Tuesday, June 30, 2020

The Peculiar Idol of Personal Opinion


The Peculiar Idol of Personal Opinion – “It’s possible that never in the history of the world have human beings felt more entitled to their own feelings and opinions.”

Strong Promises for Failed Promise-Keepers


Strong Promises for Failed Promise-Keepers – “It’s not enough to have God’s promises, we need to believe them as well.”

Distracted


Distracted – Be aware and beware of those things that constantly draw your attention.

Is God Judging the World? How the Book of Revelation Explains Our Crisis


Is God Judging the World? How the Book of Revelation Explains Our Crisis – “Rather than thinking of Revelation as a single unfolding narrative (like a movie or novel), we would be much better off thinking of it like a series of paintings in an art gallery. You take one painting in, and then you move on to the next until you have had a look at every painting in the whole gallery.”

Memory, Monuments, Morality, and Mayhem


Memory, Monuments, Morality, and Mayhem – The Burden of Reckoning with Historical Symbols

Monday, June 29, 2020

The Prayers of the Saints


The Prayers of the Saints – “When we look at the chaos and division in our world today, it is easy to become overwhelmed. .. In Christ, the church as it exists in the world today has a power at its disposal that is greater than any force at work in the world.  We need to be reminded of what God does through the prayers of His people.”

Your Inner War Will End: How Heaven Frees Us from Sin


Your Inner War Will End: How Heaven Frees Us from Sin – “Imagine a life without your sin. If you hope in Christ, one day you will walk out into a world in which it will not be possible for you to sin anymore.”

Americans Don’t See Human Life as ‘Sacred’—But See Humanity as ‘Basically Good’


Americans Don’t See Human Life as ‘Sacred’—But See Humanity as ‘Basically Good’ – “While these findings are lamentable, they are not altogether surprising. We should expect that Americans will adopt a paganized view of humanity as they move further away from a biblical worldview. But what is unexpected is that so many self-professed evangelicals are unable to answer these questions from the Bible.”

The Power of Double Listening


The Power of Double Listening – “Double listening . . . is the faculty of listening to two voices at the same time, the voice of God through Scripture and the voices of men and women around us. These voices will often contradict one another, but our purpose in listening to them both is to discover how they relate to each other.” 

The United Nations


The United Nations – “If patriotism wants to see our own nation do well, nationalism wants our nation to do well and all other nations to do badly in comparison. While patriotism has many happy and unifying fruits, nationalism has many divisive and rotten fruits.”

Did Moses Write all of the Pentateuch? (Even his own obituary?)


Did Moses Write all of the Pentateuch? (Even his own obituary?) – Here’s a good answer to this question and others like it.

Changing the state flag is not about forgetting Mississippi’s past. It’s about acknowledging it.



Saturday, June 27, 2020

Christians Behaving Badly


Christians Behaving Badly – “Most of us – at least here in the US – have been locked away for three months. The use of social media has been one of the ways people have been able to ‘get out of the house.’ But as we start to regather into our congregations I wonder if turmoil that began on social media will carry over into regular church life.”

Systemic Racism, God’s Grace, and the Human Heart: What the Bible Teaches About Structural Sin


Systemic Racism, God’s Grace, and the Human Heart: What the Bible Teaches About Structural Sin – “Sin corrupts every institution and every system because, one way or another, sinful human beings are involved. This means that laws, policies, habits, and customs are also corrupted by sin.”

What Sin Will Never Quench: Why We Trust in Broken Cisterns


What Sin Will Never Quench: Why We Trust in Broken Cisterns – “God is inviting us to abandon what will ultimately impoverish us and increase our misery, and to choose instead what will ultimately enrich us and increase our joy.”

Small Decisions Matter: Discernment for Everyday Life


Small Decisions Matter: Discernment for Everyday Life “Right in God’s eyes or right in our own eyes? Two paths. One is self-destructive; one is filled with life.”

What the Tentmaking Business Was Really Like for the Apostle Paul


What the Tentmaking Business Was Really Like for the Apostle Paul – “While he and his team may have done some minor contract work (repairing tents perhaps) in order to gain food and lodging, Paul was primarily dependent, as were all travelers, upon hospitality and patrons.”

Friday, June 26, 2020

Has God Forgotten Me?


Has God Forgotten Me? – “Has God forgotten me? Has God forgotten us? Has God forgotten his church? Who hasn’t asked these questions in recent months?”

The Truth About


The Truth About – “The algorithms that decide which videos to suggest have decided that conspiracy theories are what I need to see right now, and before long I’m learning ‘the truth’ about ANTIFA from a YouTube account with less than 1,000 subscribers.”

Common Pitfalls in Family Worship


Common Pitfalls in Family Worship – “Just because expectations aren’t always met doesn’t mean the practice should be abandoned. The key to family worship is to stick with it, to keep plodding. Don’t give up, brother and sisters.”

