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.
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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.
What Does It Mean to Be Fearfully and Wonderfully Made?
There is something so intricate and meaningful about how God has made us that we really should be in awe of that fact.
What Does the Bible Say about Being Born Gay?
How to respond biblically to the question of natural-born homosexuality with grace and truth.
Remembering J. I. Packer (1926–2020)
As we remember the life of J. I. Packer, join us in thanking God for his profound writing ministry and the legacy of his faithful service to the church.
2 Simple (Yet Profound) Questions to Ask Someone at Church This Sunday
What does it look like to strike up an intentional conversation aimed at deepening our relationships?
Introducing the ESV Digital Scripture Journal
Designed from the ground up for use with a digital tablet and stylus, the ESV Digital Scripture Journal is an innovative resource created to maximize the best of the digital Bible and print Bible experience.
Introducing ‘The Biggest Story Curriculum’
Introducing a brand new children's curriculum set based on The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung with 104 Bible lessons that will help children understand the storyline of the Bible.
Introducing ‘ESV Scripture Journals’
A new edition that allows readers to journal directly beside the text of individual books of the Bible.
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.
A Biblical Argument for Self-Defense
What did Jesus mean when he instructed his followers to turn the other cheek? Does that mean we're never to self-defend?
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.
How Psalm 73 Speaks to the Christian Experience
A goal for all of us is to be able to say Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth I desire besides you.
Introducing the ESV Expository Commentary Series
A resource designed to strengthen the global church with a widely accessible, theologically sound, and pastorally wise exposition.
2 Reasons Bully Pastors Rise Up in the Church
The church is experiencing a leadership crisis. Two key elements contribute to this crisis.
Christian Sufferer, Your Lord Is Near
I can’t think of anything that is more powerfully comforting than these words: I will never leave you or forsake you.
Songs of Suffering: A Short Film Featuring Joni Eareckson Tada
No one has spoken more personally and insightfully into the intersection of suffering and faith than Joni Eareckson Tada. In this 13-minute documentary, hear more from Joni herself about her story.
Why Is Creation So Important for Understanding the Bible?
Creation is an important and recurring theme throughout Scripture, because the God who creates is also the God who redeems.
7 Key Characteristics of the Church
Reformation theology established seven characteristics or identity markers of the church.
Where the Bible Teaches We Are Saved by Christ Alone
The five solas are inspired by and rooted in Scripture, which states that we are saved by grace and faith in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.
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.
How to Study the Bible: A 5-Day Plan with Jen Wilkin
As Christians, we believe the Bible is the very word of God, and it’s pivotal that we spend time knowing and loving him through it.
God Is Our Fortress—A Reading of Psalm 46 by Kristyn Getty
Be encouraged by this reading of Psalm 46 by Kristyn Getty, and rest in the promises of God to be with us—and for us—in our time of need.
The Goal of Submission in Marriage
Wives bend toward the nourishment and the leadership of their husbands—they are turning themselves toward what is for their good.
Are You a Healthy Church Member?
A healthy church member is deeply committed to and practices particular disciplines within a local church.
A Message to the Christian Battling Sexual Sin
We can't blame our environment for our struggles. The root of our wrong thinking about sex is not cultural, it's our own hearts.
There are lots of people who are never really confronted by the wretchedness of their own hearts.
The History of the English Standard Version
Learn about the origin of the English Standard Version in this 10-minute documentary about its history.
8 Tips for Taking Good Sermon Notes
Consider using these eight tips, and use a notebook or the margins of your ESV Journaling Bible to record thoughts and sermon notes.
Parenting: A 14-Day Devotional
Learn 14 gospel-centered parenting principles from Paul David Tripp’s book, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Familly.
What C. S. Lewis Believed about Hell
When the wrath of God is poured out, God gives us over to our desires and we become less and less human.
Is It OK to Call God My Friend?
Jesus is—and will always be—our king. And yet, it’s also true that our king has invited us to be his friends.
Delighting in God’s Law: A 10-Day Video Devotional with Jen Wilkin
Join Jen Wilkin, author of Ten Words to Live By, for a ten-day journey through the Ten Commandments, learning what they are and what they mean for our lives.
What Authority Does a Husband Have over His Wife?
A husband’s authority is what I would characterize as an authority of counsel, not an authority of command. It is both kinds of authority.
What Are the Bible's Key Themes?
How does knowing the end of the story influence the way we think about the story now?
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.
