Why do Asians Make Me Take Off My Shoes?

Why do Asians Make Me Take Off My Shoes? – “Sam Chan asks why Asians have you take your shoes off before you enter their house (as do Canadians, as it happens) and then draws a lesson from it.”

We Need Restorative Rest

We Need Restorative Rest – “During the seventh century, the longbow became a formative weapon. However, if you wanted your longbow to last, you would have to take the string off the bow, releasing the tension. If the bow was left in tension all the time, it would become deformed and unable to shoot arrows. The same is true of us.”

Eschatology Makes Sense of Time

Eschatology Makes Sense of Time – “For the Christian, history is written in ink, not in pencil. History is linear: it had a beginning, it will have an end, and we cannot go back.”

What Is the Great Dechurching?

What Is the Great Dechurching? – “As a nation, we’re currently experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in the history of the United States. Tens of millions of formerly regular Christian worshipers nationwide have decided they no longer desire to attend church at all. These are what we now call the dechurched.”

 

5 Ways To Guard Against Sexual Sin

5 Ways To Guard Against Sexual Sin – These five biblical habits will build guardrails around your purity before God.

More Churchgoers Have Participated in an Abortion Than You Might Think

More Churchgoers Have Participated in an Abortion Than You Might Think – “Christians might be surprised to learn that around 17% of female churchgoers have had an abortion, and 15% of male churchgoers have paid for or actively encouraged someone to get an abortion.”

How to Live for God Through the What-If Game

How to Live for God Through the What-If Game – “Many of us are rather advanced in the art of worry. For those of us in this camp, it is an unfortunate skill we have developed and honed over the course of many years. We started young and have kept at it.”

Jesus Gives Grace, Not Pep-Talks

Jesus Gives Grace, Not Pep-Talks – “Jesus, free us to get the help we need, the counsel we lack, and the replenishment you promise. Also, give us your compassion for fellow strugglers.” 

Hell Might Just Be the Most Unpopular Subject in the World (and Sometimes in the Church)

Hell Might Just Be the Most Unpopular Subject in the World (and Sometimes in the Church) – “Short-term suffering serves as a warning and a foretaste of eternal suffering. Without a taste of Hell, we would neither see its horrors nor feel motivated to do everything possible to avoid it.”

 

Gifts Forged in Grief

Gifts Forged in Grief – This is a beautiful reflection, and a reminder that even grief is not wasted with God.

Satan’s Sales Pitch

Satan’s Sales Pitch – “It’s key to understand the nature of Adam and Eve’s disobedience and what part of Satan’s sales pitch specifically hooked them, because the same temptation snares us daily.”

A Subtle Attack Against Motherhood

A Subtle Attack Against Motherhood – “There is a trend in social media that makes it seem as though we are fighting our way through the torture of raising children, as if they are like an enemy.”

Christ as Light and Lens for Reading the Old Testament Well

Christ as Light and Lens for Reading the Old Testament Well – “Jesus, Paul, and John speak of God revealing a mystery to communicate how, in Christ, we gain full disclosure of things that God significantly hid from most in the old-covenant era.” 

When You Don’t Want to Read Your Bible

When You Don’t Want to Read Your Bible – “If you struggle with wanting to read your Bible and you don’t know why, make a change.”

The Utter Folly of the Cross

The Utter Folly of the Cross – “Herein lies the paradox of the gospel. The self-giving love of God transformed an instrument of death into an instrument of life. The cross is the great reversal, where exaltation comes through humiliation, glory is revealed in shame, victory is accomplished through surrender, and the triumph of the kingdom comes through the suffering of the servant.”

Trusting God When Our Children Leave the Nest

Trusting God When Our Children Leave the Nest – Barbara Lee Harper has an article and a poem for the empty nesters.

 

Why Should I Be the One to Change?

Why Should I Be the One to Change? – “Why should I be the one to change when it’s my spouse who’s causing the problems in our marriage? Have you heard that said by someone in your life? Or perhaps you’ve said it yourself!”

Two Active Ways to Grow in Our Desire for the Kingdom

Two Active Ways to Grow in Our Desire for the Kingdom – “Here are two such active ways we might grow in our desire for God’s kingdom.”

Behind the Seen, Providence At Work for Those He Loves

Behind the Seen, Providence At Work for Those He Loves – “No matter what trials or tribulations come our way, God assures us that he is for us and providentially at work in us. Nothing—not peril, decrees, king’s commands, or unexpected life turns—can stand in the way of God accomplishing his purposes for our good and his glory.”