The Right-Now Blessings of the Kingdom of God


The Right-Now Blessings of the Kingdom of God – “Though most Christians don’t ask this question in polite company, many have wondered. Aren’t there some tangible, present-time benefits of being a Christian? Or must we wait entirely for heaven?”


Groaning, Waiting, Hoping


Groaning, Waiting, Hoping – “The world labors under a profound and horrible brokenness. I hear its groaning and groan with it to the One who created it. But there is hope in this groaning, for the world’s Creator is also its Redeemer, and he has promised that something greater than Eden is coming.”

Living Water that Satisfies Completely


Living Water that Satisfies Completely – “All of us are thirsty, longing for something that will satisfy us completely.”

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Those Little Things You Do When You Think No One Is Watching


Those Little Things You Do When You Think No One Is Watching – “The recipient of those small acts of kindness or malice is forever changed, however slight, for better or for ill.”

Against Every Accusation: What to Say When Satan Whispers


Against Every Accusation: What to Say When Satan Whispers – “The devil is not only a liar who seeks to deceive us, a tempter who seeks to ensnare us, and a murderer who seeks to kill us. He is an accuser who seeks to condemn us.”

2 Words for These Unprecedented Times


2 Words for These Unprecedented Times – “None of us has ever been here before. We’re all scrambling to find a way forward. We don’t need constant reminders that we’re in new waters; our bodies and souls daily affirm that we’re in over our heads.”

Be an Intentional Encourager


Be an Intentional Encourager – We know we need it and so does everyone around us.

Waiting on the Lord Is Not a Waste


Waiting on the Lord Is Not a Waste – “Why is waiting so difficult? Because it feels as if we’re not doing anything. And that’s the point. You’re not doing anything, but God is.”

Poll: Most Americans Are Still Uncomfortable With Going Back to Church


Poll: Most Americans Are Still Uncomfortable With Going Back to Church – “Although America is beginning to re-open its doors to local businesses, Americans themselves remain mostly uneasy with the idea of things going back to normal. That holds true for church as well.”

It’s the End of the World as We Know It


It’s the End of the World as We Know It – “Most of us don’t have a lot of control over the kind of things that are happening in the larger world around us, but what we have to remind ourselves as Christians is that God does have control, complete control. Not only is He in control, but all of what is happening is also part of His plan. God is sovereign.”

“I Struggle With Obeying God”


“I Struggle With Obeying God” – “Do you struggle to obey God? We know what we should do and shouldn’t do, and yet we still disobey God. Why is that? Why is obeying God such a struggle?”

Wait Well


Wait Well – “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord” (Psalm 130:5-6a).

The Believer’s Hope: Know Christ, Be Like Christ, Be With Christ


The Believer’s Hope: Know Christ, Be Like Christ, Be With Christ – “Hope is in short supply these days.” Jesus is the source of our hope.

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

A Call for Sympathy


A Call for Sympathy – “How we need to suffer with that we might better discuss with. How we need to suffer with that we might better counsel with. How we need to suffer with that we might better solve with.”

How Do I Find Freedom from Worry?


How Do I Find Freedom from Worry? – “How can I count on the promises of God being fulfilled in my life? One thing: Christ died for me.”

Walking with God in a Wicked World


Walking with God in a Wicked World – “If we’re not agreeing with God, we’re arguing with God. We cannot agree with God without disagreeing with the world.”

What If You Struggle to Forgive Yourself for a Past Sin?


What If You Struggle to Forgive Yourself for a Past Sin? “Jesus said Satan is a liar, and when he lies he speaks his native language. Lying is what he’s best at.”

Christian, You Are Able Not to Sin


Christian, You Are Able Not to Sin – “The Christian life has this baffling paradox at its heart: we are simultaneously sinners and saints. We are both able to sin and able not to sin.”

Is There a ‘Right Side’ of History?


Is There a ‘Right Side’ of History? – “History’s author and judge has written himself into the story midway through. We do not need to wait until the end to know where we stand; he has already given us his terms of peace.”

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Four Reasons to Preach the Psalms to Ourselves


Four Reasons to Preach the Psalms to Ourselves – “To shepherd my own heart as well as my family and our church during this turbulent season, I’ve turned to the psalms.”

11 Things You Think Are in the Bible That Really Aren’t


11 Things You Think Are in the Bible That Really Aren’t – “Sometimes these ideas are fairly innocuous, but others are absolutely contrary to the actual message of Scripture. See how many of these 11 things you thought were actually mentioned in the Bible.”

Never to Be Canceled


Never to Be Canceled – Plenty of things have been canceled or postponed but not this...ever.

