Friday, August 31, 2018

Checklist Christianity


Checklist Christianity – “If we are not careful, we come before God with all the boxes (so we think) checked off but our hearts far away from Him.”

What Is the Worst Sin in the World?


What Is the Worst Sin in the World? – It’s the original sin. It’s the foundation for all other sin.

You Can’t Love Jesus Without Loving His Church


You Can’t Love Jesus Without Loving His Church – “Simply put, how one views, engages and treats Jesus’ church reflects how one views, engages and treats Jesus himself.”

How to Help Kids Attack the Number One Lie They Hear


How to Help Kids Attack the Number One Lie They Hear – “Here are five strategies for going to war with the lie of individual autonomy.”

Why You Cannot Follow Jesus as a Muslim


Why You Cannot Follow Jesus as a Muslim – “I’m talking about people who for all intents and purposes continue to identify as Muslims, yet claim to be followers of Christ.”

For Those Who Struggle With Guilt


For Those Who Struggle With Guilt“In Christ you do not live under a suspended sentence, because the sentence for your sins has been passed on your Savior! The sentence has already been served. That is why there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!”

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Craig Groeschel on Why Christians Shouldn’t Expect Life to Be ‘Fair’


Craig Groeschel on Why Christians Shouldn’t Expect Life to Be ‘Fair’ – “What if drawing closer to God, developing genuine intimacy with him, requires you to bear something that feels unbearable? To hear him through an ominous utterance, to trust him in the moment of doom, to embrace his strength when you’re weak with a burden? What if it takes real pain to experience deep and abiding hope?”

3 Key Beliefs That Fuel Contentment


3 Key Beliefs That Fuel Contentment – “If we want to live a life of contentment, then that life should be fueled by what we believe to be true about God. So what must we believe to be true about God if we are to live contentedly?”

Children Born to Unwed Parents…the Latest Findings


Children Born to Unwed Parents…the Latest Findings – “The family structures that children are born into have drastically changed in the last few decades. One of the biggest shifts has been children born to unwed parents. The latest research shows that about 40 percent of children born in the U.S. are born outside of marriage. This is up from 28 percent in 1990.”

Parenting Our Kids Toward Eternity


Parenting Our Kids Toward Eternity – Some parents make their kids their heaven and some parents try to build heaven here for their kids. What does it mean to parent toward eternity?

Stubborn Love: Reflecting the Gospel By Keeping Your Marriage Covenant


Stubborn Love: Reflecting the Gospel By Keeping Your Marriage Covenant“There are two biblical truths that can help us to understand why God calls us to reflect the gospel by keeping our marriage covenant: 1) Satan hates your marriage. 2) Jesus will never leave his bride.”

When You Feel Like a Hybrid of the Two Luke 15 Sons


When You Feel Like a Hybrid of the Two Luke 15 Sons – “I feel like a 3rd Luke 15 son right now—a hybrid of the Father’s two boys Jesus described. I’m not on a hedonistic holiday, and I’m not spewing the toxins of self-righteousness. I’m just somewhere in between. I still hear and love the music of the gospel, but I just don’t feel like dancing right now. I’m not cold, hot, or lukewarm. I’m just here.”

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Praying Like Jesus


Praying Like Jesus – “Here are four things that Jesus prayed for me and for all who believe in him, which I believe should help shape our prayers today.”

Five Ways to Pray for Back-to-School


Five Ways to Pray for Back-to-School – The new school year has begun and calls for a covering of prayer.

Teach Them About Marriage Before the World Does


Teach Them About Marriage Before the World Does – “Our world says that marriage is something we invented for ourselves. So, we can reinvent it in any way we want. And, indeed, our world is doing just that.”

Is Reading the Bible a Chore or a Delight?


Is Reading the Bible a Chore or a Delight?“As long as we insist on reading the Bible as if it were all about us, we will not only miss the point, we will find it dull because we won’t be interested in the character that it is describing—God himself.”

How We Pray for the Nations


How We Pray for the Nations“If we don’t learn to pray and weep for souls—it will be highly unlikely that our children and grandchildren will give themselves for the work of missions.”

Do Inconsistencies in the Gospels Undermine Scripture’s Inerrancy?


Do Inconsistencies in the Gospels Undermine Scripture’s Inerrancy? “If you’re a skeptical reader of Scripture, be honest about your questions. Pray about the concern, study the text carefully, and pose questions to a trusted source. Don’t be afraid to ask honest questions of the text, and to seek help answering if you need it.”

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Grace Arrives When You Need It


Grace Arrives When You Need It“Grace is power. Grace moves in and enables me to fulfill a resolve.”

