One Surprising Way To Know You Are God’s Child
The discipline of the Lord isn’t evidence of His lack of love; it’s proof of it.
One of the ways we know we are a child of God is because of God’s discipline in our lives. This is surprising because when things don’t go the way we think they should in life, there is often a creeping, prosperity-esque thought that comes to our minds: “Doesn’t God love me? Because surely if... Continue Reading
Relearning the Discipline of Self-Control in a Society of Instant Gratification, Part 1
We must be like a city with strong walls as we practice self-control.
As believers, we face temptation on a daily basis. Self-control is the wall of defense against the sinful desires that wage war against our soul. We must be like a city with strong walls as we practice self-control. In Joshua 6, God spoke to Joshua and told him how to take the city of... Continue Reading
Remember: Good Christology and Pneumatology Lead to Good Ecclesiology!
Sometimes, people view the church apart from a view of Christ and the Holy Spirit
“Christology is the study of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Pneumatology is the study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Ecclesiology is the study of the identity and work of the church.” I know that is a mouthful. But it is an important mouthful! Let me explain. First, the... Continue Reading
Yawning at Majesty
How to fight boredom with the Bible
“The Bible is the most amazing book in the world. And when we’re tempted to feel bored with it, we may need to step back and remember how marvelous and unique and powerful this piece of literature is. The Bible is simply unequaled in its influence, audacious in its claims, and unrivaled in its power... Continue Reading
Sometimes There is a Better Prayer Than the Prayer for Deliverance
Boldness, not deliverance. Extension of the gospel, not a change in circumstances.
“We can and we should bear our hearts before the Lord. And yet for the Christian, there is sometimes a better prayer to pray than the prayer for deliverance. It’s this different prayer we see being played out in Acts 4.” Perhaps you are walking through a season of difficulty. Of challenge. Of stress... Continue Reading
Revoice And God’s Design For The Family
The warnings from Revoice against making an idol of the “nuclear family” are, at the very least, ill conceived
“The new sexual revolution and the gender chaos connected to it is wreaking havoc in the lives of many of our neighbors; people we are called to love. The church must think constructively and regularly about ways to communicate God’s law and gospel to those who struggle under the weight of homosexual desires and gender... Continue Reading
What the Bible Means When It Says We’re “In Christ”
Union with Christ represents the sum of our salvation, fellowship, and communion with Jesus
“The earthly analogies we have for how close we are to Jesus fall far short of the reality—hence the mystery. The closest thing we find is the intimate relationship of marriage, which, according to the apostle Paul, was created as an expression—or a sign post—of Christ and his love for the church (Eph. 5:22–33). In... Continue Reading
Here’s Why Jesus Never Said “I am God” in the Bible
“Before Abraham was, I AM” (Jn 8:58).
A lot of people try to argue that Jesus never claimed to be God. They will say something like, “Where is the Bible verse for him claiming he was God?” Sometimes Christians will then get stumped with such a question because they can’t find the exact sentence where Jesus says, “I am God,” and so... Continue Reading
We Take the Next Step
How Grace Arrives in Unexpected Tragedy
In reality, it’s not the lack of competency or skill that creates a feeling of “anticipatory doom.” The dread and anxiety circle the belief that our hearts cannot handle the pain. Before my son died, I believed that tragedy would wreck my heart, torpedo my faith, and ruin my life. Surely I would be sentenced... Continue Reading
Why Do We Sometimes Feel Empty?
"The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.”
The Bible begins by saying that God created the heavens and the earth and that it was, in Hebrew, tohu wabohu. It was “without form and void” or “formless and empty” (NIV). Tohu means “unformed, chaotic wilderness,” and bohu means “empty.” So Genesis 1:2 tells us that when God created the heavens and the earth, it was initially an uninhabitable wasteland,... Continue Reading