Sometimes, in fact, there’s so much emphasis on the grim side of things that we’ve lost seeing marriage in the glorious context God intended it. In our grown-up desire to “get real,” we’ve let Satan so disfigure and discolor our ideal picture of marriage that we’ve come to settle for way too little.   A... Continue Reading

To leave a church because you’re not getting enough substance is a cop out. Your primary call in the church is to contribute, not just to consume. As a Christian, you shouldn’t require spoon-feeding for the rest of your life. Eventually you need to learn how to feed yourself so that in time you can... Continue Reading

It is our contention that “gospel minimalism” harms churches, and this not because of what it emphasizes, but because of what it neglects. Therefore, while affirming the place of the gospel as the boundary of fellowship, we want to insist that the whole counsel of God is the center of fellowship, and that pursuit of... Continue Reading

No matter what we go through, someone out there has faced something that’s more difficult, more intense, more challenging. But that doesn’t change God’s compassion for you in your trial.The God who reveals himself as boundless in compassion and mercy walks with each one of us in our trials, tailor matching the comfort receive to the need of the moment.... Continue Reading

My goal is not to create an artificial line, a legalistic rule that we cling to as a mark of purity. Instead, it’s a question of discernment, and that’s why I am left wondering: Is there anything to which we would simply say, “No matter how much artistry may be involved in this film, it uses copious amounts... Continue Reading

We often confuse the raw, here and now, recognizable situation as the true and authentic. But there is only one person who is authentic, Jesus Christ. And the truth is we need a preservative of sorts to reach holiness. In order to even be able to have eyes to see and ears to hear about... Continue Reading

We also want to confess our sins weekly in corporate worship, because when we don’t we miss out on one of the most powerful encouragements and joyful moments of gathering together: the assurance of God’s pardoning grace. If we aren’t confessing sin, then there is no place for the assurance of pardon in our services.... Continue Reading

The vacuous marriage sacrament of the “Grammys religion” and its further trivialization as an entertainment stunt, only underlines the spiritually empty gospel that Tinsel Town and its beautiful people were pushing, unopposed, into the homes of people who pay these artists their inflated salaries. There is no competing message, no other opinion allowed from other... Continue Reading

Let us make sure that our own thinking about the image of God leads us not only to appreciate our fellow human beings (every one of them), but also to grieve deeply for them. If that happens, then our rhetoric will truly emanate grace and love – not just grace and love that are more... Continue Reading

This dynamic reflects another problem: our skewed understanding of sin. It’s almost as if our sins have become a currency of solidarity—something we pat each other on the back about as fellow authentic, broken people. But sin should always be grieved rather than celebrated, Thoennes argues. “Brokenness is an interesting word because if it’s sin,... Continue Reading