10 Things You Should Know about Demons and Satan
Jesus came into the world as the incarnate Son of God to accomplish more than one thing and defeating the devil by tasting death was among them.
Articles on Culture
663 results found
What Did Jesus Teach about Homosexuality?
In a 2012 article for Slate online, Will Oremus asked a provocative question: Was Jesus a homophobe?
Infographic: You Have More Time for Bible Reading than You Think
If someone observed an average day in your life, how would they see you spend your time? How much do you devote to Bible reading?
Free Resources for Your Stay at Home during COVID-19
When many families are reorienting their lives and schedules around more time at home, we hope you will find these resources helpful in grounding you in the hope of the gospel.
What Does "Arsenokoitai" Mean?
That word is an unusual word. It’s a new word; we don’t know of any other instances of the word until Paul coins the word in 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1.
10 Things You Should Know about Sex
God created and has good purposes for sex in the context of marriage, and we don't always view it rightly.
10 Things You Should Know about the New Heavens and the New Earth
God will have the final victory over what God has made. It will not be discarded but rescued.
8 Reminders in the Face of the Coronavirus Pandemic
These are strange days, days of fear, days of hysteria. In other words, days that simply bring all our latent anxieties up to the surface.
7 Good Reasons to Leave a Church
Illegitimate reasons for leaving a church abound, but there are circumstances when it is right to make the painful decision to leave.
5 Questions about Homosexuality
When we choose to embrace sin, celebrate it, and not repent of it, we keep ourselves away from God and away from heaven.
Does God Single Out the Sin of Homosexuality? (Romans 1)
While in recent years same-sex relations have been glamorized in some sectors of society, Jesus confirmed that God’s will for marriage has always been lifelong heterosexual monogamy.
10 Things You Should Know about Scientism
We often fail in the church to teach people why to believe what they believe. And we often do not prepare our children to engage ideas in the culture.
The emergence of Islam and the Qur’an can be properly understood only within the larger context of the Bible and the monotheism of Islam’s two main predecessors, Judaism and Christianity.
An Open Letter to Those Nonchalant about Their Sexual Sin
Are you living in sexual sin and darkness? Find motivation and hope for lasting change.
10 Things You Should Know about Christian Hospitality
Hospitality is not always easy or comfortable, but it is worth it. Learn why.
10 Things You Should Know about the Sexual Revolution
The sexual revolution is simply one manifestation of a broader culture of what we might call expressive individualism.
Practice Hospitality, Especially during COVID-19
Christians know that the dread of death can only be met by the redemption in Jesus Christ, so we need to proclaim Christ into a COVID-19 world.
What Does the Bible Say about Being Born Gay?
How to respond biblically to the question of natural-born homosexuality with grace and truth.
How to Pray When You’re Feeling Depressed
During seasons of depression or anxiety, most of us find it hard to concentrate, we feel God is far away, and we despair of God hearing us or helping us.
What Did Jesus Teach about Politics?
If we take the lordship of Christ in our lives seriously, then we should seek to apply that lordship to our participation in politics.
Podcast: A Christian Doctor’s Guide to Thinking about Coronavirus (Bob Cutillo, MD)
A Christian doctor discusses the current coronavirus pandemic, explaining what's currently happening in the US and around the world and offering perspective on how we should think about this virus.
Is the Bible’s Teaching about Homosexuality Offensive?
Jesus is sometimes caricatured as a prophet of free love, unconcerned about sexual ethics. But his teaching on sexual morality was consistently stricter than the Old Testament law.
Should Drinking Alcohol Disqualify a Pastor from Ministry?
“Not a drunkard” means more than just “Knows how to toe the line and stay within the legal limits.” It implies a positive vision. It calls for men who are reliable, ever vigilant, “ready in season and out.”
Should Science Inform Our Reading of Genesis 1–3?
What do we do if we find an apparent discrepancy between Genesis 1-3 and what modern scientists claim about the origin of the world?
A lot of misinformation exists related to abortion. Here are 5 common myths that many people—pro-choice and pro-life alike—often believe.
10 Things You Should Know about the Danger of Media
Why do we seek spectacles? Because we’re human—hardwired with an unquenchable appetite to see glory.
Training Our Kids in a Culture That Affirms Transgenderism
We must tell the truth about what the Bible teaches about gender. Among other things, the Bible is clear that there is a normative connection between biological sex and gender identity.
The Most Comprehensive Critique of Theistic Evolution Yet Produced
This groundbreaking book documents evidential, logical, and theological problems with theistic evolution, opening the door to scientific and theological alternatives.
2 Heated Cultural Debates the Bible Addresses
If we read the Bible carefully, we find that all of our modern cultural debates are addressed there.
6 Lessons from Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice contains some poignant lessons for Christians. Learn more about how her characters can point us to the Gospel.
6 Ideas for Thinking about Halloween with Your Kids
Consider these six ways parents can help think through what to do with Halloween biblically..
An Open Letter to the Depressed Christian at Christmas
In the midst of a tough season, learn ways to carefully navigate the holidays while also contributing to your long-term healing.
5 Idols Revealed through Hardship
Lamenting the toppling of our cultural idols can reorient Christian exiles as to what King and what kingdom we were supposed to long for.
Were David and Jonathan Lovers?
That‘s a fair question, though it’s a question that would have been strange to anyone in the biblical world.
An Open Letter to Those Debilitated by Their Sexual Sin
If you feel debilitated by a past of sexual sin or by the ongoing presence of temptation, hear these words of comfort and encouragement.
5 Ways Stephen Hawking Was Wrong
Scripture is true in all that it claims, and when interpreted rightly, it harmonizes perfectly with the book of nature. The church had misunderstood this principle and used Scripture to silence science.
Infographic: What's Your Take on Singleness, Dating, and Marriage?
In May 2017, we asked our readers questions about their views on dating and marriage. In total, nearly 7,000 people filled out the survey, revealing some interesting insights into how we view (and pursue) marriage and dating today.
Why Do Christians Make Such a Big Deal about Sex?
The fundamental reason why Christians believe that sex belongs only in the permanent bond of male-female marriage is because of the metaphor of Jesus’s love for his church.
Who Killed the Prayer Meeting?
Behind our busyness and wealth is a philosophy called secularism, which doesn’t just deny God’s existence but denies the existence of any spiritual world.
7 Tips for Sharing the Gospel with Teens
Before teens can actually explain the gospel, they must first know it themselves. Then they must know how to articulate it.
A Proper Christian Response to Sexual Sin in Our Culture
Sexual desire is often one of the most powerful, powerfully creative, and powerfully catastrophic forces within human history.
6 Keys to a Rewarding Digital Detox
Our screens project images to us that are more attractive than our real lives, and that’s all by design. Lured in, we escape into our screens, get hooked, and find it difficult to escape.
What Did Jesus Teach about Violence and Turning the Other Cheek?
J. Daryl Charles, Timothy J. Demy
Does Jesus’s teaching in the sermon on the Mount to “turn the other cheek” and not resist evil require pacifism on the part of Christians?
10 Things You Should Know about The Pilgrim’s Progress
The classic tale of The Pilgrim’s Progress has been popular with readers through the ages because it is rooted in the truths of the Bible.
Infographic: What Does Your Church Mean to You?
We asked over 10,000 people to share their views of church. In this infographic, we present some of the interesting results.
We come into this world as a danger to ourselves. We are naturally more discontented than contented.
10 Things You Should Know about Money
Money is an accurate window on what is truly important to us.
Women in Society: The Challenge and the Call
Women are extremely valuable to society, not because of their own merits but because of the qualities God has given them to use on his behalf.
10 Things You Should Know about the Church after COVID-19
In all the important ways, nothing has changed about church. We are still the people of God, gathered in the presence of God, to bring glory to God.
We May Be Confused, but God Isn’t
As much as we try to make sense of our lives, there are things that we simply aren’t able to understand.
7 Bad Reasons to Leave a Church
Before you begin searching for a new church, consider these 7 reasons you shouldn't.
What in the World Is a Worldview?: Part 1
James N. Anderson discusses what a worldview is.
An Open Letter to the Hesitant Church-Goer
Helpful reflections and encouragement for believers who are hesitant to return to church for a variety of reasons.
What Did Jesus Teach about Money?
We keep telling ourselves that the next thing will be what satisfies us, but it never does.
Our value comes from God and he has good purposes for every role and circumstance he puts us in.
10 Things You Should Know about People with Disabilities
When we find ourselves weak, broken, disabled, we find that God shows up in unexpected ways.
10 Things You Should Know about Love
We often say “love” when we mean sexual intimacy, or romantic love. But real love is far bigger than that.
5 Ways to Ensure Our Souls Aren’t Strangled by Screens
The biggest deception of our digital age may be the lie that says we can be omnicompetent, omni-informed, and omnipresent.
3 Causes for Political Tension between Christians
Jonathan Leeman, Andrew David Naselli
What is going on when a disagreements affects your heart’s posture or hinders fellowship with another person in your church?
Infographic: The Common (Yet Neglected) Problem of Burnout
Are you experiencing burnout? Check out the infographic to learn more about the symptoms and causes of this common problem.
8 Ways We Normalize the Abnormal
God has made it clear that the norm for his children should be love. It is the thing that the listening and watching world should know us for.
Should Christians Always Submit to the Government? (Romans 13)
Paul’s counsel in Romans 13 assumes a government acting within its God-appointed parameters. When it does not, other measures may be in order.
Suffering and Hope in the Time of COVID-19
In these circumstances, we may find ourselves wondering, Where is God? How can these things be happening if God is perfectly good and all-powerful? Can’t he stop them? Doesn’t he want to?
How Radically Ordinary Hospitality Changed Rosaria Butterfield’s Life
Rosaria Butterfield invites us into her home to show us how God can use “radical, ordinary hospitality” to bring the gospel to our lost friends and neighbors.
Will Your Phone Dominate Your Life in 2018?
As another new year begins, let's examine our habits, including our relationships to social media and our phones.
Podcast: Christians, the LGBTQ Community, and the Call to Hospitality (Rosaria Butterfield)
Rosaria Butterfield encourages us to engage our LGBTQ neighbors for Christ, highlighting how God used the radically ordinary hospitality of Christians to draw her to himself.
5 Lessons from Shakespeare's Hamlet
Leland Ryken compels us to focus on both the content and the form of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
How to Pray When You’re Tempted by Sexual Sin
Sexual sin is a matter of the heart. When it comes to sex, we all need to say that the biggest problem in our sexual lives is us.
A Christian Perspective on International Women’s Day
As the world takes a moment to applaud women and girls in various ways, may we Christians be the biggest champions, the loudest cheerers, and the most proactive supporters of women.
How to Grieve Racial Violence through Lament
Rather than allowing racial tension to drive a wedge between us or to frighten us into silence, lament can invite all of us on a journey toward seeking God’s grace together.
Resources Related to Abortion and the Sanctity of Life
In light of the recent ruling by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, we wanted to highlight a number of resources that will help Christians to understand the truths of the pro-life position, to articulate that message, and to truly reflect on the sanctity of life.
A Christian Doctor Answers Questions about COVID-19
Read answers to common questions related to COVID-19 from a Christian physician.
How to Biblically Defend the Sanctity of Life
We can approach discussions about abortion with evidence from the Bible, or just by using the facts of the universe about how a human life develops inside the mother's womb.
10 Things You Should Know about Abortion
Does each and every human being have an equal right to life?
A Prayer for Racial Reconciliation
Divisions of mistrust and historical bias run deep. Without God, nothing will ever change. In our pain and our weariness, we know that only Jesus can change our hearts and unite the church.
Christian, What Are You Watching?
For most Americans, media is the omnipresent backdrop of life. We generally give no more thought to it than we do to the air we breathe. But give thought to it we must.
Is Islam Really the Fastest Growing Religion in the World?
You have probably heard that Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. This claim is driven by Pew Research Center data, but it can be misleading.
Why It Matters What We Do with Our Bodies
We might think it doesn’t matter what we do with our bodies, but the Bible repeatedly and powerfully shows us this is not the case.
