Psalm 25 and the New Year

Psalm 25 and the New Year – “God will lead us in his good ways, if we meekly seek his counsel. My prayer, therefore, for each of us in this new year, is that we will make David’s prayer in Psalm 25 our own.”

Start the Year Small: Wisdom for Setting New Goals

Start the Year Small: Wisdom for Setting New Goals – “Jesus explicitly teaches that the way of the kingdom begins small.”

5 Constants for the New Year

5 Constants for the New Year – “There’s much I don’t know about the new year. But as I turn to the Word, there’s much I can know. The Bible—and Psalm 90 in particular—gives a set of constants on the horizon as the calendar flips from December to January.”

Light and Life for the Year to Come

Light and Life for the Year to Come – “As the world preaches the salvation of self-care, God calls his people to a life of holiness, emulating him, in order to become children of light.”

Winning Your Child’s Heart with Winsome Words

Winning Your Child’s Heart with Winsome Words – “Do we understand the impact of our words on our children? We utter words every day in all sorts of situations, often without intentionality. Sometimes, when we are using words to keep order and get things done, we lose sight of the power they possess.”

Stooping To Filthy Feet

Stooping To Filthy Feet – “The man on his knees, rinsing sweat from Peter’s athlete’s foot and getting between Judas’s toes to wipe away the dung was our Creator, who is before all things and in him all things hold together; the hands that washed those verrucae and blisters would one day be the only ones qualified to break the seals and open the gates to the New Jerusalem.”

New Beginnings: On God’s Mercy and Grace

New Beginnings: On God’s Mercy and Grace – “The idea of starting over toward a new goal encourages me to persist in improving some skill, tackle some sin which has been plaguing me with temptation, or sharpen my commitment to daily Bible reading, even if I don’t make it all the way through the year. The idea that I can still have a fresh start again next January is comforting.”

The Pleasure of God in Ordinary Work

The Pleasure of God in Ordinary Work – “We would do our work differently next year, wouldn’t we, if we could see even our ordinary work through the wider eyes of God. So where could we go to see what God sees in our work? I love the glimpses we get in the wild and wondrous world of Psalm 104.” 

Deepening Your Friendship in Marriage

Deepening Your Friendship in Marriage – “A healthy marriage can be possible when both partners invest in their marriage.”

5 Tips to Reinforce Your Bible Study and Prayer Routine

5 Tips to Reinforce Your Bible Study and Prayer Routine – “No church leader wants to admit it, but for many of us it’s true: we still don’t have a sustainable habit for personal Bible study and prayer. Here are five ways forward—true for anyone, church leader or not.”

After the Manger

After the Manger – “We celebrated Christ born in Bethlehem. Now, life must go on, and so did his.”

Six Questions You Should Ask at the Beginning of 2023

Six Questions You Should Ask at the Beginning of 2023 – “These are just a few suggestions of questions you could ask yourself to jumpstart progress for next year.”

Cultivating Divine Blessing Through Prayer

Cultivating Divine Blessing Through Prayer – “Prayer is arguably the most important need for the sustenance, vitality, and continuance of the church.”

 

Benefits of Giving Thanks

Benefits of Giving Thanks – Good things happen to us when choose to be thankful.

The Biggest Threat to Christianity in 2023

The Biggest Threat to Christianity in 2023 – “Identity amnesia is when you forget who you are in Christ and what you have been given in Christ.”

Annual Planning with the Ten Commandments

Annual Planning with the Ten Commandments – “Plan for the next year by strolling through the Ten Commandments.”

A Plan to Read through the Bible in 2023

A Plan to Read through the Bible in 2023 – “I want to encourage you to commit to reading the entire Bible this year. It may seem a daunting task at first. But it really isn’t. If you will make a plan and stick to it, then you can do it.”

Easy Schedule for Bible-in-a-Year Rookies

Easy Schedule for Bible-in-a-Year Rookies – “If you’ve never read the whole Bible, what are you waiting for? The Bible has been described as God’s love letter to the people he’s created, and each and every part of it contributes to the full revelation of his love.”

What’s in a Name?

What’s in a Name? – “The only way Abram becomes Abraham is by the power of God through the never-failing word of God. The only way we become who we must become is by the power of God through the never-failing word of God.”

Don’t Check the Boxes: My Breakthrough in Morning Devotions

Don’t Check the Boxes: My Breakthrough in Morning Devotions – “We tend to overestimate how much we can change in the short run, and underestimate how much we can change in the long run.”

Zephaniah 3:17 — God, Are You Going to Embarrass Me?

Zephaniah 3:17 — God, Are You Going to Embarrass Me? – “Here are four thoughts on Zephaniah 3:17.”

Help! I Failed My Year-Long Bible Reading Plan

Help! I Failed My Year-Long Bible Reading Plan – “Here are four redefining elements of my Bible study over the past decade that have restored both my joy in and practice of yearly Bible reading.”

Remember

Remember – “I don’t want to forget the ways He carried me. Remembering tightens my grip on trust. He’ll carry me through the next season of suffering.”

Christian Truth Is a Rousing Call to Faith

Christian Truth Is a Rousing Call to Faith – “The church today is in danger of drifting from orthodoxy not because of new errors (though there are many) but because Christians are bored with old truths.”

God’s Purpose Isn’t Ruined by Unbelief: Don’t Be Discouraged

God’s Purpose Isn’t Ruined by Unbelief: Don’t Be Discouraged – “The evangelism/missions cause can never be thwarted by the unbelief of the masses who will ‘keep on hearing but will not understand,’ any more than Jesus’ own earthly evangelism was hindered by it.”