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.
Why Churches Languish under Cowardly Pastors
If there is anyone in the world who ought to have courage, it must be pastors.
Abortion and the Forgiveness of God
Have you confessed your sin to God and acknowledged that it was wrong? His word says that he is faithful to forgive your sins.
Did Jesus Ever Complain to God?
Many Christians don't have a category for complaint—what it means to humbly and biblically take our sorrows to the Lord.
What Does It Mean When We Pray “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”?
This is still a powerful reminder and a necessary prayer because even though we may see grocery stores around every corner, we still are dependent upon God to give us what we need.
Discovering the Holiness of God: The Formation of R. C. Sproul
The zeal to proclaim the holiness of God and the gospel of Christ propelled R. C. Sproul to devote his life to teaching, to preaching, to traveling, to writing.
Rooted in God’s Love: A 9-Day Devotional for Women
Are you tired, anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed with life’s demands? Start a 9-day online devotional aimed at helping you cultivate the fruit of the Spirit.
A Good Marriage Needs These 2 Things
The key character quality in a good and lasting marriage is humility, and the way that humility demonstrates itself is when I'm approachable and willing to admit my faults.
One Big Reason the Church Doesn't Pray
Are we living as if we can accomplish things on our own, or are we praying to God like we know we can't?
Why Our Expectations for Teens in the Church Are Way Too Low
Historically, one of the failures of youth ministry is that kids have not been seen as potential contributors in the church, and that is a disservice to them and to the church as a whole.
Download Free ‘Easter Stories’ from ‘The Biggest Story Bible Storybook’
This Easter booklet adapted from The Biggest Story Bible Storybook is a perfect way to teach children about the life-changing story of Jesus’s death and resurrection.
The Day My Worst Nightmare Came True
Four years ago, Cameron Cole came face-to-face with his worst nightmare. The one thing that he hoped and prayed would never happen, did happen.
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 Should a Youth Pastor Spend His Time Doing?
Youth pastors should dedicate their time to three primary things—spiritual growth, relationships, and Bible study.
Martin Luther’s Controversial View of Women
The way Martin Luther spoke about women is controversial and complicated: in some ways he valued them and in some ways he did not.
Are the Old Testament’s Moral Laws Still Binding on Us Today?
Even if the Mosaic covenant no longer has binding force on us today, we still need to realize that the Old Testament is a valuable source of ethical wisdom.
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.
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.
Why It's Destructive to Deny God's Sovereignty in Suffering
To deny God's control over suffering actually severs the root of our comfort when facing tragedy.
Is God Far Away When He Feels Far Away?
Scripture captures both the subjective experience of being internally broken and the external experience of having something objectively hard circumstances.
The Remedy to Self-Condemnation
We’re called to leave the past behind, but that doesn’t mean that the scars of painful things are gone.
3 Practical Ways to Remain Faithful in Ministry
Practical things you need to do in your life to remain faithful in ministry are the same means of grace that are available to every believer.
Why It Matters How We Treat Unborn Children
How serious is it in God’s sight to intentionally cause the death of an unborn child?
Paul Miller’s Story of Learning to Love
Paul Miller shares his story of learning to love by discovering the pattern of Jesus’s life.
8 Tips for Studying God's Word
Learn some practical tips for engaging with and getting the most out of your time in God's living, active Word.
Why Modern Christians Should Obey the 10 Commandments
Jesus didn’t set the Ten Commandments aside. He fulfilled them.
Walk with Jesus During His Last Week on Earth
The final days of Jesus were the most important days of the most important person who ever lived.
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.
4 Principles for Making Critical End-of-Life Decisions
There are four key principles that arise from Christian bioethics that can practically help us when we are in emotional turmoil.
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.
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?
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.
Introducing the ‘ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible’
This new study Bible features over 400 short in-text doctrinal summaries connecting Christian beliefs to specific passages aimed at helping Christians make the connection between theology and the Bible.
What Is the Difference between God’s Discipline and God’s Punishment?
God promises never to repay us for our sins. Why? How? Because he's already poured out that judgment and that wrath on his Son in our place.
Pastor: Request 50 Free Copies of an Illustrated Easter Booklet for Kids by Kevin DeYoung
Request 50 free copies of a new illustrated Easter booklet for kids from Kevin DeYoung.
This gospel meditation by Paul David Tripp explores the idea of elusive rest and our ultimate hope in the life to come.
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.
