This world is full of fake smiles, of smoke and mirrors and pretending. But the church should not be like the world around it. As Christians, we gather as a people that rejoices in God’s undeserved grace and that trusts that our great God and Savior will one day bring an end to all sin,... Continue Reading

God’s Word not only warns us about becoming bitter, but it also gives us clear instructions on how to respond to others who are bitter and perpetually contentions persons: “Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned” (Titus 3:10-11).   There are several... Continue Reading

Remaining temptation is not a sign of God’s lack of care for us. Rather, we should see remaining temptation as God’s grace to us….Let temptations drive us to be watchful, to draw near, and to love grace more.    The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may... Continue Reading

Spurgeon is right that true worship does not forget that the veil is torn, and we are beckoned to come to God as a child draws near to a father. Corporate worship needs to be blended: solemn reverence for God and affectionate joy in God.   If you spend enough time in a church, the... Continue Reading

John’s presentation of the Pierced One as Feast is not merely a fascinating example of the Christocentric hermeneutic through which the apostolic mind reads Scripture, it is also a direct answer to the soul-hunger of the human race—to your soul’s hunger and mine.  Humanity is Hungry Food is the first gift explicitly given by God... Continue Reading

Luther understood that marriage and child-rearing take place in a world deeply marred by sin and death. He sees parenting as pleasing to God, a divine service for which sinners are “not worthy.” When Christians parent their children by faith in Christ, “God, with all his angels and creatures, is smiling.” Luther believed that the... Continue Reading

We should not wait until some medical emergency or tragedy hits us before we start taking God and our relationship with him seriously. We need to live a life of service here on earth, but always with a view to eternity. Too many folks simply think in these terms: “Life is short, better enjoy it.”... Continue Reading

We’re to be a household, even a stronghold, of prayer, and the officers of our congregations need to take the lead here. Prayer, public and congregational or private and individual, is not just a duty; it is a privilege. More than that, it is a means of grace.   The challenges that confront the congregations of... Continue Reading

Ecclesiastically, we have nothing at stake in the papal election. But culturally we Protestants do have an interest in who the next pope will be. Let’s hope he’s less ambiguous than the last.   The death of Pope Francis has captured the imagination of the wider world and perhaps inevitably raised the question of how... Continue Reading

At root, we are nations who have forgotten what freedom is for, choosing instead to define freedom by what we are free from, such as rules, constraint, or responsibilities. Freedom is always unsustainable for a morally malformed people. The freedom to do however we wish always leads to tyranny, either slavery to one’s own passion or slavery to... Continue Reading