The startling growth of Christianity was not just numerical, but geographical and social as well. It has long been noted that Christianity quickly gained converts in the cities of the empire. In fact, it appears that cities gained converts more quickly than rural areas, and port cities had a Christian presence more quickly than inland... Continue Reading

Brilliant theological minds have differed on the precise definition of the image, but I think it’s best to contend for a holistic view. The image of God is structural, relational, and functional. To put it concisely, the image of God is the essential and unique quality of human beings whereby we reflect and represent God in the context of meaningful relationship with... Continue Reading

So we look to Jesus. Carefully choose your friends. Surround yourself with people who build you up in Jesus, not simply you. Yet, love the broken and the lost. Remember, Jesus hung with outcasts, forgave sinners, and selflessly served others.   It doesn’t take a devil to drain me. It just takes one exhausting person. My... Continue Reading

This was not a legalistic requirement. Rather, for Spurgeon, God’s salvation was the reason for our singing. Singing was not just another thing to pass the time, more entertainment to indulge the senses. No, singing was an appropriate and responsive act of praise to the God who accomplished salvation for his people in Christ Jesus.... Continue Reading

I want my prayers to be more like this: diving more deeply into the beauty of God’s character, the power of His promises, and the perfection of His will. Surely prayers like this will be the ones most honoring to Him, most helpful for my own soul, and most rewarded with God’s blessing.   When... Continue Reading

And yet, as inadequate as we most certainly are—the Lord has made us more than adequate to fulfill our calling. Isn’t that what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:5–6? “Not that we are adequate in ourselves … but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant.” We... Continue Reading

If we’re not careful, social media can turn our natural desire for attention and approval into an environment where we seek those by being controversial, making extreme statements, stirring up anger, or the “playing to our base” at an individual level. I ran into those same pitfalls previously when I blogged, and in hindsight, regret... Continue Reading

The cultivation of God’s good gifts whether through art, agriculture, horticulture, and much else then allow us to experience God’s goodness in creation. These experiences terminate in proximate ends since God will recreate the cosmos. Yet just as supporting our family today matters, even though we are adopted into the family of God, so cultivating creation... Continue Reading

Though Jesus was full of compassion, truth was the priority. While not indifferent to feelings, He interacted with others as one who knows that gospel truth alone is what saves. Truth, He taught, “will set you free” (John 8:32). Jesus’ mission was “to bear witness to the truth” (18:37). Sixty-six times in the New Testament the... Continue Reading

Practicing — really practicing — love and discernment is not merely about winning an argument or being on the right side of history, but about being right before God for eternity. If we want to glorify God in all we do, we cannot settle for discernment without real love. If we want to be more and more... Continue Reading