Understanding Family History
It was vital that the truth of the LORD be promoted and taught in full measure so that not any of it is lost.
Most of the feasts and festivals of the Old Testament were built on the presupposition that each age group needed to be reminded about what God had done for His people. Whether it be the Passover or the building of the Booths on Sukkot each of them help describe in an outward way something real... Continue Reading
Missing God’s Word While Preaching God’s Words
God’s words point toward God’s Word, who DOES give life. If we miss that, we too read the Bible but miss its message.
Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus is the source of life. Jesus is the culmination of every Bible verse, command, and story’s meaning. Jesus is the heart of God’s message, and Jesus is the source of true life. So when we go to the Bible, every time we read or teach, let us not... Continue Reading
Can You Live Without the Church?
Christ places us in a church where we can be blessed through the preaching of his Word, the sacraments, and Christian discipline.
It is through the community of the church that we receive necessary help from our fellow believers in Christ, as we learn together, pray together, serve together, teach and exhort each other, and admonish one another. Scripture even teaches us to confess that there is no salvation outside of the assembly of his believers. Someone... Continue Reading
The Paradoxical Pastoral Piety of the Lord’s Prayer
The preface of the Lord’s Prayer immediately establishes a balance between these seemingly contradictory values of boldness and humility.
It is by prayer, then, that we fight the good fight with absolute humility. In prayer, God trains us to leave behind our personal vendettas, and he realigns our hearts to treasure Christ and his kingdom. Through prayer, God assures us that “he is able and willing to help us, so we by faith are... Continue Reading
A Christian Funeral Service or A “Celebration of Life” Service?
“Who cares that I taught theater, told corny jokes, and was a good cook? Believe and praise the risen Christ! I am alive in glory because of Him!”
I humbly suggest there should be a funeral service of witness to the resurrection of Christ to help us grieve properly, and hope substantively, knowing that Christ has indeed defeated death. While our hearts are tender and our minds are anxious with the thought of being without one we love, the message of a certain... Continue Reading
God of Order: The Holy Spirit’s Work Today
Characterizing the Holy Spirit’s Work
This overarching characteristic of ordering describes much, if not all, of what the Holy Spirit does throughout Scripture, including giving revelation, creating life (both physical and spiritual), and sanctifying individual believers: “the Spirit orders (or re-orders) and ultimately beautifies God’s creation.”10 Ultimately, current expectations concerning the Holy Spirit’s work today must derive, not from experience,... Continue Reading
Recognizing the Curse in Our Work
I expected my work to bring me fulfillment, but it offered me frustration.
In the frustrations of work, God is reminding us to look to him. He is saying, look to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are fleeting, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). He is where we will find the fulfillment and glory we seek, and... Continue Reading
From Judgment to Restoration
Christ, The Great Fulfillment
Jesus is also the true Israel who was the first recipient of the restoration the prophets promised. Jeremiah promised a true king who would reign amid true worship, joy, and, best of all, obedience from the heart. These promises have already been fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 1:20), and we await the... Continue Reading
Uprooting Bitterness, Part 2 of 3
Bitterness will exaggerate your suffering, thus blinding you from seeing God’s blessings.
Life is filled with bitter tasting experiences, but pain and loss don’t have to define us or turn our hearts bitter. We don’t have to respond like Naomi, who resisted God because his plan differed from hers—because her life turned out differently than she expected. Instead, like Ruth, we can respond in humble, childlike faith... Continue Reading
The Cult of Victimhood
Why is the victim mentality so alluring?
We’re to follow the example of Christ, guarding our minds against the allure of victimhood mentality and reminding ourselves of the absolute truths Scripture holds. Having the victim mindset is one of the empty deceptions that can overtake Christians– it aligns with our fleshly desire toward selfishness and justifying our own sin. Don’t be taken... Continue Reading
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