of temptation, two voices vie for your heart. One is smooth, seductive, and destructive; the other is sovereign, reliable, and rewarding.”

Leviticus in The New York Times: What’s the Real Story Here?

Leviticus in The New York Times: What’s the Real Story Here? – “Just about every verse of Leviticus is offensive to the modern secular mind. Leviticus reveals a God who is both omnipotent and holy, a God who chooses Israel as his particular and personal covenant people, a God who drives out other nations in order to fulfill his promises to Israel, and a God who lays down commands about every dimension of human life, including human sexuality. Especially human sexuality.”

All We Really Need IS Love

All We Really Need IS Love – Here’s a devotional thought on 1 Corinthians 13.

What the Diverse Church in Antioch Can Teach Us Today

What the Diverse Church in Antioch Can Teach Us Today – “The early Christians defied cultural norms. They were a diverse group of people not conforming to the ways of the world. The church was being built, not on a social agenda, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Netflix’s ‘Anne With an E’ is a PC Fail

Netflix’s ‘Anne With an E’ is a PC Fail – “She throws out the book’s entire plot line (with a few exceptions, like Anne’s hair-dyeing episode) in order to bring us a more enlightened and diverse Avonlea—one that confronts racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying, as well as the perils of domesticity and traditional social roles.”

The Doctrine of Existence

The Doctrine of Existence – “It’s the most significant reality in the universe. It’s the glue that holds every aspect of theology together. It’s the place where the content of Scripture finds both its rationality and its reliability. What’s this doctrine I'm talking about? The doctrine of God’s existence.”

Why the Catholic Church is anti-Catholic

Why the Catholic Church is anti-Catholic – “It all comes down to authority. If you have one ultimate authority, you have unity. If you have two or more ultimate authorities, you have division, particularly when they disagree.”

What’s Wrong with KJV-Only?

What’s Wrong with KJV-Only? – Here’s what’s wrong with the KJV-only view (which must be distinguished from the “I prefer the KJV” or “I believe the KJV is the best translation” views). “What they basically believe is that the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts (handwritten copies) used for the Bible translation commissioned by King James around 1611, were ‘given’ providentially by God to the translators.”

So Many Reasons to Be Thankful

So Many Reasons to Be Thankful – Scotty Smith writes, “Heavenly Father, I woke up today a grateful man, and I want to live this way all day long. Here are a few of your gifts for which I’m particularly grateful this morning.”

Your Marriage Is Worth the Work

Your Marriage Is Worth the Work – “Satan and our flesh can begin to take a few disappointments in marriage, a few frustrations, and multiply them so out of proportion.”

Why Our Secular Age Needs Ecclesiastes

Why Our Secular Age Needs Ecclesiastes – “This world is desperate for answers to life’s fundamental questions. What is life about? Why is life so unjust? Why does work have to be so toilsome? How can I be happy when the world seems pointless?”

When Your Christian Liberty Becomes a Sin

When Your Christian Liberty Becomes a Sin – “Freedom, according to Paul, is not an end in itself. Rather, the building up of those around us is the true goal of human existence. The love of God and others must be at the center of wisdom and liberty to pass Paul’s test.” It’s an issue of our selfishness dying to our love for the body of Christ and unity.

9 Ways To Make Social Media More Christian

9 Ways To Make Social Media More Christian – There isn't an etiquette handbook for social media, but Karen Swallow Prior provides a list of ways "to make social media more human and more Christian."

The Hard Apprenticeship of Sorrow

The Hard Apprenticeship of Sorrow – “Most days I walk about with what I refer to as my dark or stubborn shadow. He sits on my shoulder and whispers destructive and damaging things in my ear. That is a typical day. And then there are the days when that little shadow gets especially wicked and I feel as though I am dragging behind me a rotting corpse.”