When Praying Hurts: How to Go to God in Suffering

When Praying Hurts: How to Go to God in Suffering – “My desire to pray when I’m suffering can swing wildly in a single day — and sometimes within the hour.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS! In Jesus We Have Everything

MERRY CHRISTMAS! In Jesus We Have Everything – “Jesus, in you we have complete forgiveness, perfect righteousness, and our Father’s favor. You are the resolution of all our fears, and our perfect peace in a perfectly broken world. You are the fulfiller of our deepest longings and redeemer of our hardest stories.”

Born Between God and Man: Welcoming Our Long-Awaited Priest

Born Between God and Man: Welcoming Our Long-Awaited Priest – “Though Jesus truly was born our long-awaited King, he had appeared first to do the bloody work of a priest.”

Prince of What Peace?

Prince of What Peace? – How Christmas Overcomes Our Conflicts

His Star Appears In The East

His Star Appears In The East – “The star is recognized by the convinced kingmakers. The star is rejected by the conspiring king, Herod. The star is renounced by the cynical chief priests and scribes. For it is this star, His star, that revealed the advent of the King of Kings.”

 

Beloved Roads to Bethlehem: Tracing Names of Jesus to Christmas

Beloved Roads to Bethlehem: Tracing Names of Jesus to Christmas – “Isaiah may not have known the place and time of arrival, far less the specific identity of the coming Messiah; but according to John he saw Christ’s glory (John 12:37–41). And certainly Isaiah 9 is a glorious description of him.”

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room!

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room! – “How could there possibly be anything more mysterious and wonderful than the incarnation of Jesus Christ? God became a man.”

The Thrilling Reversal of Christmas

The Thrilling Reversal of Christmas – “Thrilling reversal is what Christmas is all about. God insists on showcasing his power through weakness and his wisdom through foolishness so that we would stop and stare, wonder and worship.”

SO Holy, but It Wasn’t a Silent, Calm, or Bright Night

SO Holy, but It Wasn’t a Silent, Calm, or Bright Night – “Not as a metaphor, myth, or model—you came as God incarnate, Majesty in a manger, Sovereignty wrapped in swaddling clothes.”

Analyzing Everything to Death and Sucking the Joy Out of Life

Analyzing Everything to Death and Sucking the Joy Out of Life – “If the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, and there are things to be enjoyed therein, let us enjoy them with all the joy that Jesus came to bring us.”

 

You Can’t Have Christmas Without Labor Pains

You Can’t Have Christmas Without Labor Pains – “Mary was giving birth to the Savior who would save her from her sins. What did that experience feel like? It felt like pain.”

Christmas Under the Sun

Christmas Under the Sun – “Despite the Paul McCartney jingle echoing through our department stores this season, many of us will not be ‘simply having a wonderful Christmastime.’ Much of our Christmas joy will be met, and made to sing, shoulder to shoulder with dissonant sorrows.”

Faith Lifts Our Eyes Up

Faith Lifts Our Eyes Up – “Faith demands we see beyond the pain of the moment to the One who loves us, who gave His Son for us, and who will wipe every tear away. A faith in Jesus Christ is an eye lifting faith, lifting our eyes to the One who stands above.”

Grieving People Need More than Your Thoughts

Grieving People Need More than Your Thoughts – “We can seek to comfort them like Christ comforts us. Here are five practical ways.”

 

Why Such a Lowly Birth?

Why Such a Lowly Birth? – “God planned for his Son to be born into poverty and pain, because that is where we were.”

The Christmas We Needed

The Christmas We Needed – “The horn of salvation for me is my only hope of recovery from this disease of my soul called sin.”

Christmas Is a Happy Day for Broken Hearts

Christmas Is a Happy Day for Broken Hearts – “What we wouldn’t give to worship together as a whole family, intact and reunited. What we wouldn’t give to spend this Christmas as we’ve spent so many others, with all of us sitting, singing, and marveling together at the wonder of the day and all it represents.”

Embracing The Gospel of Small

Embracing The Gospel of Small – “Didn’t he speak the worlds by his words and part the Red Sea for Moses? Of course he did, and a good deal more. But then there’s what I call the gospel of small.”

A Christ-Centered Christmas

A Christ-Centered Christmas – “Open your heart, open your life, and let God use you this Christmas!”

A Front-Row View of the Incarnation

A Front-Row View of the Incarnation – “It might seem odd to suggest one of Jesus’s disciples in place of his parents. After all, they only spent three years with him. However, there is (at least) one incident in Jesus’s ministry that shows his disciples had a perspective not available to Mary or Joseph.”

When Praying Hurts: How to Go to God in Suffering

When Praying Hurts: How to Go to God in Suffering – “Turn me from temptation. Revive me through your word. Use this pain for good. Show me your glory. Teach me your ways.”

8 Reasons to Rethink the Song of Songs

8 Reasons to Rethink the Song of Songs – “Here are eight reasons we should also embrace the spiritual, Christ-centered interpretation of the Song of Songs.”

Christmas Carols: 5 Songs With Rich Theology

Christmas Carols: 5 Songs With Rich Theology – “Some of the top Christmas songs are distinctly Christian carols filled with rich theology for this season—and every season.”

The Rightful Place of Suffering in the Life of the Christian

The Rightful Place of Suffering in the Life of the Christian – “There is a rightful place for suffering in the lives of those whom God loves. Expect it, prepare yourself for it, and be faithful through it.”

What Child Is This?

What Child Is This? – “At Bethlehem God became man to enable men to become the sons of God. (C.S. Lewis)”

Christmas Music: A Witness For Us or Against Us

Christmas Music: A Witness For Us or Against Us – “While this music is everywhere during this season, how many people realize that the words on their lips are serving as a witness against them?”

Faith Lifts Our Eyes Up

Faith Lifts Our Eyes Up – “Faith doesn’t stop the confusion, but it does direct our hearts to the One who reigns in a seemingly confusing life. Faith allows us to question while we trust.”