3 Ways for Parents to Encourage One Another

3 Ways for Parents to Encourage One Another – “Because we aren’t doing this alone, one of the responsibilities we have is to encourage each other on this parenting journey. Here, then, are three specific ways that parents can be an encouragement to one another.”

The Judgement of Getting What We Want

The Judgement of Getting What We Want – “I have long been of the view that one way the Lord gives people over to sin in the church is to give them what they want.”

Ways Parents and Grandparents Can Pray for Children as They Head Back to School

Ways Parents and Grandparents Can Pray for Children as They Head Back to School – “May they serve as reminders to pray for the children in our lives. Sometimes it's the only thing we can do for them. But it’s always the best thing, since God is on the throne, and our power is so limited.”

Wrestling with What Won’t Be: The Meaning of Midlife Melancholy

Wrestling with What Won’t Be: The Meaning of Midlife Melancholy – “Young dreams have grown up. Some hopes, along with some friends, have died. Ideals have given way to reality. What ifs have cocooned into What was and What actually is.”

Commitment

Commitment – “We can find so many metaphors for God’s covenant with us when we look closely. That’s why we’d like to camp on this idea of commitment and provide five thoughts to consider about commitment to those you love.”

Do We Understand Stewardship 101?

Do We Understand Stewardship 101? – “Grasping God’s ownership of everything is the foundation of a biblical theology of money. Faithful money-managing stewards act in the owner’s interests, regularly consulting Him to understand and implement His investment priorities.”

The Wisdom of Work

The Wisdom of Work – “Time is short. We only have so many years, months, days, and hours in which to be productive. This is reason enough for us to work as unto the Lord during the short time God has given us in this life.”

Living Well Among Thorns: Finding Strength in Physical Weakness

Living Well Among Thorns: Finding Strength in Physical Weakness – “No one gets used to it. Pain demands our attention. Time slows to a crawl, particularly in the middle of the night, when we’re begging God for the relief of sleep. We feel alone and isolated. No one else can enter the prison that our bodies have become.”

Such Were Some of You

Such Were Some of You – “The gospel is for dirty, no-good, rebellious scoundrels… just like we were before God intervened in our lives by his grace.”

Don’t Think About Elephants!

Don’t Think About Elephants! – “Paul knew that telling the Philippians not to be anxious would not work. It is not enough to tell someone to not be anxious; you need to direct them to something more productive. The famous passage in Philippians 4 has two basic instructions for what we can do to deal with anxiety.”

Your Heaven Is Too Small

Your Heaven Is Too Small – “Jesus, I love meditating through the Servant Songs of Isaiah because they remind us you didn’t come merely to make our trip to heaven possible when we die, or to re-decorate the old Jerusalem. You came to put all things right and make all things new and beautiful—to fill the earth with your glory on the Day of your return.”

Truth to Cling to When Nothing Makes Sense

Truth to Cling to When Nothing Makes Sense – “But how do we anchor ourselves in a God we can’t understand?”

Greet with a Holy Kiss? Applying an Uncomfortable Command

Greet with a Holy Kiss? Applying an Uncomfortable Command – “The emphasis, given that the kiss of greeting was already common and assumed, was that early Christians do so, unlike Judas, with holiness. Greet each other, as family, and without sin.”

5 Resolutions for the Weary and Worn Out

5 Resolutions for the Weary and Worn Out – “There is a certain weariness that comes in the summer, when we suddenly realize half the year has flown by and things aren’t better than it was in January—or have gotten worse.”

Our Infertility and God’s Foreknowledge

Our Infertility and God’s Foreknowledge – “We will never know the future, but that does not mean the future is unknown. We might not have access to the answers, but the Bible confirms that God knows everything. He knows everything about the past; he knows everything in the present; he knows everything that will happen in the future. In other words, God has foreknowledge.”

 

Daniel’s 3 Tips for Surviving the University of Babylon

Daniel’s 3 Tips for Surviving the University of Babylon – “As young men, Daniel and his friends in Babylon studied alongside unbelieving peers to receive a rigorous secular education under a regime that demanded obedience. Daniel’s story can help believing college students not only survive but thrive in their own. Let’s consider his advice.”

I Don’t Feel God’s Love — What Can I Do?

