God is neither a salesman nor a jolly Santa. First, God doesn’t need anything from us. God is fully and completely self-sufficient and independent of his creation (Rom. 11:34-35). His power and self-sufficiency make negotiations with God a fruitless effort.   In his book Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace, Miroslav Volf... Continue Reading

A wedding was taking place. Love was being celebrated. But the sub-text was the struggle for the soul of a Church and how people would hear about God. And if they did hear about Him, what kind of God they would hear about.   Michael Curry is a superb preacher and a delightful man. And... Continue Reading

Though Christ has overthrown sin’s power, we can give into temptation and allow sin to overthrow us. Our liberty can at times feel questionable as we struggle with our abiding sin. All believers struggle with sin generally, but most can identify a “besetting sin.” I’m referring to a unique area of weakness in which we... Continue Reading

iGen is a recent label given to those born between 1995 and 2012. It is 74 million Americans, or 24% of the population, and the most diverse generation in American history. It is also the most digitally connected and smartphone-addicted generation. iGen’ers were born after the Internet was commercialized in 1995. They have no pre-Internet memories.... Continue Reading

Starting today, for the next four weeks, my Timehop will remind me of moments I’ve spent the better part of this past year trying to process and accept. It will remind me of the hopeful times and the terrifying times. It will remind me of the things God taught me and the ways I struggled.... Continue Reading

The Reformed response to Dispsensationalism has been to remind us all that Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; 1:36; Rev 5:6; 7:17; 14:10; 15:3; 19:9; 22:1–3). He is the temple (John 2:19). He is our only high priest (Heb 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11–17). His sacrifice on the... Continue Reading

Plancius was born Pieter Platevoet (literally “Peter Flatfoot”) in 1552, in a town in West Flanders called Dranouter (now in the Flanders region of Belgium). His father, a fairly wealthy man and recent convert to Protestantism, sent him to Germany and England to achieve a good education. Peter’s studies focused on theology but included astronomy... Continue Reading

The preacher who finds an illustration and uses it repeatedly must surely find it to be the best wrapping for truth. The theologian who popularizes a pithy saying does so in order to package the essence of some biblical doctrine. The novelist who reintroduces a theme throughout his or her writing is convinced that it... Continue Reading

It is also important to recognize that becoming a world Christian—one whose commitment to Jesus and his kingdom is self-consciously set above national, cultural, linguistic, and racial allegiances—cannot be an end in itself. The aim is not to become so international and culturally flexible that one does not fit in anywhere; the aim, rather, is to become so... Continue Reading

Sexual misconduct is as old as sin, but the avalanche of sexual misconduct that has come to light in recent weeks is almost too much to bear. These grievous revelations of sin have occurred in churches, in denominational ministries, and even in our seminaries.   The last few weeks have been excruciating for the Southern... Continue Reading