Of Gathering for Worship When you Do not Want To
God intends togetherness for us whether we are suffering or rejoicing.
Why go to worship on Sunday? Obedience is a good reason. The fact that going might just encourage your soul is a solid reason. But when you are struggling, and when those reasons are not moving you forward, perhaps remembering that you are needed will help. When a believer is absent, the local church is... Continue Reading
Seeking the Lord in a Desolate Place
Why Seek a Desolate Place?
God’s attributes are on display in the natural world: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Creation is a testament to His attributes, and understanding the world He’s made can help us understand Him. When we are surrounded only by the things that man has made, it is... Continue Reading
What Is Humility?
Simply put, humility is the downward disposition of a Godward self-perception.
A popular notion of humility is that it entails forgetting about ourselves. Instead, humility is the internal frame of heart that results from seeing ourselves as we really are. The problem of pride is not that it sees the self, but that it sees the self wrongly. Humility is a putting of the self in its... Continue Reading
When in Weakness… Here’s How to Respond
Sufficient grace that is made perfect in weakness.
Paul boasted in his infirmities so that the power of Christ would rest upon him. In other words, he had perspective on life’s greatest hardships. He was strong with Christ’s help and for Christ’s sake. Paul accepted, eventually even welcomed, his weaknesses because he knew that God used his weaknesses to make him strong for... Continue Reading
God is Light
What does it mean for God to be light?
We are called to goodness, righteousness, and truth but that call begins with our relationship with God who is light. We are light in the Lord and therefore we are to be light. John anchors his moral imperative in our fellowship with God. “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in... Continue Reading
Escaping the Grip of Worldliness
The Inward Disposition of the Mind and Heart
To love the Lord Jesus, to cleave to Him with full purpose of heart, to count him as “all our salvation and all our desire,” this is what He requires. This is also what our blessed Savior deserves from each of His redeemed people. If we do not despise worldly trifles, when standing in competition... Continue Reading
How Should You Pray for False Teachers?
Pray that you & your pastors speak the truth in love with boldness.
The kingdom of darkness fills the stands and cheers on the false teacher in his or her schemes. This undoubtedly stirs up righteous anger in the true Christian and most certainly the men of God who are charged with the task of preaching truth and refuting error. In the Psalms, this would fall under the category... Continue Reading
Repost: Next Level Discipleship
We want our discipleship to be gamified.
Discipleship is slow. Gamification is all about quick wins and rewarding incremental progress. Discipleship, the lifelong obedience towards God that transforms us into the likeness of his son, is often incremental, but it’s never quick. If anyone suggests a quick win for an issue of character or obedience, run away from them. I was speaking... Continue Reading
The Sermon on the Mount Is Not an Impossible Standard to Make Us Feel Bad
Walking in the way of the Sermon on the Mount means walking close to Jesus.
The Sermon on the Mount contains within its many commands an awareness that these commands will not be kept flawlessly. That means part of entering by the narrow gate is being so poor in spirit that you know you need God’s help. It means lamenting your sins and looking to God for mercy. It means... Continue Reading
A Plea for Our Girls
God’s plan for our girls is to grow into strong, virtuous daughters who are as “corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace” (Psalm 144:12).
In our times, these biblical distinctives will cause our girls to stand out against the culture and frankly, that’s hard for our girls, who just want to fit in. What is the church to do? Be the adults and refuse to let this culture steal away our girls. Our girls need to be celebrated, valued,... Continue Reading
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