Friday, April 29, 2022

8 Ways to Maximize Bible Impact Upon Your Life

8 Ways to Maximize Bible Impact Upon Your Life – “The great leader Nehemiah shows us eight ways to engage with God’s Word for maximum impact. The wall had been built and Ezra gathered the people together and read God’s word to them. Chapter eight shows us these eight concepts.”

No One Knows My Pain

No One Knows My Pain – “Rather than inviting others into my pain and grief, I’ve often pushed them away. I’ve felt a vague sense of self-righteousness, confident that no one could speak into my life except God himself.”

 

Friendship and Belonging in Middle Age

Friendship and Belonging in Middle Age – “I’m skeptical anyone over age 35 has close friends. That’s an exaggeration, but I’m certainly convinced there’s a dead zone for friendship between ages 35 and 50. It’s difficult to have good friends in middle age. Far more difficult than it should be, especially for men.”

 

The Bible Book We Need Right Now

The Bible Book We Need Right Now – “The risen Christ urges his church to remember, to repent, and to remain steadfast that we may receive all he has promised.”

Baylor University Charters LGBTQ Group

Baylor University Charters LGBTQ Group – “The news that Baylor University has officially chartered Prism, an LGBT student organization on campus, marks an important moment in Christian higher education in the USA.”

Thursday, April 28, 2022

No Blood Money in the Temple Treasury

No Blood Money in the Temple Treasury “Man’s ability for self-deception is astounding, and we get a glimpse of it in the chief priests who gave false counsel to have Jesus executed.”

The FAQs: SCOTUS Hears Argument in Praying Coach Case

The FAQs: SCOTUS Hears Argument in Praying Coach Case – This provides a helpful overview of this religious liberty case.

 

No One Knows My Pain: How Pride Hides in Suffering

No One Knows My Pain: How Pride Hides in Suffering – “This temptation to isolate, to pull away from community, assuming no one can help, is common in suffering. So how do we fight this temptation to pride — to believing that no one understands us and therefore no one can help us?”

The Lost Art of Courage

The Lost Art of Courage – “What may be lacking in these two poles is the biblical concept of ‘meekness’—or courage, rightly carried.”

Countering ‘Love Is Love’ and Other Secular Creeds

Countering ‘Love Is Love’ and Other Secular Creeds – In The Secular Creed, Rebecca McLaughlin outlines five contemporary claims that form a statement of belief for many of our secular neighbors…These are claims with which the Christian community must interact.

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

A Prayer for Graduating High School Seniors

A Prayer for Graduating High School Seniors – “Jesus, help us love with knees-bent and hands-off—engaged but not controlling, encouraging but not hovering.”

How to Entertain the Holy Spirit

How to Entertain the Holy Spirit – “If you are in Christ, then the God of highest heaven has made your heart his home. The Holy Spirit has moved in, so to speak, filling your soul’s halls and rooms with himself. And he will never, ever move out.”

10 Ways to Misunderstand Scripture

10 Ways to Misunderstand Scripture – “We should be on our guard against the following list of errors that could steer us in the wrong direction.”

How God Makes Much of You

How God Makes Much of You – “God makes much of us. God makes much of his Son’s bride. God loves his church with a kind of love that will make more of her because he makes much of her for his glory.”

4 Truths to Overcome the Fear in Evangelism

4 Truths to Overcome the Fear in Evangelism – “Our minds create a host of things to be afraid of and reasons to remain silent about our faith, so how can we overcome these fears and be more intentional about sharing Christ with others?”

Does God Change His Mind?

Does God Change His Mind? – “Several theological truths undergird this interpretation and belief that God does not change His mind.”

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

The Football Coach at the Center of a Supreme Court Religious Liberty Case

The Football Coach at the Center of a Supreme Court Religious Liberty CaseJim Denison summarizes this important case and points out some good applications.

What We Need is Power

What We Need is Power – “The power to get through the day does not come from the instructions on how to get through it. The power to glorify God is in the glorious gospel.”

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Jesus, Friend of Sinners “Do your words convey compassion or contempt for sinners—grace or grumbling? If it’s the latter, perhaps—like the Pharisees—you’ve forgotten about (or simply failed to grasp) the compassion of Jesus towards you as a sinner.”

