Prioritize Sitting at Jesus’ Feet

Prioritize Sitting at Jesus’ Feet – “You need to have an overarching, passionate, God-centered aim to your life – an overarching goal and message that flows from your mission and directs the priorities of your life.”

s It the Thought That Counts? Why Good Marriages Keep Learning

Is It the Thought That Counts? Why Good Marriages Keep Learning – Never stop learning and growing…together.

How to Offer Correction

How to Offer Correction – “Why are we as Christians so poor at giving healthy, constructive criticism to others?”

Challenge of Charity

Challenge of Charity – “Perhaps it goes without saying, but not all giving is good. It doesn’t take much travel around the world to find problems with Christian charity.” There are plenty of example of well-meaning “help” that ends up causing problems and hurt.

Embracing Cross-Cultural Incompetence

Embracing Cross-Cultural Incompetence – “The messenger is the message, so you won’t be an effective translator of the gospel in a new culture until you translate yourself. And that process is painful.” Humility goes a long way in our own cultures too.

Dying Is But Going Home

Dying Is But Going Home – Randy Alcorn has written much and written well on the doctrine of heaven. This week, his wife died. His reflections on her passing are worth reading.

All of Our Opinions All of the Time

All of Our Opinions All of the Time – “I’m not offering an opinion on whether or not Will Smith smacking Chris Rock was okay, I’m offering an opinion on why we should hesitate hopping in on the controversy of the day.” Here are some helpful observations about social media.

Why the Apostle Paul Always Used the Same Greeting

Why the Apostle Paul Always Used the Same Greeting – “Paul greeted everyone with grace and peace because he understood our on-going need for both of them.”

You Can Obey

You Can Obey – “We thank Jesus that he came, died for us and transferred his perfect life to our account. And then we can think that we won’t be perfect until glory so we kind of give up trying. Sinners gonna sin, innit. But the fact is, we can obey.”

3 Reasons Christians Stay Silent about Their Faith

3 Reasons Christians Stay Silent about Their Faith – “Most Americans are interested in conversations about Christianity, but few Christians seem willing to talk about their faith.” Here are some reasons why.

Why God Might Cramp Your Style

Why God Might Cramp Your Style – “Following Jesus means I’m willing to have my style cramped so I can taste the good life Jesus promised lay at the end of a life lived for His glory.”

How to Pray Like Jabez

How to Pray Like Jabez – What lessons can we learn and what stumbling blocks should we avoid in applying this hidden gem in the Old Testament.

Neither Quietism nor Triumphalism

Neither Quietism nor Triumphalism – “Have you ever read the book of Daniel and marveled at how four godly Israelites—Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—served effectively in the court of pagan kings?”

How Fleeting Pleasures Sidetrack Our Love

How Fleeting Pleasures Sidetrack Our Love – “If you don’t pursue ministry because you expect great joy in it, then you don’t pursue the command of God.”

The Dove’s Descent

The Dove’s Descent “The Spirit of God sanctifies, convicts, and empowers us. But we are not given destructive, vengeful power. Rather, as one commentator put it, we are given dove power.”

Give God Room

Give God Room – “In some ways, these are opposite reactions (worry is mostly passive; control is mostly active), and yet it’s quite possible to do both at the same time. I’m actually quite good at both and often manage to do them simultaneously, over the same problem.”

Earliest Mention of ‘Yahweh’ Found in Archaeological Dump

Earliest Mention of ‘Yahweh’ Found in Archaeological Dump – “An ancient tablet discovered near the Palestinian city of Nablus may contain the earliest known mention of God’s name in proto-alphabetic Hebrew.”

Vladimir the Horrible's Vision of Russian Glory

Vladimir the Horrible's Vision of Russian Glory – “The story is still unfolding, but the meaning of the tale is abundantly clear. Putin is the avowed enemy of Western civilization and the champion of lost Russian glory.”

Spiritual Lessons from My Dumb Phone

Spiritual Lessons from My Dumb Phone – “Christians should be marked by a sense of stillness, practices of stillness. If I am honest about it, I am terrified of being still because it quietly affirms that I am not in charge.”

The New Front Door to Your Church

The New Front Door to Your Church – “The new front door to your church is probably your online worship service. For many, the first time they encounter your congregation will be through a video.”

Resisting the Politics of Fear

Resisting the Politics of Fear – “Free from the fear of death and devil, Christ models for his followers a startlingly carefree attitude toward this world’s politics.”