We Long to Be Ruled: The Messianic Hopes in Every Heart

We Long to Be Ruled: The Messianic Hopes in Every Heart – “Suppress it as we might, we long to be ruled by the good and gentle Sovereign, and put our painfully short lives to good use in the world by rallying to his mission and kingdom expansion.”

The Crushing Obligation to Keep Doing More and More

The Crushing Obligation to Keep Doing More and More – “Here are some of thoughts that have helped me get out from under the terror of total obligation.”

 

Was Christmas Like This?

Was Christmas Like This? – “The thing is, the Bible doesn’t actually give a lot of detail about the first Christmas and so we have filled in some details through tradition, sentiment and a misreading of what the Bible actually does so.”

10 Folks to Remember at Christmas

10 Folks to Remember at Christmas – “As we look forward to Christmas this year, don’t forget that Christmas isn’t easy for some folks. Here are some to pray for (and even reach out to) this year. Your gift of love might make a difference.”

 

A CHRISTmas Infused Marriage

A CHRISTmas Infused Marriage – “It is our privilege to make much of Christ at Christmastime and all year long. If you know Christ and love Him, He will infuse your marriage with strength and hope that will satisfy and glorify Him for a lifetime.”

Clearing Up Christmas Confusion: Jesus’ Birth, Not His Beginning

Clearing Up Christmas Confusion: Jesus’ Birth, Not His Beginning – There can be a lot of confusion about Jesus and the Trinity. Here’s some helpful guidance.

 

How Not to Dread the Holidays

How Not to Dread the Holidays – “When we look ahead to Christmas and the New Year, it’s easy to feel both happy anticipation and nervous dread. But the good news is that we face whatever is ahead with God’s loving presence. God wants us to know this reality.”

Recapturing Our Awe of the Incarnation

Recapturing Our Awe of the Incarnation – “The problem that we all face: we can fall prey to familiarity. Boredom, even. I find this happens a lot at Christmas, especially when we’ve tried to use or reuse Advent reading plans. We become so familiar with them that we lose our sense of wonder.”

10 Rock-Solid Reasons To Be Thankful

10 Rock-Solid Reasons To Be Thankful – “No matter our circumstances, every Christian has a lot to rejoice about. Here are 10 of many spiritual realities we can always be thankful for.”

The Starving Eyes of Man: Why We Ache to See Glory

The Starving Eyes of Man: Why We Ache to See Glory – “The eyes of man were made for glory. His soul hungers for something worth seeing. This world is a war of spectacles.”

 

Gen Z is the “Loneliest” Generation

Gen Z is the “Loneliest” Generation – “The digital age has been a part of life for the newest generation of young adults since their earliest days, making it all the more difficult for them to escape the feeling of isolation.”

Can Cancer Be God’s Servant? What I Saw in My Wife’s Last Four Years

Can Cancer Be God’s Servant? What I Saw in My Wife’s Last Four Years – “By saying sickness comes only from Satan and the fall, not from God, we disconnect Him from our suffering and His deeper purposes. God is sovereign.”

 

How to Maintain Devotional Habits During Christmas Break

How to Maintain Devotional Habits During Christmas Break – “We know Christ’s birth should be the heartbeat of our Christmas, yet simple habits of praying and reading the Bible get squeezed out.”

Mercies at Midnight: Seeking God Through Sleeplessness

Mercies at Midnight: Seeking God Through Sleeplessness – “Nighttime was no dead, blank space to these saints of old — a time when, functionally, God was absent. God was near in these watches of the night (Psalm 63:6; Psalm 119:148), there to be sung to, prayed to, remembered, loved.”

 

Let Immanuel Deliver Comfort to Hurting Hearts This Christmas

Let Immanuel Deliver Comfort to Hurting Hearts This Christmas – “One of the most helpful ways we can minister grace to hurting hearts this month is by reminding them of one of our Savior’s most precious names: Immanuel.”

Who Were the Magi, and Why Did They Worship Jesus? (Matthew 2)

Who Were the Magi, and Why Did They Worship Jesus? (Matthew 2) – This article focuses on several different details of the familiar story.

Christmas Hope for the Broken-Hearted

Christmas Hope for the Broken-Hearted – “In order to save us, Christ had to die for us. And in order to die for us, Christ had to live for us. And in order to live for us, Christ had to be born for us.”

‘Though He Slay Me’ — Why the Silence on This Verse?

‘Though He Slay Me’ — Why the Silence on This Verse? – “God’s right to give and to take life is not a reason to reject him, but a reason to hope in him.”

A Manger Big Enough for Jesus’ Crib, Cross, and Crown

A Manger Big Enough for Jesus’ Crib, Cross, and Crown – A prayer over the glory of the Incarnation.

Three Hundred Years of Holy Resolve: The Enduring Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

Three Hundred Years of Holy Resolve: The Enduring Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards – These are always worth reading again and again.

 

Feast of Dedication: How Jesus Fulfills Hanukkah

Feast of Dedication: How Jesus Fulfills Hanukkah – “What did John want us to learn about Jesus from his account of Jesus attending the Feast of Dedication?”

How Majestic Is Our Lord?

How Majestic Is Our Lord? – “Majesty brings together both greatness and goodness, both strength and beauty.”

You Have Us. You Hold Us. You Love Us.

You Have Us. You Hold Us. You Love Us. – “Lord Jesus, as 2022 winds down, for many of us, dread and fear come a bit easier than relaxing and dancing.”

Five Ways I Am Eliminating Perfunctory Prayer in My Life

Five Ways I Am Eliminating Perfunctory Prayer in My Life – Thom Rainer: “These five changes give me hope that my prayer life will be more meaningful and less perfunctory.”

