Why Does God Sometimes Not Answer Prayer?

Why Does God Sometimes Not Answer Prayer? – “Prayer is an act of worship that springs from trust in a personal God who wants us to take Him at His word.”

Why You Can’t Love Jesus and Condone Immorality

Why You Can’t Love Jesus and Condone Immorality – “Jesus doesn’t give us the option of loving him while disagreeing with him about sexual morality. That means we all have a choice to make: we can either choose to obey him or admit we don’t truly love him.”

Hard to Offend, Easy to Please: How Love Hopes All Things

Hard to Offend, Easy to Please: How Love Hopes All Things – How might a “theology of hopefulness” begin to make a difference in our lives? In at least three ways.

What is Mount Zion?

What is Mount Zion? – “Mount Zion is likely a term that you have heard before or read in Scripture, but may not have given much thought to what or where it is.”

A Brief History of How Friendships Like Yours Can Change the World

A Brief History of How Friendships Like Yours Can Change the World – “What if more Christians began to view their friendships as stewardships from God? We should all actively look for opportunities to leverage our friendships for practical, kingdom-minded endeavors.”

A Psalm That Has No Hope

A Psalm That Has No Hope – “The words of Psalm 88 are so dark, so desperate, and so lacking in any perceivable hope that it almost takes your breath away. That is, of course, depending on your definition of hope.”

Pray for Other Members

Pray for Other Members – What and how should we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Stop Pretending—Cry Out to God

Stop Pretending—Cry Out to God – “Are you afflicted? Is your faith being tested in God’s furnace of suffering? If so, cry out to Him. He cares. He listens. He loves.”

Getting beyond “do you believe in Jesus?”

Getting beyond “do you believe in Jesus?” – “There is nothing more loving than helping someone examine their faith and see what Jesus they believe in.”

6 Ways We See Jesus in Joshua

6 Ways We See Jesus in Joshua – “Embedded in the historical narratives are some aspects of Joshua’s experience that hint at the person and work of Jesus, the Joshua par excellence. Here are six.”

To All Who Feel Empty: Invitation to the Bored and Disappointed

To All Who Feel Empty: Invitation to the Bored and Disappointed – “Whenever we feel emotional hunger and thirst, we do well to ask if we’ve moved from God’s guaranteed, all-satisfying table to the world’s uncertain, disappointing table.”

Mine Was the Victory: Lessons from the Life of Perpetua

Mine Was the Victory: Lessons from the Life of Perpetua – “As men and women who follow Christ, our hope in the 21st century is no different from those in the first or third century. May we stand faithfully in Christ alone.”

Comfort Facing Death

Comfort Facing Death – “Do you ever think about your own death? Poets may come up with flowery words and philosophers may make scholarly statements that ring hollow when there is no connection with the Word of God. But in Psalm 139 God gives us the comfort we need when facing the end of our lives.”

God Doesn’t Compromise

God Doesn’t Compromise – “In a world of misfits and disorder, we need an administration of justice. At the same time, we crave expressions of just mercy.”

Communication’s Two Catastrophic Cousins

Communication’s Two Catastrophic Cousins – “In Matthew 12, Jesus warned that we will give an account for every sinful word. That can be frightening, given that all of us are guilty of gossip and slander. Is there any good news for troubled talkers?”

Bright Hope from Yesterday: How the Old Testament Deepens Faith

Bright Hope from Yesterday: How the Old Testament Deepens Faith – “Paul tells us, God’s word is the wellspring of our encouragement. And the particular word Paul had in mind, at least here, was the Old Testament..”

Ambassadors of Heaven: Heavenite’s Guide to Life on Earth, Pt 1

Ambassadors of Heaven: Heavenite’s Guide to Life on Earth, Pt 1 – “The Kingdom of Heaven has outposts on Earth, like embassies, or consulates. We call them churches. And they are manned by the brave men and women who function as ambassadors for Christ in a dark and dangerous world.”

Jesus and The Reality of Hell

Jesus and The Reality of Hell – “Jesus was not skittish about preaching hell. He knew the stakes couldn’t be higher.”