Body Image and a Better Understanding of Beauty

Body Image and a Better Understanding of Beauty – “Regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status, women around the world and throughout time have faced (and still do) incessant attacks on their souls through lies propagated by the Enemy about beauty and value.”

Raising Spiritual Kids in a Sexual World

Raising Spiritual Kids in a Sexual World – “So what’s a parent to do to teach their kids how to avoid sexual sins? Here are a few suggestions.”

The Prayer to End All Prayers

The Prayer to End All Prayers – “The last prayer in the Bible is also one of its shortest — and yet it’s layered with heartache and anticipation, with distress and hope, with agony and joy.”

God Does Not Despise the Small Things

God Does Not Despise the Small Things – “The Maker of heaven and earth has determined to have us partner with him in his plans, and he is pleased to set a pace for us that seems very human.”

She’s No Bridesmaid. Boast About Christ’s Bride.

She’s No Bridesmaid. Boast About Christ’s Bride. – “At the beginning of the short letter of 2 Thessalonians, we see the apostle Paul’s gratitude for the local church. His example is worth following.”

Our Bodies Tell Us What We Are

Our Bodies Tell Us What We Are – “I’m exceedingly grateful that I’m not a 14 year old right now, searching for belonging and identity, and offered limitless freedom to find the answers on the Internet. But there are many doing just that. These are crucial times.”

No Place is Perfect, Put We Can Love What is Good About It Nonetheless

No Place is Perfect, Put We Can Love What is Good About It Nonetheless – “Churches, much like places to live, are rarely perfect. Churches, much like places to live, will have things to love about them and things we wish were there that aren’t. Churches, much like places to live, can be properly loved by us despite their not being able to do everything we might like all of the time.”

 

God Sees The Whole Picture

God Sees The Whole Picture – “God sees all of it. He has the whole picture.” I found this to be a helpful illustration.

 

Let the Global Church Give You Perspective

Let the Global Church Give You Perspective – “One of the best ways to maintain sound doctrine and gain perspective on some of our society’s most heated debates is to stay in close contact with Christians in other parts of the world.”

Let Jesus Set You Free from People-Pleasing

Let Jesus Set You Free from People-Pleasing – “In Christ, we’re freed for something far more fulfilling than people-pleasing.”

 

The First Call to Worship: Twelve Attributes of God in One Verse

The First Call to Worship: Twelve Attributes of God in One Verse – “Genesis 1:1 is liturgical because it is first theological. By good and necessary consequence, we may reasonably deduce twelve attributes of God from this one verse.”

The Spiritual Discipline of Shutting Up

The Spiritual Discipline of Shutting Up – “One discipline that is conspicuously absent from most lists, but which I find to be incredibly beneficial in my sanctification and in my relationships with others is the spiritual discipline of shutting my mouth.”

4 Truths That Will Revolutionize How You See Your Work

 4 Truths That Will Revolutionize How You See Your Work – “Here are 4 truths from the bible that will revolutionize how you see your work.”

Bible Study on Crowns

Bible Study on Crowns – “Let’s look at 5 different crowns in Scripture.”

The Real Deal: The Exclusivity of Jesus

The Real Deal: The Exclusivity of Jesus – “In this world, every single truth is dependent upon this ultimate truth that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.”

3 Truths About Your Non-Religious Neighbor

3 Truths About Your Non-Religious Neighbor – “We must simplify what it means to be a good neighbor and to build relationships with the people whom God has placed around us.”

 

Excellent Parenting is Remarkably Ordinary

Excellent Parenting is Remarkably Ordinary – “In this article, I want to offer you three ‘ordinary’ encouragements that will allow you to be an excellent parent.”

What Book of the Bible Should a New Believer Read First?

What Book of the Bible Should a New Believer Read First? – The author makes the case for John’s Gospel and also for Genesis. Here’s why.

 

The Subtle Way to Waste Your Life: Confessions of a Sophisticated Sloth

The Subtle Way to Waste Your Life: Confessions of a Sophisticated Sloth – “If you were told you had five years to live, would you live more in those five years than in the decades you might have had left?”

Habits as the Muscle Memory of Our Worship

Habits as the Muscle Memory of Our Worship – “Everything we do works to shape and conform us more to one or the other’s beat. As God’s people, we must humble ourselves to the Spirit’s leading and walk in harmony with his rhythm.”