The Core Problem with Genetic Engineering
Children are not commodities to be bought and sold, or products to be manufactured, or objects to be designed for someone else’s use.
Podcast: The Heart of the Abortion Debate (Scott Klusendorf)
Scott Klusendorf discusses abortion and the current state of the pro-life movement, highlighting the biggest mistakes pro-life people make and responding to common pro-choice arguments.
Should I Attend My Homosexual Friend's Wedding?
A thoughtful answer to a question that we all—sooner or later—may need to face, and how to honor Christ with our response.
What in the World Is a Worldview?: Part 4
James N. Anderson goes into more detail about what a worldview is and what makes up a worldview
Help! My Beliefs Are Viewed as Intolerant
As our world continues to speak about inclusivity, diversity, and tolerance, it can seem like Christianity is embarrassingly behind the times.
How Is Love of Money a Root of Evil?
The root system of the love of money runs deeper and wider through the soil of the human heart than we tend to think.
5 Questions about Mental Illness
Mental illness is an old problem; as old as the fall. Although God made everything very good, when sin entered, humanity—together with the rest of the creation—came under the divine curse.
Is Homosexual Orientation Sinful?
The Bible is somewhat ambiguous about orientation as such, only because that language is relatively new language. Here's what the Bible does say clearly.
Hospitality is not a gift unto itself, but a means through which other spiritual gifts are displayed: mercy, serving, giving, and evangelizing.
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”?
Infographic: How Is Your Phone Changing You?
We surveyed 7,000 people about their phone usage habits—learn more about their answers in this infographic.
Why Your Child’s Misbehavior Shouldn’t Be Your Next Social Media Post
There’s nothing new about parents talking about their child’s misbehavior, but there are some underlying pitfalls that you should consider, especially as the internet magnifies them.
For Packer, affirming biblical authority is meant not merely to provoke a debate but to give ethical direction to life.
You Become Like What You “Like”
Social media has become the new PR firm of the brand Self, and we check our feeds compulsively and find it nearly impossible to turn away from looking at—and loving—our “second self.”
10 Things You Should Know about Biblical Archaeology
Archaeology provides a vital avenue for understanding ancient everyday life.
The Dying Away of Cultural Christianity
Cultural Christianity is on the decline, a reality that should not cause despair, but should actually lead us to hope.
4 Ways Christians Can Navigate Cultural Confusion around Gender in the Coming Decade
The question of transgender identity looks set to be significant for Christians both in matters of public life and pastoral care for the foreseeable future.
Why the Study of Ethics Matters for Everyday Christians
Why should we study ethics from a biblical perspective? Why should we collect and summarize the Bible’s teaching in a systematic way?
10 Things You Should Know about Thanksgiving
Though Thanksgiving is not a traditional Christian holiday, it's deeply rooted in biblical principles. Learn more about this beloved American celebration.
Our occupation is what occupies us as we make a living. The word vocation originates in a word for “calling” and refers to what God has called us to do to fulfill his mission in our lives.
Repentance for the Sake of Racial Reconciliation
To what extent can I help to rid even the smallest parts of sinful prejudice and racism out of my life for the glory of God?
The Fear of God Is the Antidote to Our Anxiety
Fear is probably the strongest human emotion. But it baffles us. When we come to the Bible, the picture seems equally confusing: is fear a good thing or bad?
10 Things You Should Know about Apologetics
Apologetics is a means to an end: a means of helping people to live for Jesus.
When Marriage and Motherhood Become Idols
When we moralize marriage and motherhood, we inadvertently create a hierarchy in the church with the moms on top (the more children the godlier) and the singles without children on the bottom.
Unrealistic standards of beauty are being pushed on us almost constantly by the media, and the cumulative effect is that it can leave us thinking about our bodies in a seriously distorted way.
Unpacking “My Body, My Choice”
God alone is the potter. He alone knits cells together in the womb to form a baby human. He alone has the right to destroy or glorify the work of his hands.
12 Ideas You Must Embrace to Affirm Theistic Evolution
Explore the 12 details of Genesis 1-3 that speak to the nature of God's creation.
Are Christians Free to Enjoy the Things of Earth?
There are two dangers that we can fall into with the things of earth: idolatry and ingratitude.
What in the World Is a Worldview?: Part 2
James N. Anderson outlines five reasons why it’s important to be worldview-aware.
Help! I’m Feeling Anxious about . . . Everything
Let’s be honest, we’re all worried, aren’t we? The good news is that God knew this day was coming and has provided counsel for us to stop worry at its source.
10 Things You Should Know about Teenagers
Do teenagers confuse you? This article shares 10 things you should know about them.
Ours is not a time of great respect for authority. For most people, including many evangelical Christians, personal freedom and liberty are avidly pursued virtues.
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?
We may take it for granted that women are equally valuable as men. But that was not what people in Jesus’s day believed.
What Is Divine Inspiration (and Why Does It Matter)?
The general line of argument is that if the Bible is divinely inspired, it must also be infallible because God would not lead his people astray.
4 Cultural Factors That Contribute to Our Epidemic of Burnout
Diligence and discernment are necessary to combat these 4 cultural factors that contribute to burnout.
The star is doing something that it cannot do on its own: it is guiding magi to the Son of God to worship him.
Rest in God’s Faithfulness, Not Yours
God not only forgives your sins and guarantees you a seat in eternity, but welcomes you to a radically new way of living.
The Greatest Movement for Racial Diversity in All of History
Christianity is not declining contrary to many of our perceptions, whether we are secular or religious.
How to Stop Thinking about What People Think of You
Self-consciousness is really bondage to the question What do people think of me?
Vocation: My Choosing or God's Calling?
One aspect of the doctrine of vocation flies in the face of every self-help book and occupational seminar, every conversation about “your plans,” and every agonizing bout of decision-making.
Why Our Feelings ≠ Knowing God’s Will
Feelings are not meant to be our guide. That's the role of God's Word in our lives.
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.
Why There’s No Such Thing as an Atheist
If what Paul says in Romans 1 is true, there is ultimately no such thing as an atheist.
10 Things You Should Know about Genesis 1–3
Human persons have deep significance. We alone among the earthly creatures are made in the image of God.
Why Jesus Cannot Be One Truth among Many
Jesus claims rule over all of heaven and earth. He presents himself not as one possible path to God, but as God himself.
5 Pieces of Advice for Discussing Gender Roles with Other Christians
We won’t be able to say everything in one conversation, and we certainly won’t say everything perfectly.
3 Things the Pro-Life Movement Needs to Do to Stop Abortion
Despite the bleak picture we see all around us, the pro-life cause is not nearly so bleak when our message is clearly communicated.
Seeing God’s Gracious Hand in the Hurts Others Do to Us
We need to know what Scripture says in general about God’s relationship to evil. Scripture declares that the Judge of all the earth will always do what is right.
Most of us like to think we’re basically good people. We know we’re not perfect. We sometimes do bad things. But at heart, we think we’re pretty good.
Reclaiming Christmas Carols for Our Worship
In the midst of confusing, chaotic, and despairing times, carols give expression to the hope, peace, and joy we’re all longing for.
Atheism and the Problem of Evil
Can an unguided world governed by mere chance provide any sort of objective foundation or absolute definition of “good”?
What Does It Mean to Be Your True Self?
Expressive individualism, like a lot of things, captures something of the truth. Human beings do have an inner life, and that inner life is very important to who we are.
How to Pray for Your Teenager’s Sexual Purity
Ultimately only the Lord can provide the help our teens need, which is why parents like me must pray for their teenager’s sexual purity.
Why the Secularization Hypothesis Is Fundamentally Flawed
As the world became more modern, more scientific, and more educated, sociologists thought the world was also becoming less religious, but is it true?
The Birth of Narnia and Why Tolkien Hated It
Lewis found that his creative imagination was drawing him forward the way something magical drew the children into Narnia.
5 Patterns of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
The Bible may not give explicit instructions about men and women in the church, but it does reveal some patterns that ought to shape how we think of sexual differentiation and complementarity.
The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community
This new book calls us to embrace the uncomfortable aspects of Christian community, whether that means believing difficult truths, pursuing difficult holiness, or loving difficult people.
Disguising Ungodliness as Righteous Anger
Christopher Ash, Steve Midgley
Sometimes our imitation of God slides, ever so subtly, into replacement of God. We do that thing that we do. We take his place, and soon it is our honor that we are concerned about.
5 Questions about the Sanctity of Life
What does the Bible really teach about abortion and the sanctity of human life?
What the Bible Says about Women’s Physical Strength
Women's bodies are weaker because God made their bodies to be weaker than men’s bodies and that's what Peter's talking about in 1 Peter 3.
Social Media Is Discipling You
We are shaped by the winds that blow around us. In the age of the omnipresent smartphone, the wind that shapes us most is online.
When the Supreme Somebody Became Nobody
It’s what the Lord Jesus took to himself that humbled him, not what he laid aside. It was in taking to himself humanity that he became nothing.
Why It Is Unloving to Preach #YouDoYou
If the ship is going down, it’s not arrogant to tell people the truth and point them to the lifeboat. It’s deeply unloving not to.
Do We Live in a Post-Christian Society?
Our society may not be a happy Christian one, but that leaves the gospel room to speak, stand, and save.
Does the Bible Condone Slavery? (Philemon 1)
Paul addresses a delicate matter in his epistle to the leader of a Colossian church.
Today’s world has more and more information readily available, but less and less wisdom.
10 Things You Should Know about Poetry
We should all learn the language of poetry. Here are ten reasons why.
An Open Letter to the Hesitant Host
Are you busy? Are you important? Do you work on a tight schedule? Are your boundaries well-fortified?
The question for each of us is: What is the one thing that is keeping me from giving everything to the kingdom of God?
Podcast: The Danger in Being a Self-Made Woman (Jen Oshman)
What does it look like to pursue real fulfillment in God, rather than in ourselves? And what's wrong with the self-obsessed, individualistic culture that dominates our world today?
We should admit up front that there are some decent reasons a person might have for being an atheist.
10 Things You Should Know about Your Smartphone
How much do you really think about your smartphone? Here are 10 things you should know.
The best self-care habits, not only for the Christian but for any human being, lead us back to our Maker and Savior.
An Open Letter to the Sexual Sufferer
If you are a victim of sexual sin, God offers you true hope and healing.
'Theistic evolution' actually can be a number of different distinct ideas because the term 'evolution' can have a number of distinct definitions.
Does “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin” Still Work?
Christians who fail to note this shift are going to find themselves very confused by the incomprehension of, and indeed the easy offence taken by, the world around them.
Retirement presents a new freedom to live your life according to your God-given priorities.
The Common Calling of All Women
Am I faithfully obeying God as his child by meeting the genuine needs of others, or am I pursuing self-actualization, self-fulfillment, or selfish ambition apart from him?
By the Spirit, We See the Cross
The bold and clear preaching of the cross materializes the spectacle of the cross before a congregation, for those with the faith to see it.
Churches should teach and disciple Christians how to critique the cultural ideas that are influencing people away from the faith.
Is Motherhood a Woman’s Highest Calling?
Marriage and motherhood are good and God-given gifts, but when we elevate any good gift to an ultimate gift, then it becomes an idol.
4 Questions about Parenting and Screen Time
If we intend to teach our children how to appropriately enjoy, but not abuse, time in front of a screen, we must check our own hearts and habits first.
Scientific Evidence for the Personhood of Unborn Children
Alongside the biblical testimony about the personhood of the unborn child, scientific evidence also indicates that each child in the womb should be considered a unique human person.
Why Mentoring Is Better than Asking Alexa
In our digital age, it’s helpful to remember the importance of real-life relationships and the benefits of older believers in the faith who can offer us wisdom, presence, and pursuit.
3 Signs You're Idolizing Your Home
It can be hard to discern whether or not we're idolizing our work in the home. Unfortunately, the reality is that we often do. But there are a few questions we can ask ourselves that may help.
7 Commitments to Make before Using Social Media
Because of who human beings are by God’s design and their lofty place in God’s economy, we should always treat everyone with dignity no matter who they are.