Introducing ‘The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge’
The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge seeks to make a distinctive contribution to biblical scholarship.
How Can You Show Radical Hospitality as an Introvert?
What is most lacking in this Christian world is not the need for more extroverts, but the need for more discernment.
Why We Sometimes Prefer to Keep God at a Distance
The Lord pursues and offers forgiveness of sins to those who want their own way, who want to have their own kingdom.
How to Stop Thinking about What People Think of You
Self-consciousness is really bondage to the question What do people think of me?
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.
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.
What to Do If You're Bored by the Bible
When we allow the Bible to show us who we are and who God is, we find that Bible reading goes from being mildly boring to vitally life-giving.
'Theistic evolution' actually can be a number of different distinct ideas because the term 'evolution' can have a number of distinct definitions.
2 Traps that Lead to Ministry Failure
Realize you don't deserve anything, realize that it is a privilege, honor, and a mercy that you've even been called into ministry.
The Problem with the Self-Help Movement
Sanctification demonstrates that right actions work their way out from the inside and not the other way around.
The Message of the Book of Romans in One Sentence
Romans is about the good news—the gospel. The word gospel is prominent at the beginning and end of the letter. And we can summarize the bad news and the good news with four words.
What to Do When People Don't Sympathize with Your Suffering
In the midst of your heaviest grief, those around you will likely return to life as normal long before you can. Be realistic about people and their ability to enter into your suffering, to stay, and to remember.
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.
Which ESV Bible Is Right for You?
To help you find the Bible that’s right for you or someone you love, we’ve compiled a list of some of our most popular editions, organized by category.
Paul Tripp’s Story of Unexpected Suffering
Four years ago, Paul David Tripp entered the hospital with what he thought was a minor issue and began a journey with pain and suffering for which he felt completely unprepared.
3 Tips for Starting a Bible Study
If you're hoping to start a Bible Study, always incorporate these three vital aspects: structure, accountability, and predictability.
Introducing the ‘Women of the Word’ Podcast with Jen Wilkin
Join Jen Wilkin over ten weeks as she walks through methods, tips, and encouragements to studying the Bible more deeply so we might know and love the God of the Bible better.
How Christianity Gave Rise to Modern Science
Science actually got started in a very explicitly theistic—indeed Christian—milieu.
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?
Help! I Have a Problem with My Pastor
Don't let your pastor be the only thing that connects you to your church.
The New City Catechism Curriculum
The New City Catechism Curriculum features 52 engaging lessons designed to help children ages 8–11 learn the core doctrines of the Christian faith.
Help—I Want to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom but Can't
Whether stay-at-home mom or career woman, where God has you now is his good design for you.
Pastor: Could Your View of Scripture Be Too Low?
Pastor, your preaching will be a direct reflection of what you believe about the Bible.
The Final Days of Jesus: Sunday, March 29, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
J. I. Packer: In His Own Words
As we look back on the life of J. I. Packer, join us in thanking God for his humble writing ministry and the legacy of his service to the church.
A Category You Won't Find in the Bible: The Churchless Christian
The New Testament apostles can't conceive of anything called a Christian that's not connected to Christ's body.
Introducing the New and Improved ESV Bible App
The ESV Bible app allows you to easily read, study, and engage with God’s word wherever you go. And we've just updated the app with a number of exciting new features to make it even better!
Beware the Idol of Busyness at Christmas
We must be careful to guard the true meaning of Christmas, keeping it from becoming about busyness and bondage to creation.
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.
The One Word That Explains the Whole Message of the Bible
I don't know if you know this, but the Bible is not ultimately about you—the Bible is about God.
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.
Dare to Believe in Your Own Dignity
You may see yourself as damaged goods, but that's not all you are. You are made in the image of your Creator.
What Is a Healthy Way to Leave a Church?
Leaving the church is painful for Christians and pastors, and we've seen a lot of it over the last couple of years through COVID, election crises, and racial crises.
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.
Sanctification: An Often Painfully Slow Process
We have sin patterns that we battle for years, and we can have the sense that we're getting any better at this re-imaging thing.
Introducing the ‘ESV Journaling New Testament, Inductive Edition’
This new edition is purposed to give you space to go deeper in your study of God's Word.
Today’s world has more and more information readily available, but less and less wisdom.
Why You Should Make Time to Read the Bible . . . Even When You’re Busy
We make time for many things. But none is so important as the life-giving Word of God.