Despairing Over the Culture? There’s Still a Reason to Get Out of Bed Tomorrow

Despairing Over the Culture? There’s Still a Reason to Get Out of Bed Tomorrow – “We want results now. We forget that we work today not just for the present but for the long-term future.”

 

9 Things You Should Know About Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson

9 Things You Should Know About Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson – Here is a simple summary of things to know.

Am I Sinning? 6 Questions for Moral Gray Areas

Am I Sinning? 6 Questions for Moral Gray Areas – “My purpose here is not to offer my opinion on the morality of these specific potential gray areas, but to offer questions to help you make moral decisions about the gray areas in your own life in a biblical and God-honoring way.”

The Unique Wonder of the Sunday Gathering

The Unique Wonder of the Sunday Gathering – “What sweet kindness we enjoy when we gather with the saints on Sunday. God’s people assembled together is a meeting unlike anything else in this world.”

The Best Parenting Decision I Ever Made

The Best Parenting Decision I Ever Made – “My child needs my words, my example, my counsel, and my love. But even more, she needs God’s Word, his example, his counsel, and his love.”

Finding Hope in a Season of Longing

Finding Hope in a Season of Longing – “Seasons of prolonged suffering produce emotional longing whose weight is too great for any of us to bear alone. Rather than turn to our idols of comfort, approval, power, and control, Scripture calls us to turn to God through lament.”

 

Staying in Love Even After 50 Years of Marriage

Staying in Love Even After 50 Years of Marriage – “At the outset, however, we want you to know it is not our goal just to “stay” married for 50 years. Our primary objective is to have a loving marriage that glorifies God and draws others to Him.”

How Does God Lead Us in Daily Decisions?

How Does God Lead Us in Daily Decisions? – “We need not only revelation coming to us from outside, namely the Bible, we need transformation coming to us inside from the Holy Spirit.”

Do you know what a woman is? Ketanji Brown Jackson Doesn’t.

Do you know what a woman is? Ketanji Brown Jackson Doesn’t. – There was an interesting exchange in the Senate confirmation hearing yesterday. It’s thought-provoking…

Called to Die

Called to Die – “The church in America today appears to misunderstand what it means to have an abundant life.”

6 Wrong Ways to Approach Difficult Bible Passages

6 Wrong Ways to Approach Difficult Bible Passages – “We should always remember the basics of interpretation: looking for the author’s intended message, reading it in context and with the whole of Scripture in view, even considering how believers throughout history have interpreted it.”

Please Waste Some of Your Prayers

Please Waste Some of Your Prayers – “I encourage you to regularly waste your prayers on the unlikely.”

 

That Bible Book You Don’t Like and What to Do About It

That Bible Book You Don’t Like and What to Do About It – “Here’s a question you may not be asked very often: what’s your least favorite book of the Bible? Which book do you avoid reading, or skim over lightly when it shows up in your Bible reading plan?”

What About Those Who Have Never Heard About Jesus?

What About Those Who Have Never Heard About Jesus? – Here’s another take on a common question.

Every Story needs Tension

Every Story needs Tension – “Why is it then that we like our stories to be flat? To get all our prayers answered the way we want when we want and how we want them. To move from point A to Z on a straight line.”

How Putin’s Invasion Became a Holy War for Russia

How Putin’s Invasion Became a Holy War for Russia – “This religious ramp-up to war was the culmination of a decade-long effort to wrap Russia’s geopolitical ambitions in faith — specifically, the flowing vestments of the Russian Orthodox Church.”

Unhelpful Advice in ‘Turning Red’

Unhelpful Advice in ‘Turning Red’ – “For all of its merits, the film ultimately advocates a wrongheaded central message under the guise of empowerment: embrace who you are, even your reckless vices and dangerous impulses, and don’t let anyone stop you.”

The Dead-Sea-Scroll Discovery—75 Years Later

The Dead-Sea-Scroll Discovery—75 Years Later – “This year marks 75 years since the discovery of the first scrolls near the Dead Sea. Noted archaeologist W. F. Albright once called it the ‘greatest archaeological find of modern times.’ His statement still holds true today, for at least three reasons.”

8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous

8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous – These are some of my favorites too.

Six Steps Toward Spiritual Maturity

Six Steps Toward Spiritual Maturity – “Do you want to grow as a man of God?” Here are six areas worthy of focus.

Resisting the Politics of Fear

Resisting the Politics of Fear – “In every era, fear has been the oil that keeps the engine of politics running. And yet, throughout Scripture our Lord calls us away from fearing political leaders and instead encourages us to engage politically with calm confidence.”

