Why’d The Pigs Have to Die?

Why’d The Pigs Have to Die? – “Why’d the pigs have to die? Because that’s what the demonic does. And we need to know that. Humanity cast our lot with darkness and this is part of the consequence. We also need to know and see that redemption is costly.”

Warring with All of Creation

Warring with All of Creation – “I have been in a cosmic battle with principalities and squirrels. I’m not kidding—it has begun to feel like creation has a vendetta against me. It’s an ongoing conspiracy.”

Give Me a Faith Like His!

Give Me a Faith Like His! – “When Joseph awoke he remembered the dream, he accepted it as God’s own revelation, and he received it as God’s own instruction. He set aside all thought of divorce, he took Mary as his wife, and he raised her son as his own.”

Can I Still Have Joy in Seasons of Doubt?

Can I Still Have Joy in Seasons of Doubt? – “Doubting is not a sign of no faith; it’s a sign of embattled faith.”

No One Who Abides In Him Keeps On Sinning

No One Who Abides In Him Keeps On Sinning – “John is not condemning the one who is seeking to overcome sin, but the one who habitually gives into sin without repenting.”

On Preparing Yourself for Corporate Worship

On Preparing Yourself for Corporate Worship – “There are practical and spiritual actions you can take to prepare your soul for worship to help you get more out of the service. If you find yourself wanting more out of your church’s worship services, then take ownership and consider doing the following.”

What Is God Up To?

What Is God Up To? – “We are praying for something that God himself defines as good: the salvation of a loved one, the healing of someone in pain, or justice for a horrible situation. Often, prayers continue to spill out of our hearts, and yet there seems to be silence from above. What is God up to?”

The House of Mourning Is Good for the Soul

The House of Mourning Is Good for the Soul – “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” How can this be so?

Encouragement for Suffering Saints

Encouragement for Suffering Saints – “Throughout the Bible and church history, we see that God uses suffering to prepare and equip His servants for usefulness in ministry. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 is the norm, not the exception, for those who would serve the Suffering Servant.”

Being Ready for Jesus’ Return Anytime

Being Ready for Jesus’ Return Anytime – “Think about that. If we did know the time Jesus would return, we could just work hard in the days leading up to that date. It would be like those who cram for their exams, staying up late and hoping to peak at the right time.”

Christians Should Marry Christians—but Why?

Christians Should Marry Christians—but Why? – “As with most big questions in life, the answer to why Christians shouldn’t marry non-Christians has roots in the garden.”

The Pro-Child Life: Three Ways We Love the Littlest

The Pro-Child Life: Three Ways We Love the Littlest – “Ever since Eden, God has given children a crucial role in the coming of his kingdom.”

What Is Sloth?

What Is Sloth? – “When was the last time you repented of sloth as a sin? Maybe never. Should sloth even be a sin on your radar as something for which Jesus died, something for which we should repent?”

Living in Light of Jesus’ Return

Living in Light of Jesus’ Return – This article provides not only a bullet point summary of what we know about Jesus’ return, but some practical points about how to live in light of it.

Arranged In The Body With Purpose

Arranged In The Body With Purpose – “It’s one thing to understand that we are the body of Christ, and that we are each like different parts of that body. … But it’s another thing to know that, not only am I a part of the body of Christ, but I am a purposeful part of the body of Christ.”

When Your Life Feels “Too Small”

When Your Life Feels “Too Small” – We’ve all been there – you look around at the seemingly mundane ways you spend your days and wonder, “Is this all there is?” This is a helpful lesson from the book of Ruth.

Ignoring Warning Lights In Your Car

Ignoring Warning Lights In Your Car – “Have you grown so comfortable living in a fallen world that you are driving with the warning lights on without any sense of concern?”

 

The Basics — Jesus Our Prophet, Priest, and King

The Basics — Jesus Our Prophet, Priest, and King – “In his threefold office as prophet, priest, and king, Jesus cures our ignorance, he removes our guilt, and he delivers us from our corruption. It is here that we find what it means for Jesus to be the only mediator of the covenant of grace.”

For Fathers of Young Children: Lessons from the Last Graduation

For Fathers of Young Children: Lessons from the Last Graduation – Here’s some good advice from an experienced father.

Distinguishing Judgment from Godly Reproof

Distinguishing Judgment from Godly Reproof – “It is difficult to think of a verse more misused than ‘Do not Judge’ (Matt. 7:1). If you are in the habit of reading the Word of God and upholding Godly standards, then you have most likely had this verse thrown your way while commenting on some behavior or trend of which God disapproves.”

