The church is a community of hope, and as such, our Sunday gatherings must train people in hope. The church is an outpost, an embassy of our home country, and when we gather, our goal is to encourage and build one another up in hope and anticipation as we see that future day approaching (Heb... Continue Reading

The Greek word translated “ashamed” (epai­schunomai) refers to being embarrassed or fearful of ridicule, but it can also refer to despising or rejecting. When Jesus warns against being “ashamed” of Him and of His words, He has more in mind than simply outward profession.   There has not been a more crucial time in recent... Continue Reading

Worry grasps for control. It does not trust God to do what we want. So it foolishly tries to usurp the prerogative that belongs only to God. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7, NKJV). I typically follow the pattern of B-L-E-S-S... Continue Reading

When reformation came to the OT church, the congregation took the initiative to learn God’s will as revealed in Scripture; they submitted to discipleship under their leaders’ stewardship; they were united, zealous, and worshipful disciples of their Lord; they wept over their sins; they celebrated their God.   When reformation comes to the congregations of... Continue Reading

We fight the serpent by contending for the faith against grace-perverting immorality (Jude 3-4). By excommunicating false teachers from the church because we recognize them for what they are—intruding snakes. By treasuring what is true and rejecting what is false. By loving what God loves and hating what God hates.   Taking Action Sometimes the... Continue Reading

God not only leads us into dark valleys, whether our own or others’; he also determines their distance and the pace with which we walk through them. And while we find ourselves there, he is more than able to sustain us beneath our brother’s burden.   Among the mourners gathered in a London church in... Continue Reading

Christians are called to practice what we preach: reliance on the sovereignty of God over the machinations of man or party, and a steady trust in the tools that God gives—prayer, his Word, and the sacraments—over placing confidence in princes, armies, or undeliberated quick fixes.   Cornell University Professor Barry Alan Shain has determined that... Continue Reading

In the midst of temptation, wandering sheep need the doctrine of God’s immutability. As doubts and fears assail, doubting sheep need a rock. And there is none in all the earth like our God—He never changes.   Everything changes. Nations rise and fall. Seasons come and go. Bank accounts ebb and flow. People change too.... Continue Reading

Peace characterizes our new standing and relationship with God in Christ. The Lord Jesus has reconciled us to God by his blood. He has removed every obstacle and broken down every hostility by bearing our curse and satisfying God’s wrath in our place.   The familiar apostolic greeting, “Grace to you, and peace from God... Continue Reading

Coffee Cup Christianity needs to end. It’s lazy, unethical, and dangerous. It elevates our own meaning above God’s and passes it off as divine writ. We don’t read what our friends have written with such carelessness. Let’s no longer do it with what God has written.   This might sound a little creepy: I know... Continue Reading