5 Tips for Being Disciplined without Being Legalistic
God is not counting our failures against us, and we are not building a treasury of merit with our successes. We are simply trying to live a disciplined life that pleases our loving Father.
Articles on The Christian Life
2671 results found
3 Reality Checks for Your Marriage
What are the essential wisdom perspectives that Scripture gives us that enable us to have realistic expectations for our marriage?
4 Reasons We Need a Biblical View of Humanity
When we consider the view of personhood presented in Scripture, the question of whether we are mere brain machines or something more becomes a gospel question.
What Would the Apostles Do? How and When to Use Acts as a Guide for the Contemporary Church
We cannot and should not always do what Jesus did. Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead, exceptional gifts which we have not been given. We live in a different period of redemptive history.
I’ve Heard It Said, “Once Saved, Always Saved”
The Bible repeatedly warns us that God will not finally save you if you don’t persevere in the faith and good works.
6 Basic Realities about a Man's Identity
What gives a man his identity? On what foundation are you building your sense of self? Your answer, whether true or false, defines your life.
It is within a man’s private life, in those “unseen hours,” where his character is most laid bare.
Communion Is a Meal of Remembrance
As we eat the bread and drink the cup, we remember him, just as he told us to. We look back with thankful hearts to the cross.
Why All Christians Should Care about Systematic Theology
Peter J. Gentry, Stephen J. Wellum
Biblical theology provides the basis for understanding how texts in one part of the Bible relate to all other texts.
10 Things You Should Know about C. S. Lewis
Lewis is a master of the soul. He understands the human heart, in all its deceitfulness and grandeur, both in its good design and in its twisted corruption.
The Bible Is Not an Instruction Manual
The way so many of us treat the Scriptures—as God's "how to" book—doesn't seem quite right when we carefully look at what its own pages say.
Why Are We Baptized in Jesus’s Name?
For Jesus’s name carries Jesus’s claim, and undergoing baptism is, for those who have reached years of discretion, a sign that the claim is being accepted.
C.S. Lewis and the Role of the Physical Body in Prayer
Prayer, whether it is confession, supplication, thanksgiving, or adoration, always involves a surrender, an embracing of God’s ever-present presence.
Why Stay-at-Home Moms Don't Need to Be Embarrassed
God values all work that's done in his name and in service of others, so you don't need to be embarrassed about your at-home work.
The Bible teaches that we are continuously dependent on God. This dependence includes not only dependence on him for food and physical sustenance, but dependence on him mentally.
13 Passages to Read on Mother’s Day
Consider these passages for encouragement as a mother or to reflect on the sacrificial love of a mother in your life.
An Open Letter to Those Who Feel Unqualified to Offer Counsel
The Lord specializes in using people who feel weak in themselves, and your sense of inadequacy will probably protect you.
How to Pray When You’re Feeling Apathetic about Your Faith
If we take apathy seriously, as does God, we will be better equipped to recognize it when it threatens, avoid it, or at least escape from it earlier.
Why Mourning Can Be Good for Us
Mourning sin—past, present, and future—is the first step in seeking and celebrating the hope of divine grace.
Consensus is hard, especially in an individualistic culture where “have it your way” consumerism is the air we breathe. Sometimes it’s just easier to say, “You do you, I’ll do me.”
7 Back-to-School Prayers for Students
Students: as you head back to school, don't forget to prepare and recalibrate your hearts for the days ahead through intentional prayer.
Podcast: How to Read the Bible Every Day in 2020 (David Mathis)
David Mathis discusses how anyone can make Bible reading a habit in 2020, reflecting on the pros and cons of New Year's resolutions and offering practical advice on making a plan to read the Bible every day.
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.
Jesus Is Not Ashamed of Those Who Are Hurting and Hopeless
Be amazed at the power of Christ to transform a helpless man; but also, marvel at the love of Christ that claims rebels like this as his own.
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.
Did Jesus Really Mean That We Should Hate Our Families? (Luke 14)
He is to have absolute rule and sovereignty over one’s life; no family relationship can take precedence over one’s commitment to Jesus.
The devil is a very real, very powerful opponent, far too powerful for us to take on in our own strength.
6 Reasons Christians Need to Learn to Lament
For hurting people, knowing that this expression of grief is a biblical and a God-given category can be a watershed moment.
Podcast: Complementarianism Is Not about Competency (John Piper)
John Piper discusses complementarianism, with both personal and practical implications, and how we should think about it in the #MeToo era.
Must We Be Hurt Deeply to Be Used Significantly?
We want our grand abilities and keen insights to make us usable to God, not our broken hearts and crippling weaknesses.