Living More as We Preach—Rosalind Goforth
It is useless to preach Christ yet not live Christ.
Repeatedly being confronted by our own shortcomings has a way of driving us to more urgent dependence upon the Lord. As we continue to look to and lean upon Him, by God’s grace (and to His glory) over time we come to experience a considerable degree of progress and consistency in living and serving as... Continue Reading
5 Resources for Critical Race Theory & Intersectionality
CRT/Intersectionality isn’t new, nor is it going away anytime soon.
The discussion on CRT/Intersectionality is complex and evolving. Even so, there are some good resources out there for Christians to get equipped. The following are a few helpful resources for understanding and evaluating CRT/I. Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality (CRT/I) experienced a spike in attention last June with the approval of Resolution #9 at... Continue Reading
“Would You But Permit Me to Cast Myself at Your Feet?”
Marriage Proposal of 18th-Century Ministers
Falling in love produced more initial troubles than joys for renowned minister and hymn-writer John Newton (1725-1807). He was only 17 when he knocked at the door of the home of George and Elizabeth Catlett, dear friends of his mother. Their 13-year-old daughter Mary (known as Polly) opened the door, and John’s life was never... Continue Reading
Are You Ready to Defend the Faith?
The concern is not eloquence but the ability to rightly study, interpret, teach, and apply God’s Word.
You can’t defend the faith without having studied it. First, you must study the faith so you don’t inadvertently fall into error yourself. Heresy is unwittingly preached in evangelical churches every Sunday by ill-equipped pastors. That’s a tragedy, and you don’t want to be among their number. A call to the ministry is a... Continue Reading
When Talking about Congregants…
Always speak the best of the congregants the Lord has entrusted to your care.
In all situations, we need to remember that each and every congregant belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. The way we speak about him or her should be reflective of the fact that they have been bought by the precious blood of Christ. A young church planter in a small town was getting his... Continue Reading
Humiliation & Exaltation: Christ’s Ascension
Here are four key reasons that the ascension of Christ is essential to our understanding of the gospel.
Hopefully this short introduction to the ascension makes you think about the work of Christ and the effectiveness of his humiliation and exaltation. We need to always remember that the work he does he does for us. Next time you pray towards heaven, remember that you know your prayers are going up to heaven and... Continue Reading
What is the Chief End of Scripture?
From God’s standpoint, everything is for His glory; from the standpoint of the experience of redemption in the soul of the believer, it is for our salvation and joy.
Among the most well-known and beloved theological formulations in all of church history are the opening words of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” The ultimate goal of man’s life in this created world–considered from the divine and human side–can be summarized by these two... Continue Reading
Context Matters: Always Prepared to Make a Defense
“…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…”
The sentence begins with: “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled…” (1 Pet 3:14b). And the sentence ends with, “…yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Pet 3:15b-16). Perhaps... Continue Reading
The Glory of the Cross
Given the centrality of Christ’s cross, it is vital that we think about it correctly.
We must never forget that it was never enough for Christ to be merely with us in his incarnation. To redeem us, and to undo the damage of the first man, Christ must also act for us in his life, death, and resurrection. Apart from his work, we have no redemption, no justification before God, and ultimately no hope... Continue Reading
Can Sickness Be Better Than Health?
The American prosperity “gospel” perpetuates lies, equating health and material blessings with our faithfulness and God’s favor, and sickness with a lack of faith.
I wondered why God wouldn’t respond to my earnest pleas, suspicious that he had cursed me, rather than blessed me. My sole focus was getting relief, so I was puzzled by verses like these: “Count it all joy my brothers when you meet with trials of various kinds” (James 1:2) and “It was good for... Continue Reading