Is Physical Abuse Biblical Grounds for Divorce?

Is Physical Abuse Biblical Grounds for Divorce? – There is a lot to consider here and key Bible passages are addressed. While there is much debate on the issues, I land where this author did.

The Manna is Always There

The Manna is Always There – “I don’t know for sure why God withholds healing when He could easily dispense it. He must have something for me in suffering. Anything that keeps us on our faces before the Lord day and night must be something He is using for our good.”

Levirate Marriage: Why Tamar is More Righteous than Judah in Genesis 38

Levirate Marriage: Why Tamar is More Righteous than Judah in Genesis 38 – Understanding cultures of the Bible helps to understand difficult stories in the Bible.

 

The Presence of Joy, Even in the Midst of Tears

The Presence of Joy, Even in the Midst of Tears - God does great work in hard times.

No, Christianity Is Not as Bad as You Think

No, Christianity Is Not as Bad as You Think – “That is exactly what we find: a wide and growing gap between cultural narratives about Christianity and the reality of Christianity. Here are just five examples.”

Nothing is Too Hard for God

Nothing is Too Hard for God – “My heart feels heavy, my mind and soul are weak. As I pour out my heart and intercede for the needs of others, the Spirit whispers to my soul: Nothing is too difficult for me.”

Rescuing Ukrainians with Disabilities—It’s Now or Never

Rescuing Ukrainians with Disabilities—It’s Now or Never – “Galyna and the Joni and Friends team are working on plans for additional evacuations, particularly for people caught in hot spots of violence in eastern Ukraine.”

Is Disability Normal?

Is Disability Normal? – “The biblical perspective affirms that disability is a normal part of life in an abnormal world.”

What Should We Make of Healing Ministries?

What Should We Make of Healing Ministries? – “We get the superior ministry of pointing people by our lives and by our words to the risen and glorified Christ.”

Liberty in a World of Freedom Substitutes

Liberty in a World of Freedom Substitutes – “In Christ, you’ll find a permanent inheritance as God’s royal child. You’ll possess true freedom while learning to imitate your Father in service and love.”

How to Be Finished with Your Sin

How to Be Finished with Your Sin – “If you try to pay for your own sins, you’ll never be finished making the payments. But if you come and meet Jesus at the cross, you can be finished with the debt that you owe to God once and for all.”

This is Meekness

This is Meekness – “Our king is a king of meekness.”

How Sweet the Sound

How Sweet the Sound – This is just a simple, encouraging testimony story.

Resentment Rots the Soul: How to Handle Anger So It Doesn’t Diminish Your Self

Resentment Rots the Soul: How to Handle Anger So It Doesn’t Diminish Your Self – “If we wish to keep our souls vibrant and our bodies healthy, we must find a way to deal with the temptation toward resentment.”

The FAQs: How the Russia-Ukraine War Is Linked to Religion

The FAQs: How the Russia-Ukraine War Is Linked to Religion – “Whether out of fear or deference, he’s (Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church) allowing Putin to use the authority of the Russian church to discredit the Christian faith.”

Honest Faith

Honest Faith – “A lot of bad theology inevitably surfaces when we face suffering. When people lose their faith because of suffering, it suggests a weak or nominal faith that didn’t account for or prepare them for evil and suffering.”

2 Years In: COVID Reflections from Ethiopia

2 Years In: COVID Reflections from Ethiopia – God is always at work.

The Weakness of Suffering Is a Workroom for God’s Grace

The Weakness of Suffering Is a Workroom for God’s Grace – “Suffering exposes our theology. …Suffering will deepen your faith or it will weaken it. …Your suffering is not a failure of God’s plan. …In suffering, God reveals us, and reveals Himself. …The weakness of suffering is a workroom for grace.”

Mercy at the Bottom: How Jonah Leads Us to Our Knees

Mercy at the Bottom: How Jonah Leads Us to Our Knees – “How, then, might Jonah’s prayer shape and inspire our prayers today? What might we learn from his cries out of the depths of treacherous seas?”

When Will Christ Heal My Body?

When Will Christ Heal My Body? – “When Jesus comes, there will be resurrection for all his people, and there will be healing for all his people.”

Is Every Sin the Same in God’s Eyes?