I Don’t Feel God’s Love — What Can I Do? – “Paul knew that the struggle to feel the love of Christ would be part of the Christian warfare, so he taught us how to pray about it.”

Jesus Said More about Hell Than Anyone in the Bible

Jesus Said More about Hell Than Anyone in the Bible – “Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone else in the Bible.”

What If I’m Not Working as Much as I Should Be?

What If I’m Not Working as Much as I Should Be? – “While there’s a lot of discussion about how to navigate being overworked, we don’t often consider what we should do when we may be underworked. Let’s explore how you can navigate the situation and honor a biblical view of work ethic.”

Making Margin for Marveling

Making Margin for Marveling – “Father, may we hear you speaking louder than ever to us, not only in the things you have made, but also in the One you have sent—Jesus.”

They Will Never Understand How Much I Love Them

They Will Never Understand How Much I Love Them – Seeing how little our own children understand about our love for them reveals much about our inability to grasp God’s great love for us.

A hand on my shoulder: meeting the man who led my Dad to Jesus

A hand on my shoulder: meeting the man who led my Dad to Jesus – This is a testimony worth reading all the way to the end.

The Wilderness of the Little Years: How Satan Tempts Tired Parents

The Wilderness of the Little Years: How Satan Tempts Tired Parents – “Get as close as you can to the Son who has gone before you, and prevailed for you, and now walks with you. And then trust him for what you and your kids need tomorrow.”

You Must Be Weak to be Sanctified

You Must Be Weak to be Sanctified – “Our weaknesses and failures are invitations to trust God, and in so doing, to be formed by Him.”

The Most Important, Discouraging Doctrine

The Most Important, Discouraging Doctrine – “Which would you name if you had to determine the most essential Christian doctrine? I would propose that, apart from the existence of God, the doctrine of sin is perhaps one of the most consequential. For the Christian worldview, it is a significant watershed.”

Divine Aseity

Divine Aseity – “The glories of independence and self-sufficiency are reserved for only one Being – namely, God.”

Tempering our Tempers

Tempering our Tempers – “Here are some diagnostic questions to help us discern the true nature of our anger.”

Homesickness (and 2 Other Things) to the Glory of God

Homesickness (and 2 Other Things) to the Glory of God – Are homesickness, hunger, or fatigue weighing on you? Here are some spiritual applications.

 

It’s Never too Early for Kids to Start Thinking About God

It’s Never too Early for Kids to Start Thinking About God – “The church is instrumental in coming alongside kids and families to help them begin rightly thinking about God early in their lives.”

Good Works According to Titus 3

Good Works According to Titus 3 – “If someone tells you Paul and James disagree about the need for good works, point him to this chapter.”

 

Prosperity Gospel Beliefs on the Rise Among Churchgoers

Prosperity Gospel Beliefs on the Rise Among Churchgoers – “In the last five years, far more churchgoers are reflecting prosperity gospel teachings, including the heretical belief that material blessings are earned from God.”

River of Return: The New-Covenant Theology of John’s Baptism

River of Return: The New-Covenant Theology of John’s Baptism – “John’s baptism prepares a new-covenant people of God for a new exodus and conquest — albeit with escalated and spiritualized aims.”

How To Pray For Someone Who Is Dying

How To Pray For Someone Who Is Dying – At some point, you may be called on for such.

For the Mom Dropping Her Student Off at College

For the Mom Dropping Her Student Off at College – “So, when you feel the temptation to hold on tighter, to micromanage, to over-protect, or to succumb to despair as your student moves into the dorm, remember Whose they are.  They belong to the Lord. This is a new opportunity to practice trusting the One who loves both you and your son or daughter.”

Every Nightmare Starts As A Dream

Every Nightmare Starts As A Dream – “Over the last couple of decades of ministry, I’ve listened to people utter words like these as they suffer from the fresh and painful wounds of self-inflicted sin. Building a fulfilling life takes a million tiny decisions, but only one bad choice can wreck it.”

Don’t Shrink Back from Discipling Adult Converts

Don’t Shrink Back from Discipling Adult Converts – Be intentional and start as soon as possible. It will also be a source of rich blessing for you.

Overcoming Disagreement For God’s Glory

Overcoming Disagreement For God’s Glory – “Even our very best plans often meet with significant snags. Many variables can conspire to derail our plans, but one in particular often proves a great help or hindrance in our efforts: people. Planning would be so easy if it weren’t for other people with other opinions!”

