“Christ can restore lost years by deepening your fellowship with him. Why not ask him for this? Tell him, “Lord, I have spent too many years without you, too many years at a distance from you. Fill my heart with love and gratitude for Christ. Let the loss of these years make my love for... Continue Reading

“The world needs salt—not sugar. Although salt and sugar may look somewhat alike, when analyzed or when applied they are certainly different. Neither did Christ call Christians to be the shade of the world. We are not to muffle or encumber the light of the world. Rather we are to broadcast it. The metaphor of... Continue Reading

“Your time is much like your money: if you want to be generous with it, you must get organized.  Take a given week for example.  If you neglect to plan how you will use your time each day, you will most likely waste a lot of precious minutes (which add up to hours and days... Continue Reading

“That fear of “What will I say?” deters lots of people from hospital visits. But you don’t need to say a lot. In fact, silence often communicates more than our words. You can speak of Christ’s sufferings and of how He empathizes with us, and also share His care and compassion for the sick. And... Continue Reading

“One African-American church planter summarized these concerns well. In an interview for a dissertation on African-American church planters, the man said, “It is a struggle to not feel guilty about not being where other people think you should be, especially if you think that it is simply because of your skin tone…This is a struggle... Continue Reading

“Robert Smith, of Everett, said he was a church member from 2002-2007 and today regards himself as a “church member in exile,” because, he said, he ran afoul of church leaders after questioning the internal discipline of a former church elder. “If you question, you are seen as an agitator, you get thrown under the... Continue Reading

“Best known as the father-in-law of Billy Graham, Nelson Bell was a significant figure in his own right: missionary surgeon to China, founder of two magazines, and leader for southern Presbyterian conservatives and American evangelicals. In many ways he represented the thought, hopes, and aspirations of the new evangelicalism of the mid–20th century—for there was... Continue Reading

“James Montgomery Boice was the much-loved pastor of the historic Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia from 1968 until his death in 2000. A prolific author, he penned dozens of books and commentaries, including a massive and influential four-volume work on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. His long pastoral ministry was unblemished and his congregants remember... Continue Reading

“The focus here is on a sense of awe and respect for the majesty of God. That’s often lacking in contemporary evangelical Christianity. We get very flippant and cavalier with God, as if we had a casual relationship with the Father. We are invited to call him Abba, Father, and to have the personal intimacy... Continue Reading

“The pro-life, pro-marriage conservative began contemplating a congressional run while he served as associate pastor of music and worship at Lawndale Baptist Church in Greensboro. Though concerned about the erosion of freedom facing his three children, he also was burdened about the way some communicated his party’s message.”   Mark Walker’s transition from pastoral ministry... Continue Reading