Applying the Gospel Study Bible
Church & Ministry Resource Guide
Dear Pastor . . . We Are Out of Balance
The world as God created it was designed with perfect balance. What is balance? It is everything in its right place doing what it was meant to do. We cannot even picture such a world.
Articles
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The church must be dedicated to hearing and attending to the cry of the afflicted. May all Christians resist the temptation to burrow our heads in the sand because we dread emotional upheaval.
4 Ways to Worship Beyond Singing
Words of praise shouldn’t be confined to a corporate worship service. Rather, they should spill over into our everyday lives as a genuine response out of our sincere enjoyment of and gratitude for God.
The Fruits of Suffering in the Life of John Bunyan
In 1655, when the matter of his soul was settled, John Bunyan was asked to exhort the church, and suddenly a great preacher was discovered.
God speaks in light of who he is and what he has done, and we respond back to God.
How Stories Teach Kids about Sin
The calling to raise children to love God and hate sin is daunting, and Christian parents should avail themselves of all the help they can get.
Is “Be True to Yourself” Good Advice?
You don’t need to look far today to notice that personal identity is a do-it-yourself project. People think about themselves constantly, it seems, and with high expectations!
2 Truths to Help Navigate Doctrinal Disagreement with Other Christians
This side of heaven, we see through a glass dimly. It’s just reality. We’re not going to agree on everything.
2 Audacious Demands We Are to Make of God
Moses didn't want God simply to send down orders; he wanted to know the purpose behind God's plans.
Dig into God’s Word with the Updated ESV Bible App for Android
One of the most immediate, inexpensive, and portable options for accessing God's Word is via digital means.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Revelation?
The book of Revelation is characterized by symbolism and dazzling—and sometimes confusing—visions which can make the book difficult to understand.
What Is Pastoral Burnout, and What Contributes to It?
The things that contribute to pastoral burnout are actually very simple. Coleman Ford explains several of these and offers something for pastors to consider.
Daniel Shows Us How to Plead with God When You’ve Blown It Badly
Daniel 9 gives us a surprising answer to a deeply practical question: How do you approach God when you’ve blown it badly?
Reading God's Word When You Don't Want To
Pick God’s Word up not with the burden of guilt or as a call to duty, but because it’s a gift given to you by a God of amazingly tender mercy and grace.
The Only Solution to World Poverty
After extensive research in both economics and biblical ethics our conclusion is this: poor nations must somehow produce their own prosperity, and it is possible for them to do this.
Dear Pastor . . . Pride Is a Subtle Enemy
How frequently does pride come with us into our studies and sit with us as we prepare our sermon? How often does it choose our subject and more often choose our words and ornaments?
The Role of Systematic Theology in Preaching
If biblical theology helps you to discern the progressive unfolding of God’s redemption plan in Christ, then systematic theology helps you to synthesize everything that the Bible says in the form of doctrines.
A really intriguing thing, which goes against the notion of expressive individualism, is the fact that we live in shared stories.
Jesus Is Not Ashamed of Those with an Embarrassing Past: The Story of Tamar
While we may blush over our sin and our stories and our embarrassing past, we have a Savior who doesn't blush. He actually enters into the mess with us.
Your Words Will Change the World Today
Do you ever consciously and deliberately set your words to work, sending them off into the world and into someone else’s life to do them good?
What Should We Keep in Mind When Considering the Ethics of the Bible?
When we speak about the ethics in the Bible, we are not just thinking of the Old Testament law or of the Sermon on the Mount, nor do we only have in mind actual moral instructions, injunctions, and prohibitions.
What Is at the Heart of the Book of Acts?
If this is a book about what the apostles did, it is interesting that after the twelve are listed in the first chapter, we don’t hear anything else about most of them.
God’s Word Is Living and Active (Even Genealogies)
Is there any hope that reading a biblical genealogy can lead us to encounter God? The (perhaps surprising) answer is yes, but first we need to learn about the purpose of these passages.
To know the attributes of God is to not only know God, but to know what God is like. To know what God is like is to know what God is toward us. More pointedly, to know God is to know Christ.
How Culture Can Warp Our View of God's Love
Because of the way that our culture tends to think of love, being told God loves you can fail to land on us with the beauty and significance that it should.
Practical Tips for Expository Preachers
Alistair Begg shares five tips that he learned from an older minister when he was a theological student.
The very rhythms of the world are a pointer to what it means to be part of the created order as a human being.
Grace Gives Us a New Way to Live
The most outrageous acts of penance in the world are powerless to do what needs to be done—radically transform your heart. So you and I are left with only one final option.
Why do we need suggestions on how to express gratitude? Shouldn’t a truly grateful heart just naturally overflow in expressing that gratefulness?
We’ll Be Truly Alive on Our Third Birthday
Some day, some way, my heart will stop, as sure as eggs are eggs, and that what the world will call my death-day will really be a birthday—the third in line.