When God Became Heaven for Me

When God Became Heaven for Me – “Could I be content in a heaven without Christ? And if not, if Christ really was what made heaven an eternity worth wanting, why wasn’t I doing more to know and enjoy him now on earth?”

 

Don’t Pray That You Won’t Suffer

Don’t Pray That You Won’t Suffer – “What should we pray, instead of just asking God to protect us and our children from difficulties in this life?”

Talking About Transgenderism with Your Neighbor

Talking About Transgenderism with Your Neighbor – “As our culture increasingly lives according to transgender ideologies, there are obvious conflicts between a biblical worldview and the values that surround us.”

I Wasn’t Half-Dead

I Wasn’t Half-Dead – “When it comes to God’s miraculous work of saving people through faith in Jesus, I think we tend to believe that some people are harder to save than others—as though God is limited by some people’s backgrounds or besetting sins.”

Men, Are You Submissive?

Men, Are You Submissive? – “Of all the words in the Bible, this may be one of the least popular. After all, our cultural moment is not one that values a posture of submission to authorities. On the contrary, our world insists we should challenge and critique those over us.”

 

5 Biblical Principles for Social Media

5 Biblical Principles for Social Media – “Did you realize that you are responsible for your online behavior as much as you are responsible for your in-person behavior?”

God is Frustrating

God is Frustrating – “God is governing, providing, preserving, pardoning, and saving. He is sustaining and guiding. And He is frustrating.” 

Parent Like You Can Save Your Kids, and Pray Like You Can’t

Parent Like You Can Save Your Kids, and Pray Like You Can’t – “Feeling the weight of the burden, you should parent like you can save your kids and pray like you can’t.”

‘How You Look Is Who You Are’: The Lie Mirrors Often Tell

‘How You Look Is Who You Are’: The Lie Mirrors Often Tell – This may be an encouraging word on identity to many.

For the Church that is For the World

For the Church that is For the World – “Biblically understood, there is a lot more involved in ‘going to church’ than simply attending a worship service. The gospel is designed to remake our entire souls, reorienting us away from ourselves and instead around God and others.”

Scarecrows In A Cucumber Field

Scarecrows In A Cucumber Field – “The battle to replace the spiritual glories of the Creator with the physical glories of the creation will greet and grip us every day. It is a constant and inescapable struggle.”

 

What Does it Mean to Pray ‘Your Will Be Done’?

What Does it Mean to Pray ‘Your Will Be Done’? – “We speak of God’s will in three different ways. Distinguishing between them will help to clear the confusion and enable us to pray ‘Your will be done,’ with greater meaning and understanding.”

 

Three Ways to Live in Light of Eternity

Three Ways to Live in Light of Eternity – “If you want to live your life in a state of readiness so that you are faithful, then there are three characteristics you should take on.”

8 Things You Didn’t Know About the First 8 Christian Centuries

8 Things You Didn’t Know About the First 8 Christian Centuries – “There is much more to the story of early Christian history than most of us realize.”

 

Three Questions for Evangelism

Three Questions for Evangelism – “I don’t want to lay heavy burdens on you, and I don’t want you to feel a wrong guilt. But these three questions have helped me think about my friendships and neighbors and have stirred me to pray.”

Don’t Follow Your Heart

Don’t Follow Your Heart – The message pops up regularly. Learn to identify the “lies”.

Peanut Butter & the Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Peanut Butter & the Marriage Supper of the Lamb – “The wrong meal in Eden has polluted every meal since, and though we look to redemption, the shadows still lurk.”

How Fear Can Be a Gift

How Fear Can Be a Gift – “Fear is an inescapable concept. It isn’t whether we fear, but whom we fear. We will either fear God or we will fear man. Put another way, we will either fear God or we will be afraid of him.”

True Christianity Is a Fight

True Christianity Is a Fight – “The child of God has two great marks about him…He may be known by his inward warfare, as well as by his inward peace.”

9 Things You Should Know About the Christian Flag

9 Things You Should Know About the Christian Flag – The idea for the “Christian flag” began 124 years ago. Here are nine things you should know about the ecumenical banner for the Christian faith.

Don’t Go To Egypt

Don’t Go To Egypt – “Have you ever been so sure of God’s will in your life that you made plans for your next step while you waited for him to give you direction? Have you ever been wrong?”

