Wounded Beauty
The cross is the place where God’s beauty is revealed most clearly.
We look forward to the day when we will stand with Jesus, the Lamb who looks as if it had been slain (Rev 5:6). Glorified with him, our wounded bodies will testify to his defeat of sin and death. May our eyes be transformed even now, so that we might see beauty as revealed by... Continue Reading
Difference or Contradiction?
Difference does not mean contradiction.
The Bible is a divine book—but it’s also a very human book, not in that it is filled with human errors but in that it reflects how human beings tell stories. No two people write in exactly the same way, and no two human beings report their perspectives on the same event identically. Two people... Continue Reading
Prayer Tips: When to Pray
Anything worthy of our attention deserves time devoted to it.
Our problem is not a lack of resources. But one other thing is clear: we must make time to pray and praise God. If we cannot make and keep appointments with our Triune God, our relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, like any other, will suffer. The invitation is this: have... Continue Reading
Should Elders Insist on Unanimity?
Five Reasons to Not Insist on Unanimity
Like David in Psalm 133, we should celebrate unity in our churches and in our elder boards. And as Paul instructs in Ephesians 4:3, we should be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” So we should pray for unity. We should work to preserve the unity God’s Spirit... Continue Reading
What Is Biblical Meditation?
Meditation, very simply, is ruminating on, thinking over, and pondering God, his works, and his Word.
In Hebrew, the word for meditation literally means to mumble to oneself; speaking to oneself audibly or in one’s heart. But it is not a mindless activity or the repetition of a mantra. Biblically, to meditate means to ponder, consider, chew on, and mull over the word of God. Biblical meditation is full of content,... Continue Reading
Jesus Isn’t Afraid of Your Investigation
Jesus knows what He’s about. And He knows that what He offers is the only thing that truly satisfies.
Jesus is not afraid of your investigation. He’s not afraid to invite you in – to bring you close – because He knows who He is. And He knows what He is offering. There is no guile, no insecurity, no anger at those who are truly seeking. There is no insecurity in the Son... Continue Reading
You Have Time to Sit with God
Satan will try to make everything feel more urgent than sitting down to be with Jesus.
Have the cares of this world distracted you from sitting at the feet of Jesus? Have your fears left you feeling restless, insecure, unstable? The God of the universe is still speaking, right now, in his word. Hear his voice calling your name today, bidding you to come and enjoy the one necessary thing, the... Continue Reading
The Problem of Christian Passivity, Part One
The believers I challenged seemed to approach almost any clash of ideas with an attitude of passivity.
The best way to define what I mean by “Christianity passivity” is through an illustration. Imagine you are in a setting in which other Christians are present, and a secular person enters and begins to strenuously denounce Christianity. Suppose that, rather than attempting to make any defense of your faith, you allow the person to... Continue Reading
7 Characteristics of Good Bible Teachers
Teaching scripture is a spiritual gift, but it is also a skill.
Several things come into play that impacts the quality of teaching. The sound of your voice, your cadence, and even the way you dress. There are even more important aspects to teaching scripture than what I will cover below, such as having a clear understanding of the Bible, studying your topic diligently, and most importantly, being faithful to... Continue Reading
The Christian and Philosophy
Protestant theologians recognize that theology is queen of the disciplines and that philosophy is a handmaiden, an ancillary tool that the church may use in the task of doing theology.
For those who believe that we should excise all philosophy from theology do not realize that all of us use philosophical concepts and terms whether we realize it or not. He who believes he is free from philosophy is the likely unwitting adherent to the philosophical teaching of a defunct philosopher or theologian. Rather than run from natural... Continue Reading
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