4 Ways Not to Be a Jerk Online


4 Ways Not to Be a Jerk Online – “Scripture gives us guidance. Here are four ways to be a faithful Christian online.”

Weakness Is No Excuse for Sin


Weakness Is No Excuse for Sin – We all remember our failures and weaknesses but sin is something different.

The Only Topic More Controversial Than Religion or Politics


The Only Topic More Controversial Than Religion or Politics – “Not everything in The Coddling [of the American Mind] has aged equally well, but the idea that parenting is at the root of much of our political and cultural dysfunction is more convincing than ever.”

The Gathering Storm over Western Civilization


The Gathering Storm over Western Civilization – “The West's new cultural and moral environment did not emerge from a vacuum. Massive intellectual changes have shaped and reshaped Western culture since the dawn of the Enlightenment. At the heart of this great intellectual shift is a secular reframing of reality.”

Monday, June 22, 2020

How the Gospel Speaks Into Our Longing For Normal


How the Gospel Speaks Into Our Longing For Normal – “We need to take some time to reflect on why it’s so hard right now for us, to tally all the emotions swirling around inside of us, and discover what the angst inside us is really all about.”

Keep Witnessing. God’s Still Pursuing.


Keep Witnessing. God’s Still Pursuing. – “There’s no question that evangelism is a challenge in today’s climate. But people are looking for a solid reason for hope as never before.”

4 Theological Questions Your Church Has About Regathering


4 Theological Questions Your Church Has About Regathering – “A maturing relationship with Christ often leads to reflection about personal theology and how it applies to personal actions and attitudes.”

How to Root out Apathy with the Power of Habit


How to Root out Apathy with the Power of Habit – “For every article or book you read praising the practice of spiritual disciplines, you’ll find another decrying a regimented spiritual life for fear of legalism.” 

Sometimes It’s Best To Express Your Wisdom in Silence


Sometimes It’s Best To Express Your Wisdom in Silence – “We would all do well to remember that true wisdom is not only knowing your subject well, but also knowing the limitations of your knowledge. We aren’t wise until we know what we know and what we don’t know. Wisdom is often better expressed in silence than words.”

Groaning, Waiting, Hoping: How to Live in a Fallen, Fragile World


Groaning, Waiting, Hoping: How to Live in a Fallen, Fragile World – “Why is this world so profoundly and horribly broken? And why do we intuitively and deeply feel it should not be this way? The fact that mankind can’t help but ask both questions is revealing.”

Hope for a Nation under Judgment


Hope for a Nation under Judgment – “What’s happening to our nation? A pandemic, mass unemployment, a recession, riots, racial division?... What’s our hope? An outpouring of the Holy Spirit to revive our nation.”

Marxism, Postmodernism, and Critical Race Theory


Marxism, Postmodernism, and Critical Race Theory Here’s one to think through. These are terms that are important to know but ultimately – “Christianity is inseparable from a story that boldly diagnoses the human condition and declares that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the ultimate solution to it.”

Saturday, June 20, 2020

7 Reasons Heaven Requires New Songs


7 Reasons Heaven Requires New Songs “Only a new song will do to match our new voices and our new reality. That new song will be about Jesus. Everything in Heaven is about Jesus. Everyone arriving there got there by His shed blood. Everyone is overwhelmed by love and praise of Jesus.”

Which Characters in Job Can We Trust?


Which Characters in Job Can We Trust? – “What can we embrace as life lessons that God intends, and what should we chew up and spit out? And I think that there are five ways that God intends, as the one who inspired this book, to help us be able to profit from and rightly handle and interpret the book of Job.”

The Cure for a Lack of Fruit in Our Christian Lives


The Cure for a Lack of Fruit in Our Christian Lives – “True believers demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, and this fruit is observable and measurable.”

All Things to All People? The Gospel is the Issue


All Things to All People? The Gospel is the Issue – “The Christian task can be summarized this way: Christians must bear faithful witness to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ by holding onto everything the Bible clearly says to hold on to and letting go of all things that would undermine those ‘first things.’”

We Love Because God Loves Us


We Love Because God Loves Us – “As you learn how much God loves you, his love will overflow from your life into everyone you meet.”

That Christian You’re Frustrated With? Imagine Them Resurrected


That Christian You’re Frustrated With? Imagine Them Resurrected – “If you are looking for practical, but biblical strategies for peace-making in the midst of conflict, for dealing with that frustrating relationship, consider turning your imagination toward the coming resurrection. There is some untapped power there that could be of some real help.”

Secret Pride Makes a Man Fragile


Secret Pride Makes a Man Fragile – “Sometimes — not all the time, but sometimes — our fatigue as men comes less from our great self-sacrifices and more from our selfish ambition. We must not always assume, as I had, that we are tired and despairing from running after the right things.”