Not One Square Inch

Not One Square Inch – “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’”

Autumn’s Comfort for the Grieving

Autumn’s Comfort for the Grieving – “In both the desolation and the beauty, I’m learning that my appreciation for a season of weather can cultivate my appreciation for a season of life too.”

Sin Is Death?

Sin Is Death? – “Sin is taking you somewhere. It’s leading you down a path of decay, a path that ends in spiritual death.”

What If God Doesn’t Speak to Me?

What If God Doesn’t Speak to Me? – “I would strain and listen as hard as I could, but I never heard God speak to me. I never felt any nudges. I never experienced a fresh out-pouring of his Spirit. I never felt ‘peace’ about a decision like others described. He just doesn’t love me like he loves them.”

Why I’m Going Back to Church After a Move

Why I’m Going Back to Church After a Move – “The same reasons that could convince me to isolate are the very reasons that compel me to be in community with other believers and under godly leadership.”

Love Beyond Telling: The Surprising History of a Favorite Hymn

Love Beyond Telling: The Surprising History of a Favorite Hymn – The stories behind hymns are often treasures.

 

Smartphones and Fallen Natures

Smartphones and Fallen Natures – “There are so many benefits to today’s technology that it is hard to overestimate, but that does not mean there are no negative consequences involved, especially when we combine it with our sinful nature.”

Be Worthy of Your Gray

Be Worthy of Your Gray – What reminders of mortality can do for us.

Lord, Where Is Your Faithfulness?

Lord, Where Is Your Faithfulness? – “How the Faithful Sing in Crisis.”

If a Tree Falls in a Forest?

If a Tree Falls in a Forest? – “This is our time to stand bold, to make sure the name of Jesus is heard, to clear the debris from our lives and help lift up the fallen. People need Jesus.”

 

More Concerning News on Social Media and How It Influences Us

More Concerning News on Social Media and How It Influences Us – These are insightful observations along with some suggestions for guardrails.

 

What In The World Is Grace?

What In The World Is Grace? – “Grace is the ultimate spiritual game-changer. It is the one thing that has the power to change you and everything about you. There simply is nothing comparable to God’s grace.”

Whiners and Worshipers

Whiners and Worshipers – “Help us understand the difference between “redemptive-discontent” and destructive ingratitude. Constantly remind us we’re not “Home” yet.” 

Ten Truths About a Liar

Ten Truths About a Liar – “He is not to be trifled with nor buffooned, but in Christ, his back was utterly broken on Calvary’s hill. Therefore, it is important we establish a few implications that help us to discern the person and activity of Satan.”

Does God Love Me?

Does God Love Me? – “Until Christ becomes our treasure, we don’t know what it is to be loved by God.”

Who Will ‘Stand in the Gap’?

Who Will ‘Stand in the Gap’? – “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.”

How Continual Creation Changes What We Do, and Why We Do It

How Continual Creation Changes What We Do, and Why We Do It – “We may not feel like we can justify the significance of our daily work, but there’s something called ‘the doctrine of continual creation’ that provides meaning for what we do—not just in our jobs, but in each of our everyday tasks.”

 

15 Satanic Lies to Keep You from God’s Word

15 Satanic Lies to Keep You from God’s Word – “If I were the devil, I would do everything in my power to keep you from the Word of God.”

A Man Worthy of a Wife: Building the Rare Strength of Boaz

A Man Worthy of a Wife: Building the Rare Strength of Boaz – “The Bible gives us plenty of teaching about marriage, but very few actual marriages to imitate. That makes a love like the one between Boaz and Ruth all the more beautiful.” 

Unexpected

Unexpected – “Pigs rush en masse down the steep bank. To their demise. Leaving one madman behind. Now clothed. Calm. Coherent. And in his right mind.”

The Rationale for Wrath

The Rationale for Wrath – “Can you say that it is unjust for God to be angry with you? Can you possibly imagine that you are a special case, different that all the rest? Certainly you cannot. But all is not lost if you will trust Christ for your salvation.”

Overthinking Imagine Dragons: A Parenting Story

Overthinking Imagine Dragons: A Parenting Story – “It is a truth universally acknowledged that there are in fact two ideal circumstances in which to talk to your teen: At 11:00 at night, usually a school/work night when you are tired but your teen is wide awake, and Sitting side-by-side in the car, preferably when you (and not your teen) are driving so you can stare straight ahead and not make eye contact.”

Critique Purity Culture, but Teach Sexual Ethics to Teens

Critique Purity Culture, but Teach Sexual Ethics to Teens – “Here are six lessons we can learn, in light of the purity movement, that will help us to teach our teens about sex wisely in the generations to come.”