Podcast: Why You Probably Need a Digital Detox (Tony Reinke)
Tony Reinke reflects on how to do a digital detox, why we should be careful with our social media habits, and what the massive success of the new Avengers film can teach us about our media saturated world.
Help! I Don’t Know Where to Start with Racial Reconciliation
Lament doesn't solve all the problems of racial disharmony. It’s not without risk. But it helps.
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
Help! I’m Struggling to Strike a Work/Life Balance
Work is not primarily a place to please our boss, help our customers, make money, or build a career. Work/life balance begins with a biblical view of work.
The Bible and the Religions of the World
Although the Bible nowhere discusses “other religions” as such, much in it is relevant to the subject.
Self-care has become a thing. The trend got traction by appealing to necessity—you can’t care for others if you don’t first care for yourself.
Podcast: Making Sense of Transgenderism and the Sexual Revolution (Carl Trueman)
Why is our culture obsessed with gender identity and sexuality? Learn what history has to say about our modern times and how Christians can navigate this increasingly hostile issue.
The true woman does not compartmentalize domesticity, nor does she reduce it to a set of behaviors.
An Open Letter to the Pastor Desiring Racial Reconciliation in the Church
Reconciliation—vertical and horizontal—is the goal of the good news. Gospel unity creates racial harmony.
In a Divisive World Your Values Reveal Your God
The gospel is entirely relational. Christ purchased for us peace with God and, through that peace, peace with one another.
Music is a gift meant to bring glory to God; don't let it become an idol.
The Pros and Cons of a Global Economy
The global economy can be a little frustrating because globalization and the global economy are terms that mean different things to different people.
3 Advantages of Understanding Identity Politics
First of all, one thing that I'm very convicted of is that the history of identity politics—and understanding of identity politics—helps us to understand how we ourselves, as Christians, are often complicit in that.
What the Grand Canyon Teaches Us about Ourselves
Ninety-nine years ago today, Grand Canyon National Park was established after President Woodrow Wilson signed a Congressional act. Learn the invaluable lesson John Piper thinks this national landmark can teach.
Infographic: Do Women Need to Slow Their Pace?
We asked over 6,000 people to share their experience with stress and burnout. In this infographic, we present some of the interesting results.
The Church and Homosexuality: 10 Commitments
Of the many complexities involving the church and homosexuality, one of the most difficult is how the former should speak of the latter.
Who Needs Dogma when Stigma Will Do?
Sliding into liberalism is when you no longer take the time or make the effort to define your terms.
Don’t Mistake Your Passion for Theological Precision
Many of us, even Christians, have little patience for rigorous thinking and little interest in careful definition.
Godliness with contentment is great gain. Read and be encouraged by Scripture on how not to covet after wealth and be glad in God.
10 Things You Should Know about Christmas
The primary purpose for observing Christmas is remembering Jesus’s birth.
Lament boldly reaffirms the trustworthiness of God. But, first we need to learn how to do it.
How Christianity Gave Rise to Modern Science
Science actually got started in a very explicitly theistic—indeed Christian—milieu.
Is Evangelicalism Today Truly Evangelical?
If evangelicalism is to have a future worthy of the name, we who would be people of the gospel must cultivate an integrity to the gospel, and on more than paper.
What in the World Is a Worldview?: Part 5
James N. Anderson suggests five different ways to discern someone’s worldview.
The Church’s Central Role in the Coming of the Kingdom of God
It’s not to the government, nor to any king or pope or any other ruler, but rather to the church that the keys of the kingdom of God are given.
Norman L. Geisler, Frank Turek
Many non-Christians take a “blind leap of faith” that their non-Christian beliefs are true simply because they want them to be true.
What about Scholars Who Deny that the Bible Condemns Homosexual Practice?
It's just not accurate to say that what we are seeing now as expressions of homosexuality were completely unknown to the biblical authors.
Why We Desperately Need the Message of Revelation
In the midst of evil, in a world in which the Christian faith is under attack, we need hope and assurance that evil will not have the last word.
What I Learned in My Season of Depression
God, in his love and wisdom, chose this very specific trial for me.
Four Ways a Person Can Die in Their Sins
John MacArthur offers four elements from John 8:21–30 that show how a person can die in their sin.
5 Myths about Your Personal Identity
These days, knowing who you are and being true to yourself are seen as signs of good mental health and well-being, and the keys to authentic living and true happiness.
Does the Bible Offer Guidance for Contemporary Ethical Issues?
The Bible has much to offer believers as they seek to obey the Lord in every area of life, but it is not always as easy as matching one Bible verse with a problem.
How Is the Sexual Revolution Affecting Women and Girls Today?
Especially for girls and women, we have been told to believe that we're only as valuable as we are sexy or sexualized, and that we are something to be consumed.
Is The Song of Solomon about God's Love or Human Love? (Song of Solomon 1)
Although we are fallen and our sexual desires can easily be distorted and debased, there is still something “very good” about the desire for physical intimacy.
Does Singleness Require a Special Calling?
Many Christians have taken “the gift of singleness” to mean some special capacity to cope with it. But there are a number of problems with this way of thinking.
Christians have a role to play in joining with other believers to demonstrate a counter-cultural message about the sanctity of human life.
Loving Others through Political Difference
Jonathan Leeman, Andrew David Naselli
What is wisdom? It’s a capacity of mind that combines the fear of the Lord with the skill of living in God’s created but fallen world in a way that yields justice, peace, and flourishing.
The Top 2 Archaeological Finds of All Time
The Holy Spirit, through time, has preserved a couple of key archaeological finds. Learn about two of the most important.
An Open Letter to Women Straining under the Burden of Expectations
Are you worn down by the weight of the countless roles and expectations in your life? Are you feeling the pressure of doing more and striving harder to please the people around you?
Should Same-Sex Marriage Be Legal?
This is an issue about which Christians should not be indifferent.
Why Computers Can Never Replace the Human Brain
If we are not just machines, but spiritual beings as well, even the cleverest computer could never replicate the priceless and wondrous imago dei borne by every human.
C. S. Lewis’s Role in The Lord of the Rings
J. R. R. Tolkien always acknowledged that C. S. Lewis played a huge role in encouraging him to finish writing The Lord of the Rings, and was equally insistent that Lewis had no influence on the actual content.
7 Checklist Items for Your Next Church Search
Consider these seven key items to look for and prioritize when you embark on your next church search.
Woman: You Will Become What You Behold
If we spend our time gazing only on lesser things, we will become like them, measuring our years in terms of human glory.
11 Criteria for Judging the Arts
How are we to set about the task of testing everything and holding fast to that which is good?
A Mistake Christians Make regarding the LGBTQ+ Movement
For Christians, our identity is not rooted primarily in our feelings or desires, be they sexual or otherwise. Our identity is to be rooted by the fact that we are created in the image of God and united to Christ.
5 Myths about End-of-Life Care
Few things halt conversation as quickly as the topic of death, yet the stewardship of our God-given lives matters until the very end.
Men: Don’t Neglect These 4 Key Spiritual Disciplines
Godliness requires discipline. Here are four categories to commit to growing in.
Cultural Singleness vs. Christian Singleness
What Christians mean by singleness is often very different to what our secular friends mean by singleness.
What Does God Have to Do with Math?
What does God have to do with mathematics? The two subjects have everything to do with each other.
How to Guard against a Self-Centered Relationship with Jesus
Often without warning or intention, the drive to know ourselves becomes all-consuming. It’s impossible to not be affected by the age of self in which we currently live.
What Is Burnout and Why Is It So Dangerous?
Burnout is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual exhaustion and breakdown. It is usually caused by living at too fast a pace, for too long, doing too much.
Tips for Students Facing Doubt in the Real World
When facing doubts and fears, the last thing you want to do is isolate yourself and struggle alone.
Take a Bold Stance against the Commonality of Porn
What if not just one man but a whole generation of men takes a bold stand against the new slave trade of our time—pornography?
What Does Radically Ordinary Hospitality Look Like?
Those who live out radically ordinary hospitality see their homes not as theirs at all but as God’s gift to use for the furtherance of his kingdom.
The Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way
If we try to influence the world by using its methods, we are doing the Lord’s work in the flesh.
Faith, Freedom, and the Founding Fathers
The Founding Fathers understood very well the relationship between one’s world view and government.
Help! My Faith Is Being Opposed in the Classrom
Conflict can be an opportunity to be salt and light, particularly in academic settings.
Understanding Teen Anxiety and Depression
One of the best things we can do for our teens is to explain to them that many teens suffer in the same way.
DNA 101: How It Works and Why It's Astounding
The ultimate question in the origin of life is the question of where information comes from.
An Open Letter to the Pastor in a Post-Christian World
Though we are in post-Christian times, when the culture is becoming increasingly secularized, Christianity is far from “over.”
Podcast: Practicing Hospitality in a Pandemic (Rosaria Butterfield)
What does it look like to embrace the call on all Christians in a time where we're limited in unprecedented ways?
How Should Christians Share the Gospel with Practicing Homosexuals?
You preach the same gospel that you would preach to someone who is not in the homosexual lifestyle.
Despairing Over the Culture? There's Still a Reason to Get Out of Bed Tomorrow
Is the world so intent on dismantling what it means to be a human being that society is doomed to collapse, or at least committed to shunting Christians and Christianity to its far margins?
Why Jam-Packed Schedules Can Be Dangerous
It’s safe to say that on a typical day for most of us, our responsibilities, requirements, and ambitions add up to more than we can handle, whether we admit this or not.
Bible Q&A - What Does the Bible Say About Swearing?
Dane Ortlund shares what the Bible says about swearing.
Why the Christian Faith Is Fundamentally . . . Uncomfortable
The very nature of Christian faith is uncomfortable—especially in today's world.
How Should the Church Confront Social Injustice?
We need to hear the voice of Dr. Francis James Grimké as he beckons us to both reform the church, leadership, and our society with the gospel of Jesus Christ and Christian witness.
What in the World Is a Worldview?: Part 3
James N. Anderson gives four specific reasons why it is beneficial for Christians to think in terms of worldviews.
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.
Podcast: Preparing Our Kids for a Post-Christian World (Rebecca McLaughlin)
Rebecca McLaughlin discusses what it looks like for parents to prepare their teens for a life in a post-Christian world, reflectong on kids' propensity to ask hard questions and why that's a good thing,
With a Christian perspective, we can see the economy as a social web that God has created for people to serve each other with their work.
The (Anti-Christian) Moral Absolutes of Our Culture
We live in a time of high moral obligation. The question is who gets to determine what those obligations are?
What to Say to Someone Who Has Had an Abortion
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ—including those who have had an abortion.
3 Questions about Blessings and Curses
God’s design has always been for his people to experience the fullness of life in his presence—physically and spiritually.
One of the Most Misused Words Today
Appearing just under 1,000 times, the word “heart” is used in the Bible more than any other for the inner self.
Why the Physical Earth Matters to God
When we fail to value creation, we fail to honor the God who made and sustains it.
The advice to listen to your heart is not only common, but it has also been exalted to a sacrosanct place of moral authority in our culture.
How Husbands Can Protect Their Wives from Burnout
Sometimes, the men are having their day off, but the wives are still doing what they do every other day of the week.
An Interview with Andreas J. Köstenberger and Thomas R. Schreiner
Andreas J. Köstenberger, Thomas R. Schreiner
This is an interview with Andreas J. Köstenberger and Thomas R. Schreiner, co-editors of Women in the Church: An Interpretation and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 (3rd edition).
Was Shakespeare a Christian Writer?
Leland Ryken encourages us to look at the Christian elements present in Shakespeare's plays.
An Open Letter to the Christian at a Secular College
Whenever we start doubting our faith, it’s usually because we’ve come to believe something else in its place.
Can Humility and Social Media Coexist?
We cannot stop the incessant screaming and scrambling that is the internet. But we can try to reduce our own involvement in the problems and do whatever we can to contribute to a healthier culture.
3 Reasons We're Addicted to Digital Distraction
Author Tony Reinke explains how we use digital distractions to escape people, situations, and thoughts that make us uncomfortable.
Discard Christianity, Discard Human Equality
Saying that the Bible undermines the idea of human equality is a bit like saying that England undermines the English language.