Christians Must Be Known For More Than What We’re For


Christians Must Be Known For More Than What We’re For – “To follow Jesus means to follow One who was known both for what He was for and what He was against. He pointed people to a better way, as He corrected their views and ways of life.”

God Wants You to Ask Again


God Wants You to Ask Again – “What prayer have you given up praying?”

You Can Say No to Sin


You Can Say No to Sin – “Self-control can sound so appealing. Until the time comes to actually say no.”

4 Principles for Love-Fueled Generosity


4 Principles for Love-Fueled Generosity – “Consider with me four principles of generosity we observe as the Christians in Antioch responded to the financial need of the Jerusalem church.”

20 Causes of Teen Anxiety


20 Causes of Teen Anxiety – David Murray writes, “So, if teen anxiety is so widespread, what’s causing it? On the basis of personal experience, counseling, and research, here are what I believe are the most common causes of teen anxiety.”

Why We Need to Talk about Sin


Why We Need to Talk about Sin “Faithful Christians have always rejected the call to conform their faith to the desires of those who want to say that all religions are equally true and useful. As Christians, we insist that we must talk about sin if we are to be truthful about the human condition. If we do not understand our sin, we will not understand the kind of savior we need.”

Enter by the Narrow Gate


Enter by the Narrow Gate – “In an ultimate sense, Jesus is talking about Himself in this passage. Jesus is the narrow gate.”

5 Ideas to Help Kids Be Smarter About Smartphones


5 Ideas to Help Kids Be Smarter About Smartphones – “What do American parents do when they give their 12-year-old a new iPhone? Merry Christmas! Good luck!”

Monday, August 27, 2018

Don’t Trust the Peace in Your Heart


Don’t Trust the Peace in Your Heart – It’s become a go-to answer to justify our actions.

Yawning at Majesty: How to Fight Boredom with the Bible


Yawning at Majesty: How to Fight Boredom with the Bible“The Bible is simply unequaled in its influence, audacious in its claims, and unrivaled in its power to transform hardened sinners into humble saints.”

13 Thoughts on Reading the Bible


13 Thoughts on Reading the Bible – Walk through these thoughts slowly.

7 Reasons You Should Pray the Psalms


7 Reasons You Should Pray the Psalms – “Every Christian should learn the habit of praying through the Psalms.”

The Gospel, Breaking Sinful Patterns and Addictions


The Gospel, Breaking Sinful Patterns and Addictions – “As disciples, part of the sanctification process is examining our hearts before the Lord. This process of personal assessment involves confession and prayer about the fruit of our lives and its roots. We bring all this before the Lord so that He can uproot our sinful patterns and heal our hearts, freeing us to act faithfully for His kingdom.”

I Want Christlike, Bible Reflexes


I Want Christlike, Bible Reflexes “When the swirling cultural debates are kicking up dust around us, we don’t answer the question from the standpoint of what the experts (even the religious experts) are saying...Instead, we follow Jesus’s pattern and direct our attention back to the Word of God. This is our authority as Christians. It’s the ultimate authority.”

Three Lessons We Can Learn from the Brave Life (and Quiet Faith) of Sen. John McCain


Three Lessons We Can Learn from the Brave Life (and Quiet Faith) of Sen. John McCain – “You would be hard pressed not to find something truly admirable in this man who served so faithfully.”

Just How Bad is the Teen Anxiety Epidemic?


Just How Bad is the Teen Anxiety Epidemic? – “While it seems to be affecting people of all ages, the most common problem is teens with anxiety.”

Thought for the Lord’s Day


Thought for the Lord’s Day – What is worship?

How Can I Best Prepare Students to Live Their Faith out in Public Schools?


How Can I Best Prepare Students to Live Their Faith out in Public Schools?“Children face many challenges to their faith in school. How should parents and teachers respond?” 

Saturday, August 25, 2018

How to Be Unholy as You Pursue Holiness


How to Be Unholy as You Pursue Holiness – “s it possible to have sound doctrine, a good devotional life, and yet still be unholy? Yes, easily. You just need to forget something very basic about holiness.”

What Not to Say to Someone in the Hospital


What Not to Say to Someone in the Hospital – Here are helpful reminders of things to avoid and things to do when you visit someone in the hospital.

Friday, August 24, 2018

The Beautiful Distraction of Corporate Worship


The Beautiful Distraction of Corporate Worship – Corporate worship provides us with the joy found only in “we” and Jesus.

