How can we know the Christ who died for our sins, let alone anything about the world around us?  The Bible is our answer. The Bible is the word of God and it is authoritative, not because it has the best narrative that we might be able to squeeze into, but because it is true.... Continue Reading

In this time of siege and struggle, surrounded by a powerful and deadly enemy, Satan calls us to surrender: “Stand down. Give in. Stop fighting and your life will be so much easier.” But Christ is coming soon. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Bright Morning Star. We have washed our robes in his blood.... Continue Reading

The declaration is packed with helpful lines of thought for preachers to plunder and start using in their preaching, for Christians to absorb into their thinking and impress upon their children, and for us to start using in our conversations with a world very, very confused and on this issue.   The Greater Love Declaration is a... Continue Reading

One of the worst things about the contemporary reformed is the inability to distinguish friends from enemies. It’s a primary facet of biblical wisdom but we don’t have it.    Taking a little heat recently for hanging around people with bad theological reputations. Geez…they have no idea what kind of people I’m known to hang... Continue Reading

If you keep “glorifying God through faithful and clear communication of your text” as the goal of your preaching, then trimming down your sermon can become just another act of faithfulness and worship.   For me, the hardest part of preparing a teaching or sermon is figuring out what information to leave out. Cutting down a sermon... Continue Reading

Christians may be a genuinely prophetic voice against the injustices of our culture. We may need to sharpen some critiques, such as those against current manifestations of greed, while on others, such as those related to sex and gender, we need the courage to continue to proclaim Biblical truth against the cultural tide.   The... Continue Reading

While God occasionally displays his glory through miracles, he far more commonly displays it through the beauty of providence. Look for it and you will see it; see it and you will praise him for it.   I suppose it is possible that I have witnessed a miracle in my lifetime, but if so, I’m... Continue Reading

Years have passed since that difficult period in our lives. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anybody. I am grateful, though, for the lessons that God taught us in that difficult year.   We’d just started the process of planting a church when we got a phone call that changed our lives. We didn’t know... Continue Reading

The person who gets sinfully angry has forgotten his new gospel identity in Christ. When we’re tempted to respond to people or circumstances with sinful anger, it is the renewal of our minds with biblical truths that will empower us to walk in grace and humility.   The key to overcoming anger is what you... Continue Reading

The risen and ascended Christ has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). People from every tribe, tongue, and nation are being redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The risen Christ will reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet, including the last enemy, death itself (1 Corinthians 15:25–26). As the... Continue Reading