Why Higher Education Needs to Know Its History
The richness of the Christian tradition can provide guidance for the complex challenges facing Christian higher education at this time.
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.
5 Pitfalls to Avoid When Sharing the Gospel with a Muslim
We should be prepared to avoid particular pitfalls in dialogue with our Muslim neighbors. We need to be focused and avoid distractions. Our goal is to reflect and proclaim Christ, not to defeat competitors.
Podcast: The False Messages Facing Women Today (Lydia Brownback)
What messages are Christian women hearing and imbibing from culture, and what does the Bible have to say?
What value can we gain from fictional literature?
Of course, every Christian faces difficulty—Jesus called us to a life of carrying our crosses as we follow him. However, the challenges of those in pastoral ministry are often more acute.
3 Threats to Deep Relationships
What makes deep relationships so uncommon and challenging today?
How to Help Your Teens Use Their Phones for Good
How can you help your teen wield their technology for good purposes, while avoiding the inherent dangers?
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.
How Much Control Do You Have Over Your Health?
There's much that we can do to have influence over our health, but in reality, we have no control at all.
What John Stott Learned about Theology from Bird-Watching
Stott’s obsession with the snowy owl was more than a charming eccentricity. It reflected some important themes in his theology.
God Is the Origin and Author of Beauty
We live in a culture that is obsessed with image, and every day advertisements bombard us with promises to deliver beauty and happiness.
What Christmas Carols Get Right (and Wrong) about the Star of Bethlehem
Most of us love our Christmas traditions, especially singing the old, familiar carols. From time to time, however, we might well wonder about the correctness of some of the things we’re singing so gustily.
How Social Media Worsens Theological Divides
Rather than rushing to refute every theological misstep, we must exercise patience and grace toward those who disagree with us.
Why Moralistic Therapeutic Deism Is a Dead End
It's very easy to shelve God and decide we don't really need him, that we just need to believe in ourselves and to invent who we are and what we want to do.
The Nature of a Woman's Nurture
In the midst of life's complexity, what does it mean for a woman to nurture?
How Christians Can Guard against the Cultural Milieu
To any Christian who is starting to be persuaded by the arguments of the LGBTQ+ movement, I would suggest these things.
What Does It Mean to Be Blessed?
Just like themes such as law, sacrifice, and covenant, the theme of blessing must be understood within the full biblical story, if it is to be understood biblically at all.
Double listening . . . is the faculty of listening to two voices at the same time, the voice of God through Scripture and the voices of men and women around us.
We each have a blink. We can waste it in sinful busyness or laziness or discontentment or distraction. Or the gospel of Jesus Christ can change how we spend our time.
How Books Help Us Connect in Ways the Internet Doesn’t
We sometimes characterize the digital age as a “post-literate” age, where images and video have taken over the place that written words used to occupy.
10 Things You Should Know about Physician-Assisted Suicide
Throughout a believer’s life, there may be a continuous struggle to submit to God’s control. But when my earthly life comes to an end I want to be fully surrendered to God and be able to rest in Jesus.
Is leisure something we really need? As Christians, we perhaps struggle with the concept, but it is vitally important.
Christian Hope Changes Everything
We can rest because our choices don’t actually have the final say in any sphere—God has the final say.
Help! I Don’t Know How to Bring My Faith to Work
Like all working people, Christians must deal with deadlines, difficult people, and office politics. How should a Christian approach life at work?
How to Help Those Who Believe the Prosperity Gospel
How do we help our family members, friends, coworkers, or even fellow church members who are swept up in the prosperity gospel? Here are a few simple ideas.
Be the Teen God’s Calling You to Be
There’s only one way for teens to find purpose, meaning, and joy. Only one message that has the power to change the life of a teenager.
Why Christians Should Study Ethics
Questions of right and wrong aren't always straightforward for people today.
Many Worlds and Many Gods: An Excerpt from "Mormonism Explained"
Mormonism also believes that these innumerable worlds or kingdoms were also inhabited by gods.
You Don’t Get the Church You Want, but the One You Need
Collin Hansen, Jonathan Leeman
You have many reasons not to go to church. That’s why we see this moment in history as an opportunity to rediscover church.
Is Protestantism Still at Odds with Catholicism?
The Roman Catholic church and Protestant churches continue to disagree on the principle of how is one made right before God.
Should Our Sexual Desires Determine Who We Really Are?
Sigmund Freud argued that who we are at the most fundamental level is our sexual desires. And, of course, once you start arguing that, then two things happen.
Why We Can Be Hopeful about the Pro-Life Movement
There are reasons we can be hopeful about the pro-life movement. Hear why Russell Moore thinks so.
Suffer the Loss of What Has You in Its Grip
Lent calls us to remember once again that sin reduces us all to idolaters somehow, someway.
Podcast: A First Step toward Racial Reconciliation (Mark Vroegop)
How does the biblical practice of lament offer Christians from different backgrounds a common language for productive, God-honoring conversations about race?
What the Early Church Can Teach Us about Living in This Strange New World
Traditional Christians are typically those who take history seriously. If only we might be able to return to ancient worlds, we tell ourselves, all might be well.
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.
Why Archaeology Can’t Prove the Bible (and Doesn’t Need To)
David W. Chapman, John D. Currid
In this video with Drs. David Chapman and John Currid, editors of the ESV Archaeology Study Bible hear why archaeology isn't needed to prove the Bible true.
Remembering Christ’s Power in Weakness in the Life of Billy Graham (1918-2018)
Billy Graham died today, after a faithful and Spirit-led life and ministry. We celebrate his legacy, and his weakness through which God to move so powerfully.
Is the Church the Answer to Poverty?
The church is the answer to real, deep poverty because it is the gospel that reconciles us to God and takes away our shame.
9 Notable Quotes from Coronavirus and Christ
The only firm foundation we have in an unpredictable world is the rock of Jesus Christ.
Food played an important role in the life of Jesus and continues to be an ingredient in our enjoyment of God's goodness.
Can We Reshape Ourselves into Whatever We Want?
The idea of self-creation, that we can shape our essences by acts of will, is deeply embedded in the way we now think.
A Diagnosis of Our Culture's View of Sexuality
We've lost the ability to talk about sex and gender, asking sex to be what it was never meant to be.
When Jesus walked the earth, he wasn’t afraid to touch hurting people. He drew people in close. He met them empty and left them full and turned everything upside down.
End-of-Life Comfort Measures: A Realistic Assessment
In the right circumstances, modern critical care saves lives. Yet medical technology harbors a dark side.
Encouragement for Parents in Our Sexually Confused Culture
The world has been transformed and the influences in our children's lives are pervasive, profound, and powerful. Parents need to be aware of that.
How Does God's Love in Christ Relate to Islam?
How do we bear faithful witness to the love of God in Christ to our Muslim friends?
5 Ways Pastors Can Care for Those Struggling with Sexual Identity
Pastors face a tough calling today. Caring for those struggling with LGBTQ+ issues is not easy. Here is some encouragement.
Podcast: Is Singleness Superior to Marriage? (Sam Allberry)
Culture often idolizes romance and intimacy. In this episode of The Crossway Podcast, Sam Allberry offers insight on the value and unique gifts of singleness.
The Origins of the Self-Esteem Movement
People threw off the shackles of the church and the state and they began to look inward. They began to look to themselves for what is true and what is real.
What qualities does something possess in order to merit the title classic?
Help for Thinking Wisely about Health Care
Health care, while being a good gift from God, actually becomes unhealthy when we rely too heavily upon it.
Quiet is a means of God’s grace. Why does it make us so uncomfortable?
5 Myths about the Relationship between Science and Faith
The dispute between the church and Galileo sowed the seed for the apparent divorce between science and faith.
How to Commune with Christ on a Crazy Day
How should you think about, and engage in the “spiritual disciplines” when God’s good, but often inconvenient, sovereignty has you reeling?
The world tells mothers that they can do it all and have it all, but that they need not give their all.
Help! I Don’t Know How to Answer My Kid’s Tough Questions
Rather than seeing our cultural challenges today only as obstacles for our kids, I’m increasingly convinced they’re opportunities to do three important things.
The Most Shocking Story We've Ever Heard
You will never find anything so shocking, so strange, so weird and spellbinding as the story of the incarnation of the Son of God.
Jesus’s Love for the Marginalized of this World
We are inclined to give our attention to and serve those with influence and power, to praise those who wield influence in the world, but every person is made in God’s image and every person is significant.
How Faith in Christ Alters Our Perspective on Death
There are two main points in which Christian faith should differentiate how we approach end-of-life care.
It’s at the cross that we lay down our indifference and our fears about the work set before us in shepherding eternal souls in favor of full investment and commitment to the job.
The Beauty of God’s Hierarchical World
Lewis insists on something that is radically out of step with the modern world.
How to Pray for the African Church
Major news outlets in the world tend to concentrate on the economic poverty and social deprivation that characterizes much of Africa, but then many believers miss what God is doing in his church across the continent.
An Open Letter to the College Student Facing Weighty Decisions
The further into college you step, the more you realize that what you thought was the destination is really only an incredible depot for decisions.
5 Myths about Making Decisions
The sooner we learn to see decisions as a blessing rather than a burden, the more we will begin to experience the God-intended delight that comes with the decision-making process.
Advice for Wisely Navigating the Internet
Wisdom is knowing where you're going and sticking to that. Foolishness is straying off the path, being susceptible to people on the periphery calling for your attention.
The Collapse of the Secularization Hypothesis
It has long been assumed that the rise of modernity will be accompanied by the decline of religion, but the scholarly consensus today rejects the secularization hypothesis.
When the eternal Son of God became flesh and dwelt among us, he crossed an infinite chasm.
Why Philosophy Matters for Christians
Philosophy matters for Christians because many of the debates are about the "big questions" of human existence.
For Christians, the start of a new year arrives with reminders afresh of the glorious promises that God has made to his people through the Bible.
Is There Such a Thing as Race?
It is a healthy sign to wish that the term “race” did not exist. It has not served well to enhance human relations.
Heroes, Dragons, and Other True Myths
In our disenchanted age we have made tales of the supernatural synonymous with falsehood. It should not be so. Every myth is a shadow cast by the light of truth.
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.
How to Incorporate Biblical Archaeology into Your Preaching
Is there a connection between archaeology and preaching? Do the two relate? What is there point of intersection?
A Movie So Good It Will Ruin You—Would You Watch It?
Do we have the ability to keep ourselves from entertainment unto death?
How (and How Not) to Discuss Doctrinal Differences
Divisiveness belongs to the works of the flesh. Believers who walk by the Spirit must address their doctrinal differences in the fruit of the Spirit.
Practicing Thankfulness during a Pandemic
There is a kind of thankfulness that is grateful not only for what isn’t but for what is. The Bible doesn’t exhort us merely to be thankful in everything, but for everything.
What Parents Can Learn from Children’s Books
In many respects, and certainly in spiritual matters, we are all weak and inadequate, and we need to face it.
What's the Difference between Tolerance and Recognition?
Tolerance is that I'll allow you to live in society, but I'm not going to fully approve of you. Recognition involves full approval.
Life is a war for glory. Even those of us who have rested in Jesus to bring an end to our battle for glory still fight skirmishes in which we feel our reputations are at risk.
Beware These 4 Common Threats to Your Contentment
Culture is like a big magnet, it’s pulling on us and around us.
The Depressing Dead End of “Your Truth”
Your truth. Those two words are so entrenched in our lexicon today that we hardly recognize them for the incoherent nightmare that they are.
12 Notable Quotes from Confronting Christianity
The gospel challenges some of our culture’s deepest beliefs and can prompt a lot of questions, yet we are called to make a defense for our hope.
Humanism: You Will Be Like God
James Montgomery Boice explains the dangers of secular humanism.
How Being Honest about Death Brings Hope
We live with more detachment from death than in any other time and place in history.
Thoughtful reading is becoming a lost art. Artful reading is dying. Many people believe it’s drawing a final breath on its deathbed.
An Open Letter to the Student at the Start of a New Semester
How do we faithfully approach a new semester as Christian students? How do we steward our studies well and honor Christ?