When Opposition to Religious Liberty Becomes Silly, Petty, and Vindictive


When Opposition to Religious Liberty Becomes Silly, Petty, and VindictiveSilly, petty, and vindictive indeed. “The news about Jack Phillips is a reminder that progressive culture war tactics are exacting...Instead of debate, bully. Instead of civility, just claim to be a victim. Instead of principled Constitutionalism, just rely on identity politics. In this, progressivism brooks no compromise. It offers the opposite of the tolerance it peddles.”

Your Good Works Bring God Good Pleasure


Your Good Works Bring God Good Pleasure“If God is our Father, and in Christ we are his children, doesn’t it make sense that he would take pleasure in our growth as well as our glorification?”

Pursue Growth Together: Our Call to Disciple Others


Pursue Growth Together: Our Call to Disciple Others – “The greatest contribution we make may be in the people we influence who then influence others.”

Is the King James Version of the Bible the Most Accurate Translation? (Video)


Is the King James Version of the Bible the Most Accurate Translation? (Video)Is the King James Version of the Bible the most accurate translation? This video explains where the Bible comes from and how translations render it.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Anxiety Distracts Us


Anxiety Distracts Us – “Anxiety distracts us from what is most important. It trains our eyes to see only what is before us at the very moment. It exerts great effort at keeping our vision fixed on the horizontal—on the things of the world—instead of vertical, on the things of God.”

Understanding the Book of Proverbs


Understanding the Book of Proverbs – “The book of Proverbs explained with illustrations.”

10 Powerful Prayers the Apostle Paul Prayed Over God’s People


10 Powerful Prayers the Apostle Paul Prayed Over God’s People – “The prayers of Paul for God’s people are a fascinating study. It’s interesting to observe the requests Paul makes. His prayers focused on hearts and minds being conformed to Christ.”

I Am Not My Own


I Am Not My Own – This is worth some reflection: “On August 18, 2018, Orlena Lynn Boyle (96) entered the joy of her Master. She was not her own; she was bought with a price, and she lived like it.”

Be Content with What You Have


Be Content with What You Have – “Contentment is not simply about settling for what we have, but trusting in what God has said. Both anxiety and greed rise in our hearts as God’s words fall.”

Fervent Prayer


Fervent Prayer – There is prayer for the spiritual condition of our city or our nation and then there is “fervent prayer”. Greg Laurie gives examples.

Understanding Marriage


Understanding Marriage“The view which is now held in most of society and the church is what he calls a ‘companionate’ understanding of marriage.”

Growing Mighty Oak Trees


Growing Mighty Oak Trees “As our culture continues its post-Christian slide, only mighty oak trees will be able to withstand the faith assaults that come our way. Like never before, we must be committed to helping kids and families grow oak tree faith.”  

Be a Missionary, Not a Marketer


Be a Missionary, Not a Marketer – “We have shifted from being ‘in the world, but not of the world’ to being of the world but not in the world.”

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

7 Ways to Remove Financial Stress From Your Marriage


7 Ways to Remove Financial Stress From Your Marriage – “If you are in a season of financial pressure in your marriage, please remember these principles.

The Key to Evangelism No One Talks About


The Key to Evangelism No One Talks About“If we really want to mature in our outreach effectiveness, we must use our words.”

10 Common but Illegitimate Reasons to Divorce


10 Common but Illegitimate Reasons to Divorce – “It is clear in the Bible that God’s intention for marriage is that it remain in effect until the death of one spouse. I believe it is also quite clear that God has provided a limited set of circumstances in which a marriage can legitimately be severed…Here are 10 common but illegitimate reasons to divorce.”

The Danger of “I” in Christian Prayer


The Danger of “I” in Christian Prayer “One of the besetting sins of evangelicalism is our obsession with individualism. This obsession with individualism chronically besets us as evangelicals. The first-person singular pronoun reigns in our thinking. We tend to think about nearly everything (including the truths of God’s Word) only as they relate to me.”

The FAQs: The Pennsylvania Report on Child Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy


The FAQs: The Pennsylvania Report on Child Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy – “Last week a grand jury in Pennsylvania released a 1,356-page report claiming that bishops, priests, and deacons within the Catholic Church in almost every diocese in Pennsylvania covered up child sexual abuse over a period of 70 years.”

Monday, August 20, 2018

A Week for Gentleness, Kindness, and Good Words


A Week for Gentleness, Kindness, and Good Words – “Lord Jesus, as with all the Scriptures, this passage makes us think of you. There’s no one more filled with kindness and gentle answers than you. Your heart and words are always loving, healing, and freeing. Even your rebukes are life-giving...”

