Faith is not just an important thing for Christians; it is THE important thing. Faith alone in Christ alone, as the Reformers would say. But as we emphasize the necessity of faith, let’s make sure we understand that it is more than intellectual agreement. That it is not passive. And that it is transformational.  ... Continue Reading

How does the New Testament authoritatively explain the particular Old Testament text before you? Through the light of the revelation of the gospel of Christ you are equipped to recognize clearly Jesus in the shadow lands of the Old Testament.   In the wake of the death and resurrection of Christ a number of Jesus’... Continue Reading

Scripture and our daily devotional/prayer time…focus us on kingdom things and help keep worldly cares from dominating our thinking. Are you able to “get away” for a while and give God your full attention? Or are daily devotions just a duty?   Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And... Continue Reading

The authentic Christian life is built on the authentic God. He is the Rock, and there is no other (Isaiah 44:8). He is the Lord, and there is no other (45:5). As His people together pursue authentically loving and living for Him, in many ways it will look very ordinary. But it is utterly extraordinary.  ... Continue Reading

In the book of Genesis, we can notice that God’s words to Abraham were reiterated to the later patriarchs—to Isaac and then to Jacob. The reiteration of promises showed a continuity of God’s covenant plan.    When the book of Joshua begins, the key character is not the young man he once was. Many years... Continue Reading

Please know you are loved. You are valued. And there is hope ahead. I know. I’ve been there. Many years ago. And now I’m exactly where God wants me to be. You will get there too.   Dear Pastor, I wish I did not have to write this letter. I wish your story were an... Continue Reading

In God’s word, we can clearly see God’s righteous rules, His unending kindness, and His perfect love. When someone perverts these glorious truths for their own ends, we must not welcome them into our hearts and minds.   Justice. Kindness. Love. As Christians, these are words that we let into our company with enthusiasm. We... Continue Reading

You cannot have the morals that come from God if one denies the existence of anything above experience. We now can see the outcome of this re-imagining Humanity, for it is coming in full view. It is where good and evil are reversed.   The other day I was reading (again) C. S. Lewis’s The... Continue Reading

Remembering who we are in Christ empowers our ability to live faithfully. If we are to be killing sin, we must remember our status in Christ. We belong to the Lord, body and soul, as the Heidelberg Catechism reminds us. Therefore, we are sanctified as we are being sanctified and, as a result, can trust the Lord in all... Continue Reading

The good news is that God makes His resurrection power available to us to walk in victory over sin. Unfortunately, many people think of this as automatic and do not take aggressive efforts to guard themselves.     I’ve heard people emphasize that when it comes to victory over sin, that it’s all about Jesus.... Continue Reading