When It’s Not the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

When It’s Not the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – “The story of Christmas is perfect for shedding light on the hope we can find in our darkness. Jesus came into a world filled with pain, a world where people searched for hope and longed for the Messiah to come but were constantly disappointed.”

Was Jesus Really Born of a Virgin?

Was Jesus Really Born of a Virgin? – “For many people, the question of whether or not a virgin can give birth is in the same category as questions about whether or not pigs can fly or time can be reversed or the sun can be stopped from shining. But in each of these circumstances, we must remember that all it takes for these ‘supernatural’ events to be possible is for a ‘supernatural’ God to exist.” 

 

Worship Isn’t About You: What I Learned After Years of Leading

Worship Isn’t About You: What I Learned After Years of Leading – “Singing to God can be a part of our worship, but it was never meant to be the heart.”

Silent Nights

Silent Nights – “In those rare moments when silence falls around us like snow on a winter night, what if we lingered in it? Better yet, what if we carved out time for silence? What if we waited patiently, still and quiet, for God to take us beyond our earthly woes and concerns.”

This is the Day

This is the Day – “There is something amazing about the sky during sunrise, isn’t there?”

20 Questions a Husband Should Ask His Wife About Their Kids

20 Questions a Husband Should Ask His Wife About Their Kids – “If a husband genuinely wants to know his wife’s thoughts on these questions, he’ll discover many things about her he never knew before.”

A Letter to My Old Self

A Letter to My Old Self –  “I don’t serve you anymore. You can keep clawing your way back—and sometimes you’ll succeed—but you are, in very real sense, already dead. You’re certainly dead to me. You have no power over me anymore. I serve Christ, not you.”

 

Having Biblical Expectations of Our Work

Having Biblical Expectations of Our Work – “Many people have started to reassess their work this year; it has become known as the Great Resignation. After the impact of COVID led to many working from home, then part-time in an office, it has given people time to think.”

Christian Word of the Year: Winsome

Christian Word of the Year: Winsome – “It’s everywhere you look at the moment. So please step forward ‘winsome’ and take a bow. You’ve been over-used, over-realised, under-appreciated, over-stated, undered and overed, and whatever else can happen to a poor old lonesome winsome word in these topsy turvy times.”

 

Hope > Optimism

Hope > Optimism – Optimism says, “It will get better.” Hope says, “You are okay because of Christ whether it gets better or not.”

 

You Don’t Need to Apologize for Crying

You Don’t Need to Apologize for Crying – “It isn’t uncommon for people to apologize for crying during a meeting. Why do you think this is the case? While it could be for a variety of reasons, two are especially prevalent.”

Don’t Fear the Shadows

Don’t Fear the Shadows – “Shepherds carried a rod and a staff to guide and protect their sheep. In the same way, David knew that God had the tools to protect him, and he trusted God—even in the darkest valleys.” 

God or Money: Detangling a Complicated Relationship

God or Money: Detangling a Complicated Relationship – “Christians have a complicated relationship with money and gospel ministry.”

 

Wisdom Above Came Below: How Christmas Speaks to Our Confusion

Wisdom Above Came Below: How Christmas Speaks to Our Confusion – “As we long for such wisdom to fall upon us, Advent reminds us that Wisdom dwelt among us. For Jesus of Nazareth is the ultimate human embodiment of wisdom from on high.”

Putting the Mess in Christmess

Putting the Mess in Christmess – “The history surrounding Christmas has been anything but peace on earth and goodwill toward men. While contemporary religious and cultural traditions may evoke a certain nostalgia for its celebration, its history is actually a mess!” 

All I Want for Christmas Is Jesus’ Second Coming

All I Want for Christmas Is Jesus’ Second Coming – “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

How to Arrive in Heaven in Grand Style

How to Arrive in Heaven in Grand Style – “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble, for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11).

 

Light and Life for the Overspent

Light and Life for the Overspent – “While many are participating in Advent family devotions, some are just trying to survive with their sanity intact.”

Advent: A Story of Glory and Peace

Advent: A Story of Glory and Peace – “The angels announce our problem, but more importantly, they promote our salvation: Jesus came to reclaim, rescue, and restore wandering hearts and conflicted relationships.”

Translation is Meaning-Based

Translation is Meaning-Based – This is an excellent discussion of Bible translation(s) and what translating is meant to accomplish.

One Hope for Our Mass Derangement

One Hope for Our Mass Derangement – “When we refuse to know God as he’s revealed himself, we don’t give up on worship—we just worship something or someone else.”

When Your Spouse is Not a Believer: A Vertical Perspective

When Your Spouse is Not a Believer: A Vertical Perspective – “As we sat down for dinner, my husband laid his hand on the countertop, palm up. Knowing our prayer routine, I placed my hand in his and waited for him to pray. Before he uttered a word, tears threatened to come forth, as a thought flashed through my mind: This would not have been possible eight years ago.”

God With Us

God With Us – “God could have left us to muddle through on our own, in sin and sorrow, but He didn’t. He sent Jesus.”

Why We Need Silence

Why We Need Silence – “Sometimes what our minds and souls really need is to practice being silent before God. Here are three reasons why.”

Jesus Sings

Jesus Sings – “What can be sure from this throwaway passage is, Jesus sings. That is a comforting thought to me. In the midst of a healing ministry, the various demands on his time, the overwhelming knowledge of the cross ahead, Jesus found time to sing with his friends.”

To Affirm Is To Apostatize

To Affirm Is To Apostatize – “These are the reasons why I think that human sexuality is a primary gospel issue, and the implications that should flow from this.”

 

Is God Still Good? Searching for Light in the Shadow of Doubt

Is God Still Good? Searching for Light in the Shadow of Doubt – “I park my doubts because of this greatest of historical events. I have enough from God to go on because of the cross — and because of the resurrection. We don’t have everything resolved yet.”

