2 Surefire Ways to Avoid Persecution

2 Surefire Ways to Avoid Persecution – It may sound attractive but I don’t recommend either for a true believer.

10 Stats That Show the Dire State of Christian Persecution

10 Stats That Show the Dire State of Christian Persecution - Our brothers and sisters around the world are suffering. Remember and pray.

The Difficulty of Prayer (and a Solution)

The Difficulty of Prayer (and a Solution) – A consistent prayer life is challenging. Here is a suggestion and encouragement.

Popular Popes and Priestly Pretenders

Popular Popes and Priestly Pretenders – Nate Busenitz’s article “addresses one of the many reasons why evangelicals should neither endorse nor applaud the office of the papacy.”

Jesus Never Promised Us Pain-Free Lives

Jesus Never Promised Us Pain-Free Lives - Going through pain is the only way to heal.

9 Things You Should Know About Pope Francis

9 Things You Should Know About Pope Francis – Understanding more about Pope Francis can help us to better understand his positions and public statements.

9 Marks of a Generous Giver

9 Marks of a Generous Giver – Here are some simple, solid stewardship lessons.

Five Ways to Go from Head Knowledge to Heart Application

Five Ways to Go from Head Knowledge to Heart Application – “While these five suggestions may not change you overnight from grieving to giddy, they might help you to more acutely feel the safety of God’s promises and the tenderness of his care.”

Four Prayers for Bible Reading

Four Prayers for Bible Reading – Here are four verses you might pray as you open God’s word.

Re-ignite Bible Reading That’s Become Boring

Re-ignite Bible Reading That’s Become Boring – David Murray offers some helpful ideas for when you find your Bible reading boring.

Your Rights as a Christian in a Public School

Your Rights as a Christian in a Public School – If your children attend a public school, it may be helpful to review their rights.

Nothing Explicitly Christian

Nothing Explicitly Christian – Denny Burk provides a few reflections on the pope’s speech to Congress last week. He makes some important points.

Being Offended and Being Persecuted

Being Offended and Being Persecuted – Russell Moore distinguishes between offence and persecution.

A Prayer for Parenting (and Grand-parenting) by Grace, Faith, and Love

A Prayer for Parenting (and Grand-parenting) by Grace, Faith, and Love – “Since our kids are your inheritance, Father, teach us how to care for them as humble stewards, not as anxious owners.”

A Picture of Prevailing Prayer

A Picture of Prevailing Prayer – Real prayer begins with real desire, often with real desperation. 

17 Quotes on Worship

17 Quotes on Worship – Here are good reminders on the true nature of worship.

What Christmas Carols Get Right (and Wrong)

What Christmas Carols Get Right (and Wrong) – “Most of us love our Christmas traditions, especially singing the old, familiar carols. From time to time, however, we might well wonder about the correctness of some of the things we’re singing so gustily.”

Blood Moons and Biblical Discernment

Blood Moons and Biblical Discernment – Should we be concerned about the pattern of blood moons that so many people are all worked up about? No. This article tells why.

I Am An Old-Fashioned Christian

I Am An Old-Fashioned Christian – “I get the books. I read the articles. I see the news. Christianity seems ready to move on. And I realize anew: I am an old-fashioned kind of Christian.”

9 Reasons Christians Should Welcome Muslim Refugees

9 Reasons Christians Should Welcome Muslim Refugees - Now is a true test of our faith.

Where Pope Francis Is Right–and Wrong–On Abortion and Mercy

Where Pope Francis Is Right–and Wrong–On Abortion and Mercy – Russell Moore provides a good overview.

Your Neighbor Knows About the Wrath of God

Your Neighbor Knows About the Wrath of God  - “All unbelievers that you know, or ever will meet, know already about the coming wrath of God and that they deserve it (Romans 1).”

9 Things You Should Know About Refugees in America

9 Things You Should Know About Refugees in America – Stories about refugees are in the news every day just now. Here are some things you need to know.

Don’t Lose Spiritual Disciplines for Fear of Legalism

Don’t Lose Spiritual Disciplines for Fear of Legalism – “There are some good challenges in this article. “For fear of being legalistic, we can rob ourselves of the benefits of a regular pattern (or ‘spiritual disciplines’) of walking with God. Is this biblical or beneficial? Not at all!”

Satan’s Strategy to Hinder Prayer

Satan’s Strategy to Hinder Prayer – The article has a different title but this is the heart of the content: “Since Satan so hates prayer, we can expect him to do all he can to keep us from continued intimacy with our Father.”

5 Ways to Talk to Your Children About Death

5 Ways to Talk to Your Children About Death – It’s a basic biblical doctrine of death for adults to understand as well.

A Prayer for Reaffirming God Is in Control of All Things All the Time

A Prayer for Reaffirming God Is in Control of All Things All the Time – “I am so thankful that you are God, and I am not.”

