This teaching certainly seems logical: if the gospel saves us, it must save us from discouragement! It also appears to be wonderfully spiritual. After all, are we not ‘more than conquerors through him who loved us’ (Rom. 8:37)? But this is not biblical logic, nor is it true spirituality.   From time to time over the... Continue Reading

One or more of these five causes is usually at the heart of ongoing conflict within marriage. Often they seem small (what’s a little selfishness in an otherwise okay relationship?), but if these unhealthy roots are allowed to remain without being addressed, the relationship will weaken over time.   Our first fight as a married... Continue Reading

Porn is everywhere, and the research is grim. States are lining up to declare it a public health hazard, and while a handful of people might mock the wave of legislation, Americans on both sides of the aisle are realizing: this is an actual catastrophe. These sites, the same ones teaching kids a distorted and twisted... Continue Reading

“We very much hope that they, like everyone else, feel encouraged to serve on PCCs, or as churchwardens and worship leaders, for instance, and are supported in exploring vocations to licensed lay and ordained ministries,” the guidance says. “Nobody should be told that their sexual or gender identity in itself makes them an unsuitable candidate... Continue Reading

Privilege-checking has its roots in academia (of course) but when it first emerged three decades ago it was a minority pursuit. Back in 1988, Peggy McIntosh, professor of women’s studies, wrote a paper called “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies.” In it, she... Continue Reading

Home church models seem to take what was birthed out of necessity in the New Testament and present it as normative. Paul was persistently persecuted. At various points in his ministry, he was pressed out of multiple cities shortly after winning converts in those cities (Acts 17: 1–10). In other words, his short tenures in... Continue Reading

The First Step Act overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week with not only bipartisan support from lawmakers, but also the support of a number of prominent evangelical Christians and institutions. And while the bill’s fate in the Senate is uncertain, the support it’s gotten from both sides of the aisle is already being counted... Continue Reading

The title, 12 Rules for Life, sounds like a self-help book for a reason. But it’s tongue-in-cheek. This isn’t Your Best Life Now. This isn’t How to Win Friends and Influence People. The book could be alternatively titled Life Is Suffering: How to Deal with It.   12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. By Jordan B. Peterson. Random... Continue Reading

In saying that temptation’s power lies in the impression it makes on us, I’m referring to the very moment of temptation, when we recognize and feel its luring appeal. But deceitful impressions only have a luring appeal to the degree that we already have a vulnerable disposition to a sinful desire.   The power of... Continue Reading

The concern is that Jesus seems to be identifying Himself as the nobleman (or the king) in the story. Does that mean He was ordering His followers to round up those who refused to be under His rule and have them executed? No, for at least two reasons.   In the gospel of Luke, Jesus... Continue Reading