Lessons from the Hardest Year

Lessons from the Hardest Year – “In suffering alongside someone, you take on some of that suffering. It’s like taking an audit course: you’re there, and you hear the lesson, but you don’t do much of the homework, even if you want to, even as you watch them carry the full load and try your best to help. It’s another thing altogether to enroll in the school of affliction.”

Christmas and Our Longing to Belong

Christmas and Our Longing to Belong – “This Advent, we can imagine this child, this God with us, and how much he must love us to bring elusive Home down to us.”

Five Truths You Must Consider When You Are Angry

Five Truths You Must Consider When You Are Angry – It might be better to consider them before you are angry.

Delayed Obedience Is Disobedience (Except When It Isn’t)

Delayed Obedience Is Disobedience (Except When It Isn’t) – “Is it invariably wrong to delay obedience? Is delayed obedience always disobedience?”

My Anchor Holds

My Anchor Holds – “Waves crashed against the steel hull. Winds whipped around as the frame of the ship lurched back and forth. A rusty chain stretched from the aft side of the vessel and disappeared below the foaming waters. Yet as the rain pelted through the treacherous night—the anchor held.”

God Does Not Forget Prayers or Promises

God Does Not Forget Prayers or Promises – “Sometimes the answer to our prayer request is connected to God’s overarching purpose for others as well. When the time is right, He will answer.”

Good and Bad People-Pleasing

Good and Bad People-Pleasing – “If you live to please other people, you will not live for the sake of the truth.”

4 Ways to ‘Be Still and Know’ This Christmas

4 Ways to ‘Be Still and Know’ This Christmas – Here’s a nice Christmas reflection on Psalm 46.

The Light of Christ in a World of Darkness

The Light of Christ in a World of Darkness – “The Christmas message ought to be hopeful. But if it is to be hopeful, it must be more than sentimental. Hope turns on the fulcrum of truth.” 

What Has Been Most Helpful in Your Marriage?

What Has Been Most Helpful in Your Marriage? – How about daily confession of your own sin?

 

Seven Principles of Finance for the Believer

Seven Principles of Finance for the Believer – “This outline provides the diligent believer with some key principles preparing him/her for radical, other-worldly financial behavior. 

 

A Friend Just Lost an Unbelieving Loved One to Death: What Do I Say, Think, and Do?

A Friend Just Lost an Unbelieving Loved One to Death: What Do I Say, Think, and Do? – Most of us will find ourselves in this situation.

The Newborn Temple: How Jesus Fulfills Our Longing to Worship

The Newborn Temple: How Jesus Fulfills Our Longing to Worship – “In at least four ways, the coming of Jesus Christ is the joyful fulfillment of the longing to worship God fully and truly.”

Practical Advice for Christian Parents of a Child Identifying as Transgender

Practical Advice for Christian Parents of a Child Identifying as Transgender – Written as a letter to parents, it offers some help and advice.

 

Do You Hear the Bells of Christmas?

Do You Hear the Bells of Christmas? – Poet Henry Longfellow wrote, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day which was eventually put to music and has since become a cherished Christmas hymn. What’s beautiful about this Christmas melody is the incredible story that led him to put his pen to paper on Christmas morning, 1863.

How Can I Cast My Cares on God?

How Can I Cast My Cares on God? – “God is the kind of God who is strong enough, wise enough, good enough to take onto his strong shoulders your concern.”

Not Why But Who

Not Why But Who – “The whole world is hurting. When we suffer, we cry out to know why and receive no response. If we knew why, would it really make us feel better? Unlikely.”

Celebrating Christmas with Jesus Himself

Celebrating Christmas with Jesus Himself – “Too many of us celebrate the birth of Jesus while neglecting Christ himself.”

How to Care for the Brokenhearted at Christmas

How to Care for the Brokenhearted at Christmas – “The more joys and sorrows I live through personally and see in those around me, the more convinced I am that Christmas — over any other season — tends to make life’s sweet things sweeter and hard things harder.”

10 Things About the Christmas Story You May Have Missed

10 Things About the Christmas Story You May Have Missed – There are plenty of misconceptions about the biblical Christmas story you know. Here are a few you may have missed.

Sometimes Efficiency Is Overrated

Sometimes Efficiency Is Overrated – “Efficiency is great when you need to make thousands of cars or grow acres of food. But sometimes efficiency gets in the way of the greater mission.”

The Light The Overcomes

The Light The Overcomes – “In George Lucas’s Star War universe, the Light and Dark sides of the force vie for power. The forces are equal in power, and the outcome is in jeopardy. There is no guaranteed victor. Good thing we live in God’s universe and not Lucas’s!”

The FAQs: Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Religious Speech Case

The FAQs: Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Religious Speech Case – “On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in 303 Creative v. Elenis, an important free speech case that involves a wedding website designer and has important religious liberty implications.”

 

How the Manger Mocks Death

How the Manger Mocks Death – “Christ’s treading over death turned the once feared enemy into an object of jeering. As Christ rose from the dead, so every dying believer, in their resurrection, proclaims his overwhelming victory.”

 

Farewell, Charlie Brown Christmas

Farewell, Charlie Brown Christmas – “Farewell, Charlie Brown Christmas. You found out the true meaning of Christmas and shared it as long as you could. May we do the same.”

7 Encouragements in the Christian Struggle for Perseverance

7 Encouragements in the Christian Struggle for Perseverance – “Endurance, with its synonyms (perseverance, long-suffering, or patience) appears throughout the Bible as a Christian virtue. It is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Christians have a duty to endure. How, then, do we ready ourselves for it?”