Jesus, Our Substitute

Jesus, Our Substitute – “The word vicarious is extremely important to our understanding of the atonement of Christ.”

5 Ways to Help Kids Engage Politically

5 Ways to Help Kids Engage Politically – “Here are five key principles parents and ministry workers can focus on when teaching kids about political engagement.”

 

Keep It Simple

Keep It Simple – “Discipleship happens primarily through faithful disciples doing simple things to help others follow Jesus.”

Me, Myself, and Lies: The Spiritual Dangers of Isolation

Me, Myself, and Lies: The Spiritual Dangers of Isolation – “Isolation dies in church families that know they need, and want, to gather. For them, Sunday mornings aren’t a sweet addition to a full and happy life; they are the foundation of a full and happy life.”

Is the Concept of a “Self-Authenticating” Bible a Modern Invention?

Is the Concept of a “Self-Authenticating” Bible a Modern Invention? – “The NT canon we possess today is not due to the machinations of later church leaders, or to the political influence of Constantine, but due to the fact that these books imposed themselves on the church through their internal qualities. In other words, these books were used the most because they proved themselves to be worthy of that use.”

When Does “Grace Cease to Be Grace”?

When Does “Grace Cease to Be Grace”? – “The ‘5 Solas’ entered our conversation—five Latin phrases which summarize how God sovereignly, powerfully, generously saves us.”

Monday, April 25, 2022

Finding Joy in the Dark: The Bold Prayer of Psalm 70

Finding Joy in the Dark: The Bold Prayer of Psalm 70 – “Please don’t wait to pursue your joy in God until God has healed your brokenness and resolved your problems.”

The Bible’s Strange Reasons for Generosity

The Bible’s Strange Reasons for Generosity – “We tend to think about stewardship and generosity as something God calls us to once we’ve got it all together. But that’s not how Paul thinks about generosity.”

Why Do Billionaires Want to Live Forever?

Why Do Billionaires Want to Live Forever? – “Why is it that the 1% of the 1% almost always seem to veer from their core businesses into attempts to prolong their lives indefinitely?”

John Owen’s 9 Instructions for Killing Sin

John Owen’s 9 Instructions for Killing Sin – “Though Christians cannot eliminate sin in this life, Owen encourages us to diligently fight sinful desires and put them to death.”

 

We Have to Work in the Confines of Reality

We Have to Work in the Confines of Reality – “Jesus has not called us to shepherd churches other than the ones he has given us. He doesn’t ask us to think about all the great things we would do for him if everything was different.”

What We Need is Power

What We Need is Power – “We need power, and it is only found in the good news. Let’s drink deeply.” 

Changing Who We Spend Time with as We Get Older

Changing Who We Spend Time with as We Get Older – This infographic is really interesting as it points out how we spend our time and with whom through various stages of life.

Who Are the True People of God?

Who Are the True People of God? – “It’s not that the Church has replaced Israel. Instead, it’s that through faith in Jesus Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) are both part of God’s one people.”

Disunity in the Church and Among Christians Destroys Evangelism

Disunity in the Church and Among Christians Destroys Evangelism – “When Christians and churches are unified, unbelievers in the world will see the gospel in that unity. The world will know that God sent Jesus.”

Should Christians Always Submit to the Government?

Should Christians Always Submit to the Government? – “Part of Christian integrity is civic responsibility.”

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Inviting God into the Hard Places

Inviting God into the Hard Places “What if—rather than deliverance from the hard—he wants you to invite him into it? What if he wants you to seek his presence in the hard, more than his protection from the hard? His provision in the midst of life’s hardships, rather than relief from them?”

5 Ways to Raise Bible-Friendly Kids

5 Ways to Raise Bible-Friendly Kids – “As parents, we have such an opportunity to share the wealth of the Bible with our children. But how can we encourage a genuine desire for Scripture? We can do at least five things.”

Jesus Versus the Trade-In Society

Jesus Versus the Trade-In Society – “We are a trade-in society, where the promise of being able to eventually replace anything, or anyone, lies underneath all of our experiences, even our spiritual lives.” 

A Matter of Life and Death

A Matter of Life and Death – “We’re living in a culture of death.”

Stewarding the Body

Stewarding the Body“We tend to overestimate what can be done in the short run, and underestimate what can be done in the long run.”