The Mission of Your Church Will Shape How You Think
A church’s mission impacts what kind of church you will join. Different churches will shape your conscience, your spiritual life, and your worship differently.
7 Reasons Why You Should Study the Book of Ruth
Ruth is a very old book. The events took place over three thousand years ago. Could it be relevant and helpful for your life? I think so.
To Be a Woman Is to Be Fully Human
Being a woman means being human. And this is good news.
Why You Need a Sabbath from Your Tech
The human body is remarkable in similarities to an efficient machine, but we are physical beings with finite limitations and eternal souls.
If the Bible is telling us the truth about reality, then the universe we live in was created primarily with marital romance in mind.
Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Mahaney Whitacre
We don’t have to accept our culture’s ever-changing and ever-more-tyrannical definition of beauty.
How Christianity Transformed Our Understanding of History
According to Herman Bavinck, the very understanding of history itself was transformed by Christianity.
3 Battles Your Teen Faces Every Day
Teens must stand up against the untruths they hear from culture and from within themselves.
5 Ways the Church Makes You Wiser
Church can be an indispensable source of stability and growth; a treasure trove of communal and Spirit-infused wisdom that we’d be foolish to neglect.
A Christian’s Perspective on Economic Downturn
Discipling people for the new economy is a major challenge. But our gospel is big enough, and our God is strong enough.
If a classic possesses the qualities that people ascribe to them, we know that we want them in our lives.
The word submission is loaded with a powder keg of emotions. We live in a culture more accustomed to questioning authority than submitting to it.
Podcast: Is Christianity on the Decline? (Rebecca McLaughlin)
Secular culture often takes issue with various beliefs held by conservative Christians. In this episode, Rebecca McLaughlin responds to two of the most common.
Act Like the Human that You Are
C. Everett Koop, Francis A. Schaeffer
People are special and human life is sacred, whether or not we admit it. Every life is precious and worthwhile in itself—not only to us human beings but also to God.
Podcast: How Should Christians Navigate Political Disagreements among Friends? (Jonathan Leeman)
How should Christians think about political disagreements within the church and how much should politics be shared from the pulpit?
Why You Can't Have Science without Philosophy
What in the world philosophy has to do with science? The answer to that is very important for Christians to understand.
John Piper’s Prayer for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Grant recovery. Grant a cure. Deliver us—your poor, helpless creatures—from these sorrows, we pray.
Rich communities can be harder to reach because wealth and comfort tend to make people think that they’re invincible.
Why Listening to a Podcast Is Not a Substitute for Going to Church
Going to a church has many benefits. If you are physically able to attend a church, you should make it a priority.
Podcast: Womanhood and the Bible (Abigail Dodds)
We need kindness and grace when discussing womanhood—even with those within the church. In this episode, Abigail Dodds offers wise, biblically based advice.
Tossing Out Beliefs When They Don’t Spark Joy
What’s fascinating (and saddening) is that there seem to be many Christians, particularly in the affluent West, who think of theology, or doctrine, the way Marie Kondo thinks of clutter.
Glenn Harrington: Be Truthful, Not Original
In this six-minute documentary of artist Glenn Harrington, learn what inspires his paintings and how he interprets God's creative power in the natural world.
Podcast: Thinking Biblically about Transgenderism (Denny Burk)
How should Christians think about transgenderism, and how should we talk to our kids about it? What does the Bible teach on gender and sexuality?
Why Hospitality Is for All Christians
Radically ordinary hospitality—those who live it see strangers as neighbors and neighbors as family of God.
11 Practical Ways to Reduce Digital Consumption
If we can get digital technology under control, we will do so much better—physically, intellectually, relationally, vocationally, educationally, financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
Who Caused the Divorce of Science and Faith?
The dispute between the church and Galileo sowed the seed for the apparent divorce between science and faith.
As we move through life, the world just constantly dupes us into believing a false story. Our heads and our Bibles might tell us, “God willing,” but we are immersed in the oxygen of the world, which says, “Me willing.”
The Believe-in-Yourself Gospel
We’re a generation that has been raised on spiritual fast food, and we’re sick. It’s time for us to sit down at the table, linger, and sup on the feast the King has for us.
When ‘I Don’t Know’ Is a Good Answer and When It’s Not
It’s vital that everyday Christians are speaking into nuanced cultural issues from a biblical perspective.
Does Christian Education Need to Be Reclaimed?
If education is the whole process of personal development, then the dismal news is that Christian education is in crisis.
The Most Powerful Force of Transformation in the Universe
Grace is the most powerful force of transformation in the universe. The incalculable transforming power of grace should never be minimized or doubted.
Christian: Are You Imbibing Our Culture’s View of Love?
With culture and history both shaping our definitions, where are we learning love from?
The Demise of the Deified Self
Truly, we are lost in a darkness of our own making, and we got here by dethroning God and enthroning ourselves. We’ve deified ourselves. And it’s led to our demise.
3 Musts before You Hit “Reply”
A commitment to wholesome talk isn’t first a commitment to a restricted vocabulary but rather to change at the level of the thoughts, desires, intentions, and choices of the heart.
The Logical Contradiction at the Heart of Theistic Evolution
Theistic evolutionists accept that the theory of evolution is an unguided process. But then they say that God somehow guided the process. That’s why they’re theistic evolutionists.
Make a Change from Me-ology to Theology
Me-ology prizes you and me. Theology prizes the God of the universe who holds everything together.
What Do They Know? Learning From "Secular” Leaders
When God speaks through his world, we call it general revelation or common grace.
Help! I’m Struggling to Accept the Bible’s Teaching on Men and Women
The Bible reveals the nature of masculinity and femininity by describing diverse responsibilities for man and woman while rooting these differing responsibilities in creation, not convention.
Is War Inherently Unjust and Immoral?
J. Daryl Charles, Timothy J. Demy
J. Daryl Charles and Timothy J. Demy discuss whether or not war is inherently unjust and immoral.
Joanne J. Jung, Richard Langer
These statements about leadership are endorsed by our culture, but may not be true. In fact, these statements may even be harmful to individuals and organizations and the missions they pursue.
Reclaiming Psalm 139 from the Clutches of Coffee Cups and Picture Frames
Psalm 139 is more than just fodder for t-shirts, coffee mugs, and picture frames.
What is God's Ultimate Purpose?
Do you want to ponder a question that has roots that stretch so far back into eternity past that we will never come to the end of them? How about this: What is God’s ultimate purpose?
Can We Really Claim to Be Well?
Wellness is much more than physical health and freedom from distressing symptoms. Wellness involves the whole of our being, which includes six distinct areas.
Are You Experiencing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)?
Because of Christ's assurance of salvation to all believers, we don't need to fear missing out on eternity.
The Song of Songs: A 7-Day Devotional
Through this video devotional, beging to grasp God’s vision for love and marriage by working through the Song of Songs.
Podcast: Are You Aware of Your Own Blind Spots? (Collin Hansen)
What problems with our lives, priorities, and even theology do we not recognize? What would it look like to wake up to our own blind spots and to lovingly engage with those with whom we disagree?
What’s Fueling the Sexual Revolution?
What makes the sexual revolution remarkable is that the transgression of boundaries has now become effectively normative within society.
The Problem with Manufactured Femininity
There is no ideal standard of a woman that we are supposed to achieve apart from the virtues found in Christ himself.
10 Things You Should Know about Political Elections
The Bible tells us to obey the governing authorities. What does that look like?
Why are so many people so unhappy in so many different circumstances?
The Importance of Books in Christian History
From ancient times, books have had a profound and mysterious power to move us. We find this in every culture and in every time period.
Podcast: A Realistic Approach to New Year’s Resolutions (David Murray)
David Murray talks about what it should look like to work hard to establish good habits while also relying on God’s grace and power.
4 Ways Baseball Fuels Supernatural Joy
How does my natural joy in baseball become a supernatural joy in God? That’s the question Christian Hedonists ask.
How to Defend Pro-Life Views in 5 Minutes
Suppose that you have just five minutes to graciously defend your pro-life beliefs. Can you do it with rational arguments?
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.
What Good Self-Esteem Can’t Do For You
Having self-esteem doesn't solve all of our problems, because underneath it, we know our weaknesses and we know our sin.
Church, State, and the Authority of Jesus
Imperium means supreme power or absolute dominion, and it gets at the idea of where the buck stops in a society.
Innovation Exists by God’s Design
Innovators—both virtuous ones and nefarious ones—are created by God. Scripture protects us from the myth that God is trying his best to stifle and subdue the unwieldiness of human technology.
Help! I Don’t Know How to Rest Well
Be honest with yourself. Are you perhaps traveling too fast and trying to do too much—thereby violating the concept of Sabbath on a weekly and daily basis?
The Structural Abortionism That Remains after Roe v. Wade
I cannot forecast accurately the changes that will come in the first post-Roe decade. I can, though, list some fundamental things that will still apply.
Social Algorithms Are Today’s “Lady Folly”
Algorithms lure us into constant distraction by putting “suggestions” into our minds, waiting to pounce and consume our attention.
How to Pray When You’re Feeling Anxious or Depressed
During seasons of depression or anxiety, most of us find it hard to concentrate, we feel God is far away, and we despair of God hearing us or helping us.
Allow us to introduce Paolo Sarpi, a contemporary of Galileo, and the most formidable adversary of the Counter-Reformation in Italy.
Podcast: If You Don't Catechize Your Kids, the World Will (Kevin DeYoung)
Kevin DeYoung talks about how Christians (parents and non-parents alike) can help children to trust Jesus, embrace the Bible, and love others—even those with whom we disagree.
Podcast: Distinguishing Christmas Tradition from Truth (Andreas Köstenberger)
Andreas Köstenberger explores how to distinguish fact from fiction when it comes to the Christmas story, discussing the real date of Jesus's birth, the wise men and the star, and key Old Testament prophecies and allusions surrounding the incarnation.
Why Study the Books of 1–2 Peter?
Into a historical moment when many Christians feel disoriented, 1–2 Peter helps us recenter our hope on Christ.
The Role of Technology and Media in the Sexual Revolution
Technology and the media have played a significant role in the triumph of the sexual revolution—specifically in terms of the LGBTQ+ movement.
10 Things to Consider before Retiring Early
Early retirement may sound attractive—but be careful. There are several things to consider before you choose to retire voluntarily, since work may be more valuable to you than you realize.
Perhaps one of the greatest misunderstandings concerning the Christian faith is that God is only concerned with “good people.”
In spite of C. S. Lewis’s fame, several myths have attached themselves to him which might give an unbalanced view of the man who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia.
Andreas J. Köstenberger, Alexander E. Stewart
Christians know that Christmas is all about Jesus (or at least it once was all about Jesus), and we want it to be all about Jesus again.
Why We Need a Paradigm Shift about Money
We need a brand-new way of thinking about money, a way that is rooted in the gospel story and its narrative of the lavish grace of God.
Technological Progress Must Honor God’s Design for Our Bodies
We may eventually modify our bodies in ways that are helpful and necessary. But we will never reach a point where the human body is a disposable machine.
Maximus the Gladiator and Jesus the Christ
Just as Maximus was not just a gladiator but the ultimate Gladiator, the Gospel authors claim that Jesus is not just a king, but the King.
In the rare moments when we catch broad attention from our social media presence—whether through our images or tweets or memes—we become the star.
3 Pieces of Advice for Teens about to Start High School
In the long run, your friends have an enormous influence on you, so you need the right kinds of friends.
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!
12 Practical Ways to Be on Mission This Halloweeen
Halloween offers opportunity to engage in new relationships or to revisit old ones with missional intentionality.
8 Theses on Christians and Twitter
This month, Twitter celebrates its 12th anniversary. Short, pithy, snarky statements are the currency of Twitter, but, how should Christians engage?
The Key to Happiness Is More Stuff . . . Right?
Our contentment is unshakeable when it is rooted in our unchanging God.
Is Your Check Engine Light On?
Are you experiencing any warning signs of burnout? This articles tells you what signs to look for.
Is There a Distinctively Christian Approach to History?
How should we think and write about history? How should we read critically the historical accounts of the past? How should each of us think about personal history and the history of relatives and friends?