Stewardship in a Consumption Culture

Stewardship in a Consumption Culture – “Is your stuff serving you in your service to God or are you serving your stuff? Are you preparing others for eternity and helping them get there?”

Discerning the Carnival Mirror of Conflict

Discerning the Carnival Mirror of Conflict – “Deconstructing relational conflict and misunderstandings over the years, it seems clear that we commonly see ourselves one way while others see us a bit differently.”

Are You Ready for That Day?

Are You Ready for That Day? – “Our confidence in Christ’s return should ignite urgency in our mission to make and train disciples by planting healthy, multiplying churches among neighbors and nations.”

Why We Need to Talk About Death

Why We Need to Talk About Death – “In every century until our own, Christians saw this life as preparation for eternity. Why has modern Protestantism so largely lost its grip on this biblical otherworldliness? Several factors have combined to produce the effect.”

 

How Do I Stop Rooting My Joy in My Circumstances?

How Do I Stop Rooting My Joy in My Circumstances? – Here are some practical suggestions.

5 Encouragements for Women in Midlife

5 Encouragements for Women in Midlife – “If we’re wise, we’ll learn to listen to our bodies and care for them well. But the more important issue is how to steward our lives from midlife until we meet the Lord.”

What the Seasons Say

What the Seasons Say – “Sometimes I’ve wondered why God created things the way He did. Why day and night? Why four seasons? Why the divisions in days and years?”

You Need Christ to Put Your Sin to Death

You Need Christ to Put Your Sin to Death – “There is the kind of pain that comes to us without our permission—suffering, anguish, frustration, washing into our lives contrary to what we want or expect. But alongside this kind of pain in which we are passive is another kind of pain in which we are active. I refer to the age-old discipline that theologians call mortification.”

Speaking Rightly About Our Beloved

Speaking Rightly About Our Beloved – “Having accurate theology about Christ is not the same as love for Christ, but if we love him we will always seek to speak rightly about him.”

 

Be Like Adam?

Be Like Adam? – “But instead of nursing resentment and continuing to blame his wife, Adam’s immediate response and first act of loving leadership was to rename her ‘life-giver.’”

Majority of Self-Identified Christians Don’t Believe the Holy Spirit is Real

Majority of Self-Identified Christians Don’t Believe the Holy Spirit is Real – The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is real and is Person.

God Never Makes a Mistake

God Never Makes a Mistake – “My suffering had meaning. All of it. I was living God’s plan A.”

Many Voices, One Song

Many Voices, One Song – “Singing together about Christ strengthens our unity in Christ.”

God Has Satan on a Leash

God Has Satan on a Leash – “For sure, he is powerful, but not all-powerful. Satan is intelligent, but doesn’t know everything. He is crafty, but he is not good. There is no divine arm wrestling match; Jesus defeated Satan when he resurrected! At the most fundamental level, there is not a grudge match over who is sovereign. God is sovereign over Satan—end of story.”

 

The Church Was Always International

The Church Was Always International – “Church history books tell us about the way that the faith moved from the Middle East, to Europe and then out to the rest of the world through the efforts of Western missionaries. It’s a great story – but it didn’t happen like that.”

How Can I Have the “Attitude of Jesus”?

How Can I Have the “Attitude of Jesus”? – “Seek to live with authenticity, vulnerability, and humility in all things.”

There Is Power in Counting It All Joy

There Is Power in Counting It All Joy – “James is not encouraging you to deny the reality of your sorrow. Trials are hard. Loss hurts. Life is sometimes very painful.”

 

A Worthy Wife to Be: Tracing the Rare Beauty of Ruth

A Worthy Wife to Be: Tracing the Rare Beauty of Ruth – “A truly worthy woman is as worthy in secret as she is when others are watching — and Ruth was just such a woman.”

 

Why Waiting is Good News

Why Waiting is Good News – “Waiting reminds us that although we have agency, we are not ultimately in control.”

Should Rich Christians Downgrade Their Lifestyle?

Should Rich Christians Downgrade Their Lifestyle? – “Why does wealth make it hard to get into heaven? Why is being wealthy dangerous? Let me mention four biblical pointers to why that would be.”

Trojan Horse Christians

Trojan Horse Christians – “Satan will allow you to avoid all kinds of temptation if you continue to believe the lie that your moral life is the reason you have God’s acceptance. The enemy loves it when we build our monuments and look in amazement upon them. The problem with wooden horses is that they burn.”