If God Really Loved Me, He Would…

If God Really Loved Me, He Would… - “Why are we surprised when trials come? Why do we do quickly question God’s goodness, love, and control when we experience the pain of this world?”

Come, Holy Spirit: Seven Ways He Meets Us as We Gather

Come, Holy Spirit: Seven Ways He Meets Us as We Gather – “What can we consistently ask and expect the Holy Spirit to do when we gather?”

Neighbor-Loving Or Navel-Gazing?

Neighbor-Loving Or Navel-Gazing? – “Grant us joy in our waiting, strength in our weariness, and peace in our restlessness.”

2 Enemy Attacks We Must Recognize

2 Enemy Attacks We Must Recognize – “One is more corporate, and the other is more individual.”

Hope for the Doubting Thomases of the World

Hope for the Doubting Thomases of the World “While the rest of the disciples went about rejoicing, Thomas wasn’t ready to celebrate just yet. His logical side needed time to line up with his emotional one. The proof of his devotion was in the profoundness of his despair.”

The Transgender Revolution and the Death of Truth

The Transgender Revolution and the Death of Truth – “One day in the future, Americans will come to realize that the great denial of truth can be traced to a swimming pool.”

Friday, April 22, 2022

When Good Things Spiritually Harm Our Kids

When Good Things Spiritually Harm Our Kids – “We worry about so many things when it comes to this world we’re raising kids in. But the truth is that the things we consider the most positive activities in our kids’ lives are the very things that are most likely to draw them away from Christ. It all starts with the example that we set.”

Why Do New Believers Read Their Bible More and How We May Do the Same

Why Do New Believers Read Their Bible More and How We May Do the Same – “Have you ever noticed a common thread in every testimony? Upon being drawn to the Lord, almost every person reports an unquenchable hunger for the Lord’s Word.”

Why Christians Should (and Shouldn’t) Care About Religious Freedom

Why Christians Should (and Shouldn’t) Care About Religious Freedom – “There are two related ways in which Christians can ascribe a higher importance to religious freedom than they ought.” 

Debunking the ‘Work-Life Balance’ Myth

Debunking the ‘Work-Life Balance’ Myth – “Your desire to balance work and life is understandable in today’s work environment, with so many people experiencing burnout and juggling new work and home routines.”

Stressed Out Generation: 4 Ways You Can Help Today’s Teens

Stressed Out Generation: 4 Ways You Can Help Today’s Teens – “We know the only way to combat pressure is for them to grab hold of what Jesus thinks of them. Yet because stress constantly bombards teens, youth workers may find it difficult to get them to actually step out in the truth of who they are to God.”

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Doesn’t Science Disprove the Resurrection?

Doesn’t Science Disprove the Resurrection? – “The claim that Jesus resurrected from the dead is a historical event that can’t be observed, tested, or repeated.” 

Invisible and Unmistakable: How Scripture Pictures the Holy Spirit

Invisible and Unmistakable: How Scripture Pictures the Holy Spirit – “We still sometimes struggle to know God, and not just in the personal sense of knowledge, but in the basic what-are-we-even-talking-about sense. This is especially the case with our knowledge of the Holy Spirit.”

 

Sin Is “Barbs In Your Eyes, Thorns In Your Sides”

Sin Is “Barbs In Your Eyes, Thorns In Your Sides” – “Imagine a barb in your eye. A thorn in your side. Talk about painful. Debilitating. Something that hurts. That’s the picture God uses to warn the pre-land Israelites what it’ll be like if they don’t drive out the nations.”

How Not to Pray with a Hurting Loved One

How Not to Pray with a Hurting Loved One – “There are a few common mistakes we can make when praying with others that can hinder the effectiveness of these moments. Consider four mistakes and how to avoid them.”

Does God Give Us Only What We Can Handle?

Does God Give Us Only What We Can Handle? – “The gospel isn’t a message of self-sufficiency. It’s a message of self-insufficiency. It’s a message of reliance on Jesus for his all-sufficiency.”

Spider-Man, Jesus, and the Ripple Effect of Free Will

Spider-Man, Jesus, and the Ripple Effect of Free Will – “God knows that love is worth the pain of evil, especially since He will one day end the effects of evil on the redeemed. God will then quarantine evil in a place called hell.”

