Why We Reread the Bible

Why We Reread the Bible – “The Bible is not like other books. When we finish a novel or biography, we put it down and pick up something new. But many Christians complete a Bible reading and start right in again. For those new to the faith, this may seem strange.”

Marriage in Three Postures: How to Cultivate and Protect Trust

Marriage in Three Postures: How to Cultivate and Protect Trust – “We do so by pursuing one another in three distinct but overlapping modes: face-to-face intimacy, back-to-back partnership, and side-by-side friendship.”

Two Pillars for Starting Psalms

Two Pillars for Starting Psalms – Understanding the relationship between Psalms 1 and 2.

Look for Jesus IN Your Story, Not a Moral to Your Story

Look for Jesus IN Your Story, Not a Moral to Your Story – Here’s a helpful insight from the story of Joseph.

Use Your Gifts in the Local Church

Use Your Gifts in the Local Church – “When we invest our gifts in our churches, we devote ourselves to what will last.”

Against Autonomy

Against Autonomy – “Following your heart doesn’t work. Your heart can tell you what you want. It can’t tell you where to go, or whether what you want is good for you.”

To Whom Shall We Go?

To Whom Shall We Go? – “God loves you too much to leave you feeling comfortable—to always give you what you think you want. He has his eyes set on giving you Himself, which necessarily means surprising you.”

10 Reasons to Revisit the Missionary Example of William Carey

10 Reasons to Revisit the Missionary Example of William Carey – “Today, William Carey’s legacy remains significant for missionaries, pastors, and faithful Christians. Here are 10 reasons why it’s worth revisiting.”

Leaders Who See the Lowly

Leaders Who See the Lowly – “Leaders who see the lowly and unimpressive are the kind of leaders worth following – and the kind of leaders we should want to become. This is because how we treat the lowly is truly a window into our character.”

How Can I Have a Good Conscience?

How Can I Have a Good Conscience? – “A good conscience is virtually the same as walking in the light.”

 

The Other Lord’s Prayer

The Other Lord’s Prayer – Here’s a helpful comparison of the Lord’s Prayer as recorded in both Matthew and Luke.

Unlocking Heaven

Unlocking Heaven – “Yet we know that locks can be picked. As our church’s resident locksmith knows, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Especially considering today’s use of electronic locks, it is possible to hack your way past any locked barrier if you have the right amount of knowledge and skill. Not so with heaven.”

Keep Doing The Small Things

Keep Doing The Small Things – “What if your greatest spiritual growth does not come through some cataclysmic event. What if the most important spiritual breakthroughs in your life are slow and methodical? Are you going to be OK with that?”

When Colleagues Think Your Faith Is a Joke

When Colleagues Think Your Faith Is a Joke – “My coworkers think my faith is a joke. They’re never mean about it. They just don’t realize the significance of it. What should I do?”

The Decay of the World and the Love of God

The Decay of the World and the Love of God – “The next time you are faced with the sheer depravity of this world, allow it to point you beyond the evil of man to consider the purposes of God.”

Killed By What They Thought Would Save Them

Killed By What They Thought Would Save Them – “Seventy years ago, on the last Saturday morning in January, the MV Princess Victoria left the port of Stranraer in South-West Scotland. She was heading for Ireland with 179 people on board – but never arrived.” There are some spiritual applications and illustrations here.

Preach the Gospel, Die, and Be Remembered

Preach the Gospel, Die, and Be Remembered – “Why does it matter to us to be people who aren’t forgotten?”

It Will Be Worth It: Overcoming Obstacles to World Missions

It Will Be Worth It: Overcoming Obstacles to World Missions – “A life devoted to rescuing people from the wrath of God through faith in Christ is precious in eternity.”

Most People Die on The Climb Down

Most People Die on The Climb Down – “We tend to define success by the described activity not the desired outcome. Don’t believe me? Just think about it. If someone says their goal is to climb Mount Everest, what would be the ultimate win? Making it to the top! Right? Wrong.”

 

All Creation Groans

All Creation Groans – “These sweet dogs were not made in God’s image, nor do they possess souls that will live forever. They don’t stand before their Creator responsible for sin; Jesus didn’t die to redeem them. But, as the apostle Paul makes clear, they still suffer under the curse.”

2 Truths About An Encounter With Jesus

2 Truths About An Encounter With Jesus – “How could Mary have not recognized Jesus? The simplest answer is that she wasn’t looking for Him. Not there. Not in the midst of sorrow and grief.”

7 Guideposts To Lead Yourself Well

7 Guideposts To Lead Yourself Well – Peter Drucker said: “Being a self-leader is to serve as chief, captain, president or CEO of one’s own life.”

God Does Not Hear the Prayers of Unbelievers

God Does Not Hear the Prayers of Unbelievers – “God does not grant them a hearing. That is, he turns a deaf ear to their prayer. Unbelievers have zero right of access to God. They have zero ability to petition him for anything. They have no grounds to expect God to work for them or answer their prayer.”

Single but Not Lonely: Living Well While Unmarried

Single but Not Lonely: Living Well While Unmarried – “All of us experience singleness. And even for those who do marry, more than half will be single again. God cares about our unmarried years. He desires all of us to make the most of them. So what steps can we take to steward these years well?”