Pride (in the Name of Love)

Pride (in the Name of Love) – “True love is essentially a de-centering of self. Deep down in the recesses of every human soul is a cloying, ravenous monster ruthless for its own glory.” 

Friendship, Getting Older, and No Need to Be Impressive

Friendship, Getting Older, and No Need to Be Impressive – “The thought of growing older without close heart-friends—grace-friends, has never been scarier. I see way too many old, lonely, regret-crusted people walking around—especially men.”

Hope That Anchors Our Waiting Hearts

Hope That Anchors Our Waiting Hearts – “I recently heard a pastor say, ‘The waiting may be hard, but it never leads to disappointment.’ The truth of that statement rests entirely on what we think we are waiting for. In other words, the question isn’t simply what am I waiting for, but what am I hoping in? I’m learning that waiting and hope are intimately tied together.”

How Will the People in Heaven View Hell?

How Will the People in Heaven View Hell? – “How can they enjoy the glories of God while others are suffering? My answer has two parts—a direct answer and a crucial context for that answer.”

Sin Is Far Worse Than We Think It Is

Sin Is Far Worse Than We Think It Is – “Sin remains a threat to Christians and it is something that requires harsh treatment to deal with and resist.”

Pride (in the Name of Love)

Pride (in the Name of Love) – “True love is essentially a de-centering of self.”

Does This Really Matter?

Does This Really Matter? – “How we spend our days isn’t just how we spend our lives. It’s how we become who we are and who we will be. It’s not just about what we’re doing, but the heart behind how and why we’re doing it.”

My Darkest Night; Hopefully Not Yours

My Darkest Night; Hopefully Not Yours – Hell is described as “outer darkness” in the Bible. What would it be like to live in complete darkness and all alone in your thoughts, regrets, bitterness, and sinfulness?

Prayers That Work

Prayers That Work – “Prayer is for granting us the joy of seeing God’s will executed through us as it becomes our will. The only joy in life that lasts is when our desires are drawn from his desires.”

Idolatry Of The Body

Idolatry Of The Body – “As you grow old, don’t fight or deny the aging of your physical body. Preach the gospel to yourself with the Apostle Paul and say, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day…”

 

Minutes and Seconds Compose Holiness

Minutes and Seconds Compose Holiness – Being “holy as God is holy” is a daily, moment to moment spiritual growth journey.

Talitha Cumi

Talitha Cumi – “Most of the Gospel of Mark is written in Greek, and when the reader is confronted with Jesus speaking Aramaic, it ought to give pause.”

The Rest Beyond Our Reach

The Rest Beyond Our Reach –  Finding Refreshment in a Burnout Culture.

The Americans Who Don’t Want to Leave Afghanistan

The Americans Who Don’t Want to Leave Afghanistan – “Every time President Biden or Press Secretary Jen Psaki talk about the American withdrawal from Afghanistan they refer to evacuating Americans ‘who want to leave Afghanistan.’ Who actually wants to stay in a place where the Taliban are figuring out what it looks like to rule again?” This accounts for some of them.

What Does It Mean to Weep with Those Who Weep?

What Does It Mean to Weep with Those Who Weep? – “The one who laughs the loudest is not always laughing for good reason. Likewise, the one who shares most conspicuously his pain is not always lamenting for good cause.”

How the Lord’s Prayer Can Help You Overcome Your Prayer Struggles

How the Lord’s Prayer Can Help You Overcome Your Prayer Struggles – “Here’s how the Lord’s Prayer helps us overcome six common prayer struggles.”

he Book Jesus Loved Most: What Unlocked the Old Testament for Me

The Book Jesus Loved Most: What Unlocked the Old Testament for Me – “According to Jesus, it is not just individual prophecies or passages that point to him, but the Old Testament as a whole.”

 

Rest Upon the Pillow of God’s Promises

Rest Upon the Pillow of God’s Promises – When sleep is hard to come by due to worries, fears, stress, and to-do lists, there’s help. “How? Here’s a brief encouragement: a picture, a story, and a memory device.”

Reductionism: The Disease That Breeds Conflict

Reductionism: The Disease That Breeds Conflict – “Satan introduced autonomy, which led us to desire mastery (which we can’t have), and in our frustration we reduce people, problems, and situations to manageable bits (ignoring swaths of information) in order to convince ourselves of our own mastery.”