Groanings Too Deep for Words

Groanings Too Deep for Words – “Maybe you’ve been in a situation so painful, so apparently hopeless, that even your prayers are more noises than words. I can vividly remember that dark season in my life where very often my prayers consisted simply of repeating into the carpet the same hoarse word over and over again—'Please. Please. Please.’” 

Proclaiming Christ Where Pilgrims Seek Healing from Mary

Proclaiming Christ Where Pilgrims Seek Healing from Mary – “What should church look like for people who have been completely desensitized to the Gospel?”

Is Church (Literally) Good for You?

Is Church (Literally) Good for You? – “Flip this data on its head, and declining church attendance in the US could be termed a public health crisis.”

One Spirit, One Faith, Many Opponents

One Spirit, One Faith, Many Opponents – “Paul’s call to the Christian “soldiers” in Philippi, and thus to you and me, is to stand firm in one spirit, to stand boldly for one faith, and to stand courageously against many opponents. As we do that, we will fight and win the great spiritual battle we’ve been called to.”

How You Might Break the Third Commandment In Church

How You Might Break the Third Commandment In Church – “Here is how I broke it. And have broke this commandment countless times. I was singing a song and mouthing words which extolled the greatness of God whilst thinking about whether or not our family would eat at the new Mexican restaurant or go with the quick and cheap McDonald’s run.”

The Wonderful Accessibility of the Word

The Wonderful Accessibility of the Word – “Instead of hiding the most important truths on the highest intellectual shelves, God makes them accessible to spiritual toddlers.”

The Doctrine of the Standing or Falling Soul

The Doctrine of the Standing or Falling Soul – “Let’s meditate deeply on the truth of our justification by faith alone in Christ alone. Let us fight to protect this most precious doctrine from all of the malicious attacks that the evil one seeks to level against it through the sophistries of false teachers. That is a hill worth dying on.”

Dumb Things Pro-Abortionists Say

Dumb Things Pro-Abortionists Say – “Abortion cannot really be defended by appeals to morality or logic. So pro-abortion arguments are mostly based on emotion, unsupported ‘rights’ talk, euphemism, and statements that just don’t make any sense.”

Build Your Boats For Foul Weather

Build Your Boats For Foul Weather – There is going to be more “foul weather” coming for Christian institutions and local churches.

Bored to Life: How to Fight Spiritual Apathy

Bored to Life: How to Fight Spiritual Apathy – “Whatever boredom looks like at any particular moment, we need to pay attention to it. It’s telling us something important.”

Three Essentials for Christian Parenting

Three Essentials for Christian Parenting – “Our adversary has a canny way of wrapping sin in pretty packages. What can be done, then, to convince children that God is more attractive than anything the world has to offer?”

Parents, Sports, & Sunday

Parents, Sports, & Sunday – “What do you teach your kids by putting them into sports that conflict with church involvement?”

Evangelism: Just Do Something

Evangelism: Just Do Something – It’s high time we started sharing the gospel with the people around us.

Do You Still Wonder at the Bible?

Do You Still Wonder at the Bible? – “Be amazed that you have a Bible. Be amazed that you have the word of God.”

Good Days, Bad Days

Good Days, Bad Days – “Trusting in the sovereign goodness of God helps us know how to respond to all the joys and trials of life.  Whether we are having a good day or a bad day, there is always a way for us to glorify God.”

Don’t Just Wait for Gospel Opportunities

Don’t Just Wait for Gospel Opportunities – “Evangelism is to be a spontaneous and unstoppable geyser of God’s love within us.”

Finishing Well with Friends

Finishing Well with Friends – “Encourage one another daily.”

Give Your Children All of Your Attention. Some of the Time

Give Your Children All of Your Attention. Some of the Time – “Parents often assume that the opposite of distracted parenting is to give children our undivided attention all of the time. We think we ought to spend every waking moment playing and talking with them—and feeling constantly guilty when we don’t. But actually, giving children our complete attention all of the time isn’t only impossible; it’s undesirable.”

