I think consumerism particularly bites hard against God’s plan for a church made of people who share little in common other than Jesus Christ. The fact is that we have the gospel at work in our lives, and we want to show it off. It’s like you have the special edition Camaro. You don’t want... Continue Reading

When the redeemed observe the faintly falling snow through the universe, their minds ought to turn to the Maker of both snow and universe, the One who crafts each and every snowflake individually, separately, uniquely. A great torrent of white snow settling on a blemished creation ought to remind us all of Him who delights... Continue Reading

Faith, like anything meaningful, needs nurturing. It’s not something that stays strong on its own—we must be intentional about it. These are a few practices that have helped me strengthen my connection to God. Over the years, I’ve learned that consistency matters more than perfection in these practices.   Life has a way of throwing... Continue Reading

A few years ago it always seemed simple to find a few consensus picks. Recently, though, it has become far more difficult. So while I scour as many lists as ever, it is rare for a single book to appear on more than a handful of them. With that in mind, here are the ones... Continue Reading

These books left an imprint on me, causing me to think, feel, laugh, and hope while I read them and after completing them…I share this list, hoping that they do the same for you.   I always enjoy reading end-of-year book lists. As in past years, I’ve broken my list up into two categories, “Christian... Continue Reading

In verse 42, the thief said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” By acknowledging that Jesus has a kingdom, the thief affirmed Christ’s lordship… Beza observes that the Gospel accounts emphasize how the disciples scattered, with only John remaining at the cross. None of the Twelve spoke on Jesus’s behalf or testified... Continue Reading

Some scientists have proposed an underground location for the origin of life where molecular formation would be protected from water and atmospheric interference. But the underground locations available in the early earth would have been incredibly hostile to the formation of bio-chemical precursors, proteins and RNA. Just as problematic would be imagining a scenario in... Continue Reading

Probably the most famed of the entire oratorio is movement 44, the Hallelujah chorus written entirely from Revelation 19:6, 16; 11:15. In John’s apocalypse, we are given eschatological glimpses of the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven, “a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the... Continue Reading

‘Cultural Sanctification’ by Stephen O. Presley. In this excellent book of cultural apologetics, Presley argues that the church today must look back to the doctrine, practices, and priorities of the early church to properly navigate life in a culture hostile to Christ and Christians.   Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung  This is my pick for... Continue Reading

The fact that people can listen to Messiah and miss what’s being said tells us that musical works on their own, no matter how inspired they might be, don’t always communicate what people need to hear. It’s not far removed from the people of Ezekiel’s day who likened his prophetic judgments to “one who sings... Continue Reading