The suggestion that Jesus never sinned is a jarring claim, particularly when you recall that the first adherents of this belief were Jewish. The Jewish Scriptures repeatedly affirm that everyone sins both intentionally (1 Kings 8:46; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20) and unintentionally (Psalm 19:12). And so, the initial spread of the belief that Jesus was... Continue Reading

If materialism were true, Wright and other materialists who insist the mind and the soul are nothing but mere products of the brain cannot trust these thoughts. Their thoughts about the brain, or anything else, would be products of material causes and no more significance than steam wafting from a bowl of oatmeal. In Chesterton’s... Continue Reading

The truth is, spiritual growth takes time. Life is full of constraints, and many of the distractions and frustrations and even the people we may think are getting in the way of our disciplined routines are themselves the slow but necessary pathway to holiness. When I speak with older believers who radiate the joy of... Continue Reading

Because the Spirit is at work in our lives, we can become more like Christ. His work, however, demands a response. We must renew our minds with Scripture, submit to the wisdom of God’s Word, and prayerfully depend on God’s Spirit to empower us to grow in grace.   Spiritual growth is possible because of the... Continue Reading

If you transform our hearts we will long for what is good, we will think thoughts that are pure, we will speak words that are sweet, we will do acts that are selfless, we will even follow in ways that are difficult or that cut hard against our natural desire for ease. So please do that... Continue Reading

Readers will also find the work to be of easily manageable length. The main body of the book, not including the helpful addendum materials at the end, is just 137 pages. If you’ve never read a book about the Stams, this would be a great place to start. Even if you have read other books about... Continue Reading

Putting away sin and walking before the face of God in victory and deliverance is akin to awaking from a dead sleep. It is as if God pours cold water over our heads. We awaken from our slumber and self-imposed darkness caused by the pursuit of self-gratification in  a way so jarring that it is... Continue Reading

Forgiveness is predicated on repentance which is itself a gift from God (1 Tim. 2:25). We have all known both sides of this equation—having repented many times from our sins and also having many times received the gift of forgiveness. It’s all grace from first to last. As we imitate Christ, our relationships are sustained by... Continue Reading

Take time this season to slow down and look at how God has blessed you. When the rainy cloud continues to hang over you while it seems everyone else is walking in sunshine, when you know in your head that you are blessed but can’t get your feelings on board with this truth, remind yourself... Continue Reading

As the holidays come upon us, we can pray in anticipation of an overwhelming amount of social time. When we discern what commitments to make, we can pray specifically about our hearts and opportunities beforehand. When it feels intimidating to show up at a gathering where we have little in common with attendees, we ask... Continue Reading