Uniquely Gifted: Overcoming Comparison

Uniquely Gifted: Overcoming Comparison – “Healthy competition can lead us to work harder and achieve more than we ever thought possible. However, competition’s ugly cousin, comparison, promises to help us achieve more but often leaves us in despair.”

 

Kindness

Kindness – “If we want a kinder world, we can’t wait for everyone else to make the first move.”

5 Reasons to Read Your Bible Beyond Practical Application

5 Reasons to Read Your Bible Beyond Practical Application – “Treat personal application as the only consistent outcome for your Bible reading, and you may simply miss out on these other benefits the Lord wishes for you.”

Devote Yourself to Faithfulness

Devote Yourself to Faithfulness – How to Cultivate a Quiet Virtue.

What Fills the Earth

What Fills the Earth – At different times and in different settings, The Bible mentions several things that fill the earth.

The Scrolling Soul

The Scrolling Soul – “The restless scrolling soul constantly asks, Am I entertained? Am I liked? Am I amused? The heaven-bound soul asks, Am I holy? Am I loved by God? Am I satisfied in him?”

5 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual State

5 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual State – “Here are five questions that can serve as a spiritual diagnostic to help evaluate and examine the state of one’s soul in relation to the true and living God.”

The Overcommitment Cycle

The Overcommitment Cycle – “Overcommitment is a perennial problem for me. And I’m betting it is for you too.”

How Do We Discern False Teachers?

How Do We Discern False Teachers? – “There are at least four biblical tests for false teaching.”

 

Transcript of Todd Beamer on Flight 93

Transcript of Todd Beamer on Flight 93 – “Todd Beamer was and evangelical Christian and one of the heroes of Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. His last conversation with a telephone operator named Lisa bears witness to great courage and grace. He left behind a pregnant wife and two children. Read every bit of this, and remember.”

Apologetic Approaches to Biblical Sexuality

Apologetic Approaches to Biblical Sexuality – “In short, our sexuality apologetic cannot talk only about sex. Only in a compelling, biblical framework of identity, of being in Christ, and of discipleship, of losing oneself in the love and service of God in order to find one’s true self (Matt. 10:39), will all of the Christian teaching about the meaning of sex make sense.”

Love Jesus’ Cross, Kindness, Kingdom, and Coming

Love Jesus’ Cross, Kindness, Kingdom, and Coming – “Zechariah’s vision is pregnant with more goodness than he realized.”

The Illusion of Normal Days

The Illusion of Normal Days – “Life as usual, many will come to realize, was never life as usual.”

Tim Keller’s Sermon After 9/11

Tim Keller’s Sermon After 9/11 – This message manuscript provides excellent response to questions of suffering, pain, and evil in the world and the question, “Where was God?”

9/11, Afghanistan, and the Heart of War

9/11, Afghanistan, and the Heart of War – “To heal, we ought to turn our attention inward, and take stock of our hearts. Because the heart of war is just that: the heart. Consequently, any hope for a lasting peace abroad or at home begins there, in the seedbed of all conflict, war included.”

My Elevator Ride with 9/11 Hijackers

My Elevator Ride with 9/11 Hijackers – Here is a unique perspective and story of God at work in hearts for the sake of the Gospel.

 

Even To Old Age and Gray Hairs

Even To Old Age and Gray Hairs – “Today’s influential grandparent recognizes that they face challenges previous generations did not. Old age is not respected, families are shrinking, and the desire to flee to permanent vacation tempts those with the resources.”

 

9 Things You Should Know About 9/11’s Aftermath—20 Years Later

9 Things You Should Know About 9/11’s Aftermath—20 Years Later

Little Golden Worries

Little Golden Worries – We tend to idolize our worries. We meditate on our anxieties more than we dwell on who God is.” 

‘Give Me Nineteen Men’: Muslim Missions Twenty Years After 9/11

‘Give Me Nineteen Men’: Muslim Missions Twenty Years After 9/11 – “The hope of the Muslim world is not economic development, or military might, or political will, or better education. The hope of the Muslim world is Jesus. He is the only one who can transform a world locked in darkness into a place of marvelous light.”

What Does It Mean to Be Blessed?

What Does It Mean to Be Blessed? – Here is a good description from Scripture.

Judging the Sins of Our Fathers

Judging the Sins of Our Fathers – “There are some very hard questions to ask about our forefathers. But they cannot be asked in isolation from consideration of our own complicity in the exploitation and evils of today’s globalized economy.”