3 Ways Parents Can Help Kids Navigate Transgender Ideology

3 Ways Parents Can Help Kids Navigate Transgender Ideology – “But no matter how old our kids are, transgenderism gives all Christian parents a welcome opportunity to remind their kids of this central truth: our souls and bodies are knit together by God and for eternity.”

A Sunday Morning Prayer

A Sunday Morning Prayer – “Perhaps a prayer like this, drawn from the works of J.R. Miller, will orient your heart aright as you set out on another Lord’s Day.”

How to Tame Your Tongue

How to Tame Your Tongue – “While we may never fully tame our tongues, we can—with the help of the Holy Spirit—take steps to use our words in a manner increasingly edifying and more like Jesus.”

Glorify God with Your Body: How Exercise Serves the Christian Life

Glorify God with Your Body: How Exercise Serves the Christian Life – “Will I be ready and willing to make use of this body God gave me, or have I imbibed the pattern of the age to keep it on the shelf and use it as little as humanly possible?”

Should Christians Visit Cemeteries?

Should Christians Visit Cemeteries? – “Few things blow the fog of worldliness away like the loss of a loved one.”

When I Get Old, How I Do Not Want To Be

When I Get Old, How I Do Not Want To Be – Joe McKeever makes several observations on aging well.

The Enduring Lesson of the Galileo Myth

The Enduring Lesson of the Galileo Myth – “The real story is not about an enlightened scientist being persecuted by a narrow-minded Catholic Church because that story is mostly a myth. It’s not a story about a great scientific genius either, though he mainly was that.”

What the Bible Teaches About Rejection and Embrace

What the Bible Teaches About Rejection and Embrace – “We have everyday encounters with rejection in job searches, auditions, and relationships, and yet it never seems to get any easier. Rejection undercuts our deep desire to belong, and too often we settle for the shallow approval of the world rather than the eternal embrace of the Father.”

The Genesis of Long Lives

The Genesis of Long Lives – “Scripture teaches that there was then a progressive shortening of man’s lifespan from Noah to Abraham, and from Abraham to Moses. There are several important reasons why God purposed to allow the first generations of humanity to live as long as they did; and, there is a significant theological rationale for why He shortened the lifespan of humanity.”

Good Overcomes Evil

Good Overcomes Evil – While Covid issues become less of a concern for our nation, please remember in prayer the rest of the world – Christian brothers and sisters in great suffering.

Life is Reopening. Why Am I Still So Sad?

Life is Reopening. Why Am I Still So Sad? – “If you’ve struggled with how to face the collective enthusiasm of return to “normal life,” consider four ways to continue making space for sadness, even as you look with hope toward the future.”

Hope Emerged Unbreakable: The Empty Tomb as the Hinge of History

Hope Emerged Unbreakable: The Empty Tomb as the Hinge of History – The resurrection is the driving message of the Christian faith.

Margin and Wonder

Margin and Wonder – “Margin is not only for shelves and drawers and homes. Embracing margin is a chosen way of living that often paves a path to wonder.”

How Do I Know That God Is for Me?

How Do I Know That God Is for Me? – “Satan is very insistent about this—indeed, he has been insistent on this question from the beginning. He asked it in the Garden of Eden. In fact, his first recorded words are an assault on God’s gracious character…”

When Doubt Eclipses Faith: Learning to Fight for Spiritual Sight

When Doubt Eclipses Faith: Learning to Fight for Spiritual Sight – “Something happened to Asaph that transformed his doubt-filled cynicism back to faith-filled hope.”

The Discipline Of Being Overwhelmed

The Discipline Of Being Overwhelmed – “It’s good to be overwhelmed. I need it. I need it in regular doses like a strong medicine that goes down deep and reacts with my ever-inflating pride and helps cut it back down to size for a while.” 

God Doesn’t Compromise

God Doesn’t Compromise – “Look at the cross of Christ and see the attributes of God singing together in beautiful harmony. God doesn’t compromise; he’s just and merciful at the same time.”

Jonah and the Justice of the Cross

Jonah and the Justice of the Cross – There are several lessons here about the nature of God.

How Should I Respond to a Colleague’s Same-Sex Wedding?

How Should I Respond to a Colleague’s Same-Sex Wedding? – “Believers can be good neighbors to all while diverging on some moral issues. This is the heart of a peaceful and pluralistic society.”

