Our goal is not to build people up to utilize their own inner resources or become better spiritual athletes. The cure of souls is instead geared to address spiritual dysfunction and disease, restoring health and life to souls burdened by guilt and torn by shame.   I’ve made it no secret that Harold Senkbeil’s The... Continue Reading

When we teach the doctrines of grace, we must aim for the head and the heart. Mind-only discussions of the doctrines from Dort will fall short of promoting a piety that is well-pleasing in the sight of God our Savior. Heart-applications and affections-aimed teachings of TULIP will shame us into humble and holy disciples of... Continue Reading

How can it be that something most of us once thought of as permanent (“till death do us part”) has become so fragile? Why have our expectations been so radically lowered that we’re scared, when we meet someone we haven’t seen for 10 years, to ask how the family is doing?   I’ve been watching,... Continue Reading

God’s shalom is one of the main themes of the Old Testament. The Israelites were redeemed as God’s people through God’s covenant, receiving God’s hesed (covenantal love), so that they could be a holy nation and worship God, all so that there might experience and share God’s shalom—an everything-as-it-should-be peace.   The apostle Paul begins... Continue Reading

The Bible makes it clear that guidance is not merely about the instructions God gives by way of direction for our life. Fundamentally it is all about our relationship with him as our Guide.   There seems to be a never-ending market in Christian circles for books on guidance. The reason for this, of course,... Continue Reading

The important thing to remember during those days of spiritual difficulty and genuine struggle against sin is that one is not striving to become a saint. That person is already a saint because God has marked him for his own and therefore has brought him to salvation. That discouraged and beaten down Christian can look... Continue Reading

Overcoming laziness is well within the normal scope of what God is pleased to do by the power of his Spirit in the work of sanctification. We may not be born again with a new work ethic in full form. We may still wrestle with all sorts of poor patterns from our past and upbringing... Continue Reading

We have a culture that is image-focused and impulsive, which is contrary to disciplines that are required to produce character. Consequently, we have a society that does not produce many men and women of character. There are few individuals whose moral integrity make them stand out from the crowd and are worthy of emulation.  ... Continue Reading

Godly contentment is a means of great gain because its satisfaction is based not on the gifts but on the Giver. It is not constantly and insatiably seeking for more. It understands that man brings nothing into this world and can take nothing out. Therefore, believers should not act as if material possessions were the... Continue Reading

Wisdom sayings and admonitions are not law commands per se, although keeping God’s law is surely wise. Mostly, we prefer laws since they tell us what to do. Wisdom, on the other hand, takes more effort, so we tend to shy away from learning how the world works and the reasons, benefits, and purposes of... Continue Reading