Psalms are Prophecies

Psalms are Prophecies – “The Psalms are a book spoken by Jesus, about Jesus. We should read the Psalms to press more deeply into the gospel, the good news about Jesus.”

How to Renew a Decadent Evangelical Culture

How to Renew a Decadent Evangelical Culture – “Our task as Christians is never to discern the hidden will of the Lord, but to remain faithful with the resources we have, in the generation he has placed us.”

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Setting Our Hope Fully on Jesus

Setting Our Hope Fully on Jesus – “Why would we set our hope on anything or anyone else than Jesus and the all-things-new glories of his return?” 

Jesus Who or Jesus Woohoo? Americans Share Opinions on Christ

Jesus Who or Jesus Woohoo? Americans Share Opinions on Christ – “Most Americans are sure Jesus was a historical person and an important spiritual figure, but they are more split on what He means to them personally.”

Why God Makes Much of You

Why God Makes Much of You – “God makes more of you when he makes much of you for his sake than if he were to make much of you only for your sake.”

Social Media: A Downgrade of Culture

Social Media: A Downgrade of Culture – “If high culture is like a gourmet meal, folk culture like a homecooked dinner, and pop culture is like junk food, what is social media?”

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Christ Our Door

Christ Our Door – “Though the walls of the kingdom of God are high indeed, the drawbridge has been brought low.  The King himself stands at the door with open arms, ready to run out and meet the prostitute, the tax collector, and prodigals of every sort…”

 

Bible Reading in an Age of Double Literacy Loss

Bible Reading in an Age of Double Literacy Loss – “We need renewed imaginations as we retrieve ideas from past church leaders who brought the Scriptures to people and as we look for new ways of increasing Scriptural exposure and engagement in an era of double literacy loss.”

Cultivating Wonder When You Feel Weary

Cultivating Wonder When You Feel Weary “The sin that so easily entangles, the limitations of my humanity and the circumstances I cannot control. These aren’t new. Nothing earth-shattering. Yet, a timely reminder of who I am and who He is. An invitation to turn away from self, toward an active trust in what He’s doing…and that’s something hard to see in the moment.”

 

What Affect Theory Teaches Us About Christian Growth

What Affect Theory Teaches Us About Christian Growth – “Despite our affirmation of Paul’s teaching, we can still treat discipleship as merely content transmission, as if we’re speaking to robots that can be reprogrammed by just entering the right code.”

Will My Son Go to Heaven? Infancy, Disability, and Sovereign Grace

Will My Son Go to Heaven? Infancy, Disability, and Sovereign Grace – John Knight addresses an often-asked question.

The Ukulele and the Cross

The Ukulele and the Cross – “If theology is to be Christian, then it can only be a theology which understands in dynamic fashion the unsurpassable scandal of the Cross."

Monday, April 18, 2022

Totally Torn

Totally Torn – “The tearing of the curtain in Jerusalem’s temple wasn’t just incidental, a by-product, or an act of divine vandalism but a sign of the profound significance of each and every event leading to this point.”

The Bible’s Not an Instruction Manual

The Bible’s Not an Instruction Manual – “The good news of the gospel is so much better than the instructions!”

Roman Road-Construction

Roman Road-Construction – Tim Challies: “Roman roads were made for traders and soldiers but also allowed missionaries to spread the gospel far and wide.”

 

Grasping the Truth of Romans 8:28 Will Change Our Perspective on Suffering

Grasping the Truth of Romans 8:28 Will Change Our Perspective on Suffering – “Perhaps the greatest test of whether we believe Romans 8:28 is to identify the very worst things that have happened to us, and then ask if we believe that, in the end, God will somehow, truly use them for our good.”

Prepare Kids for Uncertain Times

Prepare Kids for Uncertain Times – “While we can’t know exactly what challenges our children will face, we can still prepare them to navigate the world. I’ve found 2 Timothy to be relevant for parents and churches today.” 

The Love in His Grief: How the Spirit Responds to Our Sin

The Love in His Grief: How the Spirit Responds to Our Sin – “How do we grieve the Spirit of God? Do all sins grieve his heart the same?”