 

Satan Does Not Hold the Keys of Death

Satan Does Not Hold the Keys of Death – “Christ’s grip is firm. He holds the keys because He owns the keys. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. That includes all authority over life and death. The angel of death is at His beck and call.”

Why You Should Guard Your Heart, and 3 Ways to Do It

Why You Should Guard Your Heart, and 3 Ways to Do It – “So we guard our hearts. But how do we do that exactly? Here are three suggestions.”

Fifty Years of Theological Battles

Fifty Years of Theological Battles – “The best way to prepare for faithful, obedient, fruitful ministry in the next fifty years is to know your Bible deeply, thoroughly, confidently, joyfully.”

Why Googling Won’t Cure Your Anxiety

Why Googling Won’t Cure Your Anxiety – “When I face suffering, doubt, or uncertainty, I’m tempted to believe that the more information I have, the more I can control the situation.”

Why We Do Not Evangelize

Why We Do Not Evangelize – “We know we should evangelize, but we do not, and we often excuse, justify or rationalize why we do not tell our unbelieving loved ones and strangers about the gospel. Let me suggest five reasons why we do not evangelize.”

 

Standing Strong in Affliction

Standing Strong in Affliction – “I have experienced seasons I thought would be the most uncomplicated or joyful of my life, but instead, they brought afflictions, problems, illness, or conflict. Some of those challenges even threatened my spiritual health and vitality. I did not bear much fruit in those seasons. And many of the issues seemed to come out of nowhere.”

How Were the Books of the Bible “Chosen”?

How Were the Books of the Bible “Chosen”? – “This particular framing of the question has a number of built-in assumptions that need to be recognized.”

 

21 Ways God Is Sovereign Over the Environment

21 Ways God Is Sovereign Over the Environment – “It’s amazing how much time and energy is spent thinking and talking about environmental issues today. Sadly, most of it is done without any reference to God, who controls every aspect of it.” 

Why We Sing About the Blood

Why We Sing About the Blood – “What does Jesus’s blood do? Or, How does the cross work? What is the blood of the new covenant for? There are at least three answers in Hebrews 9:15–22.”

Actively Waiting for Jesus

Actively Waiting for Jesus – “The Bible describes the Christian life as waiting for Jesus to come back, including in Matthew 24 and 25.”

Children’s Bible Questions and Tips for How to Best Answer Them

Children’s Bible Questions and Tips for How to Best Answer Them – “Thank God that children ask you questions! That means they’re interested in what God has to say about a subject.” Here are good things to remember whether you’re a parent or a Sunday School teacher.

Is the History of the Bible Important?

Is the History of the Bible Important? – “Unlike any other of the religions of the world, Christianity is uniquely and entirely dependent upon the historical veracity of its holy book, the Bible.”

Live for Days You Will Not See: The Beauty of Christian Legacy

Live for Days You Will Not See: The Beauty of Christian Legacy – “The world today knows many such leaders, who live for their own passing lives with little care for the generations to come. Our families and churches, however, desperately need leaders who will live for the welfare of days they’ll never see.”

8 Reasons We Should Evangelize

8 Reasons We Should Evangelize – “These eight reasons will, I pray, help to give you proper motivation to share the Gospel (even if you don’t feel like it).”

 

There Is One God

There Is One God – “The oneness of God is the first of two important instincts for Trinitarianism. It is what distinguishes the God of the Bible from the many gods and godlessness of human invention.”

What Does It Mean That All of Creation Groans?

What Does It Mean That All of Creation Groans? – “Amid the shouting and rejoicing of the heavens and the earth, you can hear another sound. Creation groans. Why does it groan? How does it? And when, if ever, will creation’s groaning end?”

Biblical Rules for a Happy Marriage

Biblical Rules for a Happy Marriage – “Here are ten lessons from Scripture that will be sure to enrich your marriage. Meditate upon them, and ask God to help you prayerfully, wisely, lovingly, and creatively put them into practice.”

Meet the Resurrected You

Meet the Resurrected You – “Revelation 22 shows us God’s plan for eternal Heaven is a redeemed earth free from the curse, inhabited by active, embodied people—wonderfully good news to all who imagine Heaven to be dull, boring, and unearthly. On the New Earth, “his servants will serve him” (Revelation 22:3). We will have things to do, places to go, people to see.”

The Purpose of Worship

The Purpose of Worship – “Creatures are made to worship their Creator. When anyone, be they human or angel, turns to think about who God is and what he’s done, the right response is worship.”

