The Idolatry That Destroys Friendship
We need to speak often in praise of friendship and apply Biblical principles so our congregations can flourish as they enjoy friendship as God intends it.
We were not made for loneliness we were made for love, not romantic love but love from God, love by neighbours, love by a redeemed community that meets us again and again with the welcome of grace and the rest of the gospel. Perhaps the biggest barrier to our building friendships comes from our... Continue Reading
When God’s Wisdom Does Not Make Sense
Not having all the answers will guide us to an informed step of faith, taken under the blessed guidance of the gospel.
Knowing that God works in unsearchable ways may not satisfy our agitated hearts and troubled soul in the short term. However, it points us to a larger reality where our circumstances play only a small part. You confess sound doctrine and know your Bible reasonably well. However, when reality confronts beliefs, there is a... Continue Reading
Speaking Rightly About Our Beloved
We who are saved should relentlessly pursue correctly thinking about and speaking about the One we love.
Simply because Christ is impeccable—unable to sin—does not mean that his sinless perfection is any less glorious or any less incredible! Christ succeeded at every point where we have failed. He was tempted in every way we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Last week at the Seminary, we had the privilege of a... Continue Reading
My Darkest Night; Hopefully Not Yours
Hell is described as both “outer darkness” and a place of fire.
It would be a mercy of God to take a man’s mind away in hell, but that surely is the agony of hell. Mercy was for another time, now so long ago. A man must live with himself, without the dignities of feigned kindness and pretended beauty. His mind is the most tortured part of... Continue Reading
An Update on Christians in Afghanistan
Here in the states, we have no sense of the Afghan's plight and destitute conditions, or that of the people that seek to help them.
American left a mess over in Afghanistan. The chaos on the ground is reportedly incredible. We must pray for these dear people—those fellow Americans, fellow Afghanistan Christians, and Afghan allies. Dads, moms, children, grandparents, uncles, aunts—people just like you and me. Editor’s Notes: The following update on Christians in Afghanistan comes from a report from Jim Geraghty a... Continue Reading
On “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill”—Surveying Our Souls
The podcast chronicles the rise of Driscoll and his church’s influence and the patterns of unhealthy leadership and resulting diminishment of Driscoll’s credibility and the dissolution of the church.
There is nothing godly or unifying about ignoring character flaws and dismissing complaints from people wounded within toxic leadership environments as “distractions.” If the example of Mars Hill has taught us anything, it’s that we need more conversations about good and bad leadership, not less. Today, I’m kicking off a series of articles on the extraordinarily... Continue Reading
Who Knows What Blessings Repentance May Bring?
The judgment of God is a call for us to return to Him.
When God is judging a nation, it does not hinder Him blessing those who repent. There may be rich mercies waiting for them, both in the time of affliction to help them survive and afterwards, to rebuild them up. For there is hope that upon repentance, God will leave a blessing behind Him (Joel 2:14).... Continue Reading
The Genius of Christianity Breaks the Snare
“The very genius of Christianity is a spirit of freedom, and all its precepts are opposed to tyranny.”
This is the stunning genius of Christianity, that we have obtained the true Spirit of freedom which is only found by faith in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17). “For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1), for “having been set free... Continue Reading
Deacons: The Office & How to Decide
All who belong to Christ are servants, but there is also the office of servant (deacon) with its accompanying gifts.
This is an important office given to the church and Paul takes care to describe the one who feels led to seek it…First Timothy chapter three and verses eight and nine contain five descriptions that either qualify or disqualify a person from serving as a deacon. The office of deacon is an important one. ... Continue Reading
The Danger of Atomistic Preaching
An “atom” might be a Bible personality’s attribute, experience, or behavior which the preacher extracts and expounds as the main emphasis of the message.
The pattern of emphasis dictated by the text keeps verbal meaning in its rightful and prominent position in the interpretive process. All of this is not to say that implications ought not be expounded; indeed, they should. However, implications must remain submissive to the author’s intent—and to the degree that the original author wills them.... Continue Reading
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