The End of the Apostles’ Creed Is the Beginning of the Rest of Your Life

The End of the Apostles’ Creed Is the Beginning of the Rest of Your Life – “Here are four things to consider that will help fix your eyes on eternity with Christ.”

Shame: Its Uses and Abuses

Shame: Its Uses and Abuses – “Sometimes shame functions like surgery to bring us to the healing that we need.”

Our Christian Terminology Is Built on the Old Testament

Our Christian Terminology Is Built on the Old Testament – “When it comes to the nuts and bolts of the gospel, the NT often adopts essential concepts/words from the OT, particularly the Greek version.”

Sunday, April 17, 2022

Why Should We Try To Add One Stitch To a Finished Garment?

Why Should We Try To Add One Stitch To a Finished Garment? – “We must accept the finished work of Christ. He has ceased from the work of our redemption, because there was no more to do. Our sins and the sins of the world were put away. The power of the adversary was annulled. The gate of heaven was opened to all that believe. All was finished, and was very good.”

Resurrection Hymn

Resurrection Hymn – Amen!

Step into the Never-Ending Story

Step into the Never-Ending Story – “The risen Christ is our intimate, ever-gracious, divine Lord who daily gives us his intercession, forgiveness of sins, wisdom for discipling, extraordinary courage, and the invincible power to accomplish his mission.”

The Son Must Rise

The Son Must Rise – What Made Easter Inevitable

Saturday, April 16, 2022

‘See! The Lord has given you the…’

‘See! The Lord has given you the…’ – “The title of this post is the beginning of a verse from the Bible. How do you think it continues? What word would you guess comes next?” Sometimes we don’t want the gifts God provides.

 

In the Beginning Was the Spirit: The Third Person in Genesis 1

In the Beginning Was the Spirit: The Third Person in Genesis 1 – “Once we understand the Genesis account of creation in Trinitarian terms, we clearly perceive the place of the Holy Spirit as the perfecter of the divine work of creation.” 

The Art of Heavenly-Mindedness

The Art of Heavenly-Mindedness – “‏Earthly-mindedness is to the mind what gravity is to the body—it is an invisible, powerful, and constant force that weighs so heavily upon the individual that without a greater force acting against it, he is powerless to break free from its controlling influence.”

Sexual Behavior Isn’t the Most Important Issue

Sexual Behavior Isn’t the Most Important Issue – “I encourage people to make Jesus and the gospel their priority in their relationships.”

Woe to the Pretenders of Godliness

Woe to the Pretenders of Godliness – “Some teachers of the truth should be listened to but not imitated.”

Anticipating Easter in the Old Testament

Anticipating Easter in the Old Testament – The story of Easter finds its roots throughout the Old Testament.

Study: Americans Are Really Bad at Making Assumptions About Their Fellow Citizens

Study: Americans Are Really Bad at Making Assumptions About Their Fellow Citizens  - “YouGov has released an interesting study that asked Americans to take a guess at the size of various minority and majority subgroups of other Americans…The results reveal how many of us are living in a bubble put together by media narratives and bad faith politicians.”

Friday, April 15, 2022

Why the Cross Is Essential to Christianity

Why the Cross Is Essential to Christianity – “When archaeologists dig through the ruins of antiquity, they have one certain way to identify a place of Christian worship. They look for a cross. When they find it painted on a wall, carved into stone, or even worked into a floor plan, they know they’ve found a church.”

Today You Will Be With Me In Paradise

Today You Will Be With Me In Paradise – “While the first thief was filled with pride, the heart of the second was broken and humble.”

Approaching the Tomb with Joy

Approaching the Tomb with Joy – “They found their minds shocked, overwhelmed, and bewildered—shocked, overwhelmed, and bewildered even though Jesus had told them exactly what they should expect.” 

The Prosperity Gospel Loves God’s Gifts, But Ignores God Himself

The Prosperity Gospel Loves God’s Gifts, But Ignores God Himself – “In the PG, however, God is spoken of primarily as a means to an end. It treats a relationship with God like marrying someone for their money. You don’t really love them; you just love them for what they can give you.”

The God Who Is Seeing (Not Scrolling)

The God Who Is Seeing (Not Scrolling) – “We scroll to escape. We scroll to pass time. We rarely scroll in a truly attentive way. How different is God!”