If We Do Not Give Up

If We Do Not Give Up – “How long must a wife bear witness to Christ before her unbelieving husband? How long must parents pray for a child who hasn’t trusted Christ? Why does so much sowing not result in reaping? Why do the due seasons seem to come later than we’d expect, if ever?”

A Few Practical Pointers on Marriage

A Few Practical Pointers on Marriage – “No one is more harmed by your sin and no one is more blessed by your sanctification than your spouse. If you love your husband or wife, then give them the gift of holiness. Be holy for the benefit of that person you love the most.”

Discipling Your Congregation to Understand the Importance of the Church

Discipling Your Congregation to Understand the Importance of the Church – “Most Americans say worshiping alone is a valid replacement for regularly attending church. How do you teach the importance of the church?”

Kamala Harris Omits ‘Life’ and ‘Creator’ From Declaration of Independence During Abortion Speech

Kamala Harris Omits ‘Life’ and ‘Creator’ From Declaration of Independence During Abortion Speech – I don’t often post such stories but this extreme.

Pastors Around the World Apply Romans 13

Pastors Around the World Apply Romans 13 – “What I found is global Christians don’t agree on everything. For one, they took different approaches toward church gatherings during pandemic lockdowns. But in their attempts to understand and apply Romans 13, I observed four points of clear agreement.”

God’s Faithfulness in the Past Assures Our Happy Future

God’s Faithfulness in the Past Assures Our Happy Future – “We all want to be happy, but where do we turn when it seems like it can’t happen? We look to the past for assurance of what is to come.”

Considering Grief

Considering Grief – “As we consider grief there are three points that we should consider.”

How a Pagan Philosopher Came to Believe the Scriptures are from God

How a Pagan Philosopher Came to Believe the Scriptures are from God – “It is noteworthy that throughout the history of the church many Christians have ascertained the divine origins of the Bible in yet another way: they read it. Rather than being persuaded through a deep dive into the historical evidences, many have come to believe the Bible is from God by observing its distinctive character and power.”

Pandemic Severed Loose Connections for Many Irregular Church Attendees

Pandemic Severed Loose Connections for Many Irregular Church Attendees – “Instead of radical changes among all churchgoers, the pandemic most likely significantly altered the habits of less frequent church attendees.”

Why Draw the Line Here?: E.J. Dionne Asks Why Conservative Christians Continue to Resist Gay Marriage

Why Draw the Line Here?: E.J. Dionne Asks Why Conservative Christians Continue to Resist Gay Marriage – Al Mohler gives a clear response.

One Specific Characteristic I’m Praying For Our Children to Have

One Specific Characteristic I’m Praying For Our Children to Have – It is much needed and often missing in younger generations.

Do You Need Counseling? 6 Questions to Help You Discern

Do You Need Counseling? 6 Questions to Help You Discern – “There are times when talking with someone who has focused expertise may be helpful.” Here are some of those “times” to consider.

Important Rules For Managing Money

Important Rules For Managing Money – “To be good stewards in our Christian lives, then means that we realize deep within us that we’re only managers and administrators for what belongs to God and is temporarily loaned to us. God tells us to be good stewards of our time, talents, and our possessions.”

It’s Not My Life, It’s His

It’s Not My Life, It’s His – “John 15 is one of the most important passages in the New Testament about the believer’s union with Christ. This union, which is ours by faith, is the basis of our right standing before God the Father and our shared inheritance of every spiritual blessing and promise of God.”

Turn Down the Noise and Listen to Jesus

Turn Down the Noise and Listen to Jesus – “All of God’s communication flows from Jesus, points to Jesus, is measured and proved by Jesus, orients around Jesus.”

Christians Stumble, but They Are Stumbling Forward

Christians Stumble, but They Are Stumbling Forward – “Christian, you will stumble today. So will I. And yet we can get up and continue on because of God’s grace. When we do, we will see slowly but surely God is doing something in us. He is making us more like Jesus. This is our trendline – to stumble, and yet to stumble forward.”

 

On Letting Your Kids Go

On Letting Your Kids Go – Here is some “guidance for parents whose children are leaving home, perhaps to go to school or perhaps to join the military or perhaps just to begin an independent life.” 

Hang This Verse In Your Home

Hang This Verse In Your Home – “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Recovering Proverbs 22:6 for a New Generation

Recovering Proverbs 22:6 for a New Generation – “Training is not words. Training is positive and negative action to develop the habits and character of a child. Training is building muscle memory and values by repeated action.”

God Sees All Time ‘Equally Perfectly Vividly’

God Sees All Time ‘Equally Perfectly Vividly’ – “One of the implications of Christ being the Alpha and Omega is that he sees every moment of your life equally perfectly vividly. Six days ago, six months ago, six years ago—he sees it all just as vividly as he sees this very moment.”

Many Americans Left Church Attendance in Their Childhood

Many Americans Left Church Attendance in Their Childhood – “The less one attended as a child, the more likely one is to seldom or never attend today.”

Eric Geiger: 5 Reasons I Am Hopeful for the Church in 2023

Eric Geiger: 5 Reasons I Am Hopeful for the Church in 2023 – “At Caesarea Philippi I was reminded that Jesus’ good and holy intention will not be thwarted, and as a new year begins, I am hopeful for the Church in 2023.”

 

What to Do Before You Read the Bible

What to Do Before You Read the Bible – “Father, as I approach your Word today, would you comfort me, confront me, and use it your Word to conform me more and more into the image of your Son, through the power of your Spirit, Amen.”

