When I started in ministry, I worked with a small group of young adults in running a youth ministry. To my shame, I saw two of these young men and thought they weren’t going to be very useful. One was neurodivergent, which made him quite socially awkward, and the other had a very serious stutter.... Continue Reading

Many of us have come to love the 23rd Psalm. Today I have been meditating on the first few words: “The Lord is my Shepherd.” There are worlds of wonder in those words. This holy, omnipotent, gracious, loving, and faithful God is my Shepherd (Psalm 23:1). That makes me inconceivably rich.   I’ve been thinking... Continue Reading

Pride takes many forms. It’s not just the kind you normally see in university professors—thinking they’re better than everyone else. It’s also Christians taking pride in their church—thinking they’re holier than everyone else.   Luke 14:7–11 (ESV) Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places... Continue Reading

God has provided spiritual signs to alert us to our need for revival. One of the most significant of these signs is the presence or absence–of brotherly love in our lives.   Have you ever driven down a highway so caught up in your thoughts that you missed an important sign? This happened to a... Continue Reading

 Those who will not give thanks to God and find the peace He gives, will seek their wellbeing in other things, and thus create idols that can deceive, distract, and destroy us (cf. Rom. 1.21-23). Thinking that our peace depends on circumstances favorable to us, we will whine, complain, connive, or contrive to achieve those... Continue Reading

“The king is not saved by his great army, a warrior is not delivered by his great strength…..Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love” (Psalm 33:16,18). And he also says, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war,... Continue Reading

Paul’s assertion that the Scriptures are useful for rebuking assumes the authority of the Scriptures over all human opinions, including all of mine. When the Scriptures rebuke me, God is rebuking me.   When was the last time you felt rebuked? I have found that being rebuked is one of the most uncomfortable experiences imaginable.... Continue Reading

The psalmist writes, “I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word” (Ps 119:16). The psalmist finds joy in meditating on Scripture because it reveals God’s character and will. For you and me, make time each day to read and reflect on a passage. Ask yourself, “What does this teach me... Continue Reading

We find rest for our souls as we learn to trust our affairs with God. I know Christians who worry about the end times, persecution, and their rights. This is the flesh speaking. No, we must learn to trust it all in God’s capable hands. When we do that, even if we do find ourselves... Continue Reading

Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore,... Continue Reading