Putting Down Roots: a Call to Young People

Putting Down Roots: a Call to Young People – “This is a time for young people to get off the conveyor belt, and sink down roots for the long-haul, not to a local church somewhere over the horizon, where everything is more convenient, but to the flesh and blood people you already know in your local church.”

The Backstory to Spurgeon’s “If Sinners Be Damned…”

The Backstory to Spurgeon’s “If Sinners Be Damned…” – “You’ve likely heard this popular quote from Spurgeon: ‘Oh, my brothers and sisters in Christ, if sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies; and if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay, and not madly to destroy themselves.'”

Mothers of the Soul: Puritan Lessons in Encouraging Faith

Mothers of the Soul: Puritan Lessons in Encouraging Faith – Here’s a story of godly example to inspire godly parents.

Facing the Last Enemy

Facing the Last Enemy – “Though we fear it, we must all face it. Though we hate it, we must all meet it. Though we dread it, we cannot avoid it. It is, of course, death.” 

On the Crushing Guilt of Failing at Quiet Time

On the Crushing Guilt of Failing at Quiet Time – “What does not serve God’s people well is the unstated (and sometimes stated) assumption—put upon us by others or by ourselves—that Christianity is only for super-disciplined neatniks who get up before dawn, redeem every minute of the day, and have very organized sock drawers.”

We Are Not Dying Out; We Are Hastening on to a More Glorious Life

We Are Not Dying Out; We Are Hastening on to a More Glorious Life – Here is a reflection on Spurgeon’s writing from a fellow sufferer.

The FAQs: What You Should Know About Suicide in America

The FAQs: What You Should Know About Suicide in America – “Suicides in the U.S. reached their highest number ever in 2022, according to new government data. Suicides are more common now than at any time since data began to be collected at the dawn of World War II.”

When to Seek Justice or Bear Injustice

When to Seek Justice or Bear Injustice – “I think there is a time to push back against injustice and there is a time to wear it. The big question is, how do we know when to do either?”

Do Not Hinder Them: Why We Baptize Believing Children

Do Not Hinder Them: Why We Baptize Believing Children – “What is the appropriate age to baptize believing children?”

Give Humble Counsel

Give Humble Counsel – “Isn’t it interesting that the less you know, the more willing you are to give counsel?” 

Eternally Blessed for a Billion Years

Eternally Blessed for a Billion Years – This is a good word from Paul David Tripp.

My Heavenly Father Taught Me Not to Hate My Earthly One

My Heavenly Father Taught Me Not to Hate My Earthly One – “The Lord started a transformative work, which unknowingly he would use to restore the ruined relationship I had with my father.”

How to Get Up When You’d Rather Not

How to Get Up When You’d Rather Not – Here are some helpful truths for those suffering under despondency and depression.

Intergenerational Friendships in Church

Intergenerational Friendships in Church – These kinds of relationships are not only good, but are incredibly helpful. This article talks about why, and offers some suggestions as to how to facilitate them.

How to Build (or Break) a Habit

How to Build (or Break) a Habit – “So, how do we build the habits required to achieve the prize we desire? And how do we break habits that are impeding our pursuit?”

Uninvited Fears

Uninvited Fears – “Uninvited fears press against the window. And slip in through the cracks. Seeping into the throng of thoughts populating our minds. Hitching themselves to ‘what if’s’ and ‘why’s’ and ‘how’s.’”

6 Avenues for the Church To Be Salt and Light

6 Avenues for the Church To Be Salt and Light – “To be salt and light to the world is a simple concept, yet it can’t happen on Sunday mornings alone. The embodiment of salt and light must be carried into the community that our churches serve.”

Saving the Best for Last — John 2:1-11

 

Saving the Best for Last — John 2:1-11 – “You may have seen Moses, but you haven’t seen anything yet if you haven’t seen Jesus. Jesus alone is the only-begotten God in the bosom of the Father who explains the Father.”

Back To School Prayer Guide – 2023 Edition

Back To School Prayer Guide – 2023 Edition – “Here is a Back to School Prayer Guide to help you both now and throughout the school year. This prayer guide is general enough to fit all types of education (public, private, co-ops, college, homeschool).”

 

Reading about the New Earth Changed Her View of All Creation and Gave Her Hope

Reading about the New Earth Changed Her View of All Creation and Gave Her Hope – God is going to make all things new.

 

Love Is the Greatest Apologetic

Love Is the Greatest Apologetic – “It’s absolutely vital for the church to practice demonstrable love, particularly between its members. This may be the most powerful motive for our neighbors to trust Jesus.”