The Resurgence of Reformed Theology among African Americans
There are encouraging indications that Reformed theology is being embraced by an increasing number of African American Christians today.
Does Evangelicalism Have a History?
If evangelicalism really is “mere Christianity,” how could it be anything but the oldest orthodoxy of the apostles?
The Why behind Rapid Cultural Shifts in Gender Politics
Christians are often prone to focusing on symptoms rather than looking at underlying causes.
How to Guard Against a Self-Centered Relationship with Jesus
Often without warning or intention, the drive to know ourselves becomes all-consuming. It’s impossible to not be affected by the age of self in which we currently live.
How Professors Can Integrate Faith and Learning
Christian scholars must demonstrate a deep humility before a sovereign God before they can learn anything.
We live in an angry world, and most of it is obviously destructive. But anger is not intrinsically evil, essentially evil, or necessarily evil.
Get Your Feet Out of Death’s Path and Live
May this generation turn from the greatest of wickednesses, the placing of any created thing in the place of the Creator, getting its feet out of the paths of death so that it may live.
The Economy Is about More than Money
The economy is a system of choices we make about all of our resources. Every choice we make is an economic choice.
Free Download: Printable Verse Cards Tracing God's Unfolding Grace
Download these free printables for memorizing and meditating on God's word.
Help! I’m Supposed to Be the Perfect Child, Student, and Christian
We live in a culture of impossible expectations. Teens are under incredible pressure to succeed on a number of fronts. All these impossible expectations lead to an inevitable sense of failure and shame.
The Self-Forgetfulness of Real Love
This universe of self-love is collapsing in on itself. It’s like a black hole that shrinks itself into a smaller and smaller space.
Why Planned Parenthood and the Kingdom of Christ Are at Odds
every believer is called to recognize Jesus in the face of his little brothers and sisters.
When the Tyranny of the Urgent Invades Missions
We're living at a time in global missions today where the gospel and faithful ministry are threatened because we often sacrifice the important for the immediate, the best for the most pressing.
Why You Need Faith to See God’s Glory
The supreme spectacle of the cross brings a cosmic collision with the spectacles of this world. And we’re in the middle.
Podcast: Why You Shouldn't Feel Bad about Enjoying the World (Joe Rigney)
What does it look like to love God and enjoy this world? Are the two in contention with each other?
Money will either bless you or curse you. It will be a tool in the hands of a God of grace, or it will be a doorway to bad and dangerous things.
Podcast: Roe v. Wade Has Been Overturned. Now What? (Scott Klusendorf)
Scott Klusendorf talks about what the Supreme Court's ruling means for the pro-life cause and how it should impact how we, as Christians, seek to advocate for the lives of the unborn in our communities.
The allegation is that we should no longer believe in souls because science has solved the problem of consciousness, leaving nothing for souls to do.
Introducing the ‘Reactivity’ Podcast with Paul Tripp
Join Paul Tripp in this new podcast as he encourages Christians to think wisely about their social media interactions and to be a beacon of light in an age of toxicity.
The Fundamental Decision We All Must Face
You can either put God at the center of the universe in your heart or you can put yourself or something else there.
Clothed in Christ and Unashamed
Body shame is the feeling that your body with its imperfections is something of which to be ashamed—something you wish you could hide or change.
The Counterintuitive Nature of Authority
Authority can be dangerous. But, if used rightly, it can also be a blessing.
How Lament Can Help with Racial Reconciliation
When we don't know what to say, lament can become a really helpful language to use.
This Day in History: John Stott Was Born
On this day in history John Stott, one of the most influential Christian leaders of the twentieth century, was born. This year marks the centenary of his birth.
Rejecting Theistic Evolution ≠ Embracing a God of the Gaps
A God of the gaps argument is an argument that has a formal, logical structure. Logic is known as an argument from ignorance—an informal fallacy.
Jesus said that it is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). What comes out of your heart displays what’s in it and what has captured it.
Blind Spots Quiz: What's Your Blind Spot?
Learn more about the book | Download a free excerpt
Spiritual Authority in an Anti-Authoritarian Age
God-appointed church leadership is for our good, stability, health, and protection.
10 Reasons Joy Brings Christ to Our Culture
How can Christians help their neighbors live more like God wants and resist the decay of our culture?
Podcast: Can Christians Embrace God and Science? (Brad Sickler)
How can Christians embrace God and science? Must the two be separated?
Are Love and Authority Mutually Exclusive?
But authority in creation and authority and redemption actually work together—for good.
3 Ways the Internet and Social Media Benefit Wisdom
In what sense are the Internet and social media potentially valuable for wisdom? We know the many downsides to online life. What are the upsides?
12 Notable Quotes from Enough about Me
Self-care may produce happiness and temporary relief from stress or hardship, but real joy comes when we stop serving ourselves and find meaning and purpose in something outside of ourselves.
How Puritan Women Are Misunderstood Today
You don't have to agree with Puritan women, but it does mean that you have to allow them to tell their own stories in their own words before you start to interpret them for yourself.
Why Seek the Truth? The Achilles’ Heel of Free Thought
Atheists and agnostics insist we pursue the truth about reality—even if the idea of a meaningless universe frightens and depresses us. We ought to face facts and accept reality as it is, not as we want it to be.
Why Christians Should Read Shakespeare
Leland Ryken explains why more Christians should read or view Shakespeare than currently do.
God's Intention Was a World Full of Diversity
Where do our differences come from? How should we think about them? And what do we do with them when we meet them? To answer those questions, we need an origin story.
Learning to Live a Grace-Paced Life: An Interview with David Murray
Justin Taylor sits down with David Murray to discuss his new book.
The Cultural Misconception of Blessing
We are all familiar with the hashtags around social media. The word blessing gets thrown around a lot, so people have an idea of what they think blessing means.
Why Is Teen Anxiety on the Rise?
What factors contribute to the rise of anxiety in teenagers today?
Podcast: Trauma, Pain, and Loss: A Doctor’s Story of Faith and Healing (Katie Butler)
Kathryn Butler discusses her work as a trauma surgeon working in the ICU, sharing what it was like to be inundated with life and death situations day in and day out.
Immigrants: Legal, Illegal and the Old Testament Law
This article originally appeared on Crossway's blog in June 2010. In light of the recent protests related to the immigration reform bill currently stalled in the House of Representatives, we thought our readers might once again benefit from this post that explores how to think biblically about this divisive issue.
Does Theistic Evolution Lead to Open Theism?
Not all, but certain forms of theistic evolution theologically lead to the open theism perspective.
Culture is more than just what we believe and what we do; it is also our whole framework for comprehending the world, for making sense, or trying to make sense, out of life.
3 Losses of an Illiterate Culture
Glenda Faye Mathes, Leland Ryken
The decline of reading has impoverished our culture and individual lives. We have lost mental sharpness, verbal skills, and ability to think and imagine.
Only one Comforter is great enough: the infinite-personal God who exists—that is, the God of Judeo-Christian Scripture. Only He is the sufficient Comforter.
The Everyday Object Biblical Archaeology Depends Upon
Archaeologists get very excited about pottery as very few people elsewhere in the world do.
3 Ways Youth Leaders Can Help Parents
Many youth pastors are young, but they still have valuable insights on teenagers that can be of great help to parents.
The Economy’s 3 Essential Ingredients
Economists are looking at things that people have to make trade-off decisions about. That includes material resources, time, and relationships.
Identifying Devotional Gems in Unexpected Places
In compiling my anthology, I worked hard to find devotional riches in unexpected places. Many of the authors would doubtless be surprised by what I chose for devotional purposes.
Our culture's understanding of freedom says when you break from the oppression of an external force, then you’re free to be who you want to be.
Will the Next Tech Upgrade Satisfy the Longings of Your Heart?
The spiritual dilemma of the tech age is deep because our modern economy is built on the false promise that new innovations are the key to satisfying the heart’s longings.
How the Anglican Communion Addresses Neo-Paganism
Any discussion of Anglicanism in our present context must include the rise of neo-pagan Anglicanism in many Anglican churches around the world, especially in the West.
Advent Is for Looking Forward and Looking Back
During Advent we look back, thinking how it must have been, waiting for the promised salvation of God, and we look ahead, preparing ourselves to meet Jesus at his Second Coming.
Is Christianity Bad News for Women?
The true Christian faith elevates, cherishes, protects women. Women are drawn to it. Our God created us imago Dei, and his desire is that each life will be cherished and protected.
The Solution to Our Beauty Crisis
The truth of the gospel is the only answer to our beauty crisis.
The fifth “ism” that has formed contemporary culture as we know it is pragmatism, a philosophy that measures truth by its utilitarian value.
Obsessed with Our Own Biography
Telling your own story is at the heart of expressive individualism. It is possible today to document your life story in considerable detail and publish it widely on a daily basis.
Is Science the Only Source of Absolute Truth?
Is it scientifically accurate to say that “Science is the only way to get to absolute truth about reality"?
Help! My Teen Struggles with Self-Image
From its beginning, the self-esteem movement has been crushing. And the movement hasn’t dissipated over the last generation or two, it has only intensified.
Is Propositional Revelation Nonsense?
There are two ways to consider the question of propositional revelation and infallibility. Until the first is in place, the second cannot be sensibly pursued.
All the Very Best Stories Lead Us to Hope in the Darkness
Stories, it seems, can remind our kids that in Christ, morning will always come, no matter how deep the darkness.
A Brief Intro to the Origins of Humanity
One of the hot spots in the perceived conflict between science and Christianity is around the question of how human beings came to exist.
As the election season nears its end, we are left wondering how to process it all, and what the Bible has to say in times like these.
Can Media Be Effective for Christ?
If contemporary Christians wish to transmit a meaningful gospel to a world awash in meaningless media, then they have a dual dilemma to confront before they can hope to proceed successfully.
An Interview with Vern Poythress
Crossway talks with Vern Poythress about his newest book, Chance and the Sovereignty of God: A God-Centered Approach to Probability and Random Events.
Mormonism and Christianity advocate two deeply contrasting and conflicting worldviews.
Lament: An Open Door for Racial Reconciliation
Most Christians are not sure what to do about racial reconciliation. There are some whose hearts are sinfully closed, but I think most Christians simply lack the tools.
We Need a Theological Framework for Racial Reconciliation
It’s really critical that the Bible and theological categories inform the racial reconciliation conversation lest culture and politics become where we start from.
3 Practical Ways to Cultivate Gospel Fluency
It's important to speak the gospel in a community who can speak it back or reflect on what they're hearing.
Podcast: Confronting the Idols of Body Image, Sex, Abortion, and Motherhood (Jen Oshman)
Jen Oshman discusses the many empty promises that the culture of the modern world makes that run counter to the clear teaching of Scripture and God's good plan for us.
What Bible Reading and Eating Have in Common
Devotional Bible reading is vital for every believer in the same way that eating is vital for every human—it's just the way you're nourished. It's what you do to get stronger and grow.
Think about it: a woman’s sphere of influence today is far more diverse and extensive than ever before.
Yoda and Our Search for Wisdom
The reason we have a hard time talking about wisdom is that we have a very misguided notion of what it is.
Podcast: Why Your Physical Body Matters to God (Sam Allberry)
Sam Allberry talks about the eternal significance of our physical bodies, how it relates to our identity, and why our bodies matter here and now.
Nearly every few weeks, it seems, another female celebrity is either claiming feminism for herself or renouncing feminism as an unnecessary ideology for women today.
Preview: What God Has to Say about Our Bodies by Sam Allberry
There’s a danger in focusing too much on the body. There’s also a danger in not valuing it enough.
Give Yourself to Prayer This Lenten Season
Lent could be one of those seasons where you take time to meditate, examine, and consider. Here are four categories that can organize this season of worship for you.
Learn more about German designer and illustrator, Peter Voth, and his work on the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Artist Series.
2 Responses to the World's Brokenness
If you mourn the fallenness of your world rather than curse its difficulties, you know that grace has visited you
Why We Can’t Lament without Listening
When it comes to loaded subjects like racism or ethnic tension, too often believers fall into the familiar ditches of denial or despair.
