Preparing for the Lord’s Day
Five crucial things to remember when going to church - no matter what the morning may be like.
Remember that you are glorifying God, but in worship, God is doing something in you and your family that will last for all eternity. Brothers and sisters, take heart, Christ is being formed in you. Let me tell you what that means practically. It means that God is shaping you and your family. No, you... Continue Reading
Fighting Bitterness with Beauty When Prayers Go Unanswered
Oftentimes, the Lord works in ways we don’t understand, and he never seems to work on the timetable we’ve established.
When frustration calls and bitterness looms, when prayers go unanswered and trust is difficult, look afresh to God’s Word and his creation for glimpses of his beauty, power, and majesty. Basking in the glory of God doesn’t change my circumstances, but it often changes my disposition and the attitude of my heart. Being reminded of... Continue Reading
4 Words that Link Every Generation Together
“Has God indeed said…?”
Every generation has had to reckon with those words and the subtle but terrible charge they bring against the Word–and therefore the character–of God. Those four words are much more than an innocent question; they strike at the core of our faith. This simple phrase, for all time since the garden, is an expression of... Continue Reading
A Mouth Filled with Praise
Confronting despair with an indomitable hope.
There is a place for tears, dust, and ashes. But we should remember that even in those times God’s design is that we rely not on ourselves but on Him who raises the dead (2 Cor. 1:9). Even then His purpose is to break us out of our self-preoccupation and stewing and cast our wandering... Continue Reading
Actually, Goodness and Mercy Don’t Follow Us
God’s goodness and mercy are dogged and determined in their pursuit.
God doesn’t have goodness or love that he might dispatch them; he is goodness and love. God sends these attributes after us as a way of giving us himself. “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Ex. 33:14). So when we put the beauty of these nouns and the intensiveness... Continue Reading
The Traits of False Teachers
Peter uses the opening verses of chapter 2 to help us identify false teachers and see why they are so dangerous. He gives us four characteristic traits.
False teachers are, or once were, professing believers. Peter even speaks of them in a way that sounds like Christ had saved them, since outwardly they looked connected to the Savior. But inwardly, something very different was going on, and their outward connection to Christ made their indulgent behavior and false teaching all the more... Continue Reading
The Gates of the City
Three features of the city that can inform our churches today: its shape, its foundations, and its gates.
More importantly for John is the shape—a perfect cube. We’re meant to think of the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26, 1 Kings 6), the place where Heaven touches Earth. The Church is a holy place, and where Heaven touches Earth. Do we think of what we do when we gather together like that? Do we... Continue Reading
What Is the Most Important Thing Taught in the Bible?
The most important thing in Scripture—the gospel—is also the Christian’s greatest comfort throughout the ups and downs of life.
If you ever feel discouraged about your lack of progress in the Christian life, remember the words of 1 Corinthians 15. Let the words you find there bathe you once again as you reflect on Christ’s accomplishments, rather than focusing on your failures. He died and was buried in your place. Though you feel unworthy... Continue Reading
Do You Have a Pornographic Style of Relating?
Even after the outward behavior is gone, men and women must face the ways pornography has shaped their hearts, minds, and (especially) the way it has shaped their relational world.
Many husbands and wives of pornography-users experience the relational fallout of their spouses’ seeming inability to see them as a person rather than a thing to be utilized. I’m not talking merely about objectifying your spouse in the bedroom—though this is also a fallout. I’m saying that an inability to understand that your spouse is... Continue Reading
Preaching Advice for Busy Pastors
How can we be faithful in this primary responsibility without neglecting other ministerial duties? Here are three ideas.
As Spurgeon used all his experiences to shape himself and his preparation. All this was only possible as Spurgeon maintained his walk with the Lord, guarded his time, and made preaching part of his lifestyle. So it is today, as pastors face a busy schedule, we must prioritize the preaching of the Word and give... Continue Reading
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