How True is the Bible? – Inerrancy
How accurate is the inspired revelation of the 66 books in the Bible? How do we know?
The God of the Bible is a God of unwavering truth. He is upright and trustworthy in nature and deed. At no time in history has God affirmed something contrary to fact or failed to follow through with his promises. The remaining history will prove likewise. Motivated by his own glory and love for sinners,... Continue Reading
Is Numbers 5 Good for Women?
Apart from its context in the long story of Scripture, Numbers 5 is troubling and confusing.
While this odd procedure can easily become the focus of the passage, drawing our attention to other trials by ordeal throughout history, it is the mediation of the priest that is a better focus, pointing to the long story of Scripture ultimately fulfilled by Christ. John Calvin notes in his commentary on Numbers 5 that “many are... Continue Reading
Fighting Fear – Proverbs 3:21-26
Fear can only live where foolishness gives it cover. Seek wisdom and fear will retreat.
Instead of giving into fear, we are to receive the comfort of confidence. Specifically, wisdom will remind us regularly that the Lord is and will be our confidence. Your confidence is that thing you reach out to when you’re falling, your first instinct in times of trouble. Wisdom will teach us to grab onto God... Continue Reading
There Is Nothing Trite About It!
As Christians, we believe in the power of prayer.
News we can do nothing about. There is always one thing we can do: We can pray. Recently, prayer has been maligned as an insignificant, wasteful, or even cruel practice as a response to another person’s pain or trial or difficulty. Some of those who pray have been “prayer shamed” into silence, having been told “I’ll pray... Continue Reading
The Call to Repentance and the Championing of Grace
We’re losing the nerve to call people to repentance
“To think that the message of grace and the call of repentance are opposed to one another is to miss the beautiful, grace-filled nature of what repentance actually is. The call to repent is one of greatest expressions of the love of God.” “We’re losing the nerve to call people to repentance.” That’s what... Continue Reading
Sexual Harassment
Reform won't be easy. Humans persist in familiar sins.
“How might reform begin? In the home, parents will teach sons and daughters what they need to know about sexuality and respect. In economics, consumers will purchase modest clothing, creating demand for more. In entertainment, disciples should stop watching sexually immoral programs.” In 2017-8, the long-simmering, long-suppressed scandal of sexual harassment of women in... Continue Reading
Stop Trashing The Gospel With The Phrase “Cheap Grace”
The phrase originated with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wrote of it in his book "The Cost of Discipleship"
“You may be thinking, Geez Stephen, calm down with all this cheap grace talk. Why are you frothing at the mouth so much about this? It’s just splitting theological hairs. Except that it’s not. The moment we add a single condition or requirement to the gospel, we have totally castrated it. It’s no longer good news.” ... Continue Reading
10 Things You Should Know about Sex
Sadly, today sex—a beautiful creation of God—functions in the surrounding culture like a spiritual solvent eating away at the very fabric of the human community.
Whether we know it or not, every human being lives in search of a savior. We are all propelled by a quest for identity, inner peace, and some kind of meaning and purpose. And we all look for it somewhere. Here’s the bottom line: looking to creation to get what only the Creator can give... Continue Reading
Facts Don’t Care About Your Feelings, But Christians Should
No amount of hypocrisy in the life of a Christian can drive someone further away from salvation.
The Bible tells us that it is up to God to cause people to come to their senses. Think about this for a second. They are blind. They are captured by the devil. They are incapable of escaping on their own. Why are you mad at them? Of course they deserve hell. Of course they... Continue Reading
4 Purposes for Which God Created You
God had a purpose when he created you and me and took good pleasure in his creation.
God offers a life of meaning and purpose to you. Christ lived, died, rose from the grave, and ascended to the right hand of the Father for the sins of the world to reconcile a broken relationship, to inaugurate his kingdom of peace, and to establish a good rule in the beginning of a new... Continue Reading