Enjoying God Is a Command

Enjoying God Is a Command – “Scripture shows that well-instructed believers develop a determination to rejoice. They will rejoice in the Lord.”

Five Marks of Effective Prayer

Five Marks of Effective Prayer – “Mark 1:40 teaches us five marks of effective prayer.”

Is Your Sin Just Playing Possum?

Is Your Sin Just Playing Possum? – “I’ll think I’ve got a sin mortified but it was just playing possum. Once my focus is off that particular sin it’ll rear its ugly head again.”

Don’t Be Introspective. Examine Yourself.

Don’t Be Introspective. Examine Yourself. – “There’s a fine line between self-examination and introspection. Self-examination is good. Scripture exhorts us to examine and test ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5).”

Whatever Happened to Evangelism?

Whatever Happened to Evangelism? – I thank the Lord our church has stepped up in Gospel-sharing. “We have the gospel! We don’t have the option of saying ‘The gospel isn’t really my pet issue.’ Every other issue will be easier. You dig wells, the world will pat you on the back, you feed the hungry, the world will say ‘good job.’ But if you proclaim Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation from sin and hell, you will face opposition.”

Are You Thriving or Diving?

Are You Thriving or Diving? – “We all go through times of trial. We are all tossed here and there by the storms of life. But how can we ride through the storms without sinking or drowning? Psalm 46 directs us to shift our focus from our troubles to the faithful care of God.”

They Never Saw This Coming

They Never Saw This Coming – “Have you ever noticed that the eyesight that leads you into sin is blind, but the eyesight to lead you out is presumed to be 20/20? This is the case with Joseph’s brothers. They have a plan to get out of trouble, but it’s shortsighted and poorly designed.”

BreakPoint: Oregon’s Hypocrisy

BreakPoint: Oregon’s Hypocrisy – “When it comes to both federal and state law, the difference between an unborn baby and a born one is huge. For example, how we prosecute cases of wrongful infant death.”

The Good Father of the Spiritually Fatherless

The Good Father of the Spiritually Fatherless – “Ahaz contributed to Hezekiah’s walk with the Lord by showing him who not to be.”

10 Ways To Resist The Devil

10 Ways To Resist The Devil – It is one of the Bible’s many sweet and powerful promises: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). The question is, though, how do we do this?

Give Us This Day Our Daily Grace

Give Us This Day Our Daily Grace – “In my prayers, I rarely fail to be grateful for God’s saving grace in Christ; but I realized that I seldom thank him for daily grace that keeps me saved. Since making that discovery, I have prayed for our former friends, but I have also thanked the Lord for continuing to send daily waves of grace onto the shore of my life.”

The Most Dangerous Place to Live: The Subtle Perils of the Past

The Most Dangerous Place to Live: The Subtle Perils of the Past – “While the past is an exquisite place to visit, it is a menacing place to live.”

9 Things You Should Know About Russian President Vladimir Putin

9 Things You Should Know About Russian President Vladimir Putin – “Here are nine things you should know about the controversial Russian leader.”

Kids and Technology

Kids and Technology – “I compare using our devices to driving a car, right, you don’t just hand your child the keys to the car and say, go figure this thing out and go on a road trip and do whatever you want. You teach them, you train them.”

Surrender Your Kids’ Faith to God

Surrender Your Kids’ Faith to God – Five controlling tactics to stop using.

Keep the Altar of Private Prayer Burning

Keep the Altar of Private Prayer Burning – Here’s some Spurgeon to challenge you: “Keep the altar of private prayer burning. This is the very life of all piety. The sanctuary and family altars borrow their fires here, therefore let this burn well. Secret devotion is the very essence, evidence, and barometer, of vital and experimental religion.”

What God Says is Better

What God Says is Better – “Believer, the delicacies of sin are widely displayed and lifted up for all to indulge in. From movies to Netflix Originals to commercials to Facebook posts, everywhere we look, there are vices set like bear traps - covered up and entrapping in their grip.”

