The path ahead requires courage. It is far easier to drift with the cultural tide than to anchor again in the Word of God. But the church does not need more cultural critics; it needs shepherds who will feed the sheep with truth, not theory.   Introduction: The Quiet Crisis in the Mainline Church Walk... Continue Reading

Not only do we remind ourselves of this hope, we draw alongside others to minister to them in their grief. Not that we use the message of hope to dismiss or rebuke their grief, but we are ready with the word of life to apply the balm of Gilead to their aching souls.   others... Continue Reading

Encouragement builds others up, strengthens their hearts knowing that they are not forgotten or neglected, and that God is using them….our criticisms will, of course, have the opposite effect.   And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and... Continue Reading

Rather than guilt or asceticism, Paul offers freedom—to work diligently, enjoy gratefully, and give generously under Christ’s lordship. The Pauline balance sheet should not be a burden but a rubric of grace for discerning heart motives and aligning our possessions with kingdom living.   In the heart of 18th-century England, John Wesley began ministry with... Continue Reading

Let’s fill our minds with God’s works and words, and let’s think deeply about them. May God help us to do the hard work of meditation, and may God give us understanding in all our meditation. Let’s meditate before we google.   There is an often neglected discipline in the Christian life: Meditation. Meditation should... Continue Reading

This conversation was the key to Lewis’s conversion. It provided a means to unite his mind and heart around the Gospel, to connect what he loved with what he saw as truth.    On September 19, 1931, three friends had a conversation on Addison’s Walk, a tree-lined path on the grounds of Magdalen (pronounced “Maudlin”)... Continue Reading

Waiting is commanded in the Bible. Listen to Psalm 27. The end of the psalm says this: “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. So wait for the Lord. Be strong. Let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord.”   Focus on Who God... Continue Reading

As Dr. R.C. Sproul observed, many Christians live with what he called “happy inconsistencies;” they affirm certain biblical truths while unknowingly holding contradictory beliefs. Everyone is a theologian, R.C. said, but the question is whether they are a good one or a poor one. And poor theology—no matter how sincerely held—can lead to confusion, compromise,... Continue Reading

Hallelujah for the true story of mankind and the privilege to know God through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord! He is the way to all that is ahead.   You can. In the Bible reading plan that I’m currently using every day, I finished the last book of the New Testament... Continue Reading

After Jesus goes to the cross, dies, resurrects, and ascends, he gives his own Spirit to every believer. Then, Christ’s mission is unbound and advances exponentially. The world now sees Christ’s body wherever his church is found. Imbued with the gifts of heaven, the church puts Jesus’s manifold glory on display (Romans 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians... Continue Reading