Read-Aloud Video: ‘Arlo and the Great Big Cover-Up’
Watch a video and enjoy this children's story about sin, repentance, and forgiveness read aloud by its author.
Introducing the ESV Bible, Read by Kristyn Getty
From Genesis to Revelation, encounter the word-for-word reading of the ESV Bible text through this audio recording by musician and hymn-writer, Kristyn Getty.
3 Barriers to Spiritual Growth Faced by Teens Today
Christian teenagers attempting to grow in godliness tend to face a series of unique challenges.
A New Advent Devotional by Paul David Tripp
We all love the sights, sounds, colors, and tastes of the season, but are we loving Christmas for all the wrong reasons?
What’s So Important about Faith, Hope, and Love?
Faith, hope, and love have been referred to as the three divine sisters. We can think of them as three beautiful sisters joined together, hand-in-hand, swirling around as in a dance.
People throw the word church around quite a bit, and often they have different things in mind.
7 Things We Can Learn from the Puritans
We need more of the Puritan focus on the Word of God.
You're Not God, So Get Some Rest Today
The work will never be finished this side of heaven, but it's a reminder for us to trust God for the work. We can stop what we're doing and trust him to establish the work of our hands.
Introducing the ‘ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition’
This unique Bible features over 500 elegantly hand-lettered gold ink illustrations by artist Dana Tanamachi.
5 Tips for Reading the Song of Songs
The Song of Songs can be a difficult book if it's not read through the right lens.
You can be in community with any number of people, but not actually have any true friends.
What Does It Mean for Jesus Christ to Be the Head of the Church?
The phrase "head of the church" is not employed to identify Christ as the head of a company or the head of some earthly organization.
Why Does the Bible Talk So Much about Land?
God will dwell with his people in the land that he promised.
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.
What Does 2 Peter 1:19–21 Mean?
God is a God who speaks and delights to reveal himself. And so when God speaks, he is telling us something about who he is, what he values, what's important to him, and what he is doing in this world.
Every good endeavor should be done with purpose. Without a clear sense of purpose, our efforts to do a good thing well can flounder.
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.
How Pregnancy and Labor Point Us to the Gospel
Realize that your motherhood is a challenge that proves God’s strength and sufficiency.
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.
Do We Play Any Role in Our Sanctification?
God is the one who enables us to do the good works he has called us to do.
Individualism Is Defeated Every Sunday Morning
Paul Tripp describes a transformational perspective that changes the Sunday worship service from feeling like an obligation to being a wonderful gift.
Make Your Face Shine upon Us—A Reading of Psalm 67 by Conrad Mbewe
Listen to Psalm 67 with new ears as it is read by Zambian pastor and author Conrad Mbewe, one of the new voices coming to ESV.org and the ESV Bible app in 2023.
What's So Wrong with a Little White Lie?
I believe God will always give an alternative by which we can do what is right in his sight.
What to Do When It Feels Like God Is against You
When you’re facing times of trouble and it feels like God is against you, there are two important things to do.
Why I Believe God Is Sovereign over Suffering
Scripture is not silent when it comes to the question of God's sovereignty in our suffering.
Dangers for the Churchless Christian
If you try to grow as a Christian apart from a church, your growth will be misshapen.
The psalms are poems that reflect the beauty of God himself and how he wants to enchant, allure, woo, and draw us up into him.
How Studying the Bible Changed My Life (Women of the Word Episode 1)
Jen Wilkin discusses how believers can learn to study the Bible with both their hearts and their minds and ultimately love the God who it points to.
A Word for the Discouraged Christian
The Apostle Paul remembered who he was in Christ. He remembered that beating within him is none other than Christ himself—the indwelling Christ with all his resources of power and love and joy.
Pastor: Request 20 Free Copies of ‘Rediscover Church’
Crossway is distributing 400,000 free copies of the book to churches in the US in partnership with 9Marks and The Gospel Coalition.
What Does It Mean to Grieve the Holy Spirit?
To grieve the Holy Spirit is something we’re told is possible and we’re commanded not to do. There are two ways of thinking about it.
The Greatest Example of Irony in the Bible
Retributive and restorative irony ultimately finds its zenith of expression at the cross.
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.
How Do the Arminian and Calvinist Views of Election Differ?
We can distinguish the Arminian view of election from the Calvinist view of election by answering this question: What is the basis of God’s election?
2 Essential Doctrines of the Reformation
Works have no value before a perfectly holy God. Instead, place your faith in Jesus alone.