Is Every Sin the Same in God’s Eyes? – “The Bible simply doesn’t make sense—not the Mosaic law, not the exile, not church discipline, not the frequent warnings of judgment for certain transgressions—if all sins are equally vile in God’s eyes. In fact, life doesn’t make sense if every sin is the same.”

8 Reasons Why Gathering with the People of God Matters

8 Reasons Why Gathering with the People of God Matters – “While most churches are still struggling to regain their pre-COVID attendance numbers, it’s been good to think about why gathering with God’s people matters. Here are some thoughts that come to mind…”

Be Like Children

Be Like Children – “Jesus wants his disciples to be childlike because young kids don’t pretend to have it all together.”

Churches in Poland Stretch to Serve Ukrainians

Churches in Poland Stretch to Serve Ukrainians – “In Poland, churches know about limits. Evangelicals compose a tiny fraction of the population in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.”

 

Do you want to get well?

Do you want to get well? – “Can’t we assume that people want to get well? Could there be reasons they prefer not to be well?”

After Two Whole Years: Have We Humbled Ourselves Yet?

After Two Whole Years: Have We Humbled Ourselves Yet? – “Objectively, God has humbled our world through COVID-19, but has our world, in general, subjectively humbled itself before him?”

The Absurdity of Selfishness and the Certainty of Death

The Absurdity of Selfishness and the Certainty of Death – “Have you ever considered it, the absurdity of selfishness? Think about it. When our sole aim is to make much of ourselves and be made much of by others, death is the ultimate slap in the face. Death destroys everything we hold dear.”

Much More Than Just Okay-ness

Much More Than Just Okay-ness – “Lord, supersize our hope.”

No Wrong Roads

No Wrong Roads – “Every individual life is a creative, collaborative work between the one who lives it and the One who gives it."

 

Seeing Dignity Instead of Misery Among the Poor

Seeing Dignity Instead of Misery Among the Poor – “When we equate poverty with misery, our core values are exposed.”

How Long Have You Been Battling?

How Long Have You Been Battling? – “In some way each of us carries a heavy load through this life. In some way each of us finds it a long marathon more than a brief sprint. In some way each of us is called to endure with fortitude, even for a very long time.”

Lord, Let Me Die: Mercy for Those Tired of Living

Lord, Let Me Die: Mercy for Those Tired of Living – “Consider a few men of God, then, whose prayers the Holy Spirit captured to remind us we are not alone and, more importantly, to witness how our kind and gracious God deals with his own at their lowest.”

The Strange Sounds of Praise: A Sufferer’s Introduction to the Psalms

The Strange Sounds of Praise: A Sufferer’s Introduction to the Psalms – “If our ancient forebears in the faith had a broader definitional range for what qualified as praise than we modern worshipers do, it seems to me that some reevaluation on our part would be good.”

The Call and Challenge of Women’s Work

The Call and Challenge of Women’s Work – “We can remember that God calls different women to different spheres, placing each of us where we can serve him best. The world needs all of our labors in his name. No work location is remote from God’s intention. We can praise him in both places.”

All My Sins Were Canceled — So Why Continue to Confess?

All My Sins Were Canceled — So Why Continue to Confess? – “Confessing is not a payment. It is simply an agreement with God that this was an ugly and unworthy thing for me to do.”

The Power of a Praying Mother

The Power of a Praying Mother – “In the prayers of a mother, awakenings are born and peoples won, idols are toppled and devils undone, dry bones are raised and prodigals rescued.”

Combating Our Anxiety in a Time of War

Combating Our Anxiety in a Time of War – “Faith is powerful, isn’t it? It helps us to fight our fears as we find our confidence in the Lord.”

8 Resources to Help Pray for Ukraine

8 Resources to Help Pray for Ukraine – These are helpful.

Discover “Jehovah Shalom:” The Lord is My Peace

Discover “Jehovah Shalom:” The Lord is My Peace – “The Old Testament defines the word peace as being a state of safety, health, prosperity, and favor. The New Testament defines it as being whole, or complete, secure, and prosperous.”

The Biblical Basis for Missions

The Biblical Basis for Missions – “It is the church’s duty to fulfill the Great Commission, to send people into all the world. That’s what missions is all about.”

 

How to Avoid Misinformation and Disinformation Online

How to Avoid Misinformation and Disinformation Online – “Understanding how misinformation and disinformation work is the first step in arming yourself against falsehood. Here are six additional principles for wisely avoiding falsehood online.”

