Bathrooms Are Not the Real Battlefield
Unrelenting pressure for “acceptance” will continue.
Let’s not allow ourselves to be deceived. McBride called the bathroom fracas a distraction. That’s largely true. Many Republicans are eager to appear as adversaries of “cultural Marxism.” But few are willing to offer the slightest resistance to any of the achievements of modern feminism or gay liberation. These movements endorse the basic premise of... Continue Reading
4 Emotions That Are Hidden Beneath Your Anger
Once we have seen that beneath our expression of anger lies the experience of shame, we are ready to hear the twofold comfort of the gospel.
Look beneath anger, and you will often find grief and loss. But as we seek to speak into our experiences of anger in the face of loss, we need to be alert both to right and wrong expressions of indignation. It is right to feel indignant when our enemy death does his damaging work; that... Continue Reading
How the 1960s Transformed America’s Faith and Accelerated its Moral Decline
The “social justice” drift of the past sixty years has only left empty pews, often with a few gray-haired individuals scattered across an increasingly cavernous sanctuary.
The abandonment of biblical truth in churches since the 1960s has not only led to a hemorrhaging of members but also increasing numbers of youth who have become alienated from the faith. Because these churches are no longer salt and light in their communities, they have become increasingly irrelevant. By conforming to the culture, rather... Continue Reading
What Would It Take for You to Say Someone You Know Is Sinless?
The claim that Jesus was sinless circulated among people who knew Jesus—and this provides a powerful apologetic for the presence of supernatural power in him.
The suggestion that Jesus never sinned is a jarring claim, particularly when you recall that the first adherents of this belief were Jewish. The Jewish Scriptures repeatedly affirm that everyone sins both intentionally (1 Kings 8:46; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20) and unintentionally (Psalm 19:12). And so, the initial spread of the belief that Jesus was... Continue Reading
This is Your Brain on Materialism
Why it matters that the mind and soul are more than mere products of the brain.
If materialism were true, Wright and other materialists who insist the mind and the soul are nothing but mere products of the brain cannot trust these thoughts. Their thoughts about the brain, or anything else, would be products of material causes and no more significance than steam wafting from a bowl of oatmeal. In Chesterton’s... Continue Reading
You Can’t Life-Hack Your Way to Holiness
The spiritual life is more about learning to abide in Christ than about following a pattern.
The truth is, spiritual growth takes time. Life is full of constraints, and many of the distractions and frustrations and even the people we may think are getting in the way of our disciplined routines are themselves the slow but necessary pathway to holiness. When I speak with older believers who radiate the joy of... Continue Reading
10 Mistakes I Made When Reading the Bible
Learning to read the Bible well, takes skill. It takes time. But it is worth putting in that effort.
While we should read the books of the Bible in their literary context, we mustn’t forget that God has inspired every word. He is the ultimate ‘series’ editor. This means that we should expect greater depth and more connection between books of the Bible than might be expected if they were only written by humans.... Continue Reading
The Goodness of Jesus
Let us know our God and worship Him because He is great and He is good.
God has most clearly shown us His goodness in the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. The Goodness of God is the Goodness of Jesus. He has saved us apart from our works. He regenerates us, renews us, gives us His Spirit, and justifies us freely. Now we are heirs of heaven and have... Continue Reading
Marie Durand — Part 3: The Indelible Legacy of the 1572 Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
"I hope that God will deliver me, and if God gives me this grace, I will not leave you in a strange land."
[After twenty-two years of imprisonment. Marie offers to manage Anne’s finances, urges her to work hard, to be wise and godly, and not to rush into marriage.] “to Mademoiselle [Anne] Durand, at Onex, near Geneva, The Tour de Constance, April 27, 1752. The time must seem very long to you, my darling daughter, and no... Continue Reading
Making Gratitude a Portal to Unity
The intimacy, security, and belonging we desire with God travels across the bridge of thanksgiving that we construct daily.
We tend to look at gratitude the way we look at honesty, you either have it or you don’t. However, neither of these virtues works this way. As with all the fruit and characteristics of the Spirit, thanksgiving grows in us through dedicated focus and pursuit. Appreciation for God’s goodness to us is a learned... Continue Reading