Jesus Will Never “Bust” Us for Being Over-Encouragers

Jesus Will Never “Bust” Us for Being Over-Encouragers – Encouragers—those committed to building each other up, and catching each other “doing it right”—calling down more grace than fire, offering more “atta-girl’s” than grace-less body language.

The Psalm 1 Life

The Psalm 1 Life – “If I aspire to anything, it’s to live a Psalm 1 life. Psalm 1 captivates me. It pictures two ways of life. There are only two ways, after all. We think there are more, but the choice before us is binary.”

One Surprising Reason for Pain

One Surprising Reason for Pain – “Sometimes very unbelieving people wake up to God’s reality because of pain, not because of its absence.”

To Wait is Good; To Worship is Better

To Wait is Good; To Worship is Better – “So, if Scripture is clear that we are creatures created for waiting, it must also contain clear directions that will equip us to wait well.”

Faith-Sized Requests

Faith-Sized Requests – “Through the right kind of praying, something moves. Faith is the divinely granted instrument that brings God’s infinite strength to bear on the resistant mountains of our lives.”

He Has Not Failed Me Yet: Lessons from Long Suffering

He Has Not Failed Me Yet: Lessons from Long Suffering – “If you are struggling in the middle of your story today, at another painful crossroads of suffering or loss, and wonder how to find hope in Christ, I encourage you to remember.”

How Should I Address My Transgender Colleague?

How Should I Address My Transgender Colleague? – “There are two foundational pillars and four facets of wisdom that can help in this moment.”

I Believe the Children Are (Not) Our Future

I Believe the Children Are (Not) Our Future – “Believers and nonbelievers, and adults and children alike need to receive the same gospel, to experience the same salvation by grace, to be transformed by Christ to live for his glory.”

Trading Glory For Shame

Trading Glory For Shame – “It seems that the shameful history of humanity has been one long exercise in stitching together our own fig leaves in a dismal attempt to cover our nakedness. Yet from the beginning, God has made a better way.”

Let Me Not Forget

Let Me Not Forget – Here are some good reminders for whatever your day holds.

Controversy and the Sin of Self-Importance

Controversy and the Sin of Self-Importance – “Self-importance is an often-overlooked sin that breeds dissension. It fans the flames of controversy.” 

A Sermon Illustration to Challenge Us to Tell the Gospel

A Sermon Illustration to Challenge Us to Tell the Gospel – As we seek to share to the “ends of the earth” we may overlook the lost people across the street.

Learning to Live with Loss

Learning to Live with Loss – “Even for believers who live with the hope of resurrection life and of being reunited with Christian loved ones, death tests us as it alters our experience in this world, forcing us to continue living without someone we love, to keep living despite loss.”

A Marriage of Tragedy and Triumph: Hudson and Maria Taylor (1858–1870)

A Marriage of Tragedy and Triumph: Hudson and Maria Taylor (1858–1870) – “What might we learn from the courageous love of Hudson and Maria Taylor for marriage and ministry today? We can draw at least three enduring lessons.”

An Analysis of the 2021 Annual SBC Gathering

An Analysis of the 2021 Annual SBC Gathering – “The election was a fork in the road, rejecting a hard right turn and embracing a multiethnic future.”

A Peculiar Disapproval of Gay Pride

A Peculiar Disapproval of Gay Pride – John Piper writes: “What makes Christian disapproval of homosexual desires and practices peculiar? How do the cross of Christ, the power of the Spirit, and the glory of God transform disapproval?”

The Bird with a Leaf in Her Mouth

The Bird with a Leaf in Her Mouth – “The dove with the leaf in her mouth is a very pretty image, but as it flies over the flooded earth with just this tiny shred of evidence of something new bursting forth, we have also a reminder of God’s holiness, of his power.”

Who Is the Disciple Jesus Loved?

Who Is the Disciple Jesus Loved? – “My most important identity is not my name but my being loved by Jesus the Son of God.”

The Best-Known Hymn in History: Why We Keep Singing ‘The Doxology’

The Best-Known Hymn in History: Why We Keep Singing ‘The Doxology’ – “What, then, has been the power of these 25 words? Why have they endured, and for many become one of the most basic and repeated expressions of the Christian faith?”

