If asked, “Do you want to be closer to Jesus, and more like him?” we all know what we should say. Yet, if God answered all our prayers for relief from suffering, he would be delivering us from the very thing we say we want. Christlikeness is something to long for, not be delivered from.... Continue Reading

The Song of Solomon appropriately celebrates the only kind of intoxication that the Bible advises, which is that we should be drunk on the love of our wives and husbands, but it celebrates that intoxication with a clear-eyed, morning-after sobriety. It doesn’t present the unimproved, unexamined, sophomoric, sickly sweet cotton candy goo of immature infatuation.   Last... Continue Reading

Genre is “literary context.” Genre defines how a certain literary event fits within culturally adjacent literary events. To ask about a work’s “genre” is to ask “how is this work similar to other works, and how does that allow me to better interpret what it is trying to accomplish?” Furthermore, determining discourse type, or literary... Continue Reading

Christ bore our greatest burden and pressing priority (our sin and its due penalty). Therefore, he is uniquely and gloriously suited to bear every other burden we have. He is like Atlas holding the weight of our world upon his shoulders. He alone can bear the freight of all of our troubles. It is to our... Continue Reading

Augustine insists that all Christians affirm three central beliefs about the resurrection.  First, Christ himself has been raised from the dead and is alive in heaven.  Second, there will be a future resurrection of humanity.  And third, the human body itself is immortal.  Interestingly, the verse from which each of these fall out is, for... Continue Reading

After the normal greetings and sharing of news, Farel (like all good preachers do) got straight to the point. He asked Calvin to stay at Geneva and help with the work of the church and the reform of this community. He politely declined Farel’s offer, pointing out he was headed to Strasbourg for his studies.... Continue Reading

Piers Morgan, after being invited to an event at the Playboy Mansion, said “It was the nearest thing to a Caligula-style Roman orgy I have ever experienced.” We’re back to Rome. We’re back to the Roman orgies and that’s seen as good. It’s viewed as sexual liberty, and that’s what the culture now looks forward... Continue Reading

The lie Satan told in the Garden of Eden—“you can be like God”—is the same one that propagates the need for perfection. Christ would rather pastors humbly admit they’re not God, and thus, can’t do all things well at the same time. Wisely embracing limitations allows pastors to determine where they want to strive for excellence... Continue Reading

Singing is not merely a performance; it is an intimate form of interaction. Singing was created by God to be a divine discourse. It is an honest form of communication made holy by the expression of the very things we often consider to be unholy—that is, our doubt, anger, despair, or any other difficulty.    Why... Continue Reading

Even as Jesus receded from view, his disciples still heard him blessing—and for good reason. This cloud elevator to heaven was not just some simple means of transportation. Rather, this was Bethany—the place of triumph. Here are five ways the ascension brings comfort to every Christian today.   Before he was taken up, Jesus turned... Continue Reading