We live in a culture that doesn’t like persevering; we live in a culture that likes escaping. People escaping to amusement, fathers escaping responsibility, mothers escaping boredom, employees escaping the daily grind—it’s a culture bent on escape.   A select few Christian virtues seem to get all the press. Love, joy, hope, faith—we often talk... Continue Reading

A farmer sows seeds into the ground with the harvest in mind. Tilling, sowing, watering, and weeding are all difficult tasks, but in the end, they yield a crop. Like a farmer focuses on the harvest, we set our eyes upon our eternal rest and reward in Christ. Indeed, such a focus will help us... Continue Reading

In Genesis 3:15, God plants the promise of a future son who will be victorious through suffering. And across the Old Testament, that promise grows. Jesus is the Branch emerging from the messianic hope that grows not only through the Old Testament but through David’s family in particular.   There are different titles to give... Continue Reading

Handel’s Messiah really does open up a plethora of other questions for evangelical churches to consider about the overflow of our hearts to the actions we take within this world, to the things we say, the things we sing, and the things we create and build for the blessing of future generations.   To the evangelical... Continue Reading

Just as fish are made for water, a Christian is made for confidence in Christ and for unselfish love of neighbor. If teens search for freedom in people-pleasing or selfish independence, they’ll be enslaved. But if we teach them to live as God has made them, aligned with their Christian identity as “perfectly free lords”... Continue Reading

Too many churchgoers never take their sin seriously. They presume on God’s grace by either persuading themselves they will repent eventually later in life, or by persuading themselves that they can sin safely because God is merciful.    How Can Churchgoers End Out in Hell? How do churchgoers wind up in hell? We should not... Continue Reading

Perhaps the best gift you can bring to God is not a list of good deeds, but evidence of a character that has become transformed to the image of Jesus Christ. The deeds will follow the character.   Not every thought makes a good article and sometimes an entire article can be distilled down to... Continue Reading

Christmas is the most wonderful time of year because it points us to the first and second advents of the King. It reminds us that peace on earth is not an empty slogan, but a purchased reality brought by the Shepherd King. We sing and rejoice because Christ came, he died, he rose again, he ascended... Continue Reading

If you’ve ever walked with someone through a losing battle with cancer or been around a person whose mind, for all practical purposes, died long before their body, the idea of sparing them from that fate can seem merciful. On some level, maybe it is. But the Bible teaches that—with few exceptions—when a life ends is up... Continue Reading

Will we turn ourselves towards God and his Kingdom, knowing that we cannot help ourselves but desperately need the Christ to change the world and our hearts? Because the axe is laid at the root of the tree that does not bear good fruit.   I wonder if you’ve ever cut down a tree? I’ve... Continue Reading