Practically Caring for Others in the Midst of COVID
It behooves us all to reach out and stay connected with people who are working in the hospital right now.
A Marvel More Fascinating Than Your iPhone
No one could pick up an iPhone or a smartphone of any kind and think that it was an accident. Learn about something that's infinitely more complex.
How to Foster a Gospel Culture
Gospel doctrine creates a gospel culture. The doctrine of grace creates a culture of grace.
Preview: The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman
Enjoy a special two-hour preview of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman on The Crossway Podcast.
Why Every Serious Atheist Should Be a Moral Nihilist
Every consistent atheist ought to be a moral nihilist.
A Personal vs. Private Relationship with Christ
As we've prioritized our personal relationship with Christ, we've also privatized it.
7 Notable Quotes from Surviving Religion 101
The college years can challenge your faith and belief in the Bible, so it’s important to equip yourself to engage secular challenges with intellectual honesty, compassion, and confidence.
Jesus was forceful about the issue of ethnocentrism, the conviction or the feeling that one’s own ethnic group should be treated as superior or privileged.
Christianity was a multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural movement from the beginning.
Video: J. I. Packer on Taking God Seriously
J. I. Packer reflects on this "undernourishment" that many Christians suffer from, challenging us to take our faith and God's Word seriously.
16 Ways Pastors Can Work for Unity in Politically Divisive Times
Jonathan Leeman, Andrew David Naselli
In an increasingly anti-Christian culture, what’s important is how we respond to those who vote or believe differently, to learn how to make at least some space for them, and to encourage charity and forbearance.
One great temptation of singleness is an unrelenting self-focus. We need to be reminded to look outside of our circumstances and ourselves.
9 Ways Emotions Play a Role in Theological Diversity
Because human beings are complex creatures with reason, will, and emotion, no reductionistic scheme can explain why we reason or why we dissent the way we do.
Maybe in every story is a thread that the human heart that can’t give up the belief that one day, true love will come along.
R.C. Sproul on Human Tragedies and Divine Purposes
R. C. Sproul shares how human tragedy has a divine purpose.
The Third Dimension of Writing: Bret Lott on Saying Exactly What You Mean
Brett Lott discusses the third dimension of writing.
In an Outrage Culture, Choose Respect
We would do well to remember that behind the social media post is someone who was formed by God to bear his likeness.
G.K. Chesterton said that "life is as bright as diamond and as brittle as a window pane." Our lives and health are beautiful but fragile, and we need to cherish them.
Joanne J. Jung, Richard Langer
Followership, like leadership, is prone to misunderstanding. Unlike leadership, however, followership has few (if any) positive perceptions in contemporary culture.
You Are More Than Your Twitter Bio
What does the way you introduce yourself say about how you see yourself, about where you find the source of your identity?
Podcast: What Keeps You from Going to Church? (Jonathan Leeman)
Jonathan Leeman discusses the vital importance of in-person church fellowship, how we can and should prioritize involvement with the people of God in a local church—especially after a year like 2020.
How to Be Fluent in the Gospel
We live in a day and age where people are asking questions, but often we don’t have the answers.
Why Catholic Philosopher Robert George Matters to Protestants
With a career spanning over thirty years and who presently holds the title of McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Robert P. George is one of the world’s most prominent and respected public intellectuals.
The Difference between Gospel-ish and Gospel Fluency
To become truly gospel fluent is to be able to listen to somebody well enough to hear the real longing or hurts that they're dealing with.
Materialism: The Material Girl
A fourth “ism” which is part of the “pattern of this world” is materialism.
Why I Care about Women's Issues
In an increasingly pro-women society, you can’t even watch the Super Bowl anymore without seeing media campaigns elevating the dignity and worth of women.
8 Notable Quotes from What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
God’s word addresses how we, as Christians, should think about sexuality and offers us hope and wisdom for navigating today’s cultural landscape with humility and grace.
Why Unborn Children Have the Right to Governmental Protection
We have laws against murder because people agree that murder is wrong, and so there are moral standards that underlie many, if not all, of our current laws.
The Church’s Role in Racial Reconciliation
The church has a vital role to play in reconciliation between people of different ethnicities. It actually goes to the essence of what it means to be a Christian.
6 Signs You Might Be an Accidental Feminist
An accidental feminist is a woman who does not personally identify as a feminist, and in fact, may actually have no use for the term.
The Sabbath: A 5-Day Devotional
What does it mean to take a Sabbath? Does this Old Testament law even practically apply today?
Podcast: We're in a Strange New World. Now What? (Carl Trueman)
Carl Trueman explores the history of Western thought with the view of answering two simple questions: How did we get here? How should the church respond?
Redeeming Singleness: Q & A with Barry Danylak
Barry Danylak shares some of the main points of his book, Redeeming Singleness.
Podcast: We're Thinking about Technology All Wrong (Tony Reinke)
Tony Reinke considers what the Bible has to say about human innovation and the things we create and why Christians are often so attracted to tech dystopianism, the future of AI, and more.
Don’t Put Science in a Straightjacket
There are actually ways that certain scientific assumptions can impede the scientific search for truth.
Podcast: Teaching Your Kids the Real Meaning of Christmas (William Smith)
William Smith offers parents simple advice for viewing the holiday season as a special opportunity to point our kids’ hearts to their Savior.
Why Christians Should Encourage Consistent Atheism
times when I actually encourage unbelievers to continue in their error, in fact to do so more.
On a Mission to Prove Ourselves
The people of this world are on a mission: a mission to prove themselves.
Finding Rest in a Restless World
It’s easy to settle for a subhuman life. Despite all our efforts, achievements, and success, many of us discover each night that our hearts don’t rest.
Opening Windows to Christ’s Kingdom
More than forty years have passed since I first traveled across the world and what drives me now are the glimpses of glory I get as I follow my King in the power of His rising.
How to Cultivate a Culture of Adoption
When we adopt—and when we encourage a culture of adoption in our churches and communities—we’re picturing something that’s true about our God.
Should We Seek to Burn Out for Jesus?
It is wise to pace yourself, even in ministry. Establish healthy limits for yourself and trust God to make your work fruitful.
What is my vocation? How do I find one? Or, as the self-help books put it, how do I find the vocation that is right for me?
Podcast: Are Christians More Divided Now Than Ever? (Rhyne Putman)
How should Christians think about theological diversity and gracefully disagree within the body of Christ?
What Does Gospel Fluency Look Like in Action?
Listen and pay attention—the Lord will give you the right words to bring the gospel to a non-Believer in a way that meets their needs and fulfills their longings.
The Great (American) Commission - Part 1
This is the first post ([part 2]http://www.crossway.org/blog/?p=35254), part 3) in a 3-part series by Tim Keesee on the role of American missionaries in the 21st century.
2 Good Reasons We Should Read beyond the Bible
We want to read more than just the Bible because from the earliest time that words were recorded, civilization has been having this ongoing conversation.
Misunderstood Christian Classics
The way to get attention and be mainstream in the secular establishment is to debunk what has been accepted as true for centuries.
Why Land Is More than Real Estate
After the resurrection of Jesus, God sends the Holy Spirit, who fills not just Israel, but the whole earth with his glory.
What Women Wish Men Knew about Beauty
Men who take the time to understand the pressures women face will be able to help them resist the lies from our culture and pursue a biblical vision of beauty.
The Wisdom of God-Centered Rhythms in a Me-Centered Age
When every moment of our iWorld existence conditions us to celebrate the self, the church boldly celebrates something bigger, grander, and more compelling.
Podcast: Were the First Christians Socialists? (Greg Forster)
How should believers think about the global economy and what practical difference should our beliefs make in the way that we spend and live?
Human Dignity: A First Principle
We are made in the image of Jesus the Messiah. This is real ground of human dignity.
Body Image, Health Care, and the Incarnation
When God chose to come to the world embodied in Jesus Christ, he accepted life with all of its limitations.
The notion of proof is multifaceted. It is often assumed that it is illegitimate to assert anything not susceptible to a strict proof.
What Modern Atheists Could Learn from David Hume
One of the most important things that modern atheists can learn from David Hume is the limitations of sense perception and reason.
The Danger of Thinking Science Alone Leads to True Knowledge
If you limit knowledge to science, then you must see if all of the important questions of life can be answered by science.
Of course, everybody knows that movie is not true a true representation of the field, but it also kind of shapes the way that we think of archaeology.
Secularism: The Cosmos Is All That Is
Secularism, more than any other single word, aptly describes the mental framework and value structure of the people of our time.
James Montgomery Boice writes about the difficulty of relativism.
Entertainment and the Christian Novel
People love to read stories—and any fiction writer who forgets that fundamental human motivation is in danger of becoming unemployed.
What Star Wars Can Teach Us about History
Thomas Andrews and Flannery Burke suggest that the opening sequence in the Star Wars films reminds us of the importance of historical context.
Deciphering the Fallacies of History
Carl Trueman examines history and the common foibles that go into it.
Living in God's Two Kingdoms - A Vision of Christianity and Culture
In his new book Living in God's Two Kingdoms, David VanDrunen suggests an alternative "two kingdoms" model for cultural engagement.
10 Things You Should Know about Cultural Identity
From its opening pages right through to the end, Scripture attests to the importance of peoples in God’s purpose for humanity.
Scott Klusendorf on Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Scott Klusendorf discusses the controversy of stem cell research as it relates to the pro-life position.
Podcast: Inherent Dangers of the Information Age (Brett McCracken)
Brett McCracken discusses what it looks like to pursue true wisdom in a noisy and confused age.
Guest Post: Keeping Christmas with Martin Luther
Salvation comes in and by and through an infant Son. This is more than a paradox, this is a miracle.
Love Emojis and a Taste of Reality
Behind the exclamation points and cupids lie all the normal stuff of everyone’s life: sickness, heartbreak, rejection—and loneliness.
3 Ways Wisdom Is Threatened in the Information Age
In our modern world, we're overwhelmed by information: too fast, too much, and too self-focused. And, it's crowding out our ability to think deeply.
Preaching an Objective Message in a Subjective Culture
When we think about following Jesus today we are aware that our culture’s attitude to truth has changed.
Podcast: The Dehumanizing Habits That Social Media Has Normalized (Paul Tripp)
Paul Tripp discusses how we as God's people should think about the reactive culture in which we live and how to make sure we're not part of the problem.
Homer, 'Breaking Bad,' and the Eternal: Part 1
What does this have to do with theology and the Christian life? Turns out, quite a bit.
A Personal vs. Private Relationship with Christ
As we've prioritized our personal relationship with Christ, we've also privatized it.
Know a Victim of Sexual Assault? What to Say and Not to Say
Justin S. Holcomb, Lindsey A. Holcomb
Justin and Lindsey Halcomb share what you should and should not say to a victim of sexual assault.
3 Moral Principles to Consider Related to Reproductive Technology
Modern medicine can be used to overcome many diseases and disabilities today. We should view this as a good thing, and as something for which we can give thanks to God.
The Super Bowl, as are other large sporting events, is also a magnet for sex trafficking and child prostitution. It is possibly the largest sex trafficking event in the US.
The Problem with Human-Centered Morality
Is moral value whatever we say that it is?
Is the world so broken that God will abandon it, and we will need to find a home elsewhere?
The Continued Relevance of Carl Henry’s ‘Uneasy Conscience’
What’s striking now is how contemporary and pressing the issues still seem, though raised by Henry back when “baby boomer” referred to youth and the future.
A New Generation of African-American Christians
The church needs the light of the truth that is the glorious and biblical doctrines recovered during the Reformation.
The Great (American) Commission - Part 2
This is the second post (part 1, part 3) in a 3-part series by Tim Keesee on the role of American missionaries in the 21st century.
What Makes Evangelicals Different?
What is it that separates evangelicals from the rest of the world, even some other branches of Christianity? The fundamental dividing line is the belief in the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. Why does it matter if we believe this or not?
The Great (American) Commission - Part 3
This is the third post (part 1, part 2) in a 3-part series by Tim Keesee on the role of American missionaries in the 21st century.
God loves beauty, and he gives it to us as a gift. He is the source of beauty, and he is beauty himself.