Cultivating Faith Like a Child

Cultivating Faith Like a Child – “Jesus spoke on several occasions about having a child-like faith. We see Jesus correcting the disciples’ mindset about who would be the greatest in the kingdom by using a child as an illustration (Matthew 18:1-6).”

4 Reasons to Pursue Unity, Not Political Alignment in Your Church

4 Reasons to Pursue Unity, Not Political Alignment in Your Church – “Man’s kingdoms are not God’s kingdom. Here are four reasons pursuing political alignment is not the same as pursuing unity.”

11 Christianese Words and Phrases We Should Retire

11 Christianese Words and Phrases We Should Retire – These are pretty good.

The New Testament Explosion

The New Testament Explosion – “The books of the New Testament make up about ¼ of the Bible. That may not seem like much in terms of space, but 27 books in less than 50 years during the first century AD is an incredible amount of literature.”

Reasons to Pray

Reasons to Pray – “Moving on from guilt and fear, I now focus on three callings that have radically transformed how I engage in prayer.”

Is God OK with Genocide?

Is God OK with Genocide? – “While I have no desire to dodge this being a difficult passage, I do want to offer five observations that give a more nuanced understanding of what’s happening.”

 

God Plans Your Stops

God Plans Your Stops – “What do you do and how do you react when God interrupts your plans?”

Be Your Own Unique Style of Grandparent

Be Your Own Unique Style of Grandparent – “We won’t have as much directly instructive time with them as their parents do. But hopefully, through our love, our lives, our testimony, and our words, we can have a great influence on them for God.”

 

Why I Chose the Church with Worn-Out Bathrooms

Why I Chose the Church with Worn-Out Bathrooms – Interior issues are important but an outward focus wins the day.

Be Still, My Soul: A Hymn for the Hardest Losses

Be Still, My Soul: A Hymn for the Hardest Losses – The central message of “Be Still, My Soul” is the resurrection hope Jesus gives us in the face of the devastating death of a loved one.

How Can We Trust God through Trials We Don’t Understand?

How Can We Trust God through Trials We Don’t Understand? – “Faith is like a forward memory, allowing us to believe as if what is promised has already happened.”

The Idol of Our Expectations

The Idol of Our Expectations – “We tend to visualize what we believe will happen, and we cling to that vision as an ideal. It’s one reason that marriage books are always urging women to express their expectations–because we are so easily crushed when we had a vision for how something would happen, and then it goes in a completely different direction.”

What Does Your Faith Do For You?

What Does Your Faith Do For You? – “In those times when life is difficult, in those times when sorrows are many and answers are few, in those times when life is not going the way you had hoped, the way you had planned, the way you had dreamed, what does your faith do for you?”

How to Read Hebrew Poetry

How to Read Hebrew Poetry – “If God thought it best to reveal so much of Scripture in poetry, we need to become good readers of it. Here are four tips for reading Old Testament poetry well.”

Remember Your Nature and Destiny

Remember Your Nature and Destiny – “Through knowing Jesus, we can know ourselves. Through following him, we can grow in virtue and become more fully human.”

The Toughest Conversation I Don’t Regret

The Toughest Conversation I Don’t Regret – “I believe the good news with all my heart, but I still get anxious whenever I proclaim Christ’s name.”

The Murderer Who Crushed a Worm

The Murderer Who Crushed a Worm – “Guard especially against heart-hardening. Hard hearts are unbelieving ones; therefore beware of ossification of the heart. The hardest hearts were soft once, and the softest may get hard.”

The Light and Momentary Success of the Wicked

The Light and Momentary Success of the Wicked – “Rather than seeking to placate false gods or false men, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God alone (Romans 12:1–2).”

We Have Good Reasons to Be Anxious

We Have Good Reasons to Be Anxious – “But don’t despair: God, in his Word, gives you better and imperishable reasons for responding to the troubles of life in faith.”

More Than Jumper Cable Christianity

More Than Jumper Cable Christianity – “Spiritual disciplines at a set time of day are a wonderful practice as long as it affects the rest of your days. Spiritual disciplines and habits are vital for growth in godliness. And the key word there is growth.” 

Six Ways Pre-Born Babies Glorify God

Six Ways Pre-Born Babies Glorify God – “As pastors, we must be able to speak biblically about the value of human life. We must help our congregations mull over life in the womb, which is often a dangerous place for pre-born children.”

The Young Adults’s Guide to Social Media

The Young Adults’s Guide to Social Media – “So how can Christian young adults navigate these apps and websites in a way that avoids temptation and addiction, and ultimately honors and glorifies Christ?”

Kiss the Son, But Not Like Judas

Kiss the Son, But Not Like Judas – “When we understand the worth, glory, and authority of the Son of God, the notions of submission and allegiance to him are reasonable in every way. He’s King of kings, Lord of lords. The Son’s identity is what makes Judas’s kiss so outrageous.”

2 Errors When Thinking About God’s Work in our Lives

2 Errors When Thinking About God’s Work in our Lives – “God is at work in our lives. All the time. The question is not whether God is at work; it’s how aware we are of His work.”

How Not to Pray: Learning from Pharisees and Pagans

How Not to Pray: Learning from Pharisees and Pagans – “How many realize that our Lord’s instruction on prayer is both positive and negative — that it doesn’t simply stand alone but is given in contrast?”