Juneteenth and the Husband of a Charleston Victim: Sowing the Seeds of Love


Juneteenth and the Husband of a Charleston Victim: Sowing the Seeds of Love“God’s word calls us to three kinds of action in response to racial injustice in our culture.”

Thursday, June 18, 2020

God Is a Caring Father


God Is a Caring Father – “God is a good Father; he has compassion on us. This is good news! Every parent loves to see their kids succeed. Your heavenly Father takes delight in taking care of you.”

What You Should Know About My Empty Chair in Church


What You Should Know About My Empty Chair in Church – As regathering begins, this article by a pastor’s wife speaks wisdom to our many inclinations. “These days, many families are making difficult decisions about church attendance. Here’s what I want the people in our congregations to know.”

Fear


Fear – “I can’t help wondering what would happen if the Christians of America en masse started confessing their faith openly. Not going on a crusade against sexual deviancy or whatever — but simply saying that they believe that Jesus is Lord and that they hope to serve Him, which means to love the Lord their God with all their heart and all their soul and all their mind, and love their neighbors as themselves.”

Contentment Isn’t Passive


Contentment Isn’t Passive – “Consider three things that contentment does.”

Our Perfect Example, Hope and Coming King


Our Perfect Example, Hope and Coming King – “If you are a Christian, I believe that the Gospel clearly compels us to leverage our resources and influence for the benefit of the excluded, the marginalized and the abused.”

Why We Need the Psalms More Than Ever Before


Why We Need the Psalms More Than Ever Before – “The songbook of God’s people is uniquely designed to transform our fears into vivid prayers that lead us into the presence and peace of God.”

Gospel Spreads Among Truck Drivers in West Africa


Gospel Spreads Among Truck Drivers in West Africa – This is a great reminder of how God works and the need for us to join Him in His work.

The War Means You Are Real: Four Ways to Fight Indwelling Sin


The War Means You Are Real: Four Ways to Fight Indwelling Sin – “It matters little how much strength and skill an army has if, on the day of battle, it underestimates the power of its opponent.”

Getting Practical: How to Host a Middle Eastern Friend


Getting Practical: How to Host a Middle Eastern Friend – “Modern Westerners are generally weak in hospitality compared to many other cultures. Conversely, in the culture and worldview of a Middle-Easterner, hospitality remains an extremely important value.”

What If the Worst Comes? How God Calms a Fearful Heart


What If the Worst Comes? How God Calms a Fearful Heart – “God can be trusted. Even when bad news comes. That is the hard part about this psalm — it forces us to reckon with the uncertainty of life. But it does so from the vantage point of trust.”

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Nature Is Anything But Natural: Enjoying Creation Through the Psalms


Nature Is Anything But Natural: Enjoying Creation Through the Psalms – “Has the natural world lost some of its wonder in your eyes? Have you started to take for granted things God himself literally breathed into existence and sustains with his whispers? Does anything God made still quiet you?”

Three Things To Know About Your Money


Three Things To Know About Your Money – “There are three significant elements that we need to be aware of if we want to have a heart that handles the temptations of money and a life that glorifies God with our finances.”

Tend Your Own Garden


Tend Your Own Garden – “Every single day doesn’t extend me an opportunity to impact the whole world. But every single day I have an opportunity to impact the five other people who live in my house. I can tend my own garden.”

Who Is Melchizedek?


Who Is Melchizedek? – “Who exactly is this mysterious figure? How does this dynastic order help us to better understand the nature of Christ’s kingly and priestly roles?”

My Sin Is Worse


My Sin Is Worse – “Too often, I approach relationships as if everyone else is the problem. I believe that their sin is worse than my own (or I forget my sin altogether). I want them to conform to my behaviors, my opinions, and my preferences. I am fine; everyone else is the threat.”

What Do You See When You Look at the Sky?


What Do You See When You Look at the Sky? – “It is an awesome thing to behold the glory of God in the sky.”

How To Bear Up Under Your Burdens


How To Bear Up Under Your Burdens – “What actions should you take when you feel the tremendous weight of such a burden? The Bible provides three instructions.”

How Did We Get From Eden to Chaz?


How Did We Get From Eden to Chaz? – “Coronavirus, economic recession, race protests and riots. Little wonder that months of this have left us divided and disconnected from one another as never before. We fear one another. We fight one another.”

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

People Are Complicated


People Are Complicated – “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”

You Are Not That Special: The Glory of Ordinary Christianity


You Are Not That Special: The Glory of Ordinary Christianity – “Do I love the specialness of humanity, and being Christ’s, only when it applies to me, but not when it applies to those I find most difficult to endure?”

When It Seems Your Life Is Going Nowhere


When It Seems Your Life Is Going Nowhere – “Although it is sometimes hard to believe that your work, done for God’s glory, has enduring significance, it absolutely does.”

