God is calling each one of us to trust Him in what we do in everyday life, in what He has called us to do that day. Jesus resisted temptation by the Spirit and the word. He relied on the Holy Spirit for strength and countered Satan with the word of God. May God give... Continue Reading

Talarico sees government as a force of love, while scripture sees it as God’s instrument of justice. Talarico looks to the law to coerce “love.” The Bible, however, presents the church as the noncoercive vehicle that reveals God’s love in the world.   Pop star Haddaway asked “What is love?” in a 1993 hit song.... Continue Reading

Living in the wilderness is difficult. It can be very easy to overlook the difficulties the Israelites faced in the wilderness.…Yet, the wilderness does not cause rebellion. The wilderness merely reveals the rebellion in our hearts. We, like them, complain, though God has provided daily manna for us.   I work with youth aged students... Continue Reading

Enlightenment figures such as Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau sought to replace God and His covenant with the man-centered social contract. Even today, these distinctions are clear. It was Calvinist (Reformed) Christians in America who spoke up more than any other group against the tyranny of the COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates.   John Locke, though... Continue Reading

The only way we can hold fast to God in love is by faith. Christ came so that we can know God’s Name, call upon Him in prayer, receive His comfort in suffering, experience true satisfaction, and see His salvation.   Life is filled with twists and turns that trouble us. An evil person may... Continue Reading

It is not gracious and kind to withhold the gospel from those who, according to Jesus, are going to hell without Him. Sometimes what we imagine to be our graciousness and kindness is actually indifference or cowardice.   Years ago, when prolife speaker Gianna Jessen shared at our church, she said many memorable things. The... Continue Reading

The presence of God’s Word, coupled with our vigilance in knowing and heeding it, will keep both young and old pure in our way. Left on our own, we will drift toward sin and folly. How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. —Psalm 119:9 What Is... Continue Reading

What Psalm 8 says about mankind and about our relation to creation will be true because it is true for Jesus. There is redemption not just in the forgiveness of sins, as great as that is, but in the restoration of what it means to be human and what it means to be human in... Continue Reading

There is only one thing that will assure the long-term thriving of a church, and that is God’s grace, which He pours out lavishly on those who love His son Jesus Christ. God’s grace sustains the meek, the humble, the downtrodden…and yet are not crushed.   Have you ever been cut off by a car... Continue Reading

We have a perfectly compassionate Lord. The Good Shepherd teaches under-shepherds how to care for wounded sheep, stubborn sheep, needy sheep, and wandering sheep. May He help us to be so compassionate.   When is your compassion tested most in ministry? Recently, after a long and somewhat discouraging Sunday, I was finally sitting on the... Continue Reading