4 (Possible) Reasons for Unanswered Prayer

4 (Possible) Reasons for Unanswered Prayer – “How do we explain it when we’ve asked, but it sure doesn’t seem like we’ve received? We’ve sought, but we haven’t yet found. We’ve knocked, and the door is still shut. How do we explain unanswered prayers given Jesus’s claim that ‘everyone who asks receives’?”

 

The Power of Reviling and the Response of the Gospel

The Power of Reviling and the Response of the Gospel – “I am convinced that the single biggest thing that keeps Christians in the West from being open about their faith is the specter of being reviled.”

For The Christian Prone To High Achievement

For The Christian Prone To High Achievement – “He sends you out now to make disciples not because salvation history depends on you—you who benefit from it—but because laboring alongside Him is sharing His joy. The very call to join the Master in making disciples (multiplying His grace) is a gift He gives you from His treasury.”

Jen Hatmaker Quits “church” and Invites You to Join Her

Jen Hatmaker Quits “church” and Invites You to Join Her – Here is a reflection on the popular bloggers announcement and a reminder that truth is found in God’s word.

Why Heaven Requires New Songs

Why Heaven Requires New Songs – “Everything in Heaven is about Jesus. Everyone arriving there came by His shed blood.  Everyone is overwhelmed by love and praise of Jesus. Anyone unwilling to sing of Jesus will be eternally out of place in Heaven’s concert hall.”

‘May You Worship Your Father’s God’: The Spiritual Legacy of Faithful Men

‘May You Worship Your Father’s God’: The Spiritual Legacy of Faithful Men – “Little is said of the ordinary saints whose prayers, lives, and instruction shaped these men mightily used of God. We admire the flowers and forget the stems.”

When I Discovered I Had 3 Fathers

When I Discovered I Had 3 Fathers – “We live in the tension between the groaning caused by the realities of this fallen world and a hope based upon the realities of the life to come.”

20 Truths: How Did I Get Here?

20 Truths: How Did I Get Here? – 20 Truths from Christine Caine's latest book on how avoid drifting spiritually.

What Can We Learn About Prayer From The Life Of Jesus?

What Can We Learn About Prayer From The Life Of Jesus? – “In this article, I’d like to present a few principles from the prayer life of Jesus to motivate us to pray with purpose and consistency.”

Trailer for the Future: The Final Destiny of God’s People

Trailer for the Future: The Final Destiny of God’s People – “This final vision is not meant to satisfy our curiosity of what life will be like in heaven, but to inspire hope now—to assure us that God will indeed fulfill his purposes in bringing about judgment for the wicked, but salvation for his people.”

The Ordinary War with Irritability

The Ordinary War with Irritability – “Because of Jesus, believers can have godly attitudes even when our patience is tried, and we don’t have to make self-justifying excuses when we don’t. We can confess our failure as sin, knowing Jesus forgives.”

The Good Commission

The Good Commission – “Let’s be careful about being drawn toward either constant adventure or navel gazing. Instead let’s focus on what Paul describes in Ephesians as becoming mature and examples of changed lives – even if we don’t change the world.”

The Gift of a Distracted Dad

The Gift of a Distracted Dad – “One of the beautiful paradoxes of Jesus is that he was singularly focused but easily pulled in multiple directions. He had time for children. He took note of poor widows. With Jesus, a stray touch in a crowd or a cry from the roadside wouldn’t go unnoticed. His attention was magnetized to need.”

A Good Friday Ride

A Good Friday Ride – “We Christians sometimes forget how astonishing and offensive our faith is.”

Christ, Our Strength in Suffering

Christ, Our Strength in Suffering – “To suffer, with Christ, is a vastly superior life to never suffering without him.”

For Those with Little Faith

For Those with Little Faith – “The tenderness of Jesus shines magnificently in these stories of little faith. He meets his disciples’ cares, fears, and doubts with his assurance, peace, and help. Yet his tenderness also carries a rebuke we need to hear.”

Honoring Your Father When He’s Evil

Honoring Your Father When He’s Evil – “In a beautiful plot twist of grace, keeping the fifth commandment means refusing to submit to evil parents. We cannot obey both God and evildoers. We follow Jesus despite them.”

