When church membership is implemented in a way that applies the Bible’s inside/outside lines, so that there are clear qualifications and a clear process in (and out), then membership is open to so many more kinds of people. All of the differences that naturally sort humans into little cliques at work or school…are put aside... Continue Reading

Though God’s omnipotence grates harshly on the sufferer’s ear when he is in rebellion against his Maker, this truth enables the saint to repent of his bitter complaints, put his hand over his mouth, and bow before the incomprehensible majesty of God.   The doctrine of God’s power has nearly as many applications as there... Continue Reading

The apostles knew that, in many instances, they were authorized vehicles of God’s divine New Covenant revelation, some of which would very likely become the foundation for the church age and thus constitute scripture.   There is a well known and (for evangelicals) well-loved section of 2 Peter (probably the verse most people are actually... Continue Reading

We can gently and lovingly help them navigate difficult topics, or we can bypass them, mistakenly believing we are safeguarding them, and one day your children will shock you with knowledge you didn’t know they possessed: learned not from you, and not with the authority and protection of Scripture. So, love your children enough to... Continue Reading

“This is the biggest effect the Lord’s Prayer has been having on me—shaping my desires to match the Lord’s. I’m a work in progress, but by God’s grace I think I’m pointing in a good direction, since this is one of the ways prayer is supposed to change us.”   At the beginning of the... Continue Reading

In our struggles with perfectionism, Psalm 103 offers much-needed words of hope. These are liberating words when our minds are filled with self-criticism, doubt, or fear. They point us to a God of mercy, who knows all of our imperfections, yet still loves us and includes us in His plans.   I’ve spent far too... Continue Reading

Just as Christ endured death, even death on a cross, knowing that God would exalt Him on the other side of the cross, so also Paul could endure any physical suffering or lack, even to the point of death, knowing that his union with the exalted Christ ensured his own eventual exaltation as well.  ... Continue Reading

We have but one life, and we do not know its length. Let us pray with Moses, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”    Life is a precious gift, yet it is fleeting. Each of us has but one life to live, and we do not know... Continue Reading

Christianity has never been about just sitting around and waiting for heaven. It is about having our lives transformed by Christ, and then seeing other livesand even our culture—impacted and transformed as well.   Yesterday I wrote an article featuring 30 quotes on the biblical worldview. Some folks might think that this is all rather... Continue Reading

The violent outrages of humanity are not met by a God who poses as a teddy bear. For the sake of peace, we must long for the day when the just God excludes everything that stands implacably opposed to him.   I was angry. And justifiably so: my six-year-old child had, after a long afternoon... Continue Reading