One of the Most Overlooked Arguments for the Resurrection

One of the Most Overlooked Arguments for the Resurrection – “It is an often overlooked fact that provides the necessary context for the discussion. That fact is simply this: the earliest Christians came to believe, against all odds and against all expectations, that Jesus of Nazareth had been raised from the dead.”

Seedlings Need The Weather

Seedlings Need The Weather – “When we asked a gardener friend, he told us that the absence of difficulty was not the solution to their problem. It was the problem. The trouble for our seedlings—the trouble that made them weak—was that they had no trouble. Without at least some exposure to the elements, they would never grow strong.”

What Are Church Traditions?

What Are Church Traditions? – “We measure merely human tradition by the tradition that we call the New Testament.”

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

More than Doing

More than Doing - Categories for applying God’s word.

An Open Letter to Death

An Open Letter to Death – “Dear Death, I’m writing to you today with a simple message: Stop boasting…”

 

The Heart of Fake Happiness

The Heart of Fake Happiness – “There are millions of nominal Christians who believe God loves them and are on their way to hell.”

Agony in the Garden: What Jesus Suffered in Gethsemane

Agony in the Garden: What Jesus Suffered in Gethsemane – “In the garden of Gethsemane, as Peter, James, and John slept, Jesus engaged spiritually the forsakenness of the cross before he was actually arrested and crucified.”

 

For the Believer, Death Is a Great Awakening

For the Believer, Death Is a Great Awakening –Randy Alcorn talks about death and the victory that is ours because of the Risen Savior.

Go to Funerals

Go to Funerals – “When one member grieves, we all grieve. That’s what family does.”

Peace Is Not Jesus-Plus-Something

Peace Is Not Jesus-Plus-Something – “When you didn’t give the citizens of Jerusalem what they expected, they crucified you. We don’t reject you—not consciously or obviously. We add to you.”

How Human Is the Mind of Christ?

How Human Is the Mind of Christ? – The incarnation of Christ is filled with mystery but also clear, measurable truths.

Monday, April 11, 2022

Is Easter Believable?

Is Easter Believable? – The evidence says that it is.

What about Marriage and Family in Heaven?

What about Marriage and Family in Heaven? – Randy Alcorn addresses a common question about heaven.

The Best Sermon for Marriage: Seven Lessons for Lasting Love

The Best Sermon for Marriage: Seven Lessons for Lasting Love – “Blessed are the husbands and wives who hunger and thirst most for righteousness, for they shall be faithful, hopeful, and satisfied.”

Americans’ Views of Life’s Meaning and Purpose Are Changing

Americans’ Views of Life’s Meaning and Purpose Are Changing – “Americans are more likely today than a decade ago to contemplate whether they will go to heaven when they die but less likely to strongly believe there is more to life than this physical world.”

Mom, Jesus Is Praying for You

Mom, Jesus Is Praying for You – “What exactly is he praying for you? Let’s look at his prayer in John 17 to find at least three answers.”

I Have No Good Apart from You: Prayer of the Satisfied Heart

I Have No Good Apart from You: Prayer of the Satisfied Heart – Here’s a good word on the “goodness” of God.

Ancient Hebrew Language Fragment Uncovered Near Mt. Ebal

Ancient Hebrew Language Fragment Uncovered Near Mt. Ebal – “Further evidence of ancient Hebrew language, in the form of a lead tablet with a written inscription, has been discovered near Mt. Ebal in Israel.”

4 Reasons We Allow Our Kids to Question Us and Our Faith

4 Reasons We Allow Our Kids to Question Us and Our Faith – “For many Christian parents, because they don’t allow their children to question them in matters of obedience, they often assume the same mentality should apply to their faith. But nothing could be further from the truth.”

Saturday, April 9, 2022

One Step Deeper

One Step Deeper – “Whoever you are and wherever you are in your journey of studying the Bible, you can go one step deeper.”

Painful Surprises and the Emmaus Road

Painful Surprises and the Emmaus Road – “When you experience a painful surprise, Jesus is there with you. He will reorient you to what’s true here and now and help you to see that your road will also end in glorious redemption.”

How Can I Get Out of My Bad Mood?