6 Ways to Talk to Your Kids About Human Dignity

6 Ways to Talk to Your Kids About Human Dignity – “Human dignity isn’t just a concept for adults but one we should teach our kids. They need a robust theology of the imago Dei.”

 

The Old Testament Sacrifices Teach Us a Great Deal

The Old Testament Sacrifices Teach Us a Great Deal – “It is right to feel the barbarity of the sacrifices. Don’t ignore them or turn away; here we see a great illustration of what Jesus came to do.”

Do Those Who Never Hear of Christ Actually Go to Hell?

Do Those Who Never Hear of Christ Actually Go to Hell? – “When Beth and I served overseas, we would be met with vacant expressions by a few who were stunned that we actually believed in a God who would send people to Hell.  If this topic was unpopular 40 years ago, it is more so today.”

When God Allows Your Children to Suffer

When God Allows Your Children to Suffer – “In Scripture there’s an expectation of suffering that we probably don’t have in modern society.”

The Farther We Move from God, the Farther We Move from Happiness

The Farther We Move from God, the Farther We Move from Happiness – “Since God Himself is the happiness that overflows into His creation, every attempt to separate Him from happiness is futile.”

4 Keys To Flourishing Small Group Friendships in 2023

4 Keys To Flourishing Small Group Friendships in 2023 – “We need to be intentional about making friends and connections throughout our Small Group efforts. Here are four key steps and skills that you need to develop in order to get the most out of your Small Group friendships.”

What Does God Want Us to Continue?

What Does God Want Us to Continue? – “Sometimes we need to set our faces and purposes once again to continue something we’ve already started, to stay the course, to keep going.”

 

The Wise Man Is In Town

The Wise Man Is In Town – “Where did we get the idea that the wisest among us dwell in seclusion in hard to reach places?”

How the Doctrine of Exclusivity Made Me a Christian

How the Doctrine of Exclusivity Made Me a Christian – “The most controversial yet fundamental claim in the Christian faith is that Jesus alone has accomplished everything necessary for the salvation of all who believe in him. For this reason, he must be trusted. This doctrine separates Christianity from every other worldview, and it unites every other doctrine within our faith.”

When Were Christians First Regarded as Intolerant “Haters”?

When Were Christians First Regarded as Intolerant “Haters”? – “In the midst of the high octane culture wars of the last ten years, Christians have been labelled all sorts of things: intolerant, bigoted, arrogant, narrow, dogmatic, just to name a few.”

Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous to Be a Christian in 2023

Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous to Be a Christian in 2023 – “Sub-Saharan Africa—the epicenter of global Christianity—is now also the epicenter of violence against Christians, as Islamist extremism has spread well beyond Nigeria.”

 

Don’t Be Discouraged by the Bigness of God’s Glory

Don’t Be Discouraged by the Bigness of God’s Glory – “When confronted with such a weighty task, such a high purpose, such a cosmic goal, we might well be moved to paralysis. And yet in the midst of all that weight comes this very encouraging word from the Apostle Paul.”

 

Fight for Delight by Planning Your Devotions

Fight for Delight by Planning Your Devotions – “If you say, ‘I’ll read it tomorrow whenever I get a chance,’ there will be no chance.”

How Does Temptation Work?

How Does Temptation Work? – Here are four steps temptation takes.

5 Ways to Teach the Art of Dying

5 Ways to Teach the Art of Dying: Recognizing the Sanctity of Life Through all of Life

In Suffering, God Isn’t (Simply) Teaching You a Lesson

In Suffering, God Isn’t (Simply) Teaching You a Lesson – “Here are five potential problems with this line of thinking.”

Prayerlessness Comes Before a Fall

Prayerlessness Comes Before a Fall – “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

 

Caregiving as a Calling and Ministry

Caregiving as a Calling and Ministry – “We want to reframe caregiving from an unexpected burden to a ministry that God lovingly calls us to.”

 

Four Ideas to Help Today’s Kids Delay Gratification

Four Ideas to Help Today’s Kids Delay Gratification – In a world where everything is “instant” these truths need to be taught.

What If God Exists?

What If God Exists? – “When we consider how people respond to the existence of God, we usually put people in one of two exclusive categories: either they believe in God, or they don’t. I propose that we broaden that to at least four.”

Ethnic Harmony Is a Certainty: Three Good Resolves for the Church

Ethnic Harmony Is a Certainty: Three Good Resolves for the Church – “As a pastor in Minneapolis for more than two decades, I have found that one of the most helpful biblical teachings regarding ethnic harmony in the church is that Christ has already secured it.”

Chipping Away Our Confidence in Christ

Chipping Away Our Confidence in Christ – One of the dangers of seasons of ease is that we grow self-confident. That self-confidence slowly chips away at our confidence in Christ.

 

How Should I Dispose of a Bible?

How Should I Dispose of a Bible? – “However we choose to dispose of the Bible, we should remember that the most essential way we show respect for the text comes not from how we handle the printed page but by storing up God’s Word in our heart and obeying all it says (Ps. 119:11; 1 John 5:3).”

 

A Light to My Path

A Light to My Path – “[The Bible] doesn’t lay out every step on our journey, but it gives us the light we need to take the next step, trusting in the Light, knowing that He not only knows every twist and turn in our path but also has intentionally and lovingly prepared the way for us.”

Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough in 2023

Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough in 2023 – “God teaches us through discipline because He loves us. We are also encouraged to discipline our bodies to experience breakthroughs. We cannot effectively be filled with the Spirit and lack discipline. Our faith is not passive; it’s active faith.”

How Does Temptation Work?

How Does Temptation Work? – “James informs us that the ultimate source of temptation is our own evil desire, lust, or craving that begins the cycle. Then, if we give in, it leads to sin and its consequences.”

Lovers of Good: Eyes of Hope in a World Gone Bad

Lovers of Good: Eyes of Hope in a World Gone Bad – “In times when the love of many grows cold, we will do well to pause over an overlooked Christian virtue that warms against the chill.”

3 Reasons Abortion Is a Gospel Issue

3 Reasons Abortion Is a Gospel Issue – “Before it became a women’s rights issue, political issue, or healthcare issue, abortion was a gospel issue.”

Subjective Feelings Need Objective Truth

Subjective Feelings Need Objective Truth – It’s not enough to “feel peace.” Our feelings must be brought under the authority of Jesus as revealed in His Word.

“I Must Decrease” … But How?

“I Must Decrease” … But How? – “It’s pretty clear: the world’s loud, incessant voice tells me that in order to be happy, I need to spend more of my time, money, and attention on myself. You’ve probably heard the same message about your need for this, as well.”

The Saviour’s Jerusalem Playlist

The Saviour’s Jerusalem Playlist – “Many of us have our favorite pieces of music pulled together into a playlist on Spotify or on our phones. If we’re heading off on a journey, or we need to unwind, we set it to play. Within the book of Psalms there is a playlist for a journey.”

 

How Nehemiah Helps the Discouraged

How Nehemiah Helps the Discouraged – “What can we learn from Nehemiah’s response to the discouragement from his enemies?”

Seasons of Spiritual Drought

Seasons of Spiritual Drought – “You’re trying, you really are. You’ve been seeking him, but even after years of discipline, your heart isn’t warmed. You pray for a strong desire to study God’s word, but day after day still feels the same. Is something wrong with you?”

 

Mom, Your Pain Is Real—but So Is God’s Comfort

Mom, Your Pain Is Real—but So Is God’s Comfort – “As jars of clay, we ought to accept the reality of our condition. It’s good for us to admit when we’re afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. Then we’re better postured to showcase God’s glory.”

“Nothing Short of Genocide”: Pray for Christians in Nigeria

“Nothing Short of Genocide”: Pray for Christians in Nigeria – Pray for persecuted believers in Nigeria today.

 

To Be Free, Flee

To Be Free, Flee – “Idols have a way of disappointing those who trust them. Because only God is God, everyone and anything that we put before God will fail us. Nothing and no one is as strong and faithful and good as God.”

3 Reminders for the Church on MLK Day

3 Reminders for the Church on MLK Day – “We all tend to forget things as years go by. But here are a few things Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day should remind the church of.”

 

Ethnic Harmony Is a Certainty: Three Good Resolves for the Church

Ethnic Harmony Is a Certainty: Three Good Resolves for the Church – “Our destiny as believers is to be united in the worship and enjoyment of God with people from every corner of the earth forever. That makes ethnic harmony in the church a certainty.”

Forgive Me and Help Me Forgive: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Sin

Forgive Me and Help Me Forgive: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Sin – “When you pray, Jesus says, remember how you have offended God. Remember how you’ve failed him again today, how far short you have fallen of his kingdom, his will, his glory — and then ask him for forgiveness.”

3 Commonly Misunderstood Bible Verses

3 Commonly Misunderstood Bible Verses – “As clear as scripture is, we don’t always get it right.”

 

Let the Sunlight In

Let the Sunlight In – “It is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian life—we have been saved, but we still sin. We have committed ourselves to the Lord, but are sometimes still so committed to rebelling against him. We have been forgiven, yet still at times spurn his grace.”

This New Year, Make the Living God Your Goal

This New Year, Make the Living God Your Goal – “Let’s practice spiritual disciplines and habits chiefly to gain God himself—not some counterfeit version of him, or even the incidental benefits we receive in the process.”

 

The Long and Lingering Tail of Suffering

The Long and Lingering Tail of Suffering – “Surviving a crisis is more than making it through the first day of disaster.”

The Counterintuitive Christ

The Counterintuitive Christ – “The coming of the Son of God into this fallen world for the salvation of His people occurred in the most counterintuitive way possible.” 

Reaching for the New Day

Reaching for the New Day – “In His hands, our worst sins, pains, and sorrows are re-woven into a new and glorious creation. Every broken relationship, illness, tear, and sin is bound together in God’s redemptive way and made beautiful in Christ.”

 

The Chosen and The Word

The Chosen and The Word – “Has watching the show helped you reflect deeply on the meaning of the Gospel accounts? Have you been able to maintain enough emotional distance from the show?”

January’s for Reflecting, Not Resolving

January’s for Reflecting, Not Resolving – “Maybe part of the reason why so many resolutions fail by February is that they were early. Maybe the resolutions weren’t wrong; they were just underdeveloped. Maybe, they needed an extra month or two in the oven.”

The Speck You See in Their Eye Might Be the Exact Log in Yours

The Speck You See in Their Eye Might Be the Exact Log in Yours – “The failings of others that bother us most are those of which we are the most guilty.”

