“When our ethnic and political identities fail us and show themselves to be weak, God shows Himself powerful. It is because of my identity as His redeemed child, an identity that transcends both racial and national identity, I can have hope and true satisfaction when despair and disappointment surround me.”   Advent is the season... Continue Reading

“Keller beautifully displays multiple facets of the gospel within the Christmas story. In fact, insofar as it’s the fulfillment of God’s promise to save his people, the Christmas story is the heart of the gospel. Keller’s extended exposition of what it means for Jesus to be Immanuel—God with us—is an enriching section in which the core truths... Continue Reading

“When we put our minds long to the idea of Jesus being one hundred percent God and simultaneously one hundred percent man, they naturally feel overwhelmed. The orthodox doctrine of the Incarnation is compelling, beautiful, biblically sensible, and salvifically necessary, but it is nevertheless utterly inscrutable.”   Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today... Continue Reading

“We forget that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. We forget that God will make all things new in the new heaven and new earth. We forget God’s promises. We forget the law. We forget the gospel. We forget God’s faithfulness. And yet, God never forgets us.”   We are a forgetful people.... Continue Reading

Murphy said Christian groups not affiliated with the school sometimes visit the monument to commemorate the Haystack Prayer Meeting, and the outside visitors are important. Their visits, however, have to be balanced with the college’s “responsibility to past and future students.”   A monument honoring the formation of the first American missions society may be... Continue Reading

The natural reaction of the despairing person is to dismiss any surfacing consciousness of despair as a mere episode of some sort to be escaped and forgotten as quickly as it arose. Kierkegaard, however, insists such episodes are symptomatic of our actual “sickness unto death” that can only be cured through faith.   A piercing... Continue Reading

First, limited atonement does not mean that the gospel announcement should not go to all people. The call of the gospel is “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” We announce that to all people.   The concept of “limited atonement” does not mean that we limit the power of the... Continue Reading

“Declawing the Bible of its warnings against and judgments upon sin is not good for the church. In other words, being allergic to God’s judgment is unhealthy for both the preacher and the church.”   I have a lot of allergies. My allergies are enough for me to be reminded and for others to notice. I... Continue Reading

“The mistake is to assume that the current trend towards a larger secular population means that religion is giving up the ghost. As shown in the below chart, the data indicates the opposite. The number of Americans who are highly engaged with their faith has not changed very much.”   Pollsters in the United States... Continue Reading

“In times of trouble.. you’ll find the gaines family at church,” Chip Gaines tweeted on Sunday morning, days after the celebrity couple were lambasted by Buzzfeed and Cosmopolitan magazine for attending Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas, where Pastor Jimmy Seibert has preached that the practice of homosexuality is a sin.   HGTV stars Chip and... Continue Reading