How does "God's glory in salvation through judgment" relate to the moral, ethical, social, economic, and political issues in our culture?
The Truth About Sexual Assault
Justin Holcomb shares some important statistics related to sexual assault in our country and around the world.
Homer, 'Breaking Bad,' and the Eternal: Part 3
Human narrative always deals with the problem of evil—without it there would be no stories at all.
If a classic is a work that possesses the qualities that I ascribed to it, and if there are good reasons why some of our reading should be reading the classics, then how should we go about our reading of them?
Podcast: Why Is Our Culture So Obsessed with Identity? (Brian Rosner)
Brian Rosner talks about how our cultural obsession with identity impacts us as Christians and how we should think about that through the lens of the Bible.
How the Gospel Is Like a New Language
In many ways the gospel is like a new language—it takes time.
Homer, 'Breaking Bad,' and the Eternal: Part 2
You can make more money, if you have some time and a work ethic. But can you make more time just because you have money?
Myths and Facts About Sexual Assault
Justin S. Holcomb, Lindsey A. Holcomb
Justin and Lindsey Halcomb answer myths and facts about sexual assault.
Podcast: What's Happening to Evangelicalism? (Michael Reeves)
Michael Reeves discusses the term “evangelical,” the different ways it’s used in our culture today, and how we should respond to the cultural baggage often associated with the term.
How to Comfort the Grieving: Click the “Like” Button
These days, people are more comfortable sharing grief online and are perhaps more comfortable receiving expressions of caring that way too.
2 Ways Archaeology Helps Us Return to the World of the Bible
One of the benefits to reading the Bible is to understand the culture behind the text.
What am I going to do with the things of earth?
David Wells: God's Love and Holiness in Our Culture Today
In this video series (part 1), Dr. David Wells reflects on the message of his newest book, God in the Whirlwind: How the Holy-Love of God Reorients Our World.
Pride is, by definition, idolatrous and insurrectionist because it is rooted in ingratitude. It glorifies the creature over against the Creator and claims the inheritance rights of image-bearers without acknowledging that we have these things …
We have a deep desire to be visible and valuable. We crave attention and want the approval of others.
There’s No Such Thing as a Writer (and other thoughts for those of you thinking about writing)
Bret Lott writes a guest post to accompany the publication of his newest book, Letters and Life: On Being a Writer, On Being a Christian, hoping his words can be of help to those thinking about being a writer.
The gospel of Jesus cuts the nerve of hatred and anger and the bent to be a blaming person.
The Bible teaches that heaven has come down to us most wonderfully and assuredly in the person of Jesus Christ, to bring us back up to heaven.
Remember that God is good even outside of the gifts he often graciously bestows to his children.
Q: If pain & evil exist, then how can your God be good?
Louis Markos answers the question: "If pain and evil exist, then how can your God be good?"
An Interview with Courtney Reissig
This is an interview with Courtney Reissig, author of The Accidental Feminist: Restoring Our Delight in God's Good Design.
Video: John Piper Speaks at Wheaton College
John Piper recently spoke at Wheaton College, addressing the community with a talk entitled "Race, Repentance, and Rejoicing: Ethnicity in the Christian Church".
How Can an Athlete Cultivate Humility?
C. J. Mahaney reflects on how humility impacts an athlete.
How Do You Form Ethical Opinions? Make Ethical Decisions?
John Feinburg, author of Ethics for a Brave New World sheds light on how we can develop our ethical theory and how that informs ethical decision making.
Declaring a Cease-Fire to the Mommy Wars
The value of your work comes from service to the Lord, not from a job title, a mother-of-the-year award, or apaycheck.
Should I "Like" a Social Media Post about Grief?
By liking a post about grief, you are letting the writer that they are not alone.
Where would your church be without Christian publishing companies?
Why Moralistic Therapeutic Deism Is a Dead End
It's very easy to shelve God and decide we don't really need him, that we just need to believe in ourselves and to invent who we are and what we want to do.
The Imperfection of Artistic Expression is a Mere Glimpse of the Perfection of Christ
We (here at Crossway) had the opportunity to hear an exclusive behind-the-art perspective on The Four Holy Gospels from Makoto Fujimura during chapel on Friday, January 21.
Social Media Isn't All that Social
Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest, “social” media doesn’t serve to make us any more social at all.
Is Success a Friend or Foe? (by Dave Kraft)
Maybe, just maybe, we need to revisit our working definition of success to see how much of what we believe is truly biblical and not merely cultural, with a few verses added for “seasoning” here and there.
An Interview with Mitch Stokes
In this video, Justin Taylor sits down with Mitch Stokes to discuss his new book.
When the Podcast Preacher Isn't Enough
We need more than a podcast to truly grow in our walk of faith.
There is no peace nor good will at Christmas, unless there is glory to God in the highest first.
9 Notable Quotes from Weep with Me
In the Bible, lament is a prayer that leads to trust, which can be a starting point for the church to “weep with those who weep."
We must train ourselves to slow down and recognize the greatest need we have is met in Christ’s coming.
From Mecca to the Messiah (Part 1)
I arrived at college with two cases of beer... My college roommate was my best friend from high school. He and I arrived at college with barely any supplies for school, two cases of beer, …
From Mecca to the Messiah (Part 3)
I lived a lost, God-rejecting, self-seeking life for about a year. Not surprisingly, my marriage grew empty as well, and the difficulties started to appear overwhelming. Then, my wife and I learned that we were …
Getting to the Heart of Materialism
In Worldliness (edited by C. J. Mahaney), contributor Dave Harvey gives some practical warnings and advice about materialism.
The Super Bowl and Folk Culture
The event around which we gather shows the erosion of folk culture just as much as it fosters it.
Podcast: What Your Muslim Neighbor Misunderstands about Christianity (A. S. Ibrahim)
A. S. Ibrahim talks about misconceptions that Muslims may have about Christianity and misconceptions that Christians may have about Islam which could even lead to ineffective evangelism.
If I Could Sit Down with Richard Dawkins
If I could change Richard Dawkins’ mind about something, it would be about this notion of objective morality.
D.A. Carson on Evangelicalism—from ETS 2009
Dr. D. A. Carson presents a biblical/theological definition of evangelicalism that is rooted in the New Testament’s description of the gospel, and then proceeds to demonstrate its continuing relevance and our need for its scripturally defined boundaries.
From Mecca to the Messiah (Part 4)
The Doctrines of Grace My wife and I returned to North Carolina full of wonder and joy. We were changed. The world sparkled with a newness and freshness we didn’t know was available. Everything was …
Sex, Strategic Righteousness, and Eternal Purposes
John Piper calls us to not be like the world, but to instead to be like Boaz and Ruth.
#toxic - Why Is Our Culture So Reactive? (Reactivity Episode 1)
Paul Tripp discusses the toxic culture of reactivity full of anger, mockery, and disrespect that is so common to see on social media but also bleeds into our everyday relationships.
Dr. Robert P. George and Dr. Andrew Walker talk together about religious liberty, the common good, and the true heart of conservatism.
Our blind spots lead to divisions and disagreements, preventing God’s people from testifying to his grace with one voice.
Preview: ‘Strange New World’ by Carl Trueman
We are pleased to offer a special preview of Carl Trueman's new book, ‘Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution.’
Serial offers us insights into our culture’s longings, revealing God’s truth in the world around us.
Q&A with Vern Poythress—In the Beginning Was the Word
John Starke recently conducted an interview with Vern Poythress to discuss his new release, In the Beginning was the Word: Language—A God-Centered Approach.
Never Before Published Works from Lloyd-Jones
Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how to deal with fear by confronting it, recognizing it, and realizing that the only way to address it is found in the unchanging gospel.
Q&A: Michael Reeves Answers Your Questions about Evangelicalism
Michael Reeves answers a number of questions from around the world about the topic of evangelicalism.
Matt Chandler discusses March Madness and worship.
Podcast: Race, Ethnicity, and the Bible (Steven Bryan)
Steven Bryan talks about how Christians should approach the various “collective identities” that bind—and divide—us in our world today.
Preview: ‘Gospel People’ by Michael Reeves
We are pleased to offer a special preview of Michael Reeves’s new book, ‘Gospel People: A Call for Evangelical Integrity.’
David Wells: The Counter-Cultural Nature of God's Holy-Love
In this video series (part 1, part 2), Dr. David Wells reflects on the message of his newest book, God in the Whirlwind: How the Holy-Love of God Reorients Our World.
The Origins of the Self-Esteem Movement
People threw off the shackles of the church and the state and they began to look inward. They began to look to themselves for what is true and what is real.
What is Sexual Assault and How Can Victims Find Hope and Healing?
Check out this helpful interview with Justin Holcomb (author of Rid of My Disgrace) on the issue of sexual assault and how victims can find hope and healing.
An Interview with Christin Ditchfield
Christin Ditchfield speaks with Crossway about her latest book, A Family Guide to "Prince Caspian".
11 Practical Ways to Reduce Digital Consumption
If we can get digital technology under control, we will do so much better—physically, intellectually, relationally, vocationally, educationally, financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
Podcast: Growing as a Follower in a Culture Obsessed with Leadership (Richard Langer, Joanne Jung)
Richard Langer and Joanne Jung point out the prevalence of books, podcasts, and workshops on leadership and suggest that the contrasting idea of followership is where our focus should be.
Video: Engaging Our Culture with Joy
In this video, Greg Forster sits down with Justin Taylor to discuss his new book, Joy for the World: How Christianity Lost Its Cultural Influence and Can Begin Rebuilding It.
Video: "Christ + City: Why the Greatest Need of the City Is the Greatest News of All"
Pastor Jon Dennis, author of Christ + City, and others share their love for these cultural centers and their desire to see the kingdom of God take root in the city.
What are some sure signs of misdirected priorities in sports?
A Radically Different Approach to Film—A Call to Discernment
What do Christians "do" with movies? Do we treat them the same way as those who don't know the God of the universe?
Podcast: Why Discernment Today Is So Needed Yet So Neglected (Tim Challies)
Tim Challies talks about what spiritual discernment actually looks like, why it's so important for the mature Christian, and how to cultivate it in our own lives.
Podcast: The Cure to Our Polarization and Outrage: Humility (Gavin Ortlund)
Gavin Ortlund talks about misconceptions we often have about humility—that it corresponds to weakness or that it hides our abilities—and discusses how humility is so foundational for experiencing true joy in Christ.
Make a Change from Me-ology to Theology
Me-ology prizes you and me. Theology prizes the God of the universe who holds everything together.
Podcast: The Dark History of Abortion in America (Leah Savas)
Leah Savas talks about some of the forgotten history of abortion and about the efforts to protect unborn life in America that extend back over 300 years, even before the nation's founding.
Help! My Teen Struggles with Self-Image
From its beginning, the self-esteem movement has been crushing. And the movement hasn’t dissipated over the last generation or two, it has only intensified.
#yourewrong - Our Problem with Self-Righteousness (Reactivity Episode 3)
Paul Tripp talks about the self-centeredness and self-righteousness that work together to deceive us into believing we’re always right and about the humility that cures this selfishness and radically changes us.
#meantweets - Our Problem with Anger (Reactivity Episode 2)
Paul Tripp talks about the normalization of emotionally driven responses and especially reactions filled with fear and anger, two of the primary emotions that drive the culture of toxic reactivity.
#fightme - Our Problem with Craving Controversy (Reactivity Episode 5)
Paul Tripp talks about the difference between the love of truth and the love of controversy, which is no longer motivated by the two great commands to love God and love your neighbor.
#antisocialmedia - Our Problem with Individualism (Reactivity Episode 4)
Paul Tripp discusses the message of individualism in our culture that is destructive to our relationships and is an enemy of the community that God carefully designed for us to live in.
#thosepeople - Our Problem with Tribalism (Reactivity Episode 6)
Paul Tripp talks about our culture of tribalism in which we associate primarily with those who agree with us and find it easier to react to anyone who isn't in that group.
#fail - Our Need for Grace (Reactivity Episode 7)
Paul Tripp talks about the differences between a culture of condemnation and a culture of redemption, and he makes an honest confession.