O Me of Little Faith

O Me of Little Faith – “Weak faith contents itself to have it so. Weak faith minds the times and stands no taller than is necessary. Weak faith knows that a host of awkward conversations, probable persecutions, and unquenchable sorrows are restrained on the other side of the dam.”

5 Foundations of Right Theology

5 Foundations of Right Theology – “Theology is done biblically, prayerfully, worshipfully, humbly, and together in community.”

13 Principles for Teaching the Bible

13 Principles for Teaching the Bible – “As they seek to improve at teaching the Bible, every pastor and teacher should consider these principles with every text they teach.”

Good News Refreshes the Bones

Good News Refreshes the Bones – “There are plenty of discouraging things happening in the world, and our hearts are affected by tragedy. Everyone we meet is carrying burdens, struggling with sins, dealing with disappointments.”

The Two Great Commands

The Two Great Commands – “The Two Great Commands don’t call you to loss they invite you to incalculable gain.”

5 Questions to Ask Before You Post on Social Media

5 Questions to Ask Before You Post on Social Media – “In Taming the Fingers, Pastor Jeff Johnson offers five practical questions that can help us cultivate heavenly wisdom in our use of social media:  Am I controlled?  Am I calm?  Am I careful? Am I compassionate?  Am I conscientious?”

Ten Reasons the Old Testament Matters for Christians

Ten Reasons the Old Testament Matters for Christians – Here are “ten reasons here why the “Old” in Old Testament must not mean “unimportant or insignificant.”

 

I’m a Continuationist with Cancer. I Still Believe in Healings.

I’m a Continuationist with Cancer. I Still Believe in Healings. – “God isn’t our Santa. He’s our sovereign. He’s not a cosmic EMT rushing to the scene. He is Almighty God, who is already and always on the scene.” This is well written and certainly describes my journey and that of so many.

If Satan Took Up Marriage Counseling

If Satan Took Up Marriage Counseling – Here are several ways Satan seeks to weaken and destroy marriages.

Location, Location, Location

Location, Location, Location – Your spiritual location determines your closeness to God and your sense of His nearness to you.

What to Do When You Don’t Enjoy Church

What to Do When You Don’t Enjoy Church – “Perhaps you’ve just struggled through another Sunday service. If you’ve ever wondered why sometimes church feels more like a burden than a blessing, here are five possible reasons why (and what you can do about them).”

Through the Valley

Through the Valley – “I’m not fond of the aging process or the accompanying aches, pains, and infirmities, but one thing I do like about increasing years is that I have more and more examples of God’s goodness and faithfulness to file away in my spiritual memory bank.”

Should Our Joy Depend on Our Circumstances?

Should Our Joy Depend on Our Circumstances? – “Often after I’ve experienced a good night’s sleep and a brisk run, God has felt nearer, my problems smaller, the solutions clearer, and my future brighter.”

Help! I Want to Make Friends at Church.

Help! I Want to Make Friends at Church. – “Whatever the reason, making friends at church often takes work. But if we dig in, commit to prayer, and make ourselves available to others, we’ll find these hard-fought friendships to be some of the richest. So where do we start?”

What Does Ecclesiastes 1:2 Mean?

What Does Ecclesiastes 1:2 Mean? – “Ecclesiastes reveals the necessity of fearing God in a fallen and frequently confusing and frustrating world.”

Nothing Is More Often Misdiagnosed Than Our Homesickness for Heaven

Nothing Is More Often Misdiagnosed Than Our Homesickness for Heaven – “What we really want is the person we were made for, Jesus, and the place we were made for, Heaven. Nothing less can satisfy us.”

Making the Christian Life More Complicated Than It Needs To Be

Making the Christian Life More Complicated Than It Needs To Be – “There is no circumstance in which God has nothing for us to do, no situation in which we cannot be faithful to his calling on our lives. He calls none of us to uselessness and calls none of us to another man’s life or ministry.”

How to Overcome Envy

How to Overcome Envy – “Consider three things that make envy uniquely miserable and how to combat it.”

3 Steps to Cultivating Spiritual Maturity

3 Steps to Cultivating Spiritual Maturity – Spiritual maturity doesn’t happen by accident.

Use Your Comfort Zone to the Glory of God

Use Your Comfort Zone to the Glory of God – “‘Get out of your comfort zone.’ We hear it all the time, from friends, family, business leaders, church leaders, and actually, the whole rest of the world, it seems. But I’m going to encourage you here to do just the opposite: to find your comfort zone and stay in it.”