Handling Conflict Well in a Friendship

Handling Conflict Well in a Friendship – When a friendship goes south, how do you respond?

How to Misinterpret the Bible

How to Misinterpret the Bible – “We all know we can misread, misunderstand, and misapply the Bible. But how do we know when we do? John Piper explains the objective standard we can use to test our interpretations.”

“Mom, How Will I Know He’s The One?” – 5 Ways to Prepare Them for Marriage

“Mom, How Will I Know He’s The One?” – 5 Ways to Prepare Them for Marriage – “The question will come. It did for us as she sat on my lap, her baby-soft hand moved my chin to look at her face. Big blue eyes searched mine, ‘Mom, how did you know Dad was the one?’ The question dug into my heart. I knew how important it was to answer right, even though she was far too young to ask it.”

The Instagrammable Christian Life

The Instagrammable Christian Life – “Instagram has shaped our world more than we realize, and Thomas Brewer reminds us that social media only tells half the story, and we have much more ordinary parts of life that glorify God.”

Helping Teenagers and Children Cope Spiritually and Emotionally after a Crisis Like the Thai Cave Rescue

Helping Teenagers and Children Cope Spiritually and Emotionally after a Crisis Like the Thai Cave Rescue – “Odds of being trapped in a cave like the Thai soccer boys is rare – but childhood trauma is not.”

When Satan Tempts You to Despair

When Satan Tempts You to Despair – “We must get gutsy with the Devil and gutsy with our own condemning souls.”

God’s Character in Dying: Even Better Than A Miracle

God’s Character in Dying: Even Better Than A Miracle – “When my world began falling apart, I kneeled, wept, and begged for a miracle instinctively. It seemed like the normal thing to do: turning to the only One I knew who could change the course of our events.

Your Morning Will Come: Trusting God in the Darkest Nights

Your Morning Will Come: Trusting God in the Darkest Nights – “More than ever before, my soul needs to know how to face the future without fear. Where can we turn when the cares of our hearts are many, and fears threaten to overwhelm us?”

Why You Shouldn't Skip the Genealogies

Why You Shouldn't Skip the Genealogies – “Long lists of names remind us the Bible isn’t about us. We want to skip the genealogies because they aren’t about us. They don’t “resonate” with us. But that’s exactly what we need to hear.”

Jesus More Than Likes You

Jesus More Than Likes You – “Christian, God takes pleasure in you.”

Faithfully Handling Failure

Faithfully Handling Failure – “Have you ever been there? Have you ever wrestled with how to manage guilt and grace in the wake of failure? You know God offers forgiveness, but isn’t what I just did terrible? It feels cheap to claim forgiveness and move on. And yet we don’t want to lose sight of the gospel. How does it all mix together?” 

Sharpen Your Axe!

Sharpen Your Axe! – “Sharpening the axe is a simple and effective solution that allows you to do the same job with dramatically less effort, not to mention better results. In much the same way, wisdom allows you to make decisions that are appropriate and effective.” 

A Sober Warning from the Earliest Christians

A Sober Warning from the Earliest Christians – “Here is one similarity between ourselves and Rome: Just as every religion in the Roman Empire was meant to add a small homage to the Emperor, today we find that every religion (and every other group, for that) is meant to add an element of tolerance. We display our loyalty to society when we express such tolerance, and display disloyalty if we refuse. If we fail the test of tolerance we fail the test of good citizenship.”

The Doctrine of Creation

The Doctrine of Creation – “The first four words of the Bible put God not only as the origin of all things, but at the center of all things.”

Apu and the World of 2040

Apu and the World of 2040 – “The new undergraduates entering colleges this coming Fall were born in 2000, and they don’t recall a world without smartphones and social media. For them, the US has always been at perpetual war in at least one Muslim nation. For them, same sex marriage has always been the law of the land; Confederate flags have always been the symbol of hard core racist lunatics; and transgender issues have always been at the forefront of civil rights.” 