Are You Ever Quiet? Relearning a Lost and Holy Habit

Are You Ever Quiet? Relearning a Lost and Holy Habit – “How will we hear birdsong, that symphony of the Father’s care for creation, if we are never quiet? How can we attend to God’s still, small voice whispering wisdom in his word if our hearts never stop murmuring? We have a great need for silence.”

Patience is Grown Fruit

Patience is Grown Fruit – “So, Christian, if you find yourself in such a season of waiting, embrace what is being grown in and through you. Remind yourself that with God, no time is wasted time. He is always working.”

Do Christians Really Suffer in America?

Do Christians Really Suffer in America? – “Here are five things that I see in the Bible to give guidance to those of us who live in relative comfort and security and wealth.”

 

Keep Your Cool While Cheering For Your Kid

Keep Your Cool While Cheering For Your Kid – “Nearly 7 out of 10 children drop out of organized sports by the age of 13, and negative parental behavior is a major factor.”

What Is Wisdom?

What Is Wisdom? – “Wisdom is truth applied in specific situations for godly ends.”

Parents, Your Words Have Power (So Say These Two to Your Kids!)

Parents, Your Words Have Power (So Say These Two to Your Kids!) – “The truth is, parents who are willing to say ‘I’m sorry’ actually rise in their child’s esteem.” 

Where does sin come from?

Where does sin come from? – “Sin is not a substance that needs to be created in order for it to exist. It is an attitude or a posture—an anti-God attitude or posture—that leads in turn to anti-God thoughts, words, and deeds.” 

Try This Devotional Practice for Bible Reading

Try This Devotional Practice for Bible Reading – “RIPE stands for Read, Immerse, Pray, and Execute. Try reading your Bible in this way and see how it can freshen your experience. It’s also helpful to record insights you learn in a journal.”

Believers in an Unbelieving World: How the Early Church Engaged Society

Believers in an Unbelieving World: How the Early Church Engaged Society – “In four short phrases, Peter compresses a vision for engaging society that reverberates through the writings of the early church as they navigated a pagan world.”

Blessed Are the Meek

Blessed Are the Meek – “The character traits set forth in the Beatitudes are not what we in our fallen state aspire to.”

The Basics -- The Cross of Jesus Christ

The Basics -- The Cross of Jesus Christ – “Why did the story of our redemption take such a dark and foreboding turn? Why did Jesus need to die? Thankfully, throughout the New Testament, the biblical writers tell us why Jesus died and what his death means for us.”

How to Build Hope

How to Build Hope – “To build hope doesn’t happen by turning on a switch. A totally rebuilt life doesn’t just drop out of the sky.”

Social Media Is Hurting Our Children: What Can Concerned Parents and Grandparents Do?

Social Media Is Hurting Our Children: What Can Concerned Parents and Grandparents Do? – “This is a battle for our children, with their lives and futures at stake. May Christian parents answer the Lord’s call to protect their children.”

Politics, the Church, and Getting Our Story Straight

Politics, the Church, and Getting Our Story Straight – “In the last several years, we have seen a resurgence of interest among Christians in political theology. On the whole, I believe this has been a good thing intellectually. I’m less certain this has been a good thing ecclesiastically.”

 

Social Media Is a Spiritual Distortion Zone

Social Media Is a Spiritual Distortion Zone – “Social media isn’t a neutral player in our sanctification. It’s an active agent working against our becoming more like Christ.”

What Did Jesus Teach about Giving Generously?

What Did Jesus Teach about Giving Generously? – “The more sacrificially generous you are on earth, the greater will be your enjoyment of heaven. Since Jesus loves us and summons us to maximize our eternal joy in heaven, he demands radical freedom from the love of money and radical generosity, especially toward the poor.”

4 Ways to Move Introverts From Fear to Friendship

4 Ways to Move Introverts From Fear to Friendship – “When it comes to building small groups, don’t forget about introverts! Fear can often be a barrier to friendship.”

Be Still, My Soul: Old Lyrics with Timeless Truths

Be Still, My Soul: Old Lyrics with Timeless Truths – “As this hymn has reminded believers for generations, we can have peace through every change and difficulty. God’s character remains constant. His presence will not leave us. His power cannot wane. His will shall be done. Whatever uncertainty lies before us today, the end is guaranteed. And so, be still my soul.”