Why the 10 Commandments Are Still Relevant
The law in the New Testament is to show us that in the life of the believer, the law is in fact a means of grace because it shows us what pleases God.
As a stay-at-home mom, it can be really hard to think about balance in the work of the home because we don’t have a boss.
How to Engage Emotionally with the Bible
Emotions are not a bad thing, but they must arise from accurate thoughts about the truths of Scripture.
A Brief Introduction to the Life and Ministry of John Calvin
Nothing could get in the way of God's big plans for John Calvin's life and ministry.
Does the Bible Speak to Today’s Struggle with Personal Identity?
The Bible does actually address many of the questions of identity that we’re asking today—in really profound, beautiful, and true ways.
The Final Days of Jesus: Monday, March 30, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
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.
How to Prioritize Your Spouse in Ministry
She’s not been called to serve. You have been called to serve and she’s been called to serve alongside of you as your helper.
If My Sins Are Fully Forgiven, Why Must I Confess My Sins Daily?
There are a lot of Christians today who, amazingly, deny the importance of confessing our sins. It has to do with this distinction between eternal union and experiential communion.
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.
How the Exodus Shapes the Whole Bible
The reason the exodus story is so important is partly that it is so foundational to the whole Old Testament.
How Important Is It for Me to Affirm the Doctrine of Predestination?
Predestination is crucial for our serious joy in God, and it directly affects how we make disciples. It affects what and how we preach and teach and sing and pray and counsel.
Introducing the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Artist Series
Learn more about these Bibles featuring commissioned cover artwork designed by Christian artists such as Peter Voth, Ruth Chou Simons, and Joshua Noom.
How the Book of Psalms Is Like No Other Biblical Book
The book of Psalms is special because it equips us to speak to God.
The Lord’s Prayer Teaches Us How to Pray Every Other Prayer
The Lord's Prayer orients us, most importantly, to the vertical dimension of our prayers. That's why we start by saying, “Our Father.”
5 Ways You Can Nourish Your Soul with God’s Word
In this 12-minute video, Kristen Wetherell describes one method for interacting with God’s Word that is distinct from a traditional quiet time and suggests five creative ways we can use it to nourish our hungry souls.
Do This Breathing Exercise for Healthy Christian Living
Think of Scripture and prayer as inhaling and exhaling because that shows the two necessarily go together.
Introducing Emblems of the Infinite King
Introduces kids ages 10+ to God’s radiant beauty through the main categories of systematic theology in this imaginative journey through the grand story of the universe.
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.
Video: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Pastor and best-selling author Kevin DeYoung answers a controversial question.
Christians have a role to play in joining with other believers to demonstrate a counter-cultural message about the sanctity of human life.
The Gospel Is about More (But Not Less) Than Your Personal Salvation
We are not just individually liberated from death, hell, and the Devil—the whole of creation is on an exodus journey as well.
3 Practical Ways to Battle Depression
There are some basic steps we shouldn’t miss before we try and treat anxiety and depression with medication and counseling.
How Should a Wife Respond to Her Husband’s Bad Authority?
We are called to forbear, be patient, forgive, and continue to seek to compel the gospel through our trust in Christ—even as we continue to serve those God has called us to serve.
Why You Should Seek God When You Feel Lonely
When we fellowship with the Lord, we will find a new security, a new peace, and a new confidence in the Lord and in just getting through life.
What Grieving People Wish You Knew
Four things grieving people wish we knew about grief to help us confidently interact and helpfully take action.
Introducing the ‘ESV Archaeology Study Bible’
The ESV Archaeology Study Bible roots biblical text in its historical and cultural context.
Do We Still Need the 10 Commandments?
There are many people inside the church—and especially outside the church—who would say the Ten Commandments are irrelevant or antiquated.
The Best Reason to Read the Bible
A lot of people think that the reason they are to study the Bible is so that they can know the Bible well. But when we study the Bible, we always should be coming to an increasing knowledge of God not just the Bible.
The Importance of Enjoying Your Kids
To be in those high-demand years is a great blessing, so enjoy it. Enjoy your kids!
Do You Struggle to Discern God’s Will?
Thinking about the will of God is asking a secondary question when there’s a primary question that we need to ask first.
What Does God Think of My Pain?
While Christians are never promised immunity from suffering, they are promised a purpose in the midst of it.