Christians, Beware the Blame Game

Christians, Beware the Blame Game – “As soon as you see the church herself as part of the problem, you have lost the gospel and deprived yourself and your audience of hope.”

The FAQs: Supreme Court Ruling Protects Faith-Affirming Foster Care

The FAQs: Supreme Court Ruling Protects Faith-Affirming Foster Care – “On Thursday, June 17, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in Sharonell Fulton, et al. v. City of Philadelphia, an important religious-liberty case involving faith-based foster care and adoption providers.”

‘Her Desire Will Be for Her Husband’? What Genesis 3:16 Means for Marriage

‘Her Desire Will Be for Her Husband’? What Genesis 3:16 Means for Marriage – “Wives learn to align their desires with God’s design, and husbands learn to rule their households with Christlike self-sacrifice. And as they do, they display the glory of Christ and the church to a world still under the curse.”

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?”

Scripture Is a Feast, Not Fast Food

Scripture Is a Feast, Not Fast Food – “In a day and age where words are quickly consumed, even reading the Bible can become rushed or perfunctory.”

You Are a Piece of Work

You Are a Piece of Work – “In one sentence Paul turned conventional thinking on its head, telling a city famous for making art of deities that God wanted to make artwork of them.”

What Is Biblical Self-Care?

What Is Biblical Self-Care? – “To understand self-care biblically we need to look at it rightly. The best way to approach self-care is through the lens of stewardship.”

Thoughts Obeying Jesus

Thoughts Obeying Jesus – “When our thoughts obey you, we see the world and people through your eyes. Our emotions get fueled with grace, not just triggered by pain. Our choices get shaped by you, and what matters to you—not merely by our worries, whims, and wishes.”

Singing with the Apostle Paul

Singing with the Apostle Paul – “As we sing, we express gratitude to God even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. We may even find ourselves encouraging one another to remain firm in our faith through psalms and spiritual songs.”

Teach Kids to Understand Economics and Love the Lord

Teach Kids to Understand Economics and Love the Lord – “Understanding constraints is a mark of maturity, which is why the concept is both difficult and vital to teach children. But that’s not all they need to know.”

The Ark of the Covenant in its Egyptian Context

The Ark of the Covenant in its Egyptian Context – Here’s an interesting perspective from the view of biblical archaeology.

Should We Quote the Bible to Non-Christians?

Should We Quote the Bible to Non-Christians? – “Do not let the shame of the world and your “intellectual betters” shape your heart. Pick up your cross and follow Jesus.”

The Contagious Sin of Cynicism: Nine Causes and Their Cures

The Contagious Sin of Cynicism: Nine Causes and Their Cures – “Cynicism among Christians appears as a collection of negative attitudes and expectations. Those attitudes may be directed toward ourselves or others, the church, conversions, gospel progress, growth in sanctification, and even toward God himself.”

When You Spend Yourself for the Sheep

When You Spend Yourself for the Sheep – Thank you for praying for pastors.

The New Mercies of Morning Devotions

The New Mercies of Morning Devotions – “For morning people and night owls alike, the practice of a morning devotional time offers at least four delights.”

Assume the Best of Others

Assume the Best of Others – “If our sins have been (unimaginably) forgiven by God, then we have been set free to assume the best of others.”

The Context of The Great Commission is a Miracle

The Context of The Great Commission is a Miracle – “When Jesus stood before his followers to commission them, he did so as the resurrected King. Think about how this would’ve affected them.”

We Seek a Better City: The Liberating Power of Christian Hope

We Seek a Better City: The Liberating Power of Christian Hope – “We’re able to engage our present, broken, sinful cities as earthly citizens anchored in our heavenly citizenship, ready to embrace the cost now for the reward to come.”

What Are You Looking For?

What Are You Looking For? – “I need the reminder that this life isn’t all there is.” Are we looking for “fixes” in this world or are we looking to and for Jesus?

On Masks, Vaccines, and Church Unity

On Masks, Vaccines, and Church Unity – “We must choose: are we united by Christ? Or are we united by our views on masks, and our views on vaccines?”