How Great Is Our God

How Great Is Our God – “If we use the word great for the normal and everyday, what language will we have when we need to describe the day or the meal or the game that really is a cut above the typical — or most importantly, the God who really is infinite above all else?”

At What Point Does the Homosexual Agenda Become a National Religion?

At What Point Does the Homosexual Agenda Become a National Religion? – “At what point is this not a government-sponsored religion infringing upon the most unalienable rights of religious liberty and property rights, in violation of the Establishment Clause?”

How Heaven Became a Secular Word

How Heaven Became a Secular Word – The Atlantic has quite an interesting article on heaven tourism and 90 Minutes in Heaven. “The movie spends a good number of minutes imagining scenes from the beyond, filled with trippy pastels and all the smiling white people you’ll supposedly see in heaven. According to Polish, these images are at least somewhat based on those described in the Christian scriptures, but they’re light on concrete details—Jesus, for example, is nowhere to be found.”

The Best Day of the Week

The Best Day of the Week - What makes Sunday so special? I would pray that we would.

Why Does God Allow Evil?

Why Does God Allow Evil? – “The following article by Pastor Rick Warren originally ran just after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on American soil.” 

Do You Know How We Got the Bible?

Do You Know How We Got the Bible? – “Whether it’s answering the questions of young inquisitive minds, skeptical classmates, or hostile strangers, sooner or later we’re all forced to reckon with how we got the Bible, how its books were chosen, and whether we can trust it today.”

How Marginalization Can Empower Christians on Mission

How Marginalization Can Empower Christians on Mission – “If marginalization is a danger to a Christian organization’s mission, the numbers sure don’t show it. In fact, we might say the opposite is true.” 

How Long, O Lord?

How Long, O Lord? – “We prefer to measure time in minutes, rather than months. But the Ancient of Days measures time by millennia” (2 Peter 3:8).

Dependence

Dependence – “Lord, help us to humbly remember our dependence on You and Your grace. Thank you for the privilege of being Your instruments.”

Planting Seeds of Truth in Your Public School

Planting Seeds of Truth in Your Public School – “For many years, our public schools have been seen as battlefields. Nothing much grows on a battlefield, though. Instead, our schools should be viewed as gardens to cultivate. Tending your garden involves nurturing relationships with a small number of people within your immediate sphere of responsibility.”

Greetings From Heaven: A Modern History of Heaven Tourism

Greetings From Heaven: A Modern History of Heaven Tourism – You may not like it but it’s worth reading.

14 Years After 9/11: Four Lessons

14 Years After 9/11: Four Lessons - What do we know and what have we learned?

Explore God Begins Sunday

The Spiritual Consequences of Tech Addiction

The Spiritual Consequences of Tech Addiction - How constant connection is interrupting our communion.

Learning to Linger in a Spotify Age

Learning to Linger in a Spotify Age – “The best things in life don’t come in an instant but over time, which means we must cultivate the ability to wait, listen, and linger.”

How Christians Can Evaluate Religious Liberty Objections

How Christians Can Evaluate Religious Liberty Objections - How do we find the proper balance? A necessary first step is to adopt a standard by which we can fairly consider the claims of religious objectors. Russell Moore suggests three steps for evaluation.

Get a Basic Overview of the Bible

Get a Basic Overview of the Bible – “Once you understand the basic framework, you are much better equipped to read the Bible. Here is a pattern I recommend for people who have never read the Bible.”

The Unbearable Burden of Uniqueness

The Unbearable Burden of Uniqueness – “The Son of God knows what it’s like. He understands. You’re not alone.”

Why Politics Can’t Drive the Gospel

Why Politics Can’t Drive the Gospel – “Forgetting who we are and forgetting our mission can leave us particularly vulnerable to false teaching that doesn’t sound false because it comes from ‘our side.’”

The First Cut Is The Deepest

The First Cut Is The Deepest – Sharon Dickens shares about issues and answers related to self-harm and some steps to help them.  

Why Kim Davis Was Right Not to Resign

Why Kim Davis Was Right Not to Resign – “We have a rich history of accommodating conscientious objectors in a variety of settings, including government employees.”

This Is the Best of Times, And the Worst of Times

This Is the Best of Times, And the Worst of Times – “Perhaps this is true at every point in the history of a God-ruled, sin-pervaded world. It was true in 1859, and it is true today.”

The Myth of Quality Time

The Myth of Quality Time - There’s simply no real substitute for physical presence.

Why is God Ignoring My Prayer?

Why is God Ignoring My Prayer? – Are you wondering why God isn't answering a particular prayer of yours?

