Without Christ, there is no hope. Apart from unwavering faith in His unwavering promises, would we not, all of us, be undone? Looking at my father from the doorway, weak and worn as he was, these twin realities presented themselves: “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by... Continue Reading

I was having coffee with one of the people of this church.  I asked them if they knew that God delighted over them.  They asked me how I could say that.  So I showed them this verses from Zephaniah: ‘he will rejoice over you with singing’ (3:17).  That truth made tears run down their cheek. ... Continue Reading

Two angels had been sent by the Lord to warn Lot and his family what was about to happen and take them away from Sodom. Lot, however, “lingered.” His infatuation with Sodom seemed to know no bounds. In response, “the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord... Continue Reading

Bill was a physically imposing mechanic at 6’ 6”. But Lou Gehrig’s disease, the illness that physicist Stephen Hawkins endured, soon wilted him into a shadow of the man he had been. But he had Christ. He was able to live four more years—far beyond the doctor’s expectation. What amazing Christ-filled years those were.  ... Continue Reading

The call to guard our eyes is not just a warning against overt immorality but a reminder to protect against anything that diverts our hearts from pure devotion to God. Each unguarded thought, each glance that lingers is a potential breach in our spiritual defense, a deviation from holiness that leads to brokenness, strain in... Continue Reading

Practically, in your search for spiritual fathers, you’ll want to find the ones who don’t care how big or small their influence is. Their ambition is to be faithful with the talents they’ve been given — be they one or five. Those who are constantly calculating their speech, and maneuvering their public profile, are (jedi... Continue Reading

We would also do well to realize that more of the deep and tangible sense of God’s involvement in our lives is available to us. When we pray in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18), walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), and are led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14), we will experience more of the Lord, who... Continue Reading

We believe, by faith not sight, that the Lord was with Gabe through that perilous final journey as he passed through water and fire. We believe, by faith not sight, that when Jesus called his name and said, “you are mine,” Gabe gladly came. And we also believe that it was our privilege to be... Continue Reading

He is a prayer warrior.  He prays.  He prays for missionaries.  He uses the MTW directory.  He prays for pastors. He uses the PCA’s gray book listing all the ministers to do so.  He prays through CMPC’s church directory. He prays for all of us.   A Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) founding father, Kennedy... Continue Reading

If a stiff-necked Israelite brought an unblemished animal, such an outward act did not fool the Lord or please the Lord. The Lord knows the heart. Therefore, the Israelites needed to approach the Lord with the offering he would welcome and delight in: a broken and contrite heart.   Because of sin, we are not whole.... Continue Reading

The Holy Spirit enables us to overcome the power of sin. Just as we must put our trust in Christ alone for salvation, we must put our trust in the Holy Spirit for sanctification. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is now at work in us to apply the saving benefits of... Continue Reading

Be known. Select two or three people who aim to build trust with you. Let your community love you. Without this kind of community interaction, both you and your congregation are at great risk. One does not have to dig too far into the annuls of the internet to find churches that have been destroyed... Continue Reading

The souls of the dead—those who repent and believe in Jesus as Savior—find their repose in this heavenly country of eternal peace, where they await the final day when souls are reunited with bodies for all eternity. They do not need our prayers. Pray rather for the living. Make this part of your daily prayer. Pray... Continue Reading

Consider what meekness and self-control are not. Specifically, meekness is not being spineless, and self-control is not being stoic. Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus were certainly not weak men. Indeed, they were fierce and mighty for the truth and for God’s glory. Yet when it came to themselves, they each humbly and patiently endured all... Continue Reading

Each of these points emphasizes the grand, unfolding plan of redemption in which the Root of Jesse stands as the central figure, offering hope, peace, and unity across all nations and generations. Isaiah’s prophecy not only looks forward to the coming Messiah but encapsulates the heart of God’s redemptive love for all peoples.   And... Continue Reading

