In Christ, we are new creations, born again, empowered to live the Christian life. And because we are working from salvation and not for salvation, our work is no longer to gain favor with God, but simply to please Him (Colossians 1:10).   God is at work in us who believe (Phil 2:13). He empowers us... Continue Reading

Often your pastor is carrying around other people’s burdens that he cannot, for many good and godly reasons, share with you….There is a part of the calling of Christian ministry that must be done in the silence of the prayer closet….90% of his life is taken up with what may be 10% of yours. This... Continue Reading

Sampson’s story is amazing, for sure. It’s a warning to us all not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to, and to take heed that we fall not into the great sins that Samson did. But there are several ways in which the story makes us long for a true Savior who... Continue Reading

Friend, true freedom doesn’t come when we’ve successfully hidden; it comes when we’re found out but still accepted and cherished through God’s gracious love. Run to the true Light—Jesus himself—and find the forgiveness and freedom you long for in him.   My friends Ben and Paige have a 3-year-old named Ruth who loves playing hide-and-seek.... Continue Reading

We can make an idol out of anything; so can our kids. But until we start to spot the idols in our lives, we can’t help our children see the false sources they turn to. Evaluating why we do what we do helps us identify our idols and subsequently turn from them.   The concept... Continue Reading

Wineapple, the author, tries to parallel Bryan with today’s “Christian nationalists”… [she] stresses that southern segregationists opposed teaching evolution while also admitting that black Christians largely agreed. The Scopes Monkey Trial was about two opposing forms of progressivism. Both claimed to defend the vulnerable. Bryan and Darrow in the end were too absolutist to find... Continue Reading

Ephesians 1:13–14 states that in Christ we “were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.” A seal in the ancient world did three things: it authenticated, it secured, and it marked ownership. All three elements are probably in view here. The seal of... Continue Reading

Countless people through history would have loved to have the access to God’s word that we enjoy today. We can read and we have it (most of the time) in our own language. We can afford it; we can get access for free on our phones or the internet. We have it in audio form... Continue Reading

Keep your burdens before the Throne of Grace. Prayer is an essential part of trusting the Lord in difficult times. In prayer, we unburden ourselves from our issues and give them to the Lord. This reminds us that the Lord hears, knows, and acts for us, His people.    Trust in the LORD with all... Continue Reading

Jesus didn’t just say to make disciples. He also gave his own brief summary of the announcement that is the core of the gospel we are to use in making disciples: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (28:18). There, in 12 words, is Jesus’ gospel summary that needs to... Continue Reading