The Doctrine of Glory


The Doctrine of Glory – “Here are 6 implications that the doctrine of glory has in and on our everyday lives.”

Even When the Worst Happens


Even When the Worst Happens – “If police officers arrested you tomorrow and threw you in prison because you went to church last Sunday, what would your first letter to your friends and family sound like?” 

Five Ways the #MeToo Movement Will Likely Impact Churches


Five Ways the #MeToo Movement Will Likely Impact Churches – “The #MeToo Movement will be one of the historic markers of 2018. Its impact is felt in the entertainment industry, in politics, in businesses and, undoubtedly, in churches. While we have yet to understand fully the impact in local churches, we can anticipate changes that will come.” Thankful that our church already practices the “Billy Graham Rules”.

Four Old Testament Perspectives on Poverty


Four Old Testament Perspectives on Poverty – If we look at the words for “poverty” or “the poor” in the Old Testament, we see that there are four distinct types of people who are poor.

The Church Needs Fewer Men Who Feel “Called” to Ministry


The Church Needs Fewer Men Who Feel “Called” to Ministry“We need fewer men who feel ‘called to ministry’ and more men who aspire to the office of elder. But if we dump the language of calling, how do we know if we should pursue ministry? Here are five indicators…”

Friday, August 17, 2018

Do You Really Love God? This Hebrew Word Will Tell You


Do You Really Love God? This Hebrew Word Will Tell You – “When we think of love in the Bible, we often think of the Greek words mentioned in the New Testament: Agape, storge, and eros. A video by the Bible Project invites us to look at a Hebrew word for love and what it can teach us about how we are to act.”

3 Reminders for Weary Parents


3 Reminders for Weary Parents – “Time is going fast. But our homes are ripe for the harvest. So whether your kid is five days old or five days away from going to college, don’t wish away the opportunity you have to love Christ by loving your kids well. Love your kids well by showing them Christ.”

The FAQs: What Christians Should Know About Social Justice


The FAQs: What Christians Should Know About Social Justice – “What is social justice? Should Christians advocate for social justice? Is it even a term that Christians should use?”

Satanic Temple Unveils Disturbing Statue at Arkansas Capitol


Satanic Temple Unveils Disturbing Statue at Arkansas Capitol – “If you’re going to have one religious monument up then it should be open to others, and if you don’t agree with that then let’s just not have any at all,” Ivy Forrester, Satanic Arkansas cofounder and one of the organizers of the rally, said.

Our Hope Is Coming


Our Hope Is Coming“Biblical hope, then, is a reality in which we constantly live, a knowledge of what we know will come to pass. Our response to tragedy as believers is not to bank on God making things better now but to look forward to what we know he has promised.”

The Encouragement of Congregational Singing


The Encouragement of Congregational Singing“What a gift the gathered church is to a discouraged soul! Every week we come in from our different lives and gather to, among other things, sing the glory and power of the gospel.”

Make ‘God Talk’ an Everyday Part of Family Life


Make ‘God Talk’ an Everyday Part of Family Life – “Make God talk so ordinary in your family that it’s not weird or awkward; it’s just how people talk when their lives have been changed by Jesus. The more you do it, the easier it’ll get for you and for your kids.”

Avoiding Complacency


Avoiding Complacency – “Complacency is dangerous because it is easy. All you have to do is sit back and go with the flow. To go against the flow requires work and conflict might be involved. To be complacent is to get along. Complacency doesn’t require discipline. It doesn’t require accountability.”

The Prayers Our Teens Need Most


The Prayers Our Teens Need Most – “Praying Jesus’s words for my teens lifts my eyes beyond every immediate need to the greater and more pressing concerns that Jesus voiced for his followers of all time, those who were with him at the Last Supper and those who sit around our dining room tables today.”

Prayers for Parenting


Prayers for ParentingPrompts to Pray Great Prayers

God’s Strong Safety Net


God’s Strong Safety Net “A true believer’s salvation is secure from everything Satan and self can do to them. True believers can know they’re saved by seeing in their life growth of the fruit of repentance and a deepening desire to please their Savior. The tragedy is that those left behind are left with little assurance of the fate of their deceased loved one.”

Brothers, How Many Mistresses Do You Have?


Brothers, How Many Mistresses Do You Have? – “Scripture doesn’t allow us to remain satisfied with avoiding illicit sexual intercourse while we entertain a whole harem of women in our hearts and on our digital devices.”

Thursday, August 16, 2018

What Happens Every Time You Encounter the Bible


What Happens Every Time You Encounter the Bible – Every time you encounter the Word of God, you bring one of four “hearts.”