How to Leave Porn Behind

How to Leave Porn Behind – “Jesus offers much more than a cleansing purge. He offers an eternally springing fountain of himself that spills into every well in our heart. Trust me, whatever you lose in radical repentance is not something you want to keep. Radical repentance begins and ends with delight: delight in God, delight in what he loves, delight in his good gifts, and delight in his promise to never cast you away or leave you.”

World Cup Evangelism Has Flourished. What Comes Next?

World Cup Evangelism Has Flourished. What Comes Next? – “Hundreds of thousands of Russians have heard the gospel during the month-long soccer tournament. It is just the beginning.”

Authority and the gospel

Authority and the gospel – “Parents, your authority is established by what you honor. What you honor, what you value is a window into who you are. And the people who are looking the most closely through that window are your children.”

How Do I Get Connected? A Conversation with a Hasidic Israeli Jewish Man

How Do I Get Connected? A Conversation with a Hasidic Israeli Jewish Man – The relationship connection throughout all of the Lord’s promises was the same. 

Driving Without a Smartphone

Driving Without a Smartphone – “Checking your phone doesn’t really mean checking your email or text messages or social-media feed. Mostly, it means checking to see if there’s anything to check.”

Why God Sanctifies Us Slowly

Why God Sanctifies Us Slowly – “God has his reasons for why he saves us in stages, sanctifies us slowly, and makes us fill up every day at his pump, lest we forget where the gas comes from.”

Whom Should I Marry? Ask Boaz and Ruth

Whom Should I Marry? Ask Boaz and Ruth – “While our current Christian culture is not likely to surrender its idea of—and desire for—romantic love before marriage, The story of Ruth illustrates a better way of approaching the question: Is he or she the right one?”

Don’t Underestimate the Enemies of Your Soul

Don’t Underestimate the Enemies of Your Soul – “God wants us to stand our ground and not yield an inch. More than that, God wants us to take back ground that Satan has seized and free others he has enslaved through fear (Hebrews 2:14–15).”

How to Spot a False Teacher

How to Spot a False Teacher – “Here is how you spot a false teacher: a false teacher confesses false doctrine and harms others yet knows how to hide him or herself well.”

Trust

Trust – “Trust is believing and doing what God tells me in the Bible,  even when it is hard to do.”

Differences Between Salvation in the Qur’an & the Bible

Differences Between Salvation in the Qur’an & the Bible – “Every system, philosophy, and religion proposes some form of salvation. They all articulate a problem which must be solved in order for a person to experience salvation. What matters most is what a system teaches about salvation. Whenever we seek to understand a spiritual system, this is where we need to go. What must a person to do be saved?” 

Five Reasons Not to Be Anxious

Five Reasons Not to Be Anxious – “Whatever the problems are that cause an unholy turmoil to rise up, let not your heart be troubled.”

What is the “Anything” You’d Like Jesus to Do for You?

What is the “Anything” You’d Like Jesus to Do for You? – Jesus said, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

You Want a God of Judgment

You Want a God of Judgment – “Are we not plagued with the suspicion that nothing is ever going to get done? That no matter how we vote, or whom we call, or where we protest, the powerful will keep getting away with it? The violent will keep grinding the weak into the dust? That, even though some get caught, many will still prosper because they know how to game the system and pervert the law?”

Why It Is Highly Unlikely That the New Supreme Court Will Overturn Roe v. Wade (Though They Should)

Why It Is Highly Unlikely That the New Supreme Court Will Overturn Roe v. Wade (Though They Should) – “We’ll probably see a gradual shift from the Court over time that leaves more room for legislatures but doesn’t implode the unconstitutional foundations of the Left’s favorite legal bulwarks.”

