Danger ought not to be pleaded as an excuse for staying away from church—not at least without very good reason. Christians throughout history have been in the very same place as we are: danger has been a reality for them too, but it has not stopped them from meeting. It ought not to stop us.... Continue Reading

But is it really likely that our Lord would commend James and John for being hotheads by giving them a nickname in honor of their short tempers? I think not. But if not, what did he have in mind when he dubbed them Sons of Thunder?   As for the likeness of the living creatures,... Continue Reading

The world around us seeks to press us into its mold. And we can simply relent. We can be shaped by the world around us. But we don’t have to be. We can resist. We can be shaped by the Word of God. As we take it in, think it through, and live it out,... Continue Reading

Scripture clearly warns us that there will be times when people who are called by God’s Name will quit listening to the actual words of God and will instead seek guidance and affirmation from other sources—even myths—all the while thinking they are hearing from the Lord.   They shall wander from sea to sea, and... Continue Reading

If our need is to number our days by contrasting their shortness with the eternal nature of God, then our prayer to God is that He would teach us: “Teach us to number our days.” We will never learn that lesson in our own strength.   Teach us to number our days that we may... Continue Reading

The sad reality is more and more church members are indicating that even after COVID is no longer a threat, they would prefer to keep watching church online. Their couch and their coffee seem to be too much to sacrifice. Besides, with the world raging around us, our home feels safer, but being safe is... Continue Reading

Pastors need to be aware of the formidable tool that God has given us to teach his people—namely, the power of music and song. Our people may quickly forget the finer details of our sermons, but they will be humming the melody of that song long into their Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.   How... Continue Reading

Children, like all of us, come to believe through a work of sovereign grace. But God has ordained instruction to be a primary means of directing children onto the path of righteousness and wisdom (Prov. 1:1–7). The sacred writings are able to impart the wisdom that leads to salvation (2 Tim. 3:14–15). It is the... Continue Reading

Bugenhagen became known as the most influential proponent of programs for the poor at the time of the Reformation. In fact, his church orders provide the most detailed instructions written at that time for the relief of the poor.   Known mostly as pastor and church planter during the Protestant Reformation (he has been called... Continue Reading

When we pluck out a verse and tack it to our email signatures, we’re modeling this behavior. We’re encouraging onlookers to use the Bible in this à la carte way. If we inspire people to walk blindfolded, some of them just might do so on a cliff.   Reading the Bible in its proper context... Continue Reading