Churches Experiment with In-Person Gatherings but Many are Split and Unsure About Their Return


Churches Experiment with In-Person Gatherings but Many are Split and Unsure About Their Return – “The data in this survey suggests that church leaders across the nation are cautiously planning their return to in-person worship gatherings this summer. However, the return to in-person gatherings is not as simple as turning on a light switch.”

Psalms of Justice


Psalms of Justice – “For the psalmists, such a world is all too familiar, and they pray repeatedly for justice because they understand that a world full of broken humans and dark forces generates injustice everywhere and always.”

The Great Commission Is Guaranteed, So Let’s Get to Work


The Great Commission Is Guaranteed, So Let’s Get to Work – In Acts 1 “it’s not for them to know the times and seasons the Father has fixed. They simply need to know their responsibility to take the gospel far and wide.”

Don’t Let Your Politics Ruin Your Witness


Don’t Let Your Politics Ruin Your Witness – “One of the minor side effects of COVID-19 has been more time spent online for just about everyone. I confess that I have spent more time online in the past three months than during any other three-month period in my life. During this time—and certainly precipitated by tragic civic unrest—I’ve come to believe that many professing Christians rely on partisan politics to provide the primary paradigm through which they see the world.”

Monday, June 15, 2020

White Flags in Peru: How the Church Is Caring for Coronavirus Victims


White Flags in Peru: How the Church Is Caring for Coronavirus Victims – “What comes to mind when you see a white flag? Most people think surrender. In Iquitos, a city of about half a million in northern Peru, it means desperation. It means the household has no more food.”

The Devil’s Favorite Punctuation Mark


The Devil’s Favorite Punctuation Mark – “Where God puts an exclamation mark the Devil puts a question mark.”

5 Words for This Moment


5 Words for This Moment – “How should Christians respond to this cultural moment of multifaceted anger, fear, and outrage? There is no lack of words right now in answer to that question.”

Christians Aren’t Allowed To Cancel Anyone


Christians Aren’t Allowed To Cancel Anyone – While the world “cancels” others for their faults and failures, follower of Christ extend grace (because we need it too).

Supreme Court: Employment Law Protects Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity


Supreme Court: Employment Law Protects Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity – “In the case of Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that employers who fire someone for being gay or transgender violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

When Our Own Understanding Fails


When Our Own Understanding Fails – Madelyn Canada reflects on Psalm 131 and its implications for when we do not understand what God is doing.

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Does God Intend Evil for Our Good?


Does God Intend Evil for Our Good? – Providential Peril for Joseph, Jesus, and You.

Hoarding Hope: The Disturbing Quiet of Quarantine


Hoarding Hope: The Disturbing Quiet of Quarantine – “May “standing on your promises” lead us to living under your authority, working for justice, and loving our neighbors until Jesus returns. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ triumphant and transforming name.”

Saturday, June 13, 2020

Not Our Home


Not Our Home – “As believers, we are called by God to train our minds and hearts to firmly latch onto the biblical teaching that we are passing through this world as pilgrims and strangers. We can never allow ourselves to become comfortable here. We are merely sojourners passing through this world on our way to glory.”

The Monotony of the Wilderness: Are You Just Marking Time?


The Monotony of the Wilderness: Are You Just Marking Time? – “In the midst of unspectacular and often monotonous ways, God was at work.”

Routine Is Magic


Routine Is Magic – “Routine and tradition are powerful pedagogical tools that throw light on another aspect of learning: the miracle of incrementalism.”

6 Abundant Promises From Psalm 23


6 Abundant Promises From Psalm 23 – “Let these promises carry you through life.”

How Is Jesus a Prophet Like Moses?


How Is Jesus a Prophet Like Moses? – “But what does that mean—to be a prophet like Moses? To answer, we must begin in Deuteronomy 18 and see how Christ fulfills the words of Moses.”

A Compassionate, Counter-Cultural, Christian Response


A Compassionate, Counter-Cultural, Christian Response – “In conversations about race, too often we treat disagreement as evil, and we attribute the worst motives to those who disagree with us on complex issues. This is the way the world responds to disagreement, but Christians should be different.” This isn’t the beginning and end of all things but it does bring some biblical balance.

Friday, June 12, 2020

Unleash the Lion of Scripture: How We Can Know the Bible Is True


Unleash the Lion of Scripture: How We Can Know the Bible Is True – “Coming to believe that the Bible is God’s word does not require extensive historical evidence, as helpful as that can be. The best defense for the Bible’s trustworthiness is in the pages of the Bible itself.”

4 Lessons from My Year of Death (Not 2020)


4 Lessons from My Year of Death (Not 2020) – “This year, 2020, has surely made all of us grapple with feelings of loss.”

Five Lessons I Am Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic


Five Lessons I Am Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic – In a visit with several pastor friends this week, I would say we all agree in these things.