How Can I Get Out of My Bad Mood? – “We look to God and not ourselves, we turn away from self-pity to serve others. We endeavor to stop thinking of ourselves and think more on Jesus Christ and his Cross because it is there that we find the answer to our sorrows and pain.”

What God Can Do in One Conversation: Recovering the Power of Personal Evangelism

What God Can Do in One Conversation: Recovering the Power of Personal Evangelism – “Paul modeled such bold, firm, polite, short and long evangelism. Let’s pray such prayers and not fail when it comes time to speak.”



Friday, April 8, 2022

3 “Hate’s” and 3 “Love’s”

3 “Hate’s” and 3 “Love’s” – “The longer the war in Ukraine continues, it’s the emotion I feel, the disposition I have, the passion I must steward.”

Quick Guide to Christian Denominations

Quick Guide to Christian Denominations – This may be helpful to you as a quick reference.

Work is Spiritual

Work is Spiritual – 3 Ways to Serve at Work.

Come, Lord Jesus: The Prayer to End All Prayers

Come, Lord Jesus: The Prayer to End All Prayers – “The last prayer in the Bible is also one of its shortest — and yet it’s layered with heartache and anticipation, with distress and hope, with agony and joy.”

Zombie Sins

Zombie Sins – “Paul asks me to slay sin, a theme that John Owen would later riff off as he famously quipped, ‘Be killing sin or sin will be killing you,’ and I thought I was. But I was wrong. Burying sin is not the same as killing it.”

5 Solutions to the Challenges of Making Disciples Today

5 Solutions to the Challenges of Making Disciples Today – “Making headway in discipleship will require leaders to make moves in response to these challenges. The entire church must be aligned around the singular focus of helping believers grow in Christ-like maturity.”

A Time to Hustle & A Time to Stroll

A Time to Hustle & A Time to Stroll – “Maybe it was the pandemic slow down, or just people getting fed up with it, but the last couple of years have seen a backlash against what has been termed ‘hustle culture.’”

Does Romans 7 Describe a Christian?

Does Romans 7 Describe a Christian? – Here are “nine reasons for thinking these are Paul’s description of his present experience from time to time, though not his total Christian experience.”

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Struggling on Your Behalf in Prayers

Struggling on Your Behalf in Prayers We find this kind of prayer in the Bible but don’t often practice it.

What Convinced James His Brother Was God?

What Convinced James His Brother Was God? – There were two key things – the resurrection and a sinless life. It took both.

What’s Lost When We Only Pray Alone?

What’s Lost When We Only Pray Alone? – “When you and I experience a blessing that we’ve asked for together, your thanksgiving deepens and heightens mine.”

We Have Limited Emotional Resources

We Have Limited Emotional Resources – Who Decides What’s Important? – “Who gets to tell you today, tell me today, what is important? Who gets to tell me where to turn my gaze, my mind, my limited emotional resources? When you woke up today, who did you first look to? Where is the first place you looked?”

Does the Holy Spirit Want More Attention?

Does the Holy Spirit Want More Attention? – “Not only should we give the Spirit attention because he is a member of the Trinity and he is the primary author of the Scriptures, but in our daily lives, God calls us to consciously depend on the Holy Spirit.”

 

Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?

Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables? – “When Jesus speaks in parables, he is giving more light to those who have been blessed with spiritual understanding, and he is concealing his truth from those who are unable to hear.”

We Live in Confusing Times

We Live in Confusing Times – This is worth a read. It won’t settle all issues but it will settle your mind perhaps that the world really is broken and needs the Savior.

Being a Peacemaker and Bridge-Builder in a Racially Divided World

Being a Peacemaker and Bridge-Builder in a Racially Divided World – “In the power of the risen Messiah, I don’t have to seek retribution. The cycle of violence must be broken by people of love.”

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Is There Such Thing As Random?

Is There Such Thing As Random? – “We don’t choose our moments of suffering, or the times we are pressed into service; they usually come on suddenly and without warning.”

5 Reasons to Love Repentance

5 Reasons to Love Repentance – “If repentance is so central in Jesus’s teaching, why is it so peripheral (or nonexistent) in ours?”

The Top 5 Trends From the 2022 World Watch List

The Top 5 Trends From the 2022 World Watch List – Here are things you need to know about persecution of Christians around the world.

