If everyone can ‘be good’ by their own will, we expect everyone to rise up to this occasion, and then when someone does not, whatever contempt we feel toward that person is justified. So while the call to ‘be good’ is inclusive, it is also unclear. What does it mean to be good, how good to... Continue Reading

Staying is hard when life is difficult. But it’s also hard to stay when ministry is boring even if the church is thriving. But staying is worth it. Staying in a church isn’t easy during hard days and boring days. Staying even during successful days takes courage and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.... Continue Reading

Who is the God who gives his promises to us? He is the God of might, who created the world by his word. He is the God of wisdom, who makes a way in the wilderness. He is the God of tenderness, who carries his children home. And he is bigger than all of our... Continue Reading

You cannot escape the way the Bible presents the reason some people receive the light and others don’t. All are born roaches and only the will of God changes us into moths. An application for us is to preach the gospel to all people with confidence. Give all glory to God for our salvation, keeping none... Continue Reading

The world, and our culture especially, fills us with a false hope that every question has an answer, an answer which will soon be available to us.  The good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection, however, speaks to our heart in the midst of mystery, saying, ‘In this world you will have trouble. But take... Continue Reading

What we see in these situations is not merely the corruption of the broader culture, where emotionalism has overthrown reason; it is something much worse, emotionalism usurping the authority of revelation. I would like to suggest three stages in Christian surrender to pagan culture.   Not so long ago, a bit of internet clickbait urged... Continue Reading

This question was not a question of curiosity, but a question in search of loopholes in the command to apply the law of God to our interactions with our neighbors. It’s a question that continues to be asked today. All of us know we haven’t loved our neighbors as ourselves. And, like the lawyer, we... Continue Reading

God is better than you can imagine. At heart of all sin is unbelief. In fact, sin began when Adam and Eve chose not to believe what God said about himself. The identity we assign to God will define our own. “If He is the Creator, then we are created. If He is Master, then... Continue Reading

Time and time again the apostles write with a “gospel grammar.” They write first about what God has done or has promised to do for us, and then about what God is doing in us and through us as we respond to him in faith and love. In the first twelve verses of 1 Peter... Continue Reading

Some jargon comes directly from Scripture. For example, “saved” appears many times in God’s Word, and it generally has the sense we give it in church circles. “Saved” is an important biblical term, and the danger is not that it’s misleading, but that we use it thoughtlessly, so the term loses its heft. But more... Continue Reading