9 Things You Should Know About Falun Gong and ‘The Epoch Times’

9 Things You Should Know About Falun Gong and ‘The Epoch Times’ – “Here’s what you should know about the Falun Gong spiritual movement, its oppression by the Chinese government, and how the group spreads its message in the United States.”

Pray the Directory

Pray the Directory – “One of the practical things you can do to ensure that you pray for all of the people in your church is to pray through your church directory.”

6 Ways Digital Technology Deforms Us

6 Ways Digital Technology Deforms Us – “The information age’s digital revolution parallels the Serpent’s deceptive promises in the garden.” 

The Almost Christian

The Almost Christian – “He was almost saved. He almost escaped the wrath of God. He almost found joy forevermore in the God who was almost his God. Almost.”

The Lost Art of Independent Thinking

The Lost Art of Independent Thinking – “Never before have we had so much access to information and so little wisdom.”

Fear Prevalent in Pews, According to Protestant Pastors

Fear Prevalent in Pews, According to Protestant Pastors – “7 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors (69%) believe there is a growing sense of fear within their congregations about the future of the nation and world.”

6 Ways to Pray for Global Hunger

6 Ways to Pray for Global Hunger – “An estimated 783 million people will go to sleep hungry tonight. From war and global pandemics to natural disasters and overall economic downturn, a number of factors have caused this number to double since 2020.”

Can You Still Be Persuaded?

Can You Still Be Persuaded? – “Why Wisdom Remains Open to Reason.”

Songs Are Discipleship

Songs Are Discipleship – It’s important that we examine the songs we sing in worship.

The Godliness of a Good Night’s Sleep

The Godliness of a Good Night’s Sleep – “Sleep as healer, sleep as teacher, sleep as giver — these three give us abundant reason to actively seek a good night’s rest.”

We Had a Baptism: Here’s What We Were Actually Doing

We Had a Baptism: Here’s What We Were Actually Doing – What is baptism all about?

2 Implications of Being an Ambassador of Christ

2 Implications of Being an Ambassador of Christ – “No matter how else you regard yourself – as a lawyer or teacher or dad or grandmother, you must regard yourself as an ambassador. Though there are many implications of that, let me highlight two of them.”

 

Oneness Not Just Faithfulness

Oneness Not Just Faithfulness – “Marriage is about oneness.  And that matters because marriage points of the mystery of the gospel, that in Christ we are united to him, made one with him, and that everything that happens to him happens to us.”

The Audacity of Disability

The Audacity of Disability – “You might have gotten the diagnosis beforehand, when the beautiful process of growth in the womb turned fearful.”

I Learned to Accept God’s Plan for My Life

I Learned to Accept God’s Plan for My Life  – This short article is filled with deep truth.

What Does James 1:2 Mean?

What Does James 1:2 Mean? – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” 

The Wisdom of Work

The Wisdom of Work – “Time is short. We only have so many years, months, days, and hours in which to be productive. This is reason enough for us to work as unto the Lord during the short time God has given us in this life.”

Every Mom Teaches Theology: Practical Ways to Go Deeper with God

Every Mom Teaches Theology: Practical Ways to Go Deeper with God – “When the laundry pile is high, the refrigerator stock low, the beds unmade, and a Bible nowhere to be found, mothers may feel like the least likely candidates for the post of theological student, let alone teacher. But the truth is, Christian moms are both.”

Defeating the Demons of Discouragement

Defeating the Demons of Discouragement – “Small choices that may not seem overtly spiritual can become ways we can encourage ourselves in the Lord.”

 

5 Ways the Enemy Seeks To Attack Us Before Worship Happens This Weekend

5 Ways the Enemy Seeks To Attack Us Before Worship Happens This Weekend – “the enemy wants to hinder your worship of God this weekend, so he will work to distract and deceive you. Even before we get to worship this weekend, he wants us to…”

Your Rights as a Christian in a Public School in 2023

Your Rights as a Christian in a Public School in 2023 – “As the school year begins, many parents, students, teachers, and coaches have questions about what they’re legally allowed to do in relation to their Christian faith.”

J.D. Greear Rebukes His Congregation for Arriving at Church Late and Leaving Early

J.D. Greear Rebukes His Congregation for Arriving at Church Late and Leaving Early – “It’s not that I’m mad that you’re missing part of the service. It’s that you treat church like it’s a religious show instead of a welcoming family that you’re a part of.”

