“According to multiple sources, Jesus was condemned to die for specific reasons. He attempted to lead Israel away from God through miraculous deeds. His enemies attributed his works to the devil as acts of sorcery. He was then condemned to die for blasphemy for claiming to be God. Jesus was handed over to Pontius Pilate... Continue Reading

“According to the dominant paradigm shared by most people, religious and secular alike, the world is now divided into two camps: people of faith and people of no faith. But this either-or template is mistaken.”   Begin with a sobering fact. During the past ten years, some of the sharpest observers of our time have... Continue Reading

“First, in a lament, you’re talking to God, not about God—implying that you still trust God. God’s response to grumbling in Numbers is opening the ground underneath the Israelites. Lament, to be safe, should be done in the context of worship. But, Longman said, Christians have lost the tradition of lamenting in Christian worship.”  ... Continue Reading

“This plan does not have set readings for each day. Instead, it has set books for each month, and set number of Proverbs and Psalms to read each week. It aims to give you more flexibility, while grounding you in specific books of the Bible each month.”   Many Christians take the beginning of a new... Continue Reading

“For Old Schoolers, though, the relentless persistence of Christmas in all its schmaltz and devotion is an indication of how little discomfort Christians feel about making their own holiday an affair for Muslims, Jews, and secularists to enjoy or endure. Imagine thinking that Frank Sinatra’s Christmas albums would sell in Istanbul.”   In the mood... Continue Reading

“In this way, porn is even more insidious than a traditional, in-person affair, because it not only robs the wife of the fidelity and honor she is owed, but it even robs her of the right to feel angry and forsaken by her husband’s infidelity.”   I wrote an article last week about a husband’s... Continue Reading

But at that moment, there was something about hearing the words, in the King James Version, as old and familiar to me as my own security blanket: “And the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.” It hit me that this was my problem: I was sore afraid.  ... Continue Reading

“This particular meeting came on the tail end of one doozy of a year. We had just moved into a new church facility at a completely new location. The process of transferring to that new location was all encompassing, and everyone was exhausted by the time the move was complete.”   “How are you doing?”... Continue Reading

“Through sincere reflections about the wife he cherishes and the tragedy they endure, Groothuis reacquaints us with biblical lament. Coursing through the devastation, we find the hope of the kingdom to come, and the living Word that gives voice to our grief.”   In this era of Facebook feeds and selfies, when image clothes identity,... Continue Reading

“My best friend from high school’s mother celebrates her birthday on the 21st. God has given her another year of life, and today they rejoice in that gift. Today was also my father’s birthday. It has been four years since dad died. December 21st brings with it a flood of memories.”   “Rejoice with those... Continue Reading