Your Suffering Can Be the Pathway to Greater Godliness


Your Suffering Can Be the Pathway to Greater Godliness “Mountain climbers could save time and energy if they reached the summit in a helicopter, but their ultimate purpose is conquest, not efficiency. Sure, they want to reach a goal, but they desire to do it by testing and deepening their character, discipline, and resolve.”

Pain Can Be a Great Friend


Pain Can Be a Great Friend – Here’s a good reminder from Joe McKeever: “As a general rule, church people do not intend to be rude or unkind concerning newcomers. They do not intend to crush the spirits of those bewildered about the large church and all the choices and unfamiliar faces. But they do it anyway as a result of being thoughtless.”

Parents Want to Pass On Faith, But Few Talk About It


Parents Want to Pass On Faith, But Few Talk About It – “Virtually every Christian parent says they want their teenager to develop a lifelong faith, but relatively few are actually talking to their students about important spiritual issues.”

How to Know if You Are Gentle in the Biblical Sense


How to Know if You Are Gentle in the Biblical Sense – Here are some biblical measures to consider.

What I’ve Learned About Leviticus After Studying it for Over a Decade


What I’ve Learned About Leviticus After Studying it for Over a Decade“God cares a lot about our purity and holiness. Not just from a ritual perspective, but also from a moral perspective. All day long and in every aspect of life, the Lord wants me to pursue purity in my heart, in my life, in my actions.”

Sin Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation


Sin Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation – “As believers in Christ, our battle with indwelling sin rages fifty-two weeks a year. But for some reason, it’s during those one or two weeks of vacation that we forget. We foolishly assume that a truce has been arranged, that our battle with the flesh has been temporarily suspended.”

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

The Most Important Element in Back to School Preparations


The Most Important Element in Back to School Preparations – “The spiritual side of going back to school is something that doesn’t usually come to the forefront of our minds, but it is equally (if not more) important than any other kind of preparation we can do.”

Ask Someone Older Than You


Ask Someone Older Than You – “When your next major decision comes — what house to buy, where to go school, who to marry — do the wise and unexpected thing: Ask someone older than you.”

How Habits Help You Grow


How Habits Help You Grow – “Scientists estimate that about 40 percent of our activities are performed each day in almost the same situations. In other words, almost half of our lives are run by habit. Habits aren’t just for disciplined people. We all operate by habit.” Good or bad...

Common Questions Christians Ask About Forgiveness


Common Questions Christians Ask About Forgiveness “Forgiveness is central to our experience as Christians. It is at the heart of our relationship with God and our relationship with others. Jesus talks about forgiveness a lot and even inscribes it on the template for our prayers (Matt. 6:9-13). At the same time, forgiveness is hard. It’s unnatural. This presents a lot of questions as we try to work out the implications of living faithfully as Christians.”

How Does Praying For Others Help You?


How Does Praying For Others Help You? – “In Ephesians 6, Paul touches on several facets of intercessory prayer.”

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

9 Tips to Help Kids Have Daily Devotions


9 Tips to Help Kids Have Daily Devotions – “Here are nine tips to help parents take the lead in establishing fresh devotional habits for the young hearts in their care.”

When You Pray With Your Children, You Are Teaching Your Children to Pray


When You Pray With Your Children, You Are Teaching Your Children to Pray – “How can we learn to pray? Instruction helps, but example is the key.”

Unashamed of the Bible


Unashamed of the Bible“Our way of thinking and feeling and acting toward the Bible, and with the Bible, and from the Bible is decisive in whether our lives, schools, and churches conform to God’s saving, Christ-exalting purposes for history and for all of creation.”

7 Warning Signs You Are Drifting From God


7 Warning Signs You Are Drifting From God – “Big sin is always the sum of a thousand tiny choices.”

Monday, August 13, 2018

Convenience Store Christianity


Convenience Store Christianity – “I really do believe that many, many believers I know truly love the Lord and have dedicated their lives to Him—but much of North American Christianity seems to be what I call “Convenience Store Christianity.”

5 Myths About Depression


5 Myths About Depression – Here is wise, gentle advice to comfort and strengthen all who struggle with depression or know someone who does.

4 Truths I Learned From Brain Surgery


4 Truths I Learned From Brain Surgery“Each of these truths I learned were only possible because they were connected to a providence that oversees and sustains my life. God is always in control. God is always good. He is for me and not against me. For that reason and many others here are four truths I learned (and continue to learn) from my brain surgery.”

Six Steps out of Disappointment


Six Steps out of Disappointment – Disappoint comes from a variety of sources and sizes but it comes to us all. David Murray offers suggestions for moving beyond it.