5 Things I’d Tell My Newlywed Self

5 Things I’d Tell My Newlywed Self – These are good thoughts for any stage of marriage.

Your Church Is Not Your City’s Savior

Your Church Is Not Your City’s Savior – “The unity of churches in a community has the potential to drive—or, if they’re disunited, detract from—the evangelistic mission in that location. Churches are not businesses; they should not compete as though vying for their share of the market. Rather, churches are partners together in the mission of seeing sinners come to Christ and grow to full maturity.”

Pain to Gain for Others

Pain to Gain for Others – “Let’s face it: being nominal is a breeze, but standing strong as a true believer can be very costly.”

5 Dangers for Missionaries in Honor-Shame Contexts

5 Dangers for Missionaries in Honor-Shame Contexts – Even locally, cross-cultural disciple-making encounters these issues. “Here are five dangers I see for those seeking to minister in honor-shame contexts. Recognizing them will hopefully protect us from unhelpful overcorrection.”

Does God Want Me to Be Happy or Holy?

Does God Want Me to Be Happy or Holy? – “Holiness is the condition of heart in which God is our greatest happiness.”

Are You Living Worthy of the Gospel?

Are You Living Worthy of the Gospel? – “The Bible tells us that we are to live lives that are worthy of the gospel. How can we actually live in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Christ? Is that even a possibility?”

How Satan Seduces Bitter Believers

How Satan Seduces Bitter Believers – “It’s strange, but sometimes it’s harder to forgive when the victim is not us but someone close to us – a close friend or family member.”

Do We Need a Still Small Voice Before We Obey?

Do We Need a Still Small Voice Before We Obey? – “His Word is all we need for our obedience in a life of godliness.”

Fifteen Ways to Know you are Growing in Holiness

Fifteen Ways to Know you are Growing in Holiness – Jordan Standridge offers “fifteen encouragements. Fifteen different examples that the reader can hang onto so that he can see growth in his sanctification. These specifically apply to the problem of anger, but I thought they provide a helpful blueprint for dealing with any sin.” 

Security in Christ

Security in Christ – “Let us not trust that we are fine, simply because of religious activity. Ultimately, it is being in Christ that is our security, not our feeling it; and not our feeling of security in things other than Christ.”

Longing for Harmony in Our Relationships

Longing for Harmony in Our Relationships – “Father, grant us grace and wisdom for our messiest of relationships, but also for the best of our relationships. None of our relationships is beyond the reach or need of your grace. Help us to be the chief repenter in each of our relationships—the one most desirous of reconnecting, the quickest to humble ourselves, the one most bull-dogged committed to harmony.” 

9 Things You Should Know About Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh

9 Things You Should Know About Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh – Joe Carter has shared the inevitable (and helpful) 9 Things You Should Know About Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Brett Kavanaugh Is a Good Supreme Court Pick and the Reason Many Voted for Trump

Brett Kavanaugh Is a Good Supreme Court Pick and the Reason Many Voted for Trump – A more conservative court is good for America in many ways.

A (Not So) Revolutionary Strategy for Great Quiet Times

A (Not So) Revolutionary Strategy for Great Quiet Times – “So many Christians live with the nagging feeling that time with God doesn’t hold the priority it should in their lives. They want to make progress, but they just can’t seem to master the art of quality quiet times. Worse, many start to think of their quiet time as the enemy they can’t conquer, instead of the life-giving friend it is.”

3 Spiritual Reasons You Should Take Control of Your Calendar

3 Spiritual Reasons You Should Take Control of Your Calendar – “Perhaps, though, taking control of your calendar isn’t just an issue of time management. Maybe there’s something deeper going on here. Maybe taking control of your calendar is actually a spiritual discipline; maybe it’s an act of discipleship. And here are three reasons why...”

A Plea to Parents

A Plea to Parents – I feel this author’s burden: “I implore you, parents. Examine yourself. If you do not feel a sense of urgency in the training and spiritual development of your children, if you do not provide them with a church family and teach them God’s word, if you do not feel utter devastation at the thought of them living without Christ and dying without hope, then you have no reason to feel assured of your own salvation.”