3 Questions to Ask Yourself to Answer, “How Can I Know That I’m Saved?”

3 Questions to Ask Yourself to Answer, “How Can I Know That I’m Saved?” – “So how can you know that you have been saved? Perhaps through answering a few other questions.”

Shooting For The Earth

Shooting For The Earth – “I’m happy down here on Earth where I don’t have to breathe all that pressurized air. That’s why I’m not building a rocket. I’m tending a garden.”

Why We Need to Hear Sermons in Person

Why We Need to Hear Sermons in Person – “Some people believe there’s nothing lost by sermons being delivered outside of public preaching at a gathering of a local church. But much is missed when the sermon isn’t heard live, in person, and with other believers.”

39 Contrasts Between Just Two Kinds of People

39 Contrasts Between Just Two Kinds of People – “Most of these contrasts are either stated clearly or implied in the Gospel accounts. My goal is to expose us to this strong emphasis in Christ’s teaching.”

5 Bible Resources for Struggling Readers

5 Bible Resources for Struggling Readers – “With guidance from parents and help from these wonderful resources, even struggling readers can access God’s Word.”

Poured Out for Others: The Meaning of a Sacrificial Life

Poured Out for Others: The Meaning of a Sacrificial Life – The words of Leviticus help us to understand the language of “sacrifice” in the New Testament.

 

Should Our Joy Depend on Our Circumstances?

Should Our Joy Depend on Our Circumstances? – “The gospel is one great permanent circumstance in which I live and move; and every hardship in my life is allowed by God only because it serves his gospel purposes in me.”

What Forgiveness Is and Isn’t

What Forgiveness Is and Isn’t – “We see in Joseph the difference between forgiveness—which releases our own souls from bitterness—and reconciliation.”

Two Ways Parents Struggle to Provide for their Kids

Two Ways Parents Struggle to Provide for their Kids – “Here are a couple of ways, as the kids get older, that parents struggle in the area of provision.”

Hospitality is an Everyday Endeavor

Hospitality is an Everyday Endeavor – “When we think of hospitality as an event, we lose a lot of the meaning behind its purpose.”

 

Going to Church Is Hard but Worth It

Going to Church Is Hard but Worth It – “Sundays never fail to be tough. The plan is always to have the house clean and organized on Saturday, to do family devotionals, to set out and iron clothes for the morning, to go to bed early, and have a big happy breakfast together Sunday morning. Things never go according to plan.”

Can We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement?

Can We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement? – Was Luke a trustworthy historian. The evidence says he’s fully trustworthy.

Tell Yourself These Biblical Truths about Suffering

Tell Yourself These Biblical Truths about Suffering – These are all good reminders.

What Do We Give to God?

What Do We Give to God? – “When we assume a needy, expectant, Godward posture, God gets glory, not us.”

In Your Race of Faith, Run Together

In Your Race of Faith, Run Together – “As a follower of Jesus, you are a member of the body of Christ; every other Christian in the body is a fellow team member whose name is recorded on the roster and who runs alongside you in the same race of faith. You have pledged to run together with the people of God under the headship of Christ.”

Christians Who Feel They Don’t Need Church Anymore

Christians Who Feel They Don’t Need Church Anymore – “The fact that these evils have occurred, are occurring now, and will continue to occur, must not be allowed to justify or validate Christian living in isolation. I believe that God is not pleased with a rejection of the local church under any circumstances.”

He Gives To His Beloved Sleep

He Gives To His Beloved Sleep – “Most of the time, a newborn sleeping is cause for celebration and slumber but on this particular night, fears about my son’s life plagued my mind.”

When You Are Done But God Is Not

When You Are Done But God Is Not – “God is not done, even when we are. Life changes. God moves us from phase to phase. Be faithful in whatever your current stage is. Live there to the fullest, serving God and those He brings into your life.”

Traveling Down the Road to Biblical Illiteracy

Traveling Down the Road to Biblical Illiteracy – “America is traveling down the road to biblical illiteracy. Here is an example that recently took place.”

 

How to Pull Yourself Out of a Funk

How to Pull Yourself Out of a Funk – “Pay attention to these four steps—even if you’re not in a funk now, you’ll likely fall into one later and need help climbing out.”

Biblical Hope Is a Solid Certainty

Biblical Hope Is a Solid Certainty – “To many of us, ‘hope’ sounds wishful and tentative, but biblical hope means to anticipate with trust.

3 Reasons Why Grownups Need Kids’ Bible Stories

3 Reasons Why Grownups Need Kids’ Bible Stories – “It is a glorious thing to be a child. It is an unmistakable miracle to be a child of God.”

