The Word of God is our guide, our companion in the darkness, the Word which comes from God is our hope and confidence. This is not our own creation in the darkness but God’s gift of light here and now. And it will carry you along until the new day dawns, until the end of... Continue Reading

We sometimes cry out, “God, are you there? Do you see what is happening? Do you hear our cries for help? Have you abandoned what you have made?” We feel weak and powerless, unable to bring about the massive change that is needed. And so we pray and hope. But prayer is not a final... Continue Reading

Our great hope, then, is not to escape “place”—not to escape the fact that we have bodies that are located at specific places in time and space. The hope that God promises us is that he will bring us into his eu-topia—his very good place, to live in his presence as he lives among us in the person of... Continue Reading

“The modes of expression are many, but evangelical spirituality will always find a way to declare its adherence to God himself, emphasizing precisely the personal character of it. In view of the way God has thrown open his heart and turned his inner life inside out to be our salvation, how else could the people... Continue Reading

At the deepest level, wherein lies the goodness—the sweetness and beauty—of a good expository sermon? My theological reply is a Big Idea consisting of three MPs: The goodness in a good expository sermon lies in the One who gives it, the One around whom it is centered, and the Christlikeness of the one who receives and... Continue Reading

God stands above time even as he freely and effectively works within it. As Steven J. Duby helpfully explains, this is possible precisely because God is who he is: “in simply being who and what he is as God, he both transcends all that he has made and can be immediately present to all that... Continue Reading

The love of Christ that led him to the cross is the same love he has for you now and forever. Because God has already done the hardest thing—justifying you through Christ’s blood when you were his enemy—you can be certain he will finish what he started. When doubts come, when life shakes you, when... Continue Reading

The land was not empty. It was occupied by the cursed line of Canaan (Gen. 9:25), a people powerful and entrenched. From a human perspective, the promise looks impossible. Abram is an old man living in a tent; the Canaanites are warriors living in cities. But faith looks at the promise, not the problem.  ... Continue Reading

Instead of seeing them as habits that flow out of our salvation, we see them as obligations that merit our salvation. Instead of being freed by them, we become enslaved to them. Instead of enjoying them, we perform them.   Matthew Henry once said that “when we are out of the way of duty, we... Continue Reading

As we learn more, we become more marketable. Maybe we learn programs others don’t. We acquire expertise in areas that set us apart.   In his book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You, Cal Newport writes on how to gain more control in your work, and thus enjoy the work you do more. One thing... Continue Reading