This lack of preparedness was exposed by my shock when I received my diagnosis. I thank God now for revealing through leukemia that my faith was shallower than I thought and, over time, helping me to surrender to and trust him in deeper ways.   A year ago, at age 46, my life as I... Continue Reading

This metaphor is first used by the apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 12:12-13, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews... Continue Reading

Martin Luther famously wrote crux sola est nostra theologica. Very often, we think of Luther’s theology of the cross primarily in terms of soteriology. However, a grieving person will struggle to find a more useful, simple, and redemptive theological foundation than the cross alone in times of suffering. The cross clearly answers the three pivotal, existential questions... Continue Reading

We want our young women to be strong for the right reasons, to fight for the right things. Young girls should be encouraged then to learn the Scriptures and see the beauty of Christ as it shines forth in the word of God. Understanding the truth of the gospel and how it impacts their lives... Continue Reading

There was a darkness that had set in. My sorrow and discouragement began to wrap around me and squeeze. It was hard to not experience my entire reality (my family, work, rest, prayers) through the filter of sadness and sorrow. “The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds and no more,” says Charles... Continue Reading

Unlike the pagan Gentiles, who did not have and did not know the Old Testament, when dealing with Jews and “God-fearing” Gentiles who knew and believed the Old Testament, Paul could go to the synagogue, find a willing audience, and then “reason” with them directly from the Scriptures.  Paul did this by “explaining” and “proving”... Continue Reading

Some verses are so crazy that they remind us that the Gospel works so much in the opposite way that humans think or act that it couldn’t have possibly been made up. As Spurgeon once stated, “I am sure it is God’s Gospel; for nobody could have invented it. A plan so just to God,... Continue Reading

One of the first things I discover when I study theology is that there is a God who exists outside of time and space, who exists outside our cosmos, who personally created our universe. The story of creation tells me that engineering is not just a job, but a privilege bestowed on me by the... Continue Reading

Some see the sermon as a fireside chat; others, as a stimulus for psychological health; still others, as a commentary on contemporary politics. But some still view the exposition of sacred Scripture as a necessary ingredient to the office of preaching.   The church of the twenty-first century faces many crises. One of the most... Continue Reading

I am in my 40s but am blessed to count several young adults in my friendship group and many more in my acquaintance. I have found them to be passionate for the gospel and incredibly hard workers. They are focused and open-minded and keen as jumping beans to learn. At the same time, they have... Continue Reading