 

Why Our Subjective Feelings Need God’s Objective Truth

Why Our Subjective Feelings Need God’s Objective Truth – “I have seen people make unwise and even catastrophic decisions who told me they prayed and felt good about it.”

12 Questions for the Would-Be Universalist

12 Questions for the Would-Be Universalist – “If we compare universalism to a house for sale, we should admit the house has curb appeal. But would any of us buy a house we’d only seen from the outside?”

Advent: A Story of Hope

Advent: A Story of Hope – “No matter what we try to define as our most significant problem in life, the Bible is explicitly clear: we are the problem.”

Any Unchecked Sin Is Ruinous

Any Unchecked Sin Is Ruinous – “We must not put off until tomorrow the repentance that is needed today.”

Satan Cannot Scare You into Hell

Satan Cannot Scare You into Hell – “People go to hell for one reason: unforgiven sin. Period. That’s all.”

5 Stats for Parents to Know About Teen Digital Media Use

5 Stats for Parents to Know About Teen Digital Media Use – “Consistently, research shows a link between the heavy use of digital media and a number of troubling social and emotional distress signals.”

 

Two “I Am’s” and Three “I Will’s” Worth Trusting

Two “I Am’s” and Three “I Will’s” Worth Trusting – We absolutely love the two “I am’s” and three “I will’s” of Isaiah 41:10.

 

When Goodness Doesn’t Make Sense

When Goodness Doesn’t Make Sense – “If you live long enough, you will suffer. If you counsel long enough, you will hear some stories of unimaginable suffering. Our awareness of the fallenness of the order in which we live should, in theory, prevent our shock when listening to our counselee’s pains. Often, that is not the case. Some stories are just jaw-dropping.”

Is Islam the World’s Fastest-Growing Religion?

Is Islam the World’s Fastest-Growing Religion? – “The growing number of Muslims is mainly due to higher birth rates in Muslim families, not new converts to Islam.”

 

Reform Your Faith, Don’t Deconstruct It

Reform Your Faith, Don’t Deconstruct It – “I’ve had doubts about my faith. I’m guessing you’ve had them as well. No one is immune to wondering whether their convictions about Christianity are true. It’s a common human experience that is acknowledged in Scripture.”

One of the Saddest Texts in the Old Testament

One of the Saddest Texts in the Old Testament – “How can the same man be so good and so bad, so wise and so foolish, so God-centered and so self-focused?”

Honoring Dishonorable Parents

Honoring Dishonorable Parents – “The holiday season is one in which happy families get together to eat lovely meals and have laughter-filled conversations – or at least that’s how Hallmark portrays the holidays. For many of us, however, the holiday season is one in which we face a very difficult problem.”

Dealing with Difficult Decembers

Dealing with Difficult Decembers – “We spend so much time enjoying the nativity and celebrating the miracle of our Savior’s birth, that we often forget to get excited and expectant once again for our Lord to come back.”

Much Will Be Required

Much Will Be Required – “To whom much is given—even much sorrow, much pain, much suffering—, much will be required, for these give us unique opportunities to serve God’s people and showcase his glory.”

Chipping Away Our Confidence in Christ

Chipping Away Our Confidence in Christ – “It is usually the pleasant times when self-confidence becomes exaggerated that many professing Christians tend to chip away at the rock upon which they stand.”

To Be Free, You Need Self Control

To Be Free, You Need Self Control – “On the surface, self-control seems limiting, even stifling. But a life without limits is a life without freedom.”

Ten Looks at Jesus

Ten Looks at Jesus – “The resurrection is not icing on the cake of Christianity. With Christ’s life and his death, it is the cake. If he did not rise, then he is dead — and it all falls apart.”

Help! I’m Worried I Can’t Finish My Work in Time

Help! I’m Worried I Can’t Finish My Work in Time – “There are certain habits and practices that help mitigate work-related anxiety. Here are two expressly biblical practices we’re called to as Christians as well as two nuggets of wisdom I’ve learned from others.”

The Joy of Advent and Corrective Lenses of Tears

The Joy of Advent and Corrective Lenses of Tears – “Your joy doesn’t eliminate sorrow, distress, and grief before your return; but it does transform them. Our tears become the corrective-lenses through which we see other people’s pain with eyes of empathy and compassion.”

You Can Be Forgiven: What Christmas Says to Our Sins

You Can Be Forgiven: What Christmas Says to Our Sins – “When he was born, forgiveness. When he died, forgiveness. When he rose, forgiveness. When he ascended into heaven, forgiveness. And in his wide and wondrous wake, forgiveness. Do you still wonder, this Christmas, if you could be forgiven?”

The Pace of Grace, Speed of Mercy, and Lanes of Love

The Pace of Grace, Speed of Mercy, and Lanes of Love – “I repent, Father. Early in this season of Advent, recalibrate my heart to beat at the pace of grace… to live at the speed of mercy… and to stay in the lanes of love.”

The Value of Repeated Bible Reading

The Value of Repeated Bible Reading – “How repeated Bible reading can help you grow in your understanding of God's word.”

The Global Ripples of Roe: How the Unborn Everywhere Win

The Global Ripples of Roe: How the Unborn Everywhere Win – “The end of Roe is strengthening the ongoing effort around the world to end abortion and secure equal rights for all people, born and unborn. Abortion advocates also agree.”

 

3 Misconceptions That Many Muslims Have about Christianity

3 Misconceptions That Many Muslims Have about Christianity – “Most Muslims come to conversations with misconceptions about Christianity, Christians, and Christ. Here I share with you three misconceptions, and I hope to help you refute them as you reflect the image of Christ, our Lord and Savior.”

The 5 Shaky Pillars of Insider Movement Strategies

The 5 Shaky Pillars of Insider Movement Strategies – “Those urgently seeking to increase their fruitfulness can be tempted to sacrifice biblical precision on the altar of expediency and pragmatism.”