8 Ways to Spot False Teachers

8 Ways to Spot False Teachers – “The New Testament Epistles offer several characteristics of false teachers and those susceptible to their teachings.”

 

Talking Back to God: How His Promises Provoke Our Prayers

Talking Back to God: How His Promises Provoke Our Prayers – “Observe, then, at least three lessons Christians today might take from Moses’s otherwise inimitable prayer.”

My Head And The Headlines

My Head And The Headlines – “I don’t want to have my head so caught up in the headlines that I stop being able to hear the news of my neighbors, or comfort my friends, or support my community.” 

Christ is An Unconquerable Savior

Christ is An Unconquerable Savior – “We belong to God. The Father is keeping us. He has guarded us and not one of us will be lost. He is keeping us from the evil one. He has sanctified us.”

If God Is Sovereign, Why Is His World Full of Suffering?

If God Is Sovereign, Why Is His World Full of Suffering? – “The Bible doesn’t shrink back from any horror or injustice in this world.”

God’s Preferred Pronouns

God’s Preferred Pronouns – “The biblical data overwhelming supports the position that God wants us to refer to him with a singular, masculine pronoun. Since that’s how God has chosen to reveal himself, we should honor him by using the pronouns used in Scripture.”

Take the Long View of Discipleship

Take the Long View of Discipleship – “Jesus writes long redemption stories. His stories are good and true and beautiful. His stories are full of the wonder of eternal things.”

 

Battle of Our Minds

Battle of Our Minds – “How do we challenge our thinking and take our thoughts captive? Here are a few suggestions.”

The 3 Motivations to Work

The 3 Motivations to Work – “There tend to be three primary motivations that drive people to accomplish something, but it is not until we reach the third that we are nearing maturity.”

 

Teach Them Everything

Teach Them Everything – “It is not easy to follow Jesus Christ. He never suggested it would be. But it is far better than not following him, for not only do we have his command to teach everything, we also have the sure and certain promise of the Lord’s presence with us as we go.”

How To Raise A Generous Child

How To Raise A Generous Child – Here are ten practical ideas.

The Disproportional Response

The Disproportional Response – “Our churches seem to be becoming indistinguishable from our surrounding culture when it comes to how we respond to hurt.”

End of Days for the End of Conflict

End of Days for the End of Conflict – “What can the unity we see around the throne teach us about conflict resolution? What can the end of days teach us about the end of interpersonal conflict?”

The Humbled Win the World

The Humbled Win the World – “Let’s look at what may be the two most instructive passages in the Bible about self-humbling. The first is in Exodus; the second, in Philippians.”

Your First Years of Marriage: Three Lessons for Young Couples

Your First Years of Marriage: Three Lessons for Young Couples – “Here are three principles to ease the bumps and grease the wheels of joy in Christ in your marriage and family.”

 

Fearing Fear Itself

Fearing Fear Itself – “A fruit of fear is spiritual amnesia. It can cause us to forget the most foundational truth of all, that God is on His throne and in firm control.”

Why Paul Never Wrote ‘Peace and Grace’

Why Paul Never Wrote ‘Peace and Grace’ – “The order is critical: grace then peace. Grace first. Peace follows.”

Progressive Christians Love THIS Fallacy

Progressive Christians Love THIS Fallacy – Here is a short, simple video the overcomes much of the pushback Bible-believing Christians get from shallow “progressive Christianity”.

Is Attending a Wedding an Endorsement?

Is Attending a Wedding an Endorsement? – “The Bible’s teaching on marriage helps us understand what wedding ceremonies ought to look like.” The issues are many but here are things to consider.

Get Along With God and Others: 11 Biblical Precedents

Get Along With God and Others: 11 Biblical Precedents – “Do the best you can to get along with everyone. Yet realize that once in a while you are going to have a relationship with a difficult person that may fall short of the ideal.”

The Overlooked Virtue of Gentleness

The Overlooked Virtue of Gentleness – “This is a virtue which combines humility and approachability, mildness and kindness in their proper sphere and expression.”

The Fruitful Empty Nest: Lessons for When the Kids Leave Home

The Fruitful Empty Nest: Lessons for When the Kids Leave Home – “If you are in the transition years, anticipating the day when your kids leave home, or are already adjusting to an empty nest, here are some practical steps that have been a great help to me.”

 

Why the Innocent Must Not Be Targeted in Warfare

Why the Innocent Must Not Be Targeted in Warfare – “In the Christian tradition the criteria for justly engaging in warfare has been known as jus in bello (justice in war) and includes the primary criteria of discrimination. The principle of discrimination concerns who are legitimate targets in war.”