Where Did Baptism Come From?

Where Did Baptism Come From? – “After overviewing the meaning of Christian baptism, this article seeks to briefly explore the connections between baptism and Old Testament ritual washings.”

Five Ways to Get God Wrong

Five Ways to Get God Wrong – “There are about a million ways to get God wrong, and the path to getting him right is extremely narrow. That makes theology—the way we organize our thoughts about God—important, urgent, and even dangerous.”

But if Not, How to Face Our Fiery Trials with Faith

But if Not, How to Face Our Fiery Trials with Faith – “If you’re not facing a furnace of affliction now, chances are, you will again soon.”

Shepherding Children through Exposure to Pornography

Shepherding Children through Exposure to Pornography – “While you should take steps to limit your children’s exposure to pornography, you also need to prepare them for it. Sadly, their exposure is inevitable.”

Resisting the Inner Skeptic in Our Bible Reading

Resisting the Inner Skeptic in Our Bible Reading – “Seek in all your reading and praying in the Bible not just to know truth, but to see the glory of Christ.”

Going to Church is Hard, but Worth It

Going to Church is Hard, but Worth It – We should not expect it to be easy. Physically making it to church is hard… and it’s supposed to be. But the blessings always outweigh the cost.

How Jesus Shepherded His Sheep

How Jesus Shepherded His Sheep – “We know Jesus is a shepherd because he calls himself one. But even if he’d never used the title, we would still see his shepherd’s heart by observing his ministry—how he prayed, how he loved and taught, how he shared authority, and ultimately how he sacrificed himself.”

You Don’t Have to Choose between the Head and the Heart

You Don’t Have to Choose between the Head and the Heart – “The head or the heart? The mind or the emotions? The will or the affections? Often, we’re tempted to think of these as opposite ends of the spectrum—we can either be filled with information or be ‘filled with the Spirit’.”

The Hidden Glory of the Unengaged

The Hidden Glory of the Unengaged – “Undoubtedly there is a special kind of joy in heaven when a given language and culture becomes a vehicle for the praise of God for the very first time.”

Fasting, Feasting, and Our Daily Bread: Following the Diet of Jesus

Fasting, Feasting, and Our Daily Bread: Following the Diet of Jesus – “We pray, with Jesus, for the daily bread of moderation. We hear his commendation, and see his example, of occasional feasting and fasting, and consider their God-glorifying potential.”

In Your Race of Faith, Run Together

In Your Race of Faith, Run Together – “Because God favored you as his child, answered you, and helped you in your race of faith, he invites you to extend his favor to other fallen or discouraged runners along the way. Are you prepared to pause in order to extend the Lord’s compassionate hand of mercy to another runner?”

12 Questions for Those Considering Universalism

12 Questions for Those Considering Universalism – “Friend, don’t be fooled by universalism’s “curb appeal.” Step out of the car and examine the integrity of the house. Just be careful—it’s fragile within.”

When the Darkness of Suffering Seems too Thick to Cross

When the Darkness of Suffering Seems too Thick to Cross – “We want the light, we want to trust that the light will return, but it feels as if it will never brighten our faces again. Our hearts feel heavy, our head is muddled, and aches and pain we can’t explain keep pestering us. This is suffering.”

Getting to a Place of Marital Unity

Getting to a Place of Marital Unity – “The bottom line is that you have a lot that works against your marital unity—personality and background differences, but especially spiritual attacks. But don’t let that defeat you! Marital unity IS possible!”

Your Husband Will Be Perfect: How to Love a Flawed Man

Your Husband Will Be Perfect: How to Love a Flawed Man – “Wives who want to see their marriages transformed must stay in the light, where Christ himself shines on them, revealing truths and exposing lies that shape their expectations for marriage.”

Ambassadors for Marriage

Ambassadors for Marriage – “Rebekah explains why Christians ought to be the foremost ambassadors for marriage. And it often comes down to the way we speak about our own marriages.”

The Gravity of That Day is Measured in the Behavior of This Day

The Gravity of That Day is Measured in the Behavior of This Day – “This day, and that day, are constant themes throughout the letters written by Peter. He writes about that day, over and over again, and he writes about the way we ought to live in this day in light of that coming day an equal number of times.”

Talkin’ ’Bout My Generation

Talkin’ ’Bout My Generation – “The American story of the last century is a paradox: Our liberty has increased along with our misery. Our lives have gotten longer but much of the meaning has been stripped away.”