Come “Rapture” or “Rupture,” Always Do These 4

Come “Rapture” or “Rupture,” Always Do These 4 – “Jude, gave us 4 things we can/should always do, whether life feels like “rapture” or “rupture”—a ballroom dance, or Sisyphus rolling his ball up a hill.”

Devastating Mercy: How Jesus Redeems Our Failures

Devastating Mercy: How Jesus Redeems Our Failures – “As the apostle Peter discovered, sometimes the mercy we most need from Jesus comes in a severe package.”

Is the USA in Bible prophecy?

Is the USA in Bible prophecy? – Just in one place, “All the nations will be gathered before Him” (Matthew 25:31-32). That’s it: the USA will be standing before Jesus to be judged.”

Savor Each Sunday Service

Savor Each Sunday Service – “Every time your local Church gathers, it is an unrepeatable, unique day God sovereignly ordained for the praise of His glory and for your good.”

What’s New about the New Commandment?

What’s New about the New Commandment? – “Why did he call it a new commandment? As Jews they were familiar with the command recorded in Leviticus 19:18 – ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.’ So what was new about Jesus’ commandment?”

Hope Makes a Broken Heart Bigger

Hope Makes a Broken Heart Bigger – “For now, some dreams stay shattered, some relationships remain broken, some scars never fade. But when Jesus comes in glory, he will make a grave for all our griefs.”

Why We Should Return to Church

Why We Should Return to Church – “Scripture illustrates our need for embodied, gathered worship in three ways.”

Rich and Miserable — How Can It Be?

Rich and Miserable — How Can It Be? – “Possessing power and luxury only becomes problematic when possessing power and luxury begins to possess us.”

Midlife, Christ Is

Midlife, Christ Is – “If you’re on the front side of middle age, I encourage you to begin investing in your friendship with Jesus now. Don’t put off communion with Christ.”

Anti-Porn Is Not Enough

Anti-Porn Is Not Enough – “The widespread accessibility of porn and the ability to be seemingly incognito leads to private addiction, marital destruction, and sexual abuse, all of it driving the horrific industry of sex trafficking.”

If Necessary, You Have Been Grieved

If Necessary, You Have Been Grieved – “Here is the good news. God never afflicts us without cause. He is always doing a good work.”

What You'll Find Inside Your Bible

What You'll Find Inside Your Bible – “When we use the Word of God as a narrative, here are seven blessings that result.”

He Will Come

He Will Come – “In the politics; the rage; the turmoil around and within us. In the fear; the conflict; the disasters in the news and in our neighborhoods. In the discouragement; the hopelessness; the loneliness that presses in on us in the night. Hush, now; peace.”

The Gospel Is Advancing And We Are A Crucial Part Of That Process

The Gospel Is Advancing And We Are A Crucial Part Of That Process – “In Philippians 1, Paul describes 3 ways that God is advancing the gospel.”

Are Tattoos Worse Than Adultery?

Are Tattoos Worse Than Adultery? – It may be surprising to know that in some cultures, tattoos are considered worse than adultery. What we do with that information has important implications for Christian unity.

The Neglected Ministry of Asking Questions

The Neglected Ministry of Asking Questions – “Asking questions and actively listening is one of the rarest (and most powerful) ways to communicate love.”

Blindness to Kindness

Blindness to Kindness – “The world and even thousands of Christians give no praise and thanks to God for millions of daily, life-sustaining providences because they do not see the world as the theater of God’s wonders.”

10 Reasons Many of Us Struggle Praying with Our Spouses Each Day

10 Reasons Many of Us Struggle Praying with Our Spouses Each Day – One of the best gifts you can bring to your marriage is prayer.

Matters Too Important for Social Media

Matters Too Important for Social Media – “Some matters are so weighty or so important that they are hindered by being batted around on social media.”

The Price of Pursuing Unity

The Price of Pursuing Unity – “There are practical reasons why unity does not come easily and why we struggle to pursue it.”

Grace at Rock Bottom

Grace at Rock Bottom – “One biblical character who ignores the warning lights is Jonah. The warning light of a life-threatening storm did not change him. It was only when he hit rock bottom that we see him start to change.”

Parents, We Get to Pray

Parents, We Get to Pray – Here are some wonderful prayer prompts for parents (all along the parenting journey).