How to Live for God Through the Fear of Failure

How to Live for God Through the Fear of Failure – “What is success? And what is failure? Success may be defined as the fulfillment of a purpose or desire. We make a plan, the plan works, and we call that success. Failure as an experience is the opposite of success. We make a plan, the plan doesn’t work. We try something and it doesn’t work.”

God’s Will: How to Help Teens Find the True Purpose for Their Lives

God’s Will: How to Help Teens Find the True Purpose for Their Lives – God’s will is actually three wills.

What We Miss When We Skip the Book of Nehemiah

What We Miss When We Skip the Book of Nehemiah – “The book of Nehemiah offers loads for us about prayer, beginning with the example of Nehemiah as one who prays—frequently!”

What Does It Mean to Serve God?

What Does It Mean to Serve God? – “All God-pleasing service is done in the moment-by-moment reliance upon God’s service-enabling power.”

The Voices We Hear in Suffering

The Voices We Hear in Suffering – “In suffering, perhaps more than at any other time, we need to be attuned to God’s voice. Otherwise, we’ll be persuaded by the voices around us that tempt us to despair in our pain, to believe that God doesn’t care, to conclude that the world’s way to handle suffering is better than God’s way.”

Learning to Forgive Family

Learning to Forgive Family – “Nobody who has wronged you has ever come close to wronging you as badly as you have wronged God…Forgiveness is crucial.”

7 Unique Traits of Spiritual Leaders

7 Unique Traits of Spiritual Leaders – Some traits are common to leaders but these are common to spiritual leaders.

How a Christian Patriot Might Love His Wayward Country

How a Christian Patriot Might Love His Wayward Country – “We do not choose our homeland. It is something that we are born into. Thus our acceptance of our home is not like a house that we can leave when we tire of it. It is like the love we have for our family…”

Money Makes a Horrible Master and a Valuable Servant

Money Makes a Horrible Master and a Valuable Servant – “Money has social and economic benefits that can be used for the betterment of people. As a plow can be used for honest labor and a sack of grain for feeding a family, so money, which simply represents their value, can be used for good.”

Our Declaration of Dependence

Our Declaration of Dependence – The Gospel set the Apostle Paul free from independence to be truly dependent on God.

Preach Grace Until Feels Dangerous

Preach Grace Until Feels Dangerous – “Why preaching grace feels dangerous.”

Hope for the Slowly Sanctified

Hope for the Slowly Sanctified – “I should be further along than this by now.”

What Happens to Little Ones When They Die?

What Happens to Little Ones When They Die? – “If saving faith is always a gift from God, then it is a gift that God can give to babies and unborn children.”

If You Don’t Believe in Hell

If You Don’t Believe in Hell – “Beliefs ripple. But we make a concerted effort to ignore that. Especially within the system of Christian faith, people can be tempted to pick and choose which doctrines they are ‘okay with’ and which ones they leave behind. The problem lies in the ripples.” 

3 Laws for Truly Personal Evangelism

3 Laws for Truly Personal Evangelism – “When someone responds to evangelism, he isn’t responding to an argument but to persons, and this means evangelism must be more than information. It must be personal.”

Fourteen Signs That You Might Be Legalistic

Fourteen Signs That You Might Be Legalistic – “In Pat Nemmers’ book Retractions he offers a list of 14 signs that you might be legalistic. It’s far from the definitive word on the subject, but is perhaps a useful guide to considering whether you—yes you!—are legalistic.”

How Do I Face the Deaths of Others?

How Do I Face the Deaths of Others? – “Paul offers at least five lines of comfort and encouragement to grieving believers.”

The Gospel Explained

The Gospel Explained – “No matter who you are or what you’ve done, hear the magnificent news: there is more mercy in Jesus than sin in you.”

When We Cannot Stop the Tears

When We Cannot Stop the Tears – “I can’t stop the destruction that sin unleashed on the world. I can’t stop the tears of the ones I love. Neither can you. What do we do then when our tears fall? What do we do when all we can see is the aftermath of another tragedy?”

 

Of Questioning God

Of Questioning God – “Why? How? When? All of us who know the Lord have questions for him. But are they OK? Is it right to question God? Interestingly, the answer is not as simple as one might think. There is no clear yes or no.”

Money Makes a Horrible Master and a Valuable Servant

Money Makes a Horrible Master and a Valuable Servant – “As a plow can be used for honest labor and a sack of grain for feeding a family, so money, which simply represents their value, can be used for good.”