‘Manage His Household Well’: A Challenge for All Dads

‘Manage His Household Well’: A Challenge for All Dads – “It’s easy to skip over 1 Timothy 3 if you’re not a pastor or aspiring pastor. Yet these qualities are for everyone.”

God Has Not Given You a Stone

God Has Not Given You a Stone – “God has not given you a stone in your circumstances. However pleasant or unpleasant your life may be, God is always giving the bread you need. He is never going to trick you or be cruel to you.”

I Am Not My Own: How Heidelberg Healed Me

I Am Not My Own: How Heidelberg Healed Me – “Question: What is your only comfort in life and death? Answer: That I am not my own, but belong — body and soul, in life and in death — to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Every Human Heart Has a God-Given Sense of the Eternal

Every Human Heart Has a God-Given Sense of the Eternal – “What delivers us from the fear of death? What takes away death’s sting? Only a relationship with the person who died on our behalf, the one who has gone ahead to make a place for us to live with Him. If we don’t know Jesus, we will fear death and its sting—and we should.”

Members Who Build the Body

Members Who Build the Body – “Healthy local churches make a powerful and attractive testimony to a watching world. This means that every member has to be devoted to building others up.”

A Plea for Sound Doctrine

A Plea for Sound Doctrine – Near the end of his life, Paul wrote letters and his focus was clear.

10 Absurdities of Atheism – Plus a bonus #11.

10 Absurdities of Atheism – Plus a bonus #11.

Begin Where You Are: How to Renew Your Prayer Life

Begin Where You Are: How to Renew Your Prayer Life – “The daily needs are real, and we are taught to ask for them directly. Bring them before God honestly, with no pretense or fakery.”

When I Die Young (Or Old)

When I Die Young (Or Old) – “When I die young, please don’t be sad. Know that I am finally free from sin. That beloved and yet hated vice, that secret and yet public sin, that long-fought or recently discovered battle – all are done away with and gone.”

3 Prayers for Parents Who Want to Raise Their Children in the Lord

3 Prayers for Parents Who Want to Raise Their Children in the Lord – “What do we pray when we want to raise our children to know and love Jesus? Here are three suggestions.”

God’s Wisdom For A Biblical Marriage

God’s Wisdom For A Biblical Marriage – This summarizes multiple reminders for biblical marriage from 1 Corinthians 7:1-16.

How Do I Push Truth from My Head to My Heart?

How Do I Push Truth from My Head to My Heart? – “There’s a war to be fought here. There’s a delight to be struggled for here.”

Fickle Gods and the Wondrous Clarity of the Law

Fickle Gods and the Wondrous Clarity of the Law – “We tend to chafe at the sheer number of laws given to the people of Israel…and yet a primary response of the ancient Israelites to these laws would not have been a sense of burden. It would have been a sense of tearful relief, even rest.”

 

9 Proofs You’re More Than Matter

9 Proofs You’re More Than Matter – “To be an image-bearer of God is to be an image-bearer of the One who thought up the laws of gravity, thermodynamics, and the periodic table. We aren’t dead-eyed automatons.”

Elephants in Thimbles

Elephants in Thimbles – “To attempt to define he who is infinite with finite expressions is impossible, more impossible than squeezing the entire body of a grown elephant into a thimble. It won’t happen, no matter how talented you are and no matter how hard you try.”

The Only Thing Protestants Can Appreciate About Pope Benedict

The Only Thing Protestants Can Appreciate About Pope Benedict – “It is hard to find a clearer false teacher than Pope Benedict.” His writings are helpful because they show clearly the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Do the Will You Know: The First Step for Further Guidance

Do the Will You Know: The First Step for Further Guidance – “In all your decisions, then, don’t neglect to do the will you already know. Then, with that will clear in your mind and alive in your life, do the hard work of discerning, as best you can, what might please God most in your work, your relationships, your home.” 

Not Like Any Other Book

Not Like Any Other Book – Here are five key reasons why.

Our Dads Are All Dying. So What Are We Learning From It?

Our Dads Are All Dying. So What Are We Learning From It? – “So what can we learn from the house of death, or at least this season when, according to the natural order of things when age takes people we are close to, especially our parents?”

A Forgotten Fact about the Earliest Christian Movement

A Forgotten Fact about the Earliest Christian Movement – “One of the central features of the early Christian movement was that they were a people who traveled, and traveled extensively.”

How to Lead Others in a Digital Age

How to Lead Others in a Digital Age – “As we enter another year, here are three truths to equip yourself and your people to wisely follow Jesus in a digital age.”

 

Opposing Gay Marriage May Seem like a Lost Cause. History Suggests It Isn’t.

Opposing Gay Marriage May Seem like a Lost Cause. History Suggests It Isn’t. – “Christians should stop trying to guess what will change in the future and simply speak as faithful witnesses to what hasn’t and won’t change: God’s vision of the common good.”

Teach us to Pray: The Help of the Spirit

Teach us to Pray: The Help of the Spirit – “You don’t know what to pray, when to pray, how to pray, who to pray for, and even why you should pray at all. You feel utterly helpless.”

