When grief strikes, the gospel sustains. When sorrow engulfs, the gospel encourages. This is the principle underneath the call...

Sending isn’t just a missionary task. It is a Trinitarian concept. Consider this: The Father sent the Son (John 20:21), and the Father...

Three times in the Pastoral Epistles Paul references “sound teaching” (I Timothy 1:10, 2 Timothy 4:3, Titus 1:9). But exactly what does...

Refuse to believe the lie that sins are measured by size. The truth is this: there are no little sins. Paul takes direct aim at this...

Suffering is often the intended way of proclaiming the gospel, not simply a secondary result of proclaiming it. Paul makes this precise...

Many things are important. Few things are essential. For instance, air conditioning is important. Air is essential. Hot water is important....

Today we rejoice in the fulfillment of our anticipation. Advent is realized; Jesus has come. Yes, Immanuel is here. Ah, Immanuel. It means...

The beauty of significance lies in the fact that it is often hidden in the ugliness of the seemingly unimportant. This was exactly the case...

Christmas is a messy holiday. I didn’t say merry; I said messy. Think about it—it’s about a birth. Been to any birthing rooms lately?...

Christmas has too quickly been hijacked by the commercial world and the postmodern consumer. It’s “the most wonderful time of the...

Two can carry a burden better than one. Such is the thought behind Galatians 6:2, where the Apostle Paul exhorted believers to “bear one...

In a few days, the vast majority of people in our nation will take intentional time to be thankful. Yes, Thanksgiving is the holiday...

Are you a selfish divider or a selfless edifier? This was the juxtaposition John drew in his third letter as he contrasted Diotrephes—the...

Nothing is as secure or strong as the love of God. Nothing. This is the core message of Romans 8:38-39, which emphatically declares...

Spiritual deception can be dressed up or dressed down. We can be fooled by what’s added to the truth or by what’s missing from the...

Salvation is solely and wholly a work of God. That 9-word, labor-freeing, heart-melting, praise-producing, soul-satisfying refrain occupied...

For the Christian, death is the doorway to the truest life he or she could ever know. Paul declared this truth beautifully in 2...

A church’s best pool for partners (i.e., missionaries/church planters) is its own body, and the best practice for finding them is prayer....

Mission is always, first and foremost, an issue of motivation, not means. Case in point: the Jerusalem church of Acts. While the eleven...

The Jerusalem church of Acts 2, led by the very men who heard the final instructions of Jesus, were a missional band of believers. They did...

Restraint is never as powerful as pursuit. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t say ‘no,’ resist sin, or, as Jesus said, “deny...

Why Peter and not James? That was the question that raced to the forefront of my mind when I finished reading the first 11 verses of Acts...

Hanging on a wall in my office is a replica of the world’s first concept of a calendar. It was developed by the Egyptians, and shows the...

One of the best ways to battle sin in the moment is to think about its consequences in the distance. This is the heartbeat of a simple...

One of the hardest things to do is wait. This is especially true in times of injustice, such as when one is suffering for righteousness’...

An old adage warns us not to be so heavenly minded that we’re of no earthly good. But that’s a false proposition. Frankly, it’s...

You can’t revive what isn’t already alive. So when it comes to deepening one’s affections for Christ, a first and foremost question...

Genuine desire evidenced by gritty diligence results in godly growth. Solomon showcases this principle in Proverbs 2 through two words:...

A firm foundation makes all the difference. This is precisely the point of the parable Jesus told at the end of his sermon on Mount Olivet...

Someone once truly noted, “A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” I watched this reality in the lives...

Prayer is our first and best action. Admittedly, it’s not our only action. But it is, in all situations, our first and best one. But why?...

12 words. Four commands. One verse. That is a numerical summary of 1 Corinthians 16:13, which reads, “Be watchful, stand firm in the...

One of the best habits a person can practice is the regular reading of the Bible. Scripturally, this often overlooked yet profoundly needed...

It’s never too late for someone to be rescued from hell. This must have been what Jude was referencing when, while encouraging believers...

When you have nothing to hide, you have no reason to run. Solomon, inspired by the Holy Spirit, clues us in to this truth when he...

Fear paralyzes. It cripples. It stalls and halts even the best intentions. That’s why Solomon called it a “snare.” Specifically, his...

Jesus Christ was the consummate counter-culture communicator. Consider Matthew 5. Six times he said to the crowds, “You have heard it...

Obedience doesn’t limit the believer. It actually enables the believer to truly live. This is the heartbeat of Proverbs 7:2, where...

Jesus makes himself known so that you will faithfully believe and fearlessly follow. I draw this from John 21, where twice we read in the...

When it comes to being a witness (Acts 1:8), it’s never a matter of “Will you be one?” Rather, it’s always a matter of “What kind...

Julie and I spent the bulk of our 2021 Bible reading in the Old Testament books of prophecy. Each night we’d take some time together and...

God’s love is qualitatively and quantitatively different than our love. Need proof? Consider the first part of 1 John 3:1. “See what...

Joy. It’s the emotion that goes public. When you experience it, other people usually know it. Sometimes we shout because of our joy,...

Peace. An internal calm in the middle of an external storm. Even that definition sounds unexplainable, almost contradictory. But such is...

“I sure hope so.” Those are words that often express our wants and wishes. And there’s nothing wrong with them. Every human has...

The Bible often uses the metaphor of walking when it refers to the Christian life. Some of my favorite verses that use this metaphor are...

I contend and believe the Great Commission is both a command to be obeyed and a promise that has been fulfilled. This brings up an...

For those who’ve grown up in the “moral Midwest,” you’ve likely encountered the gospel of “good works.” This false teaching...

God’s conviction comes in different ways. Odd ways even. Yet all of them accomplish their purpose: to expose our sin and turn us back to...

Every environment needs leaders. But what sets leaders apart? What distinguishes them? Interestingly, an overview of Joshua reveals some...

God doesn’t play hide or seek with his children. He’s not obscuring his plan; he doesn’t communicate in cryptic fashion. No, God...

Try harder. Those are the central words of religious people. It’s their mantra. After all, it’s the best way to become a better you....

God is not distant or unreachable. He is not remote or unaware. He is, instead, close. Personal. Near. Concerned. This is precisely what...

When Scripture speaks of the pace at which we are to live as Christians, the word picture is overwhelmingly one of steadiness....

God does what he does because of who he is. His character always informs his actions. Not only does this mean God operates fully and...

No one likes troubles or trials; yet, everyone has their share of them.  No one ever asks for them; still, they raise their ugly...