 

It Is a Terrible Thing for a Sheep to Go Astray

It Is a Terrible Thing for a Sheep to Go Astray – “In Lancefield in Victoria last year, some people found a lost sheep. This sheep had once belonged to someone, but she had obviously been living by herself for several years.”

The World Needs Your Story

The World Needs Your Story – “My goal is not to show the world my story, it is to use my story to show the world God’s story. The world needs that.”

No Purpose For Old Folks

No Purpose For Old Folks – This is a good read filled with meaning.

Judge Others as You Want to Be Judged

Judge Others as You Want to Be Judged – “How many emails would be abandoned and text messages unsent, how many thoughts would be discarded and words unsaid, how many conversations would be redirected and posts unread, if only we heard our Savior say, with eternal sobriety in his voice, ‘Judge not’?”

Christians Don’t Share Faith With Unchurched Friends

Christians Don’t Share Faith With Unchurched Friends – Lifeway Research: “Most unchurched Americans say they have multiple Christian friends, but those friends haven’t shared with them how or why they should follow Christ.”

Jesus’ Ministry to a Lipreader

Jesus’ Ministry to a Lipreader – “Why did Mark, the gospel writer, use the Aramaic word ‘Ephphatha’ in Mark 7:34? Just sounding out the word is an exercise in oral calisthenics.” 

A Song for All My Days

A Song for All My Days – “If we could conduct a survey to catalog God’s attributes from most popular to least popular, His justice would no doubt fall to the bottom of the list.”

 

The Servanthood of the Believer

The Servanthood of the Believer – “Here are four characteristics of a servant-hearted Christian.”

The Power of Your Personal Testimony

The Power of Your Personal Testimony – “A personal testimony trumps arguments when they’re bad arguments — and they’re all bad when they’re against Jesus.”

 

God Cares for Every Christian More than You Know

God Cares for Every Christian More than You Know – “We are all dependent on God for our salvation. Even the most capable and respected among us are forgiven sinners, so we need to view others in the church as our brothers and sisters, our equals in God’s sight.”

Getting Older Every Day

Getting Older Every Day – “Aging is not just a bodily experience; it’s an intensely spiritual one with cultural relevance, and therefore, worthy of our attention.”

A Kingdom Without Borders

A Kingdom Without Borders – “The kingdoms and governments of this world have frontiers, which must not be crossed, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ knows no frontier. It never has been kept within bounds.”

 

Atonement Is in Our Blood

Atonement Is in Our Blood – “In this environment of skepticism, how do we preach Christ crucified?”

 

The Love of God…More Than A Second-Hand Emotion

The Love of God…More Than A Second-Hand Emotion – “When Jesus says that God so loved us, what does he mean?”

Turning Toward Light

Turning Toward Light – “Pessimism is my soul’s default setting. Even when life is filled with blessing, melancholy has always been my temperament’s natural course. As a result, it has been the work of my Christian life to turn away from the darkness and look up, look away, notice beauty and give thanks.”

 

What Are Friends For?

What Are Friends For? – “Jesus says we are His friends so that we can understand a little better what it means to be in fellowship with Him.”

Ten Words That Changed Everything About My Suffering

Ten Words That Changed Everything About My Suffering – “God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.”

The House of Mourning

The House of Mourning – “What glory we anticipate! What glory our fractured lives hold to extend to a dying world!”

We Can’t Store Blessings for Later

We Can’t Store Blessings for Later – “Yesterday’s blessings can’t sustain the weak and weary soul in seasons of sharp grief and unrelenting pain. And, thankfully, God doesn’t expect them to.”

God’s Great Gospel Question

God’s Great Gospel Question – “The fact that God opened his holy mouth after creatures had rebelled against him is the first glimmer of gospel hope.”

How to Think Wisely About 40-Hour Workweeks and Offices

How to Think Wisely About 40-Hour Workweeks and Offices – “While Scripture doesn’t give specific answers, it does give three principles that will help us engage the pressing issues of work and time.”

Five Things to Say to Help a Depressed Christian

Five Things to Say to Help a Depressed Christian – “Here are five things you can say to help a friend who is struggling.”

 

What’s Going on In America’s Spiritual Graveyard?

What’s Going on In America’s Spiritual Graveyard? – Here, a pastor in the northeastern United States shares the past, present, and vision for the future of his region of ministry.

