The hymns that evangelicals have sung—songs originating with Charles Wesley, John Newton, William Cowper, Fanny Crosby, African American spirituals, Horatius Bonar, Ira Sankey, and more—come from different eras, classes, and socio-economic conditions. But these hymns, diverse as they are, still share significant commonalities. Noll sees three threads running through classic evangelical hymnody: The scandal of... Continue Reading

In contrast to the homeschooling endeavor I have pursued for more than a decade—where we are able to take the good parts of education and create a whole that far exceeds its constitutive parts—home-churching has proven to have quite the opposite result: Most of the parts are present, and yet they fail miserably to create a... Continue Reading

Our union with Christ began before the foundation of the world as the individual is elected in Christ (Eph. 1:4). He has predestined us to adoption in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5). Although elect from before the world began, we enter into creation as condemned sinners (Eph. 2:1-3) and need to experience the grace of God... Continue Reading

This pandemic has touched us all in more ways than one. For Christians, the cancellation of in-person worship services has been particularly distressing. At times, even prayer seems difficult. We want to ask God to fix it, to put an end to this pain, but we know this is his work. In the end, he... Continue Reading

Joseph’s story illustrates powerfully how God works through His people when they refuse to let bitterness and revenge rule their hearts (Gen. 37–50). Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, falsely accused of rape, and abandoned by people whom he helped in prison. He was later elevated to commander of Egypt under Pharaoh... Continue Reading

If I were to die from COVID-19, or anything else, there will be no replacing my void as a husband or father. Losing a parent, child, or spouse leaves a permanent scar. Or maybe it’s more like a missing limb—a vital part that is supposed to be connected to the body, but no longer is. Here,... Continue Reading

Defoe’s Christianity comes through in A Journal of the Plague Year as it did in Robinson Crusoe. The government encouraged people “to implore the mercy of God.” One mother prayed to God that her child did not have the plague. As the pestilence increased its victims, they “would go praying and lifting up their hands... Continue Reading

Since the Ten Booms were not Jewish, the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands did not present a direct threat to them as a family. Recognizing God’s love for their Jewish friends and neighbors, the family was propelled to care for these innocent lives threatened by the powers of evil. Later on, when the family came... Continue Reading

How many of our debates about headship and submission might disappear before a new army of godly men rising from apathy to model the self-giving Christ? Men who do not sacrifice their children for their careers. Men who refuse to apologize for God’s assignment as head in the home and who do not shrink back... Continue Reading

We’re called to share in the suffering of our brothers and sisters. In Romans 12:15, Paul tells us, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” We’re also called to compassion. As 1 Peter 3:8 says, “All of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be... Continue Reading