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.”
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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?”
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.”
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.”
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
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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
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.”
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