Lessons from Bonhoeffer: Are You Standing Up to Injustice?


Lessons from Bonhoeffer: Are You Standing Up to Injustice? – “Whatever role we have played in our local community or on the national stage is exactly what we would have done at another time in history, and that realization should be a sobering call to action.”

The Curse of the Wearwolf


The Curse of the Wearwolf – “We can be conformed to this world in many ways. Even those who self-consciously reject worldly philosophies can sometimes slip into a more subtle, and therefore less noticeable, kind of conformity.”

Thursday, June 11, 2020

How to Pray for Your Kids This Summer


How to Pray for Your Kids This Summer – “If you desire good things for your children, how much more does God? The best thing he desires to give our children is his Son, the one who made summer and holds it together by the word of his power.”

Empathize with Good Cops in This Time of Rightly Calling out Bad Ones


Empathize with Good Cops in This Time of Rightly Calling out Bad Ones – Randy Alcorn: “Just as bad cops deserve to be condemned and prosecuted, good cops deserve to be praised and commended.” 

Conspiracy Theories, Engaging Online, and Wisdom: The Intersection of the Three and How to Respond Biblically


Conspiracy Theories, Engaging Online, and Wisdom: The Intersection of the Three and How to Respond Biblically – “While social media offers amazing opportunities to connect and learn, it seems that every new day brings new stories of awfulness.”

Your Sin Runs Deeper Than You Think


Your Sin Runs Deeper Than You Think – “Shallow thoughts of sin lead to shallow thoughts of God and salvation. Ignorance to the depths of our sin leads to ignorance to the depths of the beauty of Jesus Christ.”

A Plea to Christians who Protest


A Plea to Christians who Protest – Pray, seek the Lord’s guidance and wisdom, but don’t forget the ultimate need of every person you are marching with and the need for the lost to be saved.

Prayer Is Activism


Prayer Is Activism – “As our nation reels from George Floyd’s death, many in the church feel compelled to do something. Responses have run the gamut from listening, learning, and lamenting to posting black squares on Instagram, donating, marching, and more. Yet in our rush to engage, many of us have neglected the most potent form of activism at our disposal: prayer to the sovereign God of the universe.”

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Busy Unlike Jesus


Busy Unlike Jesus – “We fail to remember the walking that Christ and the apostles did. In our frenzied lives, failing to remember that these men walked every place they went may fix in us a very wrong view of Christian ministry, Jesus and his followers had time to process, to meditate, to ponder with brothers, to detoxify after encounters with lies and demons and countering authorities.”

Tis the Season to Assume


Tis the Season to Assume – “I believe as we begin to come out of the haze and fog of this Corona Virus, one of the words that may not be talked about often, but needs to be in the forefront of our minds, is the word ‘assumption’.”

Two Ways To Respond To COVID-19


Two Ways To Respond To COVID-19 – “We should weep for what has been exposed about our hearts at this moment. I don’t know about you, but COVID-19 exposed my pride, autonomy, delusions of self-sufficiency, and tendency to grumble and complain. Most importantly, COVID-19 was a reminder of a deeper, greater pandemic–the sin that lives inside of us. And for that, we should weep every day.”

Fog


Fog – “Each of us is making our way through the fog right now. We don’t know if we’re walking toward a cliff or toward a ladder. Politics has exchanged truth for sound bites. Protests have erupted in our cities and a pandemic haunts our daily lives. So we cling to our tribal divisions for answers and distrust anyone outside our circle of visibility.” 

God Still Shows Up in The Nazareths of This World


God Still Shows Up in The Nazareths of This World – “Do you recognize God's presence in the messiness and strangeness of your everyday life?...When present circumstances aren't at all to your liking, are you still able to recognize that He is present to redeem those circumstances for His good purposes?”

To Be Alive


To Be Alive – ““For three weeks I’ve been standing in the hallway as our church members enter the building for Sunday service. My job is simple: drop a squirt of hand sanitizer into outstretched hands. I have seen hands hardened by callouses and hands spotted with age. I’ve seen tiny fingers on soft baby hands, and I’ve seen scars, wrinkles, freckles, and the various shades of skin that God has made.”

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

The World Needs Healers


The World Needs Healers “Our ministry is the ministry of reconciliation. The world is already burning. It needs fire extinguishers, not firebrands. Be a healer who tends to the wounds of the fighters from both sides.”

‘But I Wasn’t There’: Lessons on Injustice from King David


‘But I Wasn’t There’: Lessons on Injustice from King David – “At some point, the discussion is no longer simply about this life, and this life, and this life; to move forward, Americans need to talk about 400 years of racial injustice.”

Who Needs Normal?


Who Needs Normal? – “As Christ-Followers, We Must Expect More after COVID-19.”

Peace in an Age of Outrage


Peace in an Age of Outrage – “What does all of this look like practically?” Here are some simple steps.