4 Traits to Seek in a Spouse

4 Traits to Seek in a Spouse – “While mutual faith and romantic attraction (in that order) are prerequisites for Christian marriage, I now see there are more traits to look for in a spouse if you don’t want to be miserable after saying ‘I do.’”

A Happy Song

A Happy Song – “The Psalms are perfect psychology. What is psychology? The scientific study of how people behave, think, and feel. It investigates the connections between feeling, thinking, and doing.”

Already Saved … Not Yet Finished

Already Saved … Not Yet Finished – “Just as we live in the tension between the already and the not yet of this world, we also live with it in ourselves. We’re straining and stretching for completion and perfection but we’re not yet free from sin.”

No U-turns Allowed

No U-turns Allowed – “Have you noticed that freedom only runs in one direction? You are free to move away from the previously established norms, but woe betide anyone who chooses to move back towards them.”

Giving and Receiving God’s Word

Giving and Receiving God’s Word – “The times when we least want to hear God’s Word are the times we most need it.”

The Existence of Love Means God is Real

The Existence of Love Means God is Real – “Materialism cannot produce the kind of enduring love that comes from outside of us, the kind that comes from heaven.”

If You Could See the End: The Story God Writes in Suffering

If You Could See the End: The Story God Writes in Suffering – “Hope reaches past the groans, for that part of the Story with no more sin, no more suffering, no more separation.”

25 Bible Verses for Kids to Easily Memorize for Life

25 Bible Verses for Kids to Easily Memorize for Life – This might be a good summertime project for children (and their parents).

The Case for Analog Church in a Digital World

The Case for Analog Church in a Digital World – “Younger generations, having grown up in an over-digitized world, feel this on an intrinsic level and are seeking out experiences they can see, hear, feel, and touch.”

When Repetition is a Good Thing

When Repetition is a Good Thing – “I don’t know about you, but I have a hard head. And on top of that, sometimes I need to read or listen to something more than once for my thick skull to cooperate.”

Two Scary Reasons Church People Aren’t Coming Back to Church

Two Scary Reasons Church People Aren’t Coming Back to Church – There is much to ponder here. It can’t be generalized but there are valid points.

A Redemptive-Attitude in a Bad-Attitude Culture

A Redemptive-Attitude in a Bad-Attitude Culture – “Grant us fresh grace, thicker skin, and bigger hearts.”

The Only Certain Hope on Earth

The Only Certain Hope on Earth – “Christian hope is very different from worldly hope. Christian hope is a Spirit-given virtue enabling us to joyfully expect what God has promised through Jesus Christ.” 

Chasing Rest

Chasing Rest – “Sometimes, my friend, the most faithful thing you can do is crawl into bed at the end of the day, close your eyes, and sleep. This is my mantra for today, this week, this month, and this summer.”

Refuge for the Guilty Soul

Refuge for the Guilty Soul – “When we consider the greatness of our sin — including the times we have harbored murderous anger toward a brother or sister — we must flee to Jesus, the refuge for the guilty souls of sinners.”

Discipled: Signs That Children Are Truly Following Jesus

Discipled: Signs That Children Are Truly Following Jesus – “For children to become discipled, you must do 3 important things.”

7 Ways to Overcome Satan

7 Ways to Overcome Satan – “At the end of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul lists out seven pieces of spiritual armor for us to take up in the battle against Satan.”

Having Confidence in Prayer

Having Confidence in Prayer – “James holds the prophet Elijah to be an example of the power of prayer in James 5:17-18.”

Questions to Ask Your Kids

Questions to Ask Your Kids – 30 Ways to Get to Know Their Heart.

Sins You Commit Every Time You Look at Porn

Sins You Commit Every Time You Look at Porn – “When you open your browser and begin to look at those images and videos, you are sinning in ways that go far beyond lust. Here are eight sins you commit when you look at porn.”

How to Abide When Serving God is Harder Than You Expected

How to Abide When Serving God is Harder Than You Expected – “Have you ever followed God in obedience, only to discover it wasn’t what you expected?”

