You come to the God who loves you, and has, in His immense kindness, made a way for all your sins to be forgiven and forgotten. God wants to blot out all your sins.   You have been gathered to worship the true God. Not God as we imagine Him to be. Man frequently fancies... Continue Reading

Perhaps we are facing an overwhelming situation. Perhaps faithfulness could cost us our jobs or a friendship. Maybe we’re fearful of the consequences of standing for the truth. Yet, the fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness, so we are committed to the truth without compromise, even when we are fearful.   In the spring of... Continue Reading

We will have moments of great sweat, like drops of blood, and we will ask God to remove our work from us. But those should be rare moments. If we are tilling God’s field and carrying the burdens He gives us, feeling constantly exhausted, anxious, and ungrateful, there is only one culprit—us.   Jesus said... Continue Reading

What sin or weight is too valuable to cast off in light of this glorious joy that is set before us? “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).…Brothers and sisters: There is greater joy coming than there is suffering now.   let... Continue Reading

While you may not always succeed, your silent reliance on the Lord conveys a powerful message. By demonstrating how to trust God in times of uncertainty, you teach your child something far more enduring than mere control or certainty. By placing your trust in God during uncertain times, you impart to your child the invaluable... Continue Reading

While the name Christian may have appeared at Antioch during the first century, nevertheless, Christianity points to the redemptive work of God that He purposed from before the world was created. That is to say, its origin is divine, and the unfolding of God’s plan is as old as eternity.   Where do blueberries come... Continue Reading

Marriage, children, and employment create the type of life-structures that allow aspiring pastors to pursue ministry without panic.…building a life (and not just a ministry) is part and parcel of how a young man becomes elder-qualified.   Luke and his wife Emily were special. Despite only being twenty-two years old, they were often the most... Continue Reading

Whispered rumors are not harmless. They are hellish. They echo the serpent’s hiss in Eden, where a single crooked word toppled God’s reputation in Eve’s mind: “Did God really say…?”   “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” —Exodus 20:15 Last week we looked at how the Law thundered, “You shall not steal,”... Continue Reading

Four recommendations emerged from my research. First, pastors must pursue emotional maturity through self-awareness and resting in God’s love. Second, pastors should stay connected to people by utilizing healthy differentiation, family systems theory, and spiritual practices. Third, pastors must embrace a shared mission that emanates from the covenant with Abraham for the church to be... Continue Reading

Relationship without religion drifts into vagueness; religion without relationship calcifies into formalism. But when the two are joined together under the Lordship of Christ, they form the vibrant, structured, covenantal worship the church was always meant to have.   Somewhere along the way, the modern evangelical church decided “religion” was a bad word. It became... Continue Reading