Paul told Timothy to “rightly handle the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). That includes understanding when a passage fits into God’s plan. If we make straight-line application from Old Testament Israel to the church, or apply promises made to David directly to ourselves without understanding their ultimate fulfilment in Christ, we miss the deeper... Continue Reading

Your words can either kill or heal. Imagine someone thrusting a sword into your chest and piercing your heart. That’s a grisly image. Proverbs 12:18 says, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Wouldn’t you rather soothe someone’s heart with your words than stab... Continue Reading

“Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery” (Exodus 6:9). “So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go in, tell Pharoah king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of the land’” (Exodus 6:10,11).   We’ve all heard,... Continue Reading

At any rate, the images are colorful. David speaks of a banquet in front of enemies, a head anointed with oil, a cup overflowing. Then, in his closing summary, David employs a vivid picture: personified goodness and mercy follow him “all the days” of his life. David’s poetry displays a grain and texture that draws... Continue Reading

We preach a Christ who overwhelms us, dazzles us, blows our minds, and causes our hearts to swell with affection.  Indeed, we show God’s people jewel after jewel after jewel found in the Lord Jesus.  The fountain never runs dry.  Introduction In a previous article we considered the precious privilege of preaching the unsearchable riches... Continue Reading

I should not be able to count the stars on a clear night. It should not be possible. Stars were never meant to be countable. They’re meant to overwhelm us, to remind us of how big the universe is and how small we are down here on our wet little garden rock. They’re meant to... Continue Reading

One of the biggest perks, I think, of being a pastor is having the privilege of administering the sacrament of baptism. I have had the joy of baptizing all three of my children. While I would have been happy to have our pastor baptize them, it’s a real joy to hold your child, pray for... Continue Reading

We Christians sometimes even spiritualize our heartlessness with an appeal to depravity. “We’re all sinners getting better than we deserve. A little realism is probably good for people.” But there is nothing more real than God. God makes the sun shine and the rain fall on the just and the unjust alike. His kindness is... Continue Reading

The very words meant to heal begin to wound. The priest who has grown distant cannot bless anyone. The blessing curdles. The fruit withers. Seed rots in the ground before the first rain falls. God does this because He refuses to be a prop in the drama of religion. He wants trembling hearts, not performances.... Continue Reading

Contributing to this energy depletion is the everyday spiritual battle we must fight—against Satan, who tempts us, against the world that entices us, and against our own sinful nature that betrays us. Losing spiritual battles takes the wind out of our sails; it causes us to lose heart. Most Christian men don’t need to be... Continue Reading