How to Get Through a Spiritual Slump

How to Get Through a Spiritual Slump – “Going through the motions can be an act of faith and obedience—delighting in God’s Word when your heart just isn’t in it. When you persevere in prayer and reading the Bible, you are teaching your heart to delight in Him.”

How Should We Address God in Prayer?

How Should We Address God in Prayer?  – “The Lord Jesus thought God being our Father was something special.”

How Can Satan Harm Christians?

How Can Satan Harm Christians? – “Satan’s aim in causing suffering is to deceive us into believing that God is against us and not for us.”

 

Looking Up after Loss: Learning from the Prophet Anna

Looking Up after Loss: Learning from the Prophet Anna – “What strikes me about Anna is that even though her life was constructed by her loss, she was not paralyzed or blinded by it.”

 

What Does It Mean to Enter into Temptation?

What Does It Mean to Enter into Temptation? – “Jesus doesn’t say, ‘Watch and pray, so you won’t be tempted.’ There is no way you can get into a place in the Christian life where you are no longer tempted. He says, ‘Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation.’ Literally it says, ‘so that you will not enter into temptation.’”

Disorient, Distort, Deceive: Satan’s Core Strategy Against Us

Disorient, Distort, Deceive: Satan’s Core Strategy Against Us – “This dissection of Jesus’s temptation experience helps us examine not only the devil’s specific strategy with Jesus, but the core strategy he employs in every temptation.”

The Strong Comfort of God

The Strong Comfort of God – “Carved into the palm of God’s hand, nestled in his care, I’m safe whatever harm befalls me—not because of my faithfulness but because of his.”

Finding Important What Jesus Finds Important

Finding Important What Jesus Finds Important – “What’s important to Jesus?”

Simple Solution to Same-Sex Civil ‘Marriage’

Simple Solution to Same-Sex Civil ‘Marriage’ – “Neither the state nor the church has the authority to change the essential nature of marriage, since the institution was neither created by nor belongs to either the church or the state.”

What’s On Your Bucket List?

What’s On Your Bucket List? – “The Bible is clear on how believers should live as we await the nearing end. Here are three action steps from 1 Peter 4.”

Advent: A Story of Love

Advent: A Story of Love – “Humanity needed to be rescued. Someone was required to do what we could not do for ourselves: defeat the love of self and restore the love of God in our hearts.”

How to Be a Nonanxious Presence in a Politically Anxious World

How to Be a Nonanxious Presence in a Politically Anxious World – “Political parties prove fickle. Jesus has promised to never leave us or forsake us—which frees us to be a non-anxious presence in an anxious culture.”

 

The Holy Spirit is a Political Liability

The Holy Spirit is a Political Liability – “Right now in evangelicalism there is a movement afoot that would like the church to become more like the world in how it tries to wage culture war.”

Amusing Ourselves from Death

Amusing Ourselves from Death – “Even people who don’t believe in God are subconsciously ruled by the fear of death, one way or the other.”

 

The Way Out of Our Stupid Age

The Way Out of Our Stupid Age – It all comes back to Jesus.

Dog-Fights and Discernment

Dog-Fights and Discernment – “While I can’t say that their means and methods were objectively wrong, they weren’t helpful and they didn’t build me up (1 Cor 10:23).”

Finding Hope When Things Aren’t As They Should Be

Finding Hope When Things Aren’t As They Should Be – “The year is winding down, we’re getting busy making plans and preparations for different events. As we enter the first week of advent, what are you hoping for this season?”

 

The Names in Jesus’ Genealogy and What They Mean

The Names in Jesus’ Genealogy and What They Mean – “As we enter the Advent season, it is a good time to be reminded that Jesus was a real person, who had a real family, and real ancestors. Here is a list of Jesus’ ancestors by name, along with the meaning of each name.”

 

The Glory of Church Graveyards

The Glory of Church Graveyards – “Here are five reasons I think there is glory in a church having a graveyard attached to it.”

 

The Ghost of Mario Cuomo Returns—on Marriage

The Ghost of Mario Cuomo Returns—on Marriage – “Personally opposed but publicly supportive of same-sex marriage is a formula for disaster.”

Don’t Flatter the Wolves!

Don’t Flatter the Wolves! – “Paul warned us that wolves would arise within the church to attack the flock (Acts 20:29-30). It's not good enough to flatter the wolves about their graciousness and seeking to be faithful to Christ. This is not protecting the flock but cosying up to the wolves.”

What Are Spiritual Gifts and How Do We Use Them?

What Are Spiritual Gifts and How Do We Use Them? – “That is ultimately what makes a gift a spiritual gift. It is from faith for the purposes of building up faith.”

 

Benefits of Giving Thanks

Benefits of Giving Thanks – “Though our US holiday of Thanksgiving is over, giving thanks should continue. This year I saw some benefits to thanksgiving, some of which I don’t remember noticing before.”

25 Tiny Ways to Welcome Kids in Church

25 Tiny Ways to Welcome Kids in Church – “In these small ways (and many more) we honor our Lord Jesus, who welcomed little children, affirmed their value in his kingdom, and commanded us to make it easy for them to come into his presence.”

Teach me to pray: The List

Teach me to pray: The List – Here’s a simple way to structure your prayer time.

Injustice: The Gratitude Snatcher

Injustice: The Gratitude Snatcher – “No one wants to walk in ingratitude, and yet gratitude can be so quickly snatched from us.”

How to Plan Your Giving as a Married Couple

How to Plan Your Giving as a Married Couple – “In our deliberations and decision making, we recommend the following process…”

Not-Really-Already-But-Definitely-Not Yet

Not-Really-Already-But-Definitely-Not Yet – “A God's-eye-view of the world will destroy those who aren't God.”