Who Were the Nations in Nebuchadnezzar’s Prophetic Dream? (Daniel 2)

Who Were the Nations in Nebuchadnezzar’s Prophetic Dream? (Daniel 2) – “The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Rejection: How To Keep Other People From Feeling It

Rejection: How To Keep Other People From Feeling It – “It’s a brain thing. Neuroscientists have discovered that our brain records social pain, like rejection, in the same place in our brain where we feel physical pain. In other words, getting rejected really hurts just like physical pain really hurts.”

Help! I’m Working Twice as Much for the Same Pay

Help! I’m Working Twice as Much for the Same Pay – “The truth is our work environment is affected by Adam’s sin (Rom. 8:19–21). It’s made worse by our own sins and those of our bosses, coworkers, and customers. Things aren’t always going to be fair or made right.”

The Curse Under Our Breath

The Curse Under Our Breath – “When you find yourself kneeling by the bitter waters of God’s providence, what does God hear from you?”

 

FOBO: Gen Z’s FOMO

FOBO: Gen Z’s FOMO – “The average young person’s inner dialogue seems to have shifted from What if I don’t go and they have fun without me? to What if I commit now and regret it later?”

Bear One Another’s Burdens All the Way to Christ

Bear One Another’s Burdens All the Way to Christ – “We are to bear one another’s burdens, but we are not to try to hold those burdens indefinitely. We need to find a place that the burdens can land long-term. And God provides that place for us…”

 

Shock and Tears

Shock and Tears – “Whatever way loss delivers grief to the doorstep of your heart, there is often shock and tears. But there is also comfort available from God.”

Make Christianity Hard Again

Make Christianity Hard Again – “Christianity is difficult. The way of Jesus is the way of the cross. So don’t talk about it like we just need to be nice people. Here are three commands that have challenged me, with practical trails we can follow.”

For Mothers of Future Men

For Mothers of Future Men – “If you look at the beginning of Proverbs 31, you might find a surprise. The chapter includes not simply the famous portrait of an excellent wife but also the teaching and influence of a godly mother on her son.”

More Americans Stay Away From Church as Pandemic Nears Year Three

More Americans Stay Away From Church as Pandemic Nears Year Three – “At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly every congregation in the United States shut down, at least for a while. For some Americans, that was the push they needed to never come back to church.”

The Basics — The Holy Trinity

The Basics — The Holy Trinity – “We must affirm that there is one God who exists in three distinct persons–Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are equal in glory, majesty and power. This is how God reveals himself in his word.”

3 Reasons Why the Bible is So Important

3 Reasons Why the Bible is So Important – “Why is the Bible so important?”

Don’t Let the Culture War Steal Your Joy

Don’t Let the Culture War Steal Your Joy – “There’s a worrisome quality in many of today’s would-be prophets—writers and pundits who foresee only doom for the future of civilization, who seem perpetually distressed by the desecration of the church’s witness (whether by external pressures or internal rot).”

The Other Gospels of Our Day

The Other Gospels of Our Day – “We must be on guard against other gospels in our day. What would they be? Perhaps we can narrow them to six.”

How to Hold On to Faith When 2023 Gets Tough

How to Hold On to Faith When 2023 Gets Tough – “Paul gives Timothy three reasons he should hold on to what he’s received.”

Pray Kingdom Prayers: Three Requests We Often Neglect

Pray Kingdom Prayers: Three Requests We Often Neglect – “We can seek God’s kingdom in many ways, but nothing is more fundamental to this pursuit than simply asking for his kingdom to come in prayer.”

7 Reasons Winter Reminds Us to Hold on to Hope

7 Reasons Winter Reminds Us to Hold on to Hope – Here are “seven reminders to hold on to hope; whether in the physical season of winter or the personal wintery trials we encounter.”

Building a “Non-Brittle” Identity

Building a “Non-Brittle” Identity – “What follows is nothing you have never heard before, but something we need to be reminded of frequently. Every single one of us forgets the truths of the Gospel in our lives. We must revisit them often.”

 

6 Questions to Spark Evangelism and Outreach in Yourself and Your Church

6 Questions to Spark Evangelism and Outreach in Yourself and Your Church – “What kind of year will you and your church have? Will it be one of outreach and evangelism? Here are six questions to consider.”

You Can Understand the Bible

You Can Understand the Bible – “Some of us fall out of Bible reading because we fail to make time for it. For others, it’s not busyness that gets the best of us, but a subtle cynicism about reading the Bible. How I am ever going to understand this?”

Steadfast Hope in Seasons of Suffering

Steadfast Hope in Seasons of Suffering – Elisabeth Elliot defined suffering as “having what you don’t want or wanting what you don’t have.”

 

The Same Old Faces

The Same Old Faces – “A new friendship is a wonderful beginning, fresh and exciting and full of potential, like the planting of a new tree. Don’t we all naturally long for relationship? To know and be truly known? To love and be truly loved, in spite of being truly known? Of course we do. But…”

Bible Reading Plan for Keeping Families in God’s Word

Bible Reading Plan for Keeping Families in God’s Word – “This one-year Scripture-reading plan offers an overview of key events and people in God’s great story. Click here to submit your email address and then access the free download.”

Grant Me One Muslim Friend

Grant Me One Muslim Friend – “The most strategic thing we could do to reach the Muslim world is for every Muslim to simply have a believing friend.”

5 Practical Ideas to Help Your Church Recognize God Cares About Their Everyday Lives

5 Practical Ideas to Help Your Church Recognize God Cares About Their Everyday Lives – “The devil tempts us to believe lies about who God is. Here are five ideas to encourage your church that God cares about their daily choices.”