Why Won’t You Dance? Following Christ in an Unappeasable World

Why Won’t You Dance? Following Christ in an Unappeasable World – “Jesus depicts the people of his day as children who change the rules and move the goalposts.”

 

The Seven Most Common Challenges for Churches in the Second Wave of COVID

The Seven Most Common Challenges for Churches in the Second Wave of COVID – Yep!

Destined to “Be a Gladness”

Destined  to “Be a Gladness” – “May this hope quicken our repentances, deepen our worship, and free us to live more on mission, and less in fear.”

When Furrows Fight Back

When Furrows Fight Back – “If your eyes are stinging from the sweat dropping from your brow, know that one day, those eyes will behold the One who sanctifies our work with His life, death, and resurrection.”

Thank God For Your Job (Doesn’t Matter What Your Job Is!)

Thank God For Your Job (Doesn’t Matter What Your Job Is!) – “As you enjoy rest from your labors, why don’t you take a bit of time to thank God for your labors. No matter what they are, they are evidence of his kindness and mercy toward you.”

God Scares Me to Death

God Scares Me to Death – “God is sovereign. He does as he pleases. This comforts some people—and terrifies others.”

Stormfront

Stormfront – “If we are to be like Jesus, we, too, will sleep peacefully in the middle of life’s storms.”

Why I’m Going Back to Church After My Husband Died

Why I’m Going Back to Church After My Husband Died – “Losing your spouse isn’t just an emotional loss but a physical one, too. I needed bodies again. I needed other voices to carry the tune when my faltering one couldn’t. As my grief shifted, I knew I needed in-person worship again.”

The Metaverse

The Metaverse – “This is another chapter in our rebellion against creation, replacing what God has made with what we have made.”

The Lord of The Lockdowns

The Lord of The Lockdowns – “His faithfulness and compassion are what we are to trust and hope in because that is what will sustain us to live lives worthy of his name, even in lockdown.”

You Have Time to Sit with God

You Have Time to Sit with God – “Isn’t it amazing that God simply was before time began, and yet we sometimes struggle to find even ten minutes for him?”

Keep God’s Promise Current, Near, and Dear

Keep God’s Promise Current, Near, and Dear – “Our labors in the Lord will never be in vain. Your Kingdom has come in part, and it is barreling towards us in fullness.”

How Can We Bring Back Those Who’ve Drifted From Church?

How Can We Bring Back Those Who’ve Drifted From Church? – “Most people didn’t simply think their way out of coming to church, and therefore they won’t simply think their way back into it.”

 

Texas Law Authorizes Anyone in U.S. to Enforce Its New Abortion Ban

Texas Law Authorizes Anyone in U.S. to Enforce Its New Abortion Ban – Here is a summary of the law that went into effect this week and what it means for Texas and the nation.

Giving in Retirement

Giving in Retirement – “The wise steward will save and invest responsibly before retirement and spend responsibly in retirement. Yet, we must not allow our need to plan and manage our resources well to supplant the centrality of the gospel as it causes us to live faithfully and generously with our time, talents, and treasure.” There are several good principles for us all here.

What Do They Hear?

What Do They Hear? – “What is the song of your life people around you hear? Do they hear something that sounds like Jesus? Are they able to pick out from among the chords and notes of your daily life a song that reminds them of the Savior?”

 

How Heaven Changes Us

How Heaven Changes Us – “We enter heaven not just cleansed from our sin and healed of our infirmities, but more than that – as the people we were meant to be in the beginning. We finally become who God created us to be.”

 

What Does It Mean for the Saints to Judge Angels?

What Does It Mean for the Saints to Judge Angels? – Here are some possible answers to the question.

 

Examining the Dangers “Carnal” Christian

Examining the Dangers “Carnal” Christian – “Certainly, like Paul, we might say that a person is acting in a “fleshly” or “infantile” way, yet a carnal Christian is just as much an oxymoron as an infant adult. So let us practice our position in Christ and demonstrate the fruit of a radically changed life.”

The Unifying Power of Singing

The Unifying Power of Singing – “Here are four ways singing unites.”

We Become Like the Videos We Behold

We Become Like the Videos We Behold – “Do you want to become holy? If you do, there is an agenda: watch Jesus — a lot.”

Good News for Recovering Control Freaks

Good News for Recovering Control Freaks – “What gave him peace—and will give us peace when we believe it—is not the promise that everything will go our way but the promise that whatever does come our way, God is sovereign over that, too.”