How (What) to Pray for Your Grandchildren


How (What) to Pray for Your Grandchildren“Just a few years ago I remember praying that my husband and I would be grandparents one day. Within five years of that prayer we were blessed with five children that would call us grandpa and grandma. Each child is a unique and special gift from God and we not only have the joy of having them as part of our lives, we also have the privilege and responsibility of praying for them.”

He Has Done All Things Well


He Has Done All Things Well – This is an encouraging devotional thought on our Savior who has truly done “all things well”.

Six Ways to Put Away Pride


Six Ways to Put Away Pride – It’s one of the most prominent sins in the Bible and in our lives.

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Love Hurts God the Most


Love Hurts God the Most – “While we remain so sensitive to our own pain, let’s pause for just a moment to consider the pain God accepts when he adopts us as sons and daughters.”

Erwin McManus: You Need to Tell Death and Fear to Get Behind You


Erwin McManus: You Need to Tell Death and Fear to Get Behind You – “He decided that living as if you are dying is not a bad way to live. It causes you to take risks you normally wouldn’t because you don’t know if you’ll have the chance to take those risks again.”

Behold Your Mother


Behold Your Mother  - “When I pastored a mostly elderly congregation, I was shocked at the cavalier attitude of their Christian children. These were otherwise professing, faithful, generous believers who, nonetheless, seemed dismissive about their parents.”

Tim Keller Answers: Why Is Sex Outside of Marriage So Destructive?


Tim Keller Answers: Why Is Sex Outside of Marriage So Destructive? – I’m reading a book on marriage by Keller right now. He speaks great truth on marriage.

Friday, August 10, 2018

Four Lies That Keep Us from Church


Four Lies That Keep Us from Church – “These common untruths prevent us from fully participating in the body of Christ.” I’ve encountered all of these in the last week.

We are Not In Eden


We are Not In Eden“I pride myself in my theology of this broken world and how it impacts everything. I disdain triumphalism. I always want a healthy dose of realism when we talk about anything that seems to imply that somehow we can get Eden or perfection or curse-free living now. I just forget all of that when bugs or unwelcome animals are in the picture.”

The Greatest Thing You Can Do with Your Life


The Greatest Thing You Can Do with Your Life – “Your life is a gift and an assignment from God. This should infuse our life — its good and evil, its sweet and bitter, its health and affliction, its prosperity and poverty, its comfort and suffering — with an unfathomable dignity, purpose, and glory. You are not an accident.”

Sometimes God Says ‘Go.’ And Sometimes ‘Stay.’


Sometimes God Says ‘Go.’ And Sometimes ‘Stay.’ – “God is always moving us closer to Christ—from fear to faith, from stuck to steadfast. Sometimes it’s the going that’s difficult; but sometimes, counterintuitively, it’s the staying put.”

A Bored Generation?


A Bored Generation? “Ours is the first generation of Christians that has seriously asked the question, how much time can I spend on entertaining myself? In all the reading I have done in the sixteenth and seventeenth century, I have never once come across this question in any serious fashion.”

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Who Will Go After the One?


Who Will Go After the One? – “We get comfortable with our 99 suburban children. We get very busy trying to make ministry more attractive and more entertaining so that we can maintain the 99. Who is going to go after the one?” This is a great reminder of why and how we do children’s ministry. There’s a place for you to serve.

10 Ways to Comfort a Grieving Person


10 Ways to Comfort a Grieving Person – These are good reminders and challenges.

Revelation: All of History Follows the Same Pattern, and Then the Lamb Wins


Revelation: All of History Follows the Same Pattern, and Then the Lamb Wins – “The book of Revelation can easily be considered the most complicated book of the Bible. Fortunately, the folks at the Bible Project have broken down the complex book to help us understand the meaning behind its symbolism and the ultimate message it communicates.”

The Story of Your Life Is Changing the World


The Story of Your Life Is Changing the World – “The idea of leaving a legacy may sound intimidating. But legacy is not meant only for the elite few who have great power or influence.”

9 Tips to Help Kids Have Daily Devotions


9 Tips to Help Kids Have Daily Devotions – “Here are nine tips to help parents take the lead in establishing fresh devotional habits for the young hearts in their care.”

The Best Place to Flourish


The Best Place to Flourish “Focus your best effort on what God has given you to do right now. It’s easy to waste your life, always looking at the next thing, but the best place to flourish is where God has set you down. Whatever God has given you to do, do it with all your heart!”