Facing Injustice Together


Facing Injustice Together – “Racism, prejudice, and bigotry are strong forces because they’re based on human fears, but we have access to a stronger force: God’s love.”

How Did Evil Begin?


How Did Evil Begin? – Pondering the mystery of Satan’s fall.

Monday, June 8, 2020

Worshipping by Faith, Not by Sight


Worshipping by Faith, Not by Sight “We always gather with an unseen host—thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly. Each week the congregation is always bigger than we can see—the spirits of the righteous made perfect.”

How Should Christians Respond to Racism?


How Should Christians Respond to Racism? – “If the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves, and if racism oppresses my neighbor and objectifies my neighbor, then this sin is a violation of one of the greatest commandments in Scripture, and yet people are afraid to talk about it.”

Think Like a Farmer


Think Like a Farmer – “We invest in our spiritual growth by plowing it with prayer, irrigating it with the Word, and leaning on the Church to help us defend it from the thorniness of sin. And we do so with the knowledge that God is at work in our hearts, bringing about a harvest in His strength and time.”

The Ordinary People God Chose: Learning to Love the Local Church


The Ordinary People God Chose: Learning to Love the Local Church – “This means that we will seek to make God’s great love for the church our own. We begin on Sunday by regularly showing up to worship together (Hebrews 10:24). It’s our highest privilege to gather with the people of God before the face of God.”

How Experiences Shape Our Understanding: A Difficult Choice We Must All Make


How Experiences Shape Our Understanding: A Difficult Choice We Must All Make – Jim Denison writes: “It seems we’re left with two choices. The first is to wait and hope that eventually things will get back to normal. I’ll be honest, there’s part of me that wants to do just that. However, the second option is to take an honest look around us and accept that normal probably isn’t worth getting back to. I think it’s pretty clear which path will do the most good for the kingdom and for the people God has called us to love.”

Saturday, June 6, 2020

10 Songs Churches Gravitated Toward During COVID-19


10 Songs Churches Gravitated Toward During COVID-19 – It’s understandable why songs like this would rise to the top in these times.

Love Is Not Always Love: Why Feelings Must Bow Before God


Love Is Not Always Love: Why Feelings Must Bow Before God – “Unless our understanding of love is grounded in the person and work of God himself, whatever form of love we think will be left to guide us will turn out to be empty, hollow and –– ultimately –– counterfeit.”

Unmasking Racism, Starting with Me


Unmasking Racism, Starting with Me – This is a revealing perspective from an Asian “Why should black lives matter to me? Not because I matter to them. Black lives matter because they profoundly matter to God.”

Forgiveness: Shortcut to Healing


Forgiveness: Shortcut to Healing – “Old sins and ancient grudges linger like unexploded bombs in the hidden recesses of our hearts, corroding everything around them and leaking their poison into our systems.”

Ethics and the Conscience


Ethics and the Conscience – “The function of the conscience in ethical decision making tends to complicate matters for us. The commandments of God are eternal, but in order to obey them we must first appropriate them internally.”

Friday, June 5, 2020

Let Go of Lies About Heaven: Eight Myths Many Believe


Let Go of Lies About Heaven: Eight Myths Many Believe – “Here are eight persistent misconceptions about heaven.”

What Are My Loved Ones Experiencing in the Present Heaven?


What Are My Loved Ones Experiencing in the Present Heaven? – Randy Alcorn addresses a common question about heaven.

5 Bad Morning Habits You Should Quit Right Away


5 Bad Morning Habits You Should Quit Right Away – “I’ve found that on the mornings when I avoid these five bad habits my day has a much higher probability of success.”

The World is Praying for You, America


The World is Praying for You, America – I hear this more every day from my pastor friends in Africa. “Brothers and sisters all over the world are praying for peace, for reconciliation, for healing, and for safety in America.”

What You Need to Know about the Devil’s Tricks


What You Need to Know about the Devil’s Tricks – “The reality of life for Christians is that we have an enemy. From the beginning of human history, the Devil has been looking for ways to manipulate, tempt, hurt, and ultimately destroy God’s people. One of his oldest tricks is persecution.”

Every Sin Hides a Lie: Three Ways Temptation Betrays Us


Every Sin Hides a Lie: Three Ways Temptation Betrays Us – “Readers are advised to remember that the devil is a liar.”

“A Thinking Person’s Checklist,” by Alan Jacobs


“A Thinking Person’s Checklist,” by Alan Jacobs – There are several good reminders here.

The March Through the Institutions Brings Civil War at The New York Times


The March Through the Institutions Brings Civil War at The New York Times -Al Mohler writes and interesting generational cultural trend in America.

