Killer Adam Lanza has been described as mentally ill, a victim himself, a troubled person, and even a monster.  The one thing I have not heard is that he was a murderer.  He murdered his mother, he murdered twenty children, he murdered six adults, and then he murdered himself. Murder has disappeared from our vocabulary.... Continue Reading

It is striking that in our acquisitive, secular age, when many in the academy and media attack Christianity and try to remove or limit its public influence and as the number of people who claim no religious affiliation grows, that interest in the afterlife is increasing. It suggests that no level of affluence or material... Continue Reading

Mathematicians (please do not let that word keep you from continuing to read) talk about relationships that are inversely proportionate to one another. A simple equation such as y=1/x is an example of an inverse relationship. As x gets larger, y gets smaller. For instance, if x = 10 then y is 1/10 or 0.1,... Continue Reading

Almighty God, it is through your word that we hear your Son speak and can understand how the Holy Spirit works in our lives…We humbly ask that you would reveal more of its truth and power to us this morning…and that its beauty would capture our hearts and bring all our thoughts and hopes into... Continue Reading

The Scriptures systematically strip away the veneer that covers the real truth of the Christmas story. Jesus did not come to add to our comforts. He did not come to help those who were already helping themselves or to fill life with more pleasant experiences. He came on a deliverance mission, to save sinners, and... Continue Reading

When God touches earth, the place is holy. When God appears in history, the time is holy. There was never a more holy place than the city of Bethlehem, where the Word became flesh. There was never a more holy time than Christmas morning when Emmanuel was born. Christmas is a holiday. It is the... Continue Reading

There’s a refreshingly unusual folk ballad on Keith and Kristyn Getty’s new album, Hymns for the Christian Life. Think of “Simple Living” as the musical equivalent of Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo’s Red Letter Revolution. Unlike Axton’s soft-pedaling, the Getty-Stuart Townend songwriting team gives Jesus’ dialogue with the rich young ruler a transparent treatment  ... Continue Reading

Maybe Frank’s exasperation over the holiday season resonates with you, not because you’re a curmudgeon like he, but because you’re an earnest Christian who would rather celebrate the unparalleled significance of Jesus’s incarnation — God becoming man — without all the frills of endless sales and endless Santa.  So what’s a Christian to do in... Continue Reading

The other day I was listening to talk radio when the hosts began the inevitable seasonal discussion about the meaning of Christmas. Callers quickly chimed in with their various perspectives and opinions, often intermingled with touching stories and well-intended exhortations toward charity and kindness.   However, the friendly discussion quickly turned confrontational as various callers... Continue Reading

This Christmas, as you speak often with friends and family, think on these biblical principles and pray that they will help you live in a way that glorifies God. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly so that you cannot speak with any other accent.   At the 2008 Desiring God National Conference,... Continue Reading