66 results found
When Genuine Obedience Becomes Impossible, Hell Becomes Impossible as Well
There’s no way to understand the pastoral epistles unless you realize Paul has a category for Christians who are living a faithful, obedient life, and a category for those who are unrepentant, in whom there’s no progress.
One Simple Yet Crucial Decision College Freshmen Need to Make
My oldest son is a freshman in college. So I’ve thought about this question: What is that important piece of advice for a graduating high school student heading off to college?
The Sermon on the Mount Is Not an Impossible Standard to Make Us Feel Bad
If we approach the Sermon on the Mount only or mainly as a means by which we see our sinfulness, we’ve not taken the sermon on its own terms.
How the Bible Talks about Corporate Responsibility and Repentance
Do we share some responsibility for the sins committed by those who were part of the same immediate family? What about the same religious family?
On the Crushing Guilt of Failing at Quiet Time
Meet any mature, fruitful Christian, and you can almost guarantee he regularly has something like a “quiet time”—a time set aside to talk to God in prayer and hear from God in the word.
12 Old(ish) Books to Read When You Are Young
Talk to almost any mature, vibrant Christians, and they will tell you about Christian books that have been instrumental in their lives.
Good Advice for Living a Countercultural Life
When you think about your life, you are the main character. You never think about your life as a supporting actor or actress in someone else’s story.
An Untethered Identity Is Dangerous
The way that our world shapes and steers us on that quest for identity can be dangerous because it’s often without reference to God, without being anchored in his Word.
The Right (and Wrong) Way to Be True to Yourself
You’re no longer worshiping the god of this age. You have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. This is what’s true of you.
The doctrine of the necessity of Scripture reminds us of our predicament: the One we need to know most cannot be discovered on our own, and this same ineffable One has made himself known through his word.
An Open Letter to Graduating High School Seniors
Of all the decisions you’ll face this year, the most important one may be whether you get up and go to church on the very first Sunday when no one is there to make sure that you go.
I’d like to offer different advice than what you might hear elsewhere: “Do not follow your dreams. Do not march to the beat of your own drummer. And whatever you do, do not be true to yourself.”
2 Comforts for Those Discouraged with Prayer
Many Christians are—or have been—discouraged by their prayer lives. Here are a couple of things to remember about the practice of prayer.
The Crushing Obligation to Keep Doing More and More
I understand there are lazy people out there who need to get radical for Jesus. I also know people like me, people who easily feel a sense of responsibility, people who easily feel bad for not doing more
What Should Christians Think about Same-Sex Marriage?
What’s the big deal about marriage? Why not let people have whatever relationships they choose and call them whatever they want? Why go to the trouble of sanctioning a specific relationship and giving it a unique legal standing?
4 Questions about Headship and Head Coverings
What does it mean that the husband is the head of his wife? What is the covering? What “head” does the woman dishonor? What does Paul mean by “authority”?
What Makes Our Prayers Distinctively Christian?
We're asking for God to do gospel things in our lives, among our families, and in our churches. And that's what makes Christian prayer distinctively Christian.
What Does It Mean When We Pray “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”?
This is still a powerful reminder and a necessary prayer because even though we may see grocery stores around every corner, we still are dependent upon God to give us what we need.
Praying to Our Father Is a Spiritual Privilege
To pray with intimacy to God as father is not a human right; it is a spiritual privilege. It is a privilege for the people of God who have been born again by the Spirit of God.
The Lord’s Prayer Reignites Our Desire to Want to Pray
Jesus doesn’t give us an impossibly high standard of prayer. It's lofty, and none of us will do it perfectly, but he's giving us something that we can do.
Why Do We Need to Keep Praying “Forgive Us Our Debts”?
If you want to be happy in the church (or simply not give up on the church), you need to learn forgiveness. You need to grant it, and you need to receive it.
The Lord’s Prayer Teaches Us How to Pray Every Other Prayer
The Lord's Prayer orients us, most importantly, to the vertical dimension of our prayers. That's why we start by saying, “Our Father.”
What Does It Mean to Pray “Your Kingdom Come”?
A simple definition is to think of the kingdom of God as his reign and rule. Another way to think of the kingdom is as God’s redemptive presence coming down from heaven to earth.
What Is Catechesis and What Role Do Bible Stories Play in It?
Catechesis is basically training discipleship. When we catechize someone, we are instructing them, oftentimes, in the foundational, fundamental elements of our faith.
The Purpose of Vibrant Illustrations in ‘The Biggest Story Bible Storybook’
Kids—and really all of us—are drawn to images and pictures. The illustrations in this edition present a kind of mood.
If the Bible Is Enough, Why Is It Good to Retell Bible Stories?
God, throughout history, has always given not only his word to people but also has given qualified men who might teach others.
Don't Let the Culture Train Up Your Children in the Way They Should Go
We need to be intentional about catechizing our kids with what is truly good, truly beautiful, truly life-changing, and life-saving, and God-glorifying.
3 Ways Men Can Love Their Wives in Real Life
Men, these three verbs describe freely given love: lead, sacrifice, and care. God holds you accountable for the spiritual welfare of your wife.
Feminine Beauty and Masculine Strength
What do we say to our sons and daughters who ask, “Daddy and Mommy, what does it mean to be a man or a woman?” Tell them they are made in the image of God and for union with Christ.
5 Questions about God’s Design for Gender
What is at stake in God making us male and female? Nothing less than the gospel.