The Weight of Glory in a Time of Blood and Fear


The Weight of Glory in a Time of Blood and Fear – “Disillusionment can lead to awful places—to cynicism, to laziness, to inaction, to despair. Or it can lead one to let go of every other stable place, and retrace one’s steps to the bush aflame with the Weight of Glory, a bush that does not tell us why things are the way they are, but tells us only ‘I Am That Which I Am.’” 

Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Pandemic Restriction on Church Services


Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Pandemic Restriction on Church Services – “The Supreme Court recently rejected a challenge to a California pandemic policy restricting occupancy in churches to 25 percent of building capacity or no more than 100 attendees.”

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

New Troubles Are Met With New Mercies


New Troubles Are Met With New Mercies – “When we feel that worry, we have a choice: Let it frame our narrative and push us away from God, or turn our anxieties to God in prayer, letting him graciously and patiently work on our soul.”

The Fresh Wonder of Corporate Worship


The Fresh Wonder of Corporate Worship – “Though it may be unclear exactly what that looks like as churches start to reopen, every week brings us one Sunday closer to the day when God will gather his people from every tribe, language, people, and nation to worship the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5:10–12). Without question, that will be congregational worship like we’ve never experienced before.”

How To Thrive In Work


How To Thrive In Work – “Here are six gospel principles that will allow you to thrive spiritually in your place of employment.”

Civil War. Civil Rights. Civil Love.


Civil War. Civil Rights. Civil Love. – “Where is there a love that can overcome racial divides, heart hatred, and fierce anger? Where is there an unending, unlimited, unconquerable supply of love that can transform not just a person or two, but societies and nations? The only place it is found is at Calvary’s cross, where ‘God demonstrated his own love toward us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ (Rom. 5:8).”

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

A Prayer for Mercy


A Prayer for Mercy – In these times, Lord have mercy on us.

Losing Freedoms and Finding Renewal


Losing Freedoms and Finding Renewal – “But COVID-19 is showing us that we are vulnerable and previous ways of living — assuming absolute freedom and maximum control — aren’t reality. It’s not just fragile; it’s not real. No wonder we were burdened and anxious.”

God Made Us to Gather: The Fresh Wonder of Corporate Worship


God Made Us to Gather: The Fresh Wonder of Corporate Worship – “Worshiping God in song together affirms that his worthiness stretches far beyond what I can offer by myself.”

Black Lives Depend on the Church Learning What It Really Means to Love Them


Black Lives Depend on the Church Learning What It Really Means to Love Them – “Who will love people of color the way Jesus loved all people? Where can we find the satisfying example of the supernatural, unconditional love hardwired in us to admire, desire and express.The answer should be the Church. But all too often, it is not.”

Race, Gospel, and Justice, Part 2: Esau McCaulley on Racism and Cultural Power


Race, Gospel, and Justice, Part 2: Esau McCaulley on Racism and Cultural Power – “When you add racism to political or economic power, then the racist is able to put in place systems or policies that disadvantage African Americans or other people of color.”

The Bible is Not a Prop: In Fact, We Need It Right Now


The Bible is Not a Prop: In Fact, We Need It Right Now – “Its Teachings, Though—about the Gospel and Justice—Are What We Need Right Now.”

Monday, June 1, 2020

Let the First Voice Be His: Why Wisdom Meets God in the Morning


Let the First Voice Be His: Why Wisdom Meets God in the Morning – “The morning, more than any other time of day, invites us to give God our first fruits, roll away our burdens, hear his teaching, and enjoy his love.”

Your Weird, Messy Church is God’s “Plan A”


Your Weird, Messy Church is God’s “Plan A” – “God is prioritizing broken people from broken situations to be His chosen emissaries to a broken world.”

Take Courage, Graduate


Take Courage, Graduate – “Graduate, the reason you feel overwhelmed, though you might not know it, is not because now is when you must decide the rest of your life — it’s simply the first time you have to decide what to do with the next part of your life.”

Five Reasons You Need to Get Back in the Habit of Church Attendance


Five Reasons You Need to Get Back in the Habit of Church Attendance – As we prepare to begin “in-person” worship services again, here are some things to remember.

Why Narcissists Can’t Find the Will of God


Why Narcissists Can’t Find the Will of God – “It’s good to know what God’s purpose on earth is. But have you ever asked yourself how well your life goals line up with Scripture?”

The Magnetic Power of Shared Burdens


The Magnetic Power of Shared Burdens – “And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 (CSB)

The Saddest Psalm in Scripture


The Saddest Psalm in Scripture – Most of the psalms that involve lament end on a joyful note. Not Psalm 88. What can we learn about hope in this seemingly hopeless chapter in the Bible?

My Expert Opinion


My Expert Opinion – “Americans have never more desperately needed reliable knowledge than we do now; also, Americans have never been less inclined to trust experts, who are by definition the people supposed to possess the reliable knowledge.”