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

When Antsy About Stuff We Can’t Control


When Antsy About Stuff We Can’t Control – “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life.”

What to Do When You Don’t Like Reading the Bible


What to Do When You Don’t Like Reading the Bible – With so many distractions and demands, how do you make sure the Bible doesn’t get squeezed out?

Two Reasons the Trinity Matters


Two Reasons the Trinity Matters – “Most of us have retained a formal belief in the Trinity. What we need to recover is an understanding and a felt sense of why it matters so much. To help us do that, here are two reasons why the Trinity matters.”

Is the Joy of the Lord Your Strength?


Is the Joy of the Lord Your Strength? – “God’s relationship with his people is much like a marriage, which makes the covenant document between him and them much like vows. Sacred promises, made in love. Deep commitments. We speak them on our wedding day with hope and promise. And a little naïveté.”

Isn’t the Bible Full of Errors?


Isn’t the Bible Full of Errors?“There is a high degree of certainty that we have the original wording.”

Why Were Billboards for an Evangelism Event From Greg Laurie Pulled Down?


Why Were Billboards for an Evangelism Event From Greg Laurie Pulled Down? “Billboards for an event by evangelist, Bible teacher and Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor Greg Laurie have apparently been pulled down for a really strange reason.”

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

It Isn’t About Me


It Isn’t About Me – When you meet with the body of believers in which God by his sometimes secret design has put you, remember this great truth: it’s not about “me.”

Protecting Our Kids From Digital Heroin


Protecting Our Kids From Digital Heroin – “Did you know that the most tech-cautious parents are tech designers and engineers? What do they know that we don’t?”

Don’t Miss the Intimate Moments in Your Marriage


Don’t Miss the Intimate Moments in Your Marriage “Most of the time, intimacy is presented as something you have to work hard to achieve, and there’s no doubt that we can ruin lots of opportunities for intimacy with our pride, selfishness, or oblivious attitudes. But, the truth is that your marriage is absolutely filled with intimate moments.”

Debt Is Not a Money Problem


Debt Is Not a Money Problem – “It is both impossible and dangerous to solve personal debt by only talking about money. Like every other issue in our life, debt must be rooted in a distinctly biblical worldview. We must allow the gospel of Jesus Christ to correct our assumptions about debt and shape our spending. Otherwise, we won’t be able to gain ground in the way we understand money, avoid debt, and use our finances to bring glory to God.”

10 Issues To Work Through Before You Get Married


10 Issues To Work Through Before You Get Married – Here’s a simple, clear list for couples considering marriage.

How Can We Overcome Our Fear of Evangelism?


How Can We Overcome Our Fear of Evangelism?Confidence in evangelism begins in the love of God.

Monday, August 6, 2018

Five Ways to Make War Against Greed


Five Ways to Make War Against Greed – “The reason we give allowances to our children as soon as they can count is to teach them to give a portion of it to the church.”

Our Most Neglected Spiritual Discipline


Our Most Neglected Spiritual Discipline – “Watchfulness embraces a variety of practices, such as self-examination, prayer, meditation, and accountability, but all governed by the single intention of keeping the heart.”

7 Ways Pride Grows in Our Hearts


7 Ways Pride Grows in Our Hearts – Jaquelle Crowe: “Here are seven symptoms of pride I’ve been seeing in God’s Word as the Spirit works in my own life.”

Satan’s Agenda For The Christian


Satan’s Agenda For The Christian “There are two extremes to avoid when it comes to the works of Satan in a Christian’s life. The first is the tendency to fantasize and see him in every shadow of life. This is the thinking of people whose minds are preoccupied with sensationalism that is more akin to a fictional Hollywood production. The other is the thinking that belittles the work of Satan among believers.”

Advice for Your Relationship with an Apostate Family Member


Advice for Your Relationship with an Apostate Family Member“It’s not your job to make people Christian. It’s not your job to convince them of your arguments either. Your job is to be faithful to your role—being an ambassador for Christ. Share the truth in a loving, persuasive, and gracious way, and then leave the results up to God.”

5 Tips for Parenting in a Screen-Saturated World


5 Tips for Parenting in a Screen-Saturated World – “Living in a screen-saturated world means our use of screens can either help us or hinder us in our call to love God and others.”

When We're Shocked to Find Sinners at Church


When We're Shocked to Find Sinners at Church – “I know people are mean, I know people are judgmental, I know people act weird and get messy and cause problems and are really inefficient for the ways we normally like to do church—but if we believe in the gospel, we don’t have a choice any longer to live in the dark.”

What Is Sola Scriptura?


