Starting at the beginning to recognize features of God’s and the serpent’s work can invigorate our study of Scripture, clarify difficult passages, and help us recognize God’s character in his repeated actions.   The early chapters of the Bible present stories that seem distant from our experiences, difficult to comprehend, even disturbing. Yet in them... Continue Reading

Spirituality is an area of ongoing interest to those outside the Christian faith, and so our neglect of these themes—motivation, repentance, and holiness—does more damage to our witness than we realize. If someone can look at your life and not see differences in your motive, a daily practice of repentance when that motive is off,... Continue Reading

We might be tempted to think that living “worthy” means garnering enough merit to deserve respect. And we know there are at least two problems with that. First of all, we know that we will never be worthy of the Lord, no matter how hard we try. But secondly, we know that as Christians, we... Continue Reading

Suffering can reveal impatience, anger, self-pity, pride, envy and unbelief. It can show us how much we crave ease, recognition, productivity and control. But this exposure is not God’s cruelty. It is part of his fatherly care.   There are lessons God teaches us in the valley that we rarely learn on the mountain top.... Continue Reading

Baptism is the sacrament of birth into the visible church; it can be passively received. The Lord’s Supper is the sacrament of growth and nourishment; it must be actively received by faith. You can bathe an infant who does nothing but cry, but you cannot feed a steak to a newborn.   Because the Reformed... Continue Reading

The biblical worldview recognizes no such category. Scripture does not divide humanity into religious and non-religious people. Rather, it divides humanity into those who worship the Creator and those who worship the creature (Rom. 1:25). The fundamental distinction is not between worship and non-worship but between true worship and false worship. The Bible assumes that... Continue Reading

We don’t naturally develop speed and endurance while sitting on the couch and scrolling our phones. And we don’t develop speed and endurance because we went for a run one time. In the same way, we don’t naturally develop Christlikeness by living in this world. And we don’t get to know the Lord deeply because... Continue Reading

Our Lord Jesus Christ made it abundantly clear, that those who do not forgive other sinners, are not (themselves) forgiven their sins (by God Himself).  And, to not be forgiven one’s sins, is to be abiding in sin, death, condemnation, judgment, and (impending) hell.  Our Savior could have said a lot about His “Lord’s Prayer,”... Continue Reading

Choosing a smaller house, selling expensive jewelry, or skipping the latest tech gadget may seem like a sacrifice. But if those choices free up funds for God’s work, the return is eternal. Jesus promised that we are storing up treasures in Heaven when we invest in His kingdom. Every time we say “no” to materialism,... Continue Reading

 Inviting you to commit to gathering with God’s people, to recognise the drift into apathy, and change your habit.  If that’s you this morning, will you share that with someone, so they can pray for you and encourage you to come along Sunday by Sunday?And it’s not just Sunday.  We need to be meeting with... Continue Reading