The Fruit of the First Sin Was Shame
We feel shame when some fault, imperfection, or vulnerability of ours conflicts with what we think we should be. Finding this shameful, we attempt to hide.
Articles
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5 Questions about Church Membership
The local church is the authority on earth that Jesus has instituted to officially affirm and give shape to my Christian life and yours.
The Surprising Limits of Natural Selection
The mechanisms that theistic evolutionists propose are the means by which God created are themselves demonstratively not creative. That’s a big problem—a scientific problem.
What Can We Learn about God’s Anger from Jesus?
When Jesus is angry, he is right to be angry; the cause of his anger is right, and he expresses his anger rightly.
As ordinary as our days may seem, the world we live in is precarious. The unknowns we live with can threaten to overwhelm our faith and even our very lives. Where can we look for hope and security?
How God Saved David Powlison from Destroying Himself
Counselor David Powlison shares his testimony of how God softened his heart and brought him to repentance and faith.
Read-Aloud Video: ‘Polly and the Screen Time Overload’
Watch a video and enjoy hearing this children's story about healthy boundaries with technology read aloud by its author.
The Gospel of Mark is presented in a way that demonstrates the fulfillment of Old Testament promises.
The clear contrast between God’s covenant-keeping and Israel’s covenant breaking, particularly among Israel’s kings, is perhaps the most important theme in the book of Kings.
Numbers is especially relevant for God's people in “wilderness” times when we must practice faith and trust in God's guidance and provision.
The Irreplaceable Value of Prayer in Your Spiritual Formation
If Christians confess that God is personal, both capable and desirous of real relationship with his creatures, then to talk to him should be as natural as it is necessary.
Why We Need Systematic Theology
Joel R. Beeke, Paul M. Smalley
Why do we need systematic theology? How we answer the question depends a lot on what we think theology is.
5 Things to Avoid When Discussing the Bible's Teaching on Gender
Andreas J. Köstenberger, Margaret Elizabeth Köstenberger
When it comes to gender, we live in confusing times. For many, gender has become merely a subjective reality.
What the Atonement Means for You
In our sin, we—who were created to know, love, and obey the God of all glory—stand guilty and condemned before him; we cannot save ourselves.
The Doctrine of the Atonement in the Bible
What does the Bible say about Christ's death and atoning sacrifice for sinners? Learn more from this look into the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible.
12 Notable Quotes from 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You
Technology is not itself bad, nor is it innocuous. Though we’re not all aware of how we are being changed by our digital habits, we are being changed nonetheless.
3 Ways You Can Discover Authentic Community in Your Church
For the frustrated, disaffected believer on the fringes of the church—feeling disconnected, unwanted, or not at the center of things—there’s good news. True belonging is possible.
4 Ways to Help Save Your Pastor from Burnout
The reasons for pastoral burnout are deeper and more complex than just how congregations relate to their pastors. Intentional support can help alleviate some of the main causes.
How Were the Books of the Bible Chosen?
We got the Bible through a providential process. God continually orchestrated both what was going on in the Jewish synagogue and also how the books were being used and affirmed by Christians.
3 Questions about Regeneration
Joel R. Beeke, Paul M. Smalley
New birth is an absolute necessity for salvation. Without regeneration, the glorious offer of the gospel will not save a single soul.
When you come to Christ for mercy and love and help in your anguish and perplexity and sinfulness, you are going with the flow of his own deepest wishes, not against them.
Should I Choose a Church for Its Pastor?
The centrality of the Word coming from the front, from the preacher, the one specially gifted by God and called to that ministry, is the most important thing you can look for in a church.
As an oracle of judgment, Obadiah presents unique challenges for gospel application.
5 Prompts for Journaling through Scripture
As you spend time reading and journaling through the Bible, consider these five prompts to guide your study and reflection.
Where Did Youth Ministry Go Wrong? Identifying a Way Forward
It's concerning that our ideals about how to do family discipleship have sometimes distracted us from our more primary responsibility to teach kids the gospel. Here are a couple of the ways we get distracted.
The book of Malachi contains six oracles (or disputations) that each begin with a saying of the people, to which the Lord responds through his prophet.
The Professionalization of the Home
With the work of the home being increasingly outsourced and professionalized, it can feel unglamorous. But the home isn't about compensation or perfection—it's about people.
Build Your Life around Spiritual Habits, Don’t Just Fit Them In
If there's anything in our life that we want to do with regularity, we have to plan for it. It's just practical living.
Do Christians Ever Need to Choose the Lesser Sin?
The notion that we sometimes have to choose the lesser sin is a dangerous and deeply harmful idea for the Christian life.
Why Did God’s Beautiful Plan of Redemption Involve Something So Ugly?
When we consider carefully what Jesus was doing on that old, rugged cross, we can understand why it was so ugly. To atone for our transgressions, Jesus had to shoulder our guilty sins.