5 Civil War Lessons for the Church

5 Civil War Lessons for the Church – Here are some strong applications for believers today as we face “wars” within our culture.

A Prayer on Labor Day

A Prayer on Labor Day – “It is finished.”

It Is Well

It Is Well – Following our Sunday of hymn stories, here are further details on one of my favorites. 

When Religion Excuses You From Your Job

When Religion Excuses You From Your Job – The Washington Post: “Can your religion legally excuse you from doing part of your job? This is one of the questions in the Kentucky County Clerk marriage certificate case. But it also arises in lots of other cases…”

The Incomparable Christ

The Incomparable Christ – Here’s a quote worth saving.

15 Prayers for God’s Power

15 Prayers for God’s Power – Here’s another prayer prompt that has meant a lot to me in the last year.

How to Daily Pray the Fruit of The Spirit

How to Daily Pray the Fruit of The Spirit – I’ve been utilizing this prayer prompt from Gregory Frizzell. I wanted to pass it along.

Ashley Madison and a Taste of the Future

Ashley Madison and a Taste of the Future – A day is coming when all our secret sins will be exposed. 

Do You Pray For The President?

Do You Pray For The President? – Do you pray for our President and our leaders as much as you complain about them?

Two Bedtime Prayers for Weary Parents

Two Bedtime Prayers for Weary Parents – Sometimes parents need an encouraging word (well…often).

What You Should Know About the Kentucky Clerk Marriage License Controversy

What You Should Know About the Kentucky Clerk Marriage License Controversy – It complicated and it’s relevant to us all.

How God Gives Assurance

How God Gives Assurance – “Am I truly a Christian?”

Why Do So Many Walk Away From The Christian Faith?

Why Do So Many Walk Away From The Christian Faith? – “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1 ESV)

“In this World You Will Have Trouble” — Welcome to Rowan County

“In this World You Will Have Trouble” — Welcome to Rowan County – “A County Clerk is headed for jail. A legion of Christians struggles to be faithful in their own situations, responsibilities, and callings.”

Yes, God Is Calling You to Be a Missionary

Yes, God Is Calling You to Be a Missionary - Sometimes, the most overlooked mission field is right where you are.

God’s Big Work and Your Little Mission

God’s Big Work and Your Little Mission – “We easily buy into worldly thinking that claims our identity comes from what we do instead of what God has done.”

3 Reasons We Get Scared of the Holy Spirit

3 Reasons We Get Scared of the Holy Spirit – “We’re scared to go too deep in our experience of the Spirit’s presence and power because we’ve seen other people go to extremes.”

When I Don’t Feel Forgiven

When I Don’t Feel Forgiven – Whether suddenly or slowly, this is an agonizing experience for any Christian to go through. What are believers to do when they do not feel forgiven?

The Heart of the Unbeliever's Unbelief

The Heart of the Unbeliever's Unbelief – “Here, then, is our first challenge: Not to convince people of the miracle of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but first the miracles of his incarnation.”

Why a Teen Burned His Own Ferrari

Why a Teen Burned His Own Ferrari – This is a lesson focuses on younger generations but our growing cultural sense of entitlement that is true for any generation.

6 Costs of Real Friendships

6 Costs of Real Friendships – “Perhaps true friends are in such low supply these days because of how much it costs to be one.”

A Prayer for Seeing All Things from God’s Perspective

A Prayer for Seeing All Things from God’s Perspective – We won’t ever see it unless we ask Him for it.

What God Has Joined Together: Religion and the Risk of Divorce

What God Has Joined Together: Religion and the Risk of Divorce – Here's a helpful look at divorce and faith.

My Goal in Every Conversation with Mormons

My Goal in Every Conversation with Mormons - One conversation will not likely lead to conversion but don't underestimate a conversation.

Next-Door Strangers

Next-Door Strangers – If we are going to share our faith with our neighbors, we need to know them.

Christ Is Lord of Creation

Christ Is Lord of Creation – What does the Bible mean in Colossians 1:15? Paul refers to Christ as “the firstborn of all creation.” 

Protect Your Children, Protect Mine

Protect Your Children, Protect Mine – This is a good reminder for parents, “When you protect your child from the porn industry, you also protect mine.”

The Weakness of Ruth Is Greater than the Strength of Samson

The Weakness of Ruth Is Greater than the Strength of Samson – “Jesus, like Ruth, was poor, wandering as an outcast without a home. Like Ruth, he wasn’t the deliverer Israel expected. But because of his weakness, he was the Savior they needed.”

Do You Only Praise God When He Answers Prayer?

Do You Only Praise God When He Answers Prayer? – We often hear “praise the Lord” when our prayers work out just the way we ask God. What if they don’t?