How does deception happen? Does it come packaged in clear, straightforward arguments? Or are distortions advanced incrementally, with hedging and disclaimers, until error is fully embraced, like when Barack Obama insisted he believed marriage was between a man and a woman, even as his rhetoric moved the ball forward on same-sex marriage until he could... Continue Reading

This is our most basic sin: an exchange is made. God reveals Himself, but we trade in the truth and walk out with the lie. We exchange the glory of God for the glory of the creature. That can be done in a crass way of worshiping a tree, a totem pole, or some kind... Continue Reading

Every time we look to the sky, witness the clouds parting, and see in the place of the storm a rainbow—be it a single or double—we are to be reminded of God’s promise. It is a sign of hope that though sin, evil, and wickedness will face God’s judgment, his justice will not be executed... Continue Reading

God’s people are to reflect Jesus’s heart of compassion for a needy world. There are many churches with impeccable statements of faith, sound doctrine, and biblical preaching. Many also excel in food and fellowship and programs for their youth and other members of their congregation. But while edifying believers is a vital part of our charge,... Continue Reading

These ten points emphasize how the reality of Christ living within reshapes every area of the believer’s life, providing peace, purpose, and a desire for holiness in accordance with God’s will. Each scriptural reference reinforces the transformative impact of this union with Christ. Here are ten implications for the Christian life of “it is no... Continue Reading

For when feminists diminish or deny all the differences between male and female, the only remaining distinction between the sexes is the capacity of women to give birth. In other words, the Christian vision of the sexes celebrates feminine gifts beyond the birthing room, but the feminist vision of interchangeable cogs can give no reason... Continue Reading

Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion by Allie Beth Stuckey (Sentinel, 2024). The subtitle gives us the gist of where she is going with this. This volume lays all this out with clarity and biblical compassion. In five carefully argued and documented chapters, Stuckey explores these key areas: abortion, transgenderism, homosexuality, immigration, and social... Continue Reading

When it comes to women caring for women in our churches, Alongside Care seeks to provide a framework that honors God’s Word and His prescribed order for gender roles and church leadership. There may be differences in the terminology we use and the specific ways we implement such a ministry. Some churches may not need... Continue Reading

Although we’ll fall short, we have the privilege of being a reflection of our Heavenly Father to our children. We can pray for their salvation, allow them the space to make mistakes and learn from them, teach them to discern the thoughts and beliefs beneath their choices, and be ready to receive them with grace... Continue Reading

“When we had left in 1965, there were 72 congregations of Tzeltal believers. Now, in 1985, there were 322. When we had left, there were over 6000 believers. Now there were some 44,000 on the church rolls, including children. … Where once we had faced nothing but heartbreak and disappointment, now we saw one-fourth of... Continue Reading

Ironically, the modern academic world, as secular as it has become, has its roots in an intellectually inclined monastic culture where humble monks, priests, and spiritual seekers searched for God and deep knowledge in harmony with faith, love, hope, and charity.    It is seldom noted today, but both [experimental science and modern mathematics] were... Continue Reading

The fifteen years that D’Aubigné was away from Geneva had seen an increase of those concerned about the views presented by the Academy of Geneva’s theological faculty. In response to the situation in 1831, the Geneva Evangelical Society was founded with one of its goals being the establishment of a seminary faithful to Calvin’s design... Continue Reading

Considering the foundation means pausing and asking yourself the difficult question of “why.” Sure, being intentional in the beginning isn’t nearly as glamorous as slapping on a coat of paint at the end, but it’s infinitely more valuable. After all, that paint’s not going to look very good on a house that’s crumbled to the... Continue Reading

Our false views of a domesticated God made in our image have fallen like the Gods of Egypt. As CS Lewis said of God, “He is not safe, but he is good.”    We have an infinite God who is beyond our control, but because that feels unsafe, we often remake him in our own... Continue Reading

“Sing to one another” is the clearest musical command that the church has been given. It is also profoundly simple. It compels us to make our song choices and musical techniques expertly crafted to serve that end: congregations singing well together.    At the forefront of a creation that praises its Creator (Psalm 148) stands... Continue Reading