Christianity Is the Best Explanation for Reality

Christianity Is the Best Explanation for Reality – “If someone asked you how you know Christianity is true, how would you answer them? Would you appeal to your transformed life, the witness of miracles, or apologetic arguments?”

Need Fresh Air in Your Marriage Relationship?

Need Fresh Air in Your Marriage Relationship? – “We need to pull away and breathe fresh air into our relationship from time to time. It takes intentionality in order to discover what it is that helps us both feel refreshed and renewed.”

7 Things Your Kids Will Remember About You

7 Things Your Kids Will Remember About You – Be sure to focus your parenting on things like these.

How the News Disrupts Our Belonging

How the News Disrupts Our Belonging – “Consuming the news in its current form can grind our minds and our souls to bits.”

The (Whole) Old Testament Law in One Word

The (Whole) Old Testament Law in One Word – “Love is still the hallmark of what it means to be disciples of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God.”

Is God for Us?

Is God for Us? – “God’s “good” is not centered around me or you, it is centered around his kingdom work and the means by which we can be most usefully in promoting the establishment of that kingdom.

Who Might Find God in Your Suffering?

Who Might Find God in Your Suffering? – “The best way to be prepared to defend your hope in Jesus is not to learn new, sophisticated arguments, but to honor Jesus as much as possible with what you already know. The best apologetic for Christianity is the real transformation already happening in you.”

Why Pronouns Matter…a Lot

Why Pronouns Matter…a Lot – “So, what do we do? How do we resist the lie, live the truth, and still be nice? We take a cue from Christ and distinguish the movement from the individual.”

Why Do You Want to Be Loved by God?

Why Do You Want to Be Loved by God? – “Until Christ becomes our treasure, we don’t know what it is to be loved by God.”

6 Principles for Sharing Your Testimony

6 Principles for Sharing Your Testimony – “Personal testimonies are one of the most influential tools the Holy Spirit uses to stir spiritual interest and point people toward Christ.”

Heaven as Substance, Earth as Shadow

Heaven as Substance, Earth as Shadow – “Though the idea of Earth as Heaven’s shadow is seldom discussed, even in books on Heaven, it’s a concept that has biblical support.”

Why Are There So Many Versions of the Bible?

Why Are There So Many Versions of the Bible? – “Why are there so many different translations of the Bible? Go into any Christian bookstore, and you can find an entire shelf—sometimes an entire section!—of different Bible translations.”

Digital Citizenship: Having The Right Conversation With Students

Digital Citizenship: Having The Right Conversation With Students – “We either teach our students the value of civility wherever they go (in-person or digital), or we teach them they don’t have to be civil.”

Why Do People Leave Church? Maybe the ‘Box’ We’ve Created Is Way Too Small

Why Do People Leave Church? Maybe the ‘Box’ We’ve Created Is Way Too Small – This is a wise piece about family worship.

How the Gospel Should Shape Our Political Posture

How the Gospel Should Shape Our Political Posture – “Evangelical Christians often engage in political discourse in ways that reflect the broader culture rather than the gospel.”

How to Express Your Love for God

How to Express Your Love for God – “God makes it clear in His Word that He measures our love for Him by our obedience to His commands, not the public display of affection.”

The Top Reason People Attend Bible Study Groups

The Top Reason People Attend Bible Study Groups – “Lifeway Research discovered almost half of people who attend a Bible study group do so because someone invited them. The invitation of a group member or the leader of a group led 47% of people to attend.”

Christians Need to Stop Cussing

Christians Need to Stop Cussing – “Let me give you a couple of Christian swear words that believers should mortify with quickness: “luck” and “fate.” These words and their concepts are unbiblical and atheistic.”

The Most Important Decision You’re Probably Not Thinking About

The Most Important Decision You’re Probably Not Thinking About – Here’s a good word for college students. “Of all the decisions you’ll face this year, the most important one may be whether you get up and go to church on the very first Sunday when no one is there to make sure that you go to church.”

How Do I Pull My Friend Out of the Rabbit Hole of Conspiracy Theories?

How Do I Pull My Friend Out of the Rabbit Hole of Conspiracy Theories? – “So how do we help someone leave the darkness of the rabbit hole for the light? We must pray that awe for Jesus will increase – that fear of Him will rise and fear of everything else will subside.”