What Is Sola Scriptura? “Why does Sola Scriptura still matter in the 21st century, in an age of cars, and planes, and the internet? As much as we like to think that we are autonomous and independent, and that we have it all figured out, we aren’t, and we don’t.”

Why There is No Such Thing as the Gift of Tongues


Why There is No Such Thing as the Gift of Tongues“From time to time pastors are asked about a phenomenon common to Christianity in the past one hundred years called ‘the gift of tongues.’ The phrase generally refers to a spectrum of experiences, ranging from a supposed private, non-earthly prayer language spoken between the believer and God enabled by the Holy Spirit, to an angelic, non-earthly prayer language by the believer in prayer and worship, to an ecstatic non-earthly utterance enabled by the Spirit spontaneously in the believer in private and/or public worship.”

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Are You Too Earthly-Minded to Do Earthly Good?


Are You Too Earthly-Minded to Do Earthly Good? – “The only way to be of true earthly good is to be heavenly minded. Thinking about heaven doesn’t take our eyes off of the world; it allows us to live in the world according to the way of Christ.”

4 Questions: Sam Brownback on International Religious Freedom


4 Questions: Sam Brownback on International Religious Freedom – Sam Brownback, the former Kansas governor and U.S. senator now serves as the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

Friday, August 3, 2018

Loving Words – Tell Her – Tell Him – Skit Guys


Loving Words – Tell Her – Tell Him – Skit Guys – Good and funny reminders about marriage.

If God Is with Me, Why Did This Happen?


If God Is with Me, Why Did This Happen? – “Gideon asked the question thousands of years ago, and we have been asking it ever since. Haven’t we all asked that question secretly, if not out loud, at some point in suffering?”

What to Do When Your Kids DON’T Want to Go to Church!


What to Do When Your Kids DON’T Want to Go to Church! – “Kids don’t always understand what is best for them, and they don’t have the wisdom (life experiences) to make certain decisions until they’re older.” Here are some examples.

Being a Father Isn’t Easy, But it is Simple


Being a Father Isn’t Easy, But it is Simple“I've never seen anyone who did the things on this list fail as a father. Certainly there's more that could be written--and I know full well that making it simple doesn't make it easy--but here is what I believe to be the essence of the call of Christian dads.”

Satan’s Go-To Temptation Against You


Satan’s Go-To Temptation Against You – “Every army general serious about success enters a battle with a plan. He knows his strengths, his weaknesses, his tactics, his contingencies. Most of all, for his plan to be successful, he must know his enemy. If he doesn’t, even his best intentions won’t keep him from destruction.”

What the Bible Teaches about Hell


What the Bible Teaches about Hell – “What does the Bible teach about hell? To ask this question is to acknowledge that hell is a biblical teaching. That is an appropriate starting point for considering the doctrine of hell.”

How to Improve Your Biblical Literacy


How to Improve Your Biblical Literacy“Most Christians do not know the basics of the biblical storyline, basic facts about the Bible’s major characters, or the texts on which our most foundational doctrines are built.” Here are some tips on improving your biblical literacy.

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Here Are the Reasons People Stay Home on Sunday Morning


Here Are the Reasons People Stay Home on Sunday Morning“The people who don’t go to church often cite personal, not spiritual, reasons for staying away. That’s a conclusion from a new Pew Research study.”

A Devotional on Jesus’ Selection of the Twelve


A Devotional on Jesus’ Selection of the Twelve“In Mark's account of the choosing of the 12 (Mark 3:13-19), Jesus goes up on the mountain and then selects men whom He Himself wanted to serve with Him. Drawing from the text, here are four application points to consider devotionally.”

Why Americans Go to Church—And Why They Don’t


Why Americans Go to Church—And Why They Don’t – “When Americans want to be close to God, they go to church. Unless they’ve found some other way to meet up with the Almighty.”

Church Leaders, Prepare your People for Persecution


Church Leaders, Prepare your People for Persecution – This is a telling article from Australia. “Once a government presumes to grant religious freedom, the government can take away religious freedom.” 

Why We Worship on Repeat


Why We Worship on Repeat – “Many a modern church-goer has been miffed by repetition in corporate worship.” Why do our songs repeat?...Our hearts simply don’t move as quickly as our eyes and our mouths.

Come Thou Fount - Part 1


Come Thou Fount - Part 1 – “What is it about this age-old hymn that keeps it relevant to Christians throughout the centuries?”

All Show and No Go


All Show and No Go – “Faith doesn’t live in the realm of theory; faith lives in the world of activity. So let’s use our faith. Let’s put it into action. Then watch what God can do.”