 

Who Will Walk These Streets?

Who Will Walk These Streets? – “Family of Christ, what kind of people will we be? Those that actively pursue the lost or those that passively stand by?”

 

Nothing is Impossible…

Nothing is Impossible… - “When you face things that are impossible it can bring up many questions. What will happen if we cannot make ends meet? Will my wayward child ever come back to the Lord? Will I always be alone? Will I get better? What if my friend or family member never comes to know Jesus?”

Advent Is Pregnant with Jesus’ Two Comings

Advent Is Pregnant with Jesus’ Two Comings – “Jesus, may we never forget. You came to save us from our sins—not to make our lives easy, or to usher in our idea of utopia.” 

The Purposes of God in the Pain of the World

The Purposes of God in the Pain of the World – “In turning to the Scriptures, I want to start by giving two answers that the Bible says are wrong and then four answers that I think the Bible says are right.”

 

Honor an Old Face: The Lost Art of Respecting Our Elders

Honor an Old Face: The Lost Art of Respecting Our Elders – “Why don’t we stand before the elderly man in our midst? Why so little honor paid to the weathered face of the old woman? Why so little fear of God?”

20 Quotes from Dane Ortlund on Hell

20 Quotes from Dane Ortlund on Hell – “The doctrine of hell is a vital part of living well amid the miseries of this world. It may be painful for a patient to be told he has a rapidly spreading cancer, but this news is crucial for him to hear if he is to receive treatment, get his affairs in order, and live his remaining days meaningfully.”

 

A Workaday Faith

A Workaday Faith – “If you don’t get to do everything you hoped, remember Isaac, the patron saint of raising your kids, paying your bills, and trusting God.”

10 Ways to Redefine Gratitude

10 Ways to Redefine Gratitude – “By redefining how we think about gratitude our journey of faith doesn’t have to be just seen through the lens of success—or failure.”

 

Is Islam Really the Fastest Growing Religion in the World?

Is Islam Really the Fastest Growing Religion in the World? – “How should Christians respond to these statistics? We should come in humility to Christ and pray fervently for him to use us as his laborers among Muslims, locally and globally.”

The Search for Authenticity

The Search for Authenticity – “I often wonder if it isn’t authenticity people are after, because when churches are what they are, many seem dissatisfied with them.”

David French and the Future of Orthodox Protestantism

David French and the Future of Orthodox Protestantism – “It is now clear that orthodox Protestants, specifically evangelicals, do not own the country. Whether they ever did is a matter for debate; that they thought they did is indisputable.”

The Spiritual Discipline of Thanksgiving

The Spiritual Discipline of Thanksgiving – “Nowhere does the Bible say thanking God is easy. But nowhere does the Bible say thanking God is optional. It’s not a practice reserved only for the good times. It’s a spiritual discipline necessary at all times.”

Four Tips for Having Good Conversations

Four Tips for Having Good Conversations – “What if I told you it’s possible to have great conversations with almost anyone without wasting your time, getting bored, or even offending anyone? Here are four tips to help you do just that this holiday season.”

Three Habits of Gratitude God Wants Us to Develop

Three Habits of Gratitude God Wants Us to Develop – “You can incorporate any—or all—of these expressions of gratitude into your worship service this weekend. They are everyday habits of a grateful heart.”

Should We Seek to Suffer?

Should We Seek to Suffer? – “Do good, and hope for a good reception for your good, but if suffering comes, you’re blessed.”

The Subversive Power of ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’

The Subversive Power of ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ – “There aren’t two kinds of people in the world: hallowers and non-hallowers. There is only one kind: the hallower, the worshiper.”

Fleeing the Love of Money

Fleeing the Love of Money – “Greed is so normal and acceptable that we don’t see the need to flee. We feel Jesus and Paul were overstating things by saying things like you cannot serve both God and money; we’re prepared to give it a go!”

How to Keep Praying: Four Lessons from the Master

How to Keep Praying: Four Lessons from the Master – “In the Gospels, Jesus comes to pray-ers like us — discouraged, distracted, willing in spirit but weak in flesh — and he gives us a heart to pray.”

What Is Thanksgiving Day?

What Is Thanksgiving Day? – “What does it benefit us to know that God creates and sustains all things? The answer is it gives patience in adversity and gratitude in prosperity.”

‘I Will Grieve but not Grumble, Mourn but not Murmur, Weep but not Whine’

‘I Will Grieve but not Grumble, Mourn but not Murmur, Weep but not Whine’ – “What Tim Challies resolved in the wake of his son’s sudden death.”

The Irony of Thanksgiving

The Irony of Thanksgiving – “When non-Christians give thanks for all God has made, it’s the essence of irony. They enjoy his gifts and express thanks but deny the Giver.”

15 Things You Might Forget to Be Thankful For

15 Things You Might Forget to Be Thankful For – “Maybe it would be a lot easier for you to make a list of disappointments and difficulties than a list of things you’re thankful for this year. Wherever you find yourself this Thanksgiving, God is worthy of your thanksgiving, even if your circumstances are not.”

The Discipline of Thanksgiving

The Discipline of Thanksgiving – “Here are five reasons we may find it hard to practice giving thanks, and how the discipline of thanksgiving keeps us focused.”

Missed Your Quiet Time? Do This.

Missed Your Quiet Time? Do This. – “I’ve allotted an hour to spend time with the Lord before work in the morning but woke up late. Now what?”

Your Spouse Is God’s Creation: Celebrating Differences in Marriage

Your Spouse Is God’s Creation: Celebrating Differences in Marriage – “Scripture repeatedly calls us to worship God as we stand in awe of his created world, but how often do we remember to celebrate his creative decisions in our spouse?”