Let Precious Moments Pass You By

Let Precious Moments Pass You By – “We miss precious moments not because we didn’t have our phones, but because we did. Like kids texting at the dinner table, we forgot to look special moments in the eye. We pass on the first take of life in favor of a later viewing, trading the real for the replica, and in so doing, counterfeiting our joy.”

The Message That Moved the SBC

The Message That Moved the SBC – This is worth the fifteen minutes of video and explanation.

None of Our Misery Is Meaningless

None of Our Misery Is Meaningless – “Not only is all your affliction momentary, not only is all your affliction light in comparison to eternity and the glory there, but all of it is totally meaningful.”

Six Admonitions from Deuteronomy

Six Admonitions from Deuteronomy – Paul Tautges: “In my reading through Deuteronomy last week, I noticed many admonitions which are reinforced by New Testament teaching and, therefore, need to be applied by us today. I will only mention six of them.”

The Types Of Members That Do Not Build The Body

The Types Of Members That Do Not Build The Body – “Diverse people who have no reason to live and work together, let alone care for each other, choose to live in love and unity in the church to the praise and glory of the Lord’s name...So what kind of members do not build up the body of Christ?”

When God Isn’t There

When God Isn’t There – “God’s absence helps prove that you long for his presence, which is a gift of the Spirit. Allow yourself to wonder in amazement at his work in your wanting.”

10 Things You Should Know about Infertility

10 Things You Should Know about Infertility – “According to the CDC, approximately 7–10% of couples experience some form of infertility—a very considerable number. To make that figure slightly more concrete, if your church has about 200 families attend on a given Sunday morning, chances are around 20 of them have experienced infertility.”

Even This: Trusting God in Your Darkest Day

Even This: Trusting God in Your Darkest Day – “No matter how inevitable defeat may appear, we will see the victory come. This we know: God’s ways are higher than ours, and in our hardest moments here and now, Jesus is unfailing.”

Spiritual Growth Is Not an Accident

Spiritual Growth Is Not an Accident – God is a gracious, intentional Gardener.

The 2 Marks of a Truly Wicked Person

The 2 Marks of a Truly Wicked Person – “Two words summarize these wicked oppressors: arrogant and aggressive. Their pride and violence spell disaster for anyone who stands in their way.”

The Average Debt Per U.S. Household Continues to Rise

The Average Debt Per U.S. Household Continues to Rise – A startling and sobering read.

Should Followers of Christ Observe the Torah?

Should Followers of Christ Observe the Torah? – “A great deal of the New Testament is devoted to the question of the Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic Law in the Torah, but if the questions I receive from people are any indication, there’s an increasing amount of confusion among Christians on this topic.” 

The Doctrines of Graciousness

The Doctrines of Graciousness – “Giving mental assent to the Bible’s teachings about our depravity and God’s election, atonement, and grace is quicker and easier than learning to live out the kind of virtues God pairs with such precious truths.”

How Can We Find Meaning in Life?

How Can We Find Meaning in Life? – Here is an excellent reflection on the message of Ecclesiastes.

The Doubt-Slayer — Growing in Gratitude

The Doubt-Slayer — Growing in Gratitude – “Doubt and guilt are not strangers to most believers at some point in our journey. But these feelings can be another hindrance to gratitude, so we will look at biblical passages to encourage us and biblical characters to inspire us.”

How (Not) to Discover Your Spiritual Gifts

How (Not) to Discover Your Spiritual Gifts – “The best way to discover your gift, then, is not by taking a test. They didn’t have such instruments in the early church, and people discovered and used their gifts just fine! Rather, if you get involved in the lives of others in your church and love as Jesus commanded, then you will discover your gift.”

7 Ways to Share the Gospel Without Being a Jerk

7 Ways to Share the Gospel Without Being a Jerk – “Nobody likes a jerk, but so often this is the impression many Christians give when sharing the faith. There are many people who claim to follow Christ but share their faith in a way that completely contradicts Jesus’ message and manner.”