 

Speechless

Speechless “Have you been overwhelmed by His calling? The task before you? How has the Lord sustained and encouraged in your time of need?”

When Did Evangelicals Stop Caring About Missions?

When Did Evangelicals Stop Caring About Missions? – “As we encourage one another toward lives of costly discipleship, let’s shore up our confidence in God’s plan for history—and the role he has for us to play.”

The Mustard Seed Mum: Pressured to be Perfect?

The Mustard Seed Mum: Pressured to be Perfect? – “The start of being a good parent is realizing that your performance is not being measured against anyone else. It’s not a competition, even if it feels like it.”

Offending (Some) Christians While Reaching the Unchurched

Offending (Some) Christians While Reaching the Unchurched – “Sometimes the best approaches to connect with non-Christians will make some Christians uneasy. Why is this the case? Because unconventional approaches break the mold of what most Christians envision when they think of evangelism.”

What Is Transgenderism?

What Is Transgenderism? – Rosaria Butterfield : “Transgenderism emerged from this feminist political rejection of the creation ordinance that says God made human beings male and female, so their biological sex and not their internal feelings determines their maleness or femaleness. Transgenderism, instead, argues that our internal sense of self is what makes us men or women.”

 


Monday, April 4, 2022

What is the Bible?

What is the Bible? – “This ancient book is God’s living Word. He uses this Word to accomplish his work among his people.”

5 Reasons Why You Should Get Away with Your Spouse Every Year

5 Reasons Why You Should Get Away with Your Spouse Every Year – This is a practice that has blessed our marriage and will bless yours.

When “I” Becomes “We”

When “I” Becomes “We” – “God orchestrates your life for the purpose of bringing Him glory and loving others.”

 

Our God-Sized Ordinary: Six Ways to See the Holy Spirit

Our God-Sized Ordinary: Six Ways to See the Holy Spirit – “Life in the Spirit feels mundane when we grow dull to miracles. Yes, we live and work and love among thorns and thistles for now, but we do so by the strength and wisdom of God — until the day when he makes glory our ordinary.”

Serving Others with Our Schedule

Serving Others with Our Schedule – “What if there was a better way to use our schedules for something eternally redeemable? If we find that our schedules serve only us, we must come to realize that the better alternative is to serve others with our time.”

4 Reasons Why Good Friday Service Should Not Be a Funeral for Jesus

4 Reasons Why Good Friday Service Should Not Be a Funeral for Jesus – “Here are four reasons why Good Friday service shouldn’t be a funeral service for Jesus.”

Jesus, the Bread of Life

Jesus, the Bread of Life – “The supreme and preeminent Lord of All is in fact the bread that is an everlasting meal, an eternal feast for the soul.”

The Secular Denial of Evolution

The Secular Denial of Evolution – “The truly creative event of world history was not pulled off by Copernicus or Kant, but by Christ.”

Saturday, April 2, 2022

When Debating Biblical Inspiration, Let God Do the Heavy Lifting

When Debating Biblical Inspiration, Let God Do the Heavy Lifting – “Don’t get into a tug-of-war with skeptics about inspiration. Instead, invite others to engage the ideas first, then let God do the heavy lifting for you.”

Friday, April 1, 2022

No, I’m Not a Pro: How to Parent our Children’s Souls

No, I’m Not a Pro: How to Parent our Children’s Souls – “My children are immortal beings with eternal souls. I would say this takes my breath away, but I don’t want to give the wrong impression. It feels less like witnessing a pretty sunset at the beach and more like standing at the precipice of a mountain.”

Find Your Humanity Outside Yourself

Find Your Humanity Outside Yourself – “Inventing yourself, making yourself, finding yourself, and taking yourself to market as if you were a brand exhausts and shackles.”

Don't Let the Culture Train Up Your Children in the Way They Should Go

Don't Let the Culture Train Up Your Children in the Way They Should Go – The culture is not going to push you to greater clarity or biblical fidelity.”

The Joy of God in Us: Why the Spirit Produces Happiness

The Joy of God in Us: Why the Spirit Produces Happiness – “This is how the New Testament typically describes the joy we receive from the Holy Spirit: hope in the glory of God’s grace, received by faith, fills us with deep joy in the Spirit.”