3 Truths to Help You Grow in Gentleness

3 Truths to Help You Grow in Gentleness – “We are always going to have circumstances that don’t go the way we think they should. And we can’t control that. What we can control, however, is how we react. We can control what we do next.”

Four Words of Counsel for 2023

Four Words of Counsel for 2023 – “As you review your 2022 and make plans to improve 2023, don’t forget to evaluate the counsel you are opening your ears, mind, and heart to receive. It has a profound effect on the way you live.”

Mini-Theology of Fatherhood in Ephesians 6

Mini-Theology of Fatherhood in Ephesians 6 – This is true in all stages of being a father.

Don’t Settle for Change That’s Only Skin-Deep

Don’t Settle for Change That’s Only Skin-Deep – Here are some great questions to add to your prayer journal as you seek to grow in Christ this year.

Pray This First

Pray This First – “May his name be made holy, be glorified, in human minds and hearts and mouths and lives, beginning with the one who is praying, and extending into all the earth.”

Evangelists: Stop Spending All Your Time with Unbelievers

Evangelists: Stop Spending All Your Time with Unbelievers – “I would rather train a soul-winner than win a soul.”

The Bible’s Main Road Out of Discouragement

The Bible’s Main Road Out of Discouragement – “Nobody lives at a consistently triumphant level. Nobody — period.”

Cast Your Cares Upon the Lord

Cast Your Cares Upon the Lord – “Right now, Christian, what burden are you bearing that feels too heavy? Too complicated? Too much in every way? There is another better equipped to bear it. If we will trust Him enough to do so.” 

Trusting through Trials and Tragedies

Trusting through Trials and Tragedies – “As December concludes, we have high hopes that a change in the calendar will end the struggles and hardships that we are facing. However, as the new year dawns, it usually doesn’t take long for such happy hopes to be dashed to pieces by the less-than-romantic reality before us.”

What Not to Expect from New Year’s Resolutions

What Not to Expect from New Year’s Resolutions – “As we swipe through our news feeds this year and absorb each shocking reveal, may we do so discerningly. The Christian’s before-and-after picture may not go viral on social media, but it’s the picture that most closely resembles our Savior.”

Read Scripture for Compounding Interest in 2023

Read Scripture for Compounding Interest in 2023 – “To understand the words of Jesus and Luke and Paul and Peter, you need to understand the Scriptures they grew up with.”

Look Out! Preparing for ‘23!

Look Out! Preparing for ‘23! – “Solomon wrote thousands of proverbs. So when he writes, ‘Above all else…’ – that should get our attention. What is ‘above all else’ from Solomon’s perspective?”

Was The Pope a Catholic?

Was The Pope a Catholic? – “Because, despite some revisionist hopes of evangelicals who admired him, this means he was committed to Roman Catholic theology. Especially around the means by which humans are saved, and consequently, or perhaps because of, his understanding of God’s holy nature.”

 

250 Years Ago Today: John Newton’s ‘Amazing Grace’ First Sung

250 Years Ago Today: John Newton’s ‘Amazing Grace’ First Sung – Here are some interesting things to know about this powerful hymn.

Good News for 2023: It’s Not About You

Good News for 2023: It’s Not About You – “The message in all of this is clear: Elijah was most certainly not the last man standing. God’s plans continued to unfold just fine whether Elijah was involved or not. God didn’t need Elijah’s help, and Elijah certainly wasn’t the main character of the story. God was.”

Signs of Life

Signs of Life – “The noises and messes and struggles of life are precisely the things worth living for.”

No Longer Slaves to Sin

No Longer Slaves to Sin – “If God has chosen to apply Christ’s sacrifice to your soul’s sins and unite you with Christ in His death, the keys never turn in the other direction.”

The Turning of the Calendar

The Turning of the Calendar – “God’s mercies are new every morning, and they are also new every year. However, sometimes, we can expect too much from the turning of the calendar.”

We Call Him ‘Father’: The Privilege of Christian Prayer

We Call Him ‘Father’: The Privilege of Christian Prayer – “In all four Gospels, when Jesus speaks about God, he typically refers to him as his Father. And when the Gospel writers allow us to listen in on Jesus praying, we hear him addressing God as Father.”

Should I Prioritize Family or Work? Neither.

Should I Prioritize Family or Work? Neither. – “If you try to prioritize loving God, being a good spouse and present parent, and finding fulfillment in your career, you’ll quickly find anxiety and discontentment.”

 

Sin Is Never Inevitable: How to Escape Overwhelming Temptation

Sin Is Never Inevitable: How to Escape Overwhelming Temptation – “We are hardly the first to feel trapped, surrounded, hemmed in by the power of sin. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians suggests they felt the same.”

God’s Faithfulness in the Past Assures Our Happy Future

God’s Faithfulness in the Past Assures Our Happy Future – “The human race is homesick for Eden, which only two humans have ever known. We spend our lives chasing peaceful delight, following dead ends or cul-de-sacs in pursuit of home. We know intuitively that we’ve wandered. What we don’t know is how to return.”

How Do We Know and Feel God’s Love?

How Do We Know and Feel God’s Love? – “Paul describes a seamless combination of knowing and experiencing Christ’s love, and there are a few ways we can cultivate this combination.”