Our Free Salvation Sets Us Free to Love

Our Free Salvation Sets Us Free to Love – “Mormons and JWs are typically kind, pleasant, and respectful, but their evangelism is driven by their need to fulfill specific requirements. They may love those they’re talking with, but their goal in evangelizing is to save themselves.”

Polish Baptists, Southern Baptist Mission Board Rally to Aid Ukraine

Polish Baptists, Southern Baptist Mission Board Rally to Aid Ukraine – “With its extensive network of missionaries around the world, the IMB has had missionaries in Ukraine for at least 30 years, since the country split from the Soviet Union in the 1990s. There were about 2,600 Baptist churches, with more than 100,000 members as of 2017, according to data from the Baptist World Alliance.”

Will I Trust God? Simple Prayer in a Desperate Moment

Will I Trust God? Simple Prayer in a Desperate Moment – “God leads most of his children, who are Abraham’s children because they share Abraham’s faith (Romans 4:16), to defining moments of faith, moments when our faith is pushed nearly to a point beyond belief, or so it seems to us.”

A Journey Toward Easter – An Ash Wednesday Devotion

A Journey Toward Easter – An Ash Wednesday Devotion – “Ash Wednesday is the day when the journey toward Easter begins. I would like to suggest that an Ash Wednesday devotion helps us begin our preparation for Easter in three ways.”

Parents, Don’t Avoid Ukraine-Russia Conversation. Lean Into It.

Parents, Don’t Avoid Ukraine-Russia Conversation. Lean Into It. – “Your kids need the clarity, compassion, and context that you can provide.”

Are You Having a Good Day?

Are You Having a Good Day? – “Our ambition is supposed to be summed up in pleasing God. So it’s a good day if you can go to bed knowing that you pleased God that day.”

 

The Good-Grief and Grace-Tears of Lent

 – “Should we, like many, choose to “fast” something for the next 40 days, may it be for increasing our hunger for you, Jesus.” 

Worship and Doubt – Can They Co-Exist?

Worship and Doubt – Can They Co-Exist? – “Jesus did not turn away the doubters, he received their worship and included them in his mission. Disobedience would have kept them from hearing his voice; doubt did not.”

As Cultural Views on Marriage Change, Church Leaders Focus on Discipleship

As Cultural Views on Marriage Change, Church Leaders Focus on Discipleship – “God invented marriage and calls most of us to it. But when you remove God from the equation, you get further away from what He created us to do, and His wishes for us.”

How Do I Handle My Disordered Desires?

How Do I Handle My Disordered Desires? – “The issue in your life, believer, is not, Do I have excessive desires? Do I have distorted desires?”

If You’ve Ever Felt Abandoned by God

If You’ve Ever Felt Abandoned by God – “When you feel abandoned by God or experience loss, do you leave or do you grieve? Do you look for Jesus or assume He’s gone?”

The Very First Prayer: Why Man Began to Call on God

The Very First Prayer: Why Man Began to Call on God – “Seth is born, but does nothing else. Now Enosh is born, and similarly, there appears to be nothing remarkable about his birth. So what are we to make of this? What prompted them to seek God in this way now?”

God’s Wonderful Protection

God’s Wonderful Protection – “I love coming across little comments in the Bible that are mentioned seemingly in passing, but have huge implications.”

 

How Four Generations Differ in Their Approaches to Work

How Four Generations Differ in Their Approaches to Work – This is an interesting piece dealing with several differences in work perspectives among generations.

Why Is Evangelism So Hard for Us?

Why Is Evangelism So Hard for Us? – “Why do we often care less about the lost than God does? Why is something so central to Jesus’s mission often pushed aside? Luke 15 shows us three reasons why evangelism, which Jesus did so well, feels so hard for us.”

Eternal Surprise

Eternal Surprise – This provides a great perspective on death and the hope of the Gospel.

Choose Your Miracle, Secularists

Choose Your Miracle, Secularists – “Resurrection explains why the Jesus movement didn’t die when he did.”

What is “Progressive” Christianity?

What is “Progressive” Christianity? – “One of the benefits of studying church history is that you realize that Solomon was right: ‘There is nothing new under the sun’ (Eccl 1:9).” This is a simple description of core elements of “progressive” Christianity. It’s just old false teachings.