Bill Mounce Reviews The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge
In this 13-minute video, Bill Mounce—president of BiblicalTraining.org and New Testament scholar—offers a thorough review of The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge.
Why Youth Ministry Can’t Function Like Little League
The job of a youth pastor involves equipping the whole church to invest in the whole lives of young people.
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.
Why You’ll Never Be Free Until You Start Obeying God
Biblical freedom doesn't mean doing what we want to do, but what we ought to do.
2 Big Barriers to Christian Hospitality
Too often, we're not honest with one another about where we hurt, how we struggle, and what we need.
Does the Bible Teach Definite Atonement?
We do not embrace definite atonement merely by looking at Bible verses here and there, but by synthesizing the Bible's comprehensive teaching on Christ's death.
Learning to Accept Help from Others (Especially Your Husband)
Accepting help means you're acknowledging that you are not God. God doesn't need help from anyone, but you, as a human being, need a whole lot of help to get things done.
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.
Cultural Singleness vs. Christian Singleness
What Christians mean by singleness is often very different to what our secular friends mean by singleness.
Finding Your Identity in Christ
We need to know that we are not in charge and we need to know how to submit to God as the one who is in charge.
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.
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.
The Right (and Wrong) Way to Be True to Yourself
You’re no longer worshiping the god of this age. You have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. This is what’s true of you.
Should Same-Sex Marriage Be Legal?
This is an issue about which Christians should not be indifferent.
A Special Christmas Video from ‘The Biggest Story’
Gather your family together and watch this special Christmas video titled “A New Baby and a New Beginning” featuring chapter 53 of The Biggest Story Bible Storybook based on Matthew chapter 1.
What Is the Central Hope for Your Marriage?
What's a biblical view of marriage? It's a flawed person married to a flawed person in a fallen world. But with a faithful God.
Signs You Are on the Pathway from Stressed to Depressed
God has a purpose for even our most difficult seasons. He offers hope and eternal perspective in the midst of them.
Two Truths You Must Believe When You Feel Stuck in Your Sin
It is a good thing for you to see your sin. You need to feel the conviction of the Spirit on the one hand, but God doesn't want you to stay in that mindset.
How to Study Scripture Theologically
Doing theology is a process that involves both study and personal spirituality. And these are not two separate activities.
Every church, practically and functionally, has to come down on a position. You’re either going to install women into the office of deacon—or not.
The Bible is more than just a book about events in history: it’s a unified story.
Why the Christian Faith Is Fundamentally . . . Uncomfortable
The very nature of Christian faith is uncomfortable—especially in today's world.
The Forgotten Women of the Reformation
We need not just remember the men of the Reformation, but also the women, and make sure their stories get told.
How Both Singleness and Marriage Testify to the Gospel
The ways we misunderstand singleness reflects the fact that we’re looking to marriage in unbiblical and unhealthy ways.
What Makes Our Prayers Distinctively Christian?
We're asking for God to do gospel things in our lives, among our families, and in our churches. And that's what makes Christian prayer distinctively Christian.
Love the Neighbors Living in Your Own Home
Our neighbors are the people who are in closest proximity to us. They're not always in the house next to us or the homeless shelter across town. Often, they're sleeping in the next room over.
How the Reformation Transformed Church Architecture
The Protestant Reformists believed that Scripture is our final authority—and that made a difference in the layout of the church itself.
8 Tips For Engaging with Your Bible Devotionally
Reading the Bible devotionally is about engaging with the text at the heart level.
How Women Can Disciple Younger Women
How should you disciple younger women? Keep the gospel in mind.
The Final Days of Jesus: Sunday, April 5, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
Men: Don’t Neglect These 4 Key Spiritual Disciplines
Godliness requires discipline. Here are four categories to commit to growing in.
Will You Be Faithful Even if It Costs You?
When it looks like we’re facing defeat or failure, we’re often tempted to take things into our own hands.
A Word to Those Who Are Lonely This Christmas
Human beings weren't created to be lonely. We were created for intimate relationship with God and intimate relationships with one another.
A Trial Lawyer Answers the Most Searched Questions about the Criminal Justice System
Matt Martens is a trial lawyer in Washington, DC who has spent most of his career in criminal law. In this video, he offers clear and candid answers to some of the most searched questions about criminal justice.
2 Ways You Can Make Your Pastor’s Job a Joy
It’s so important to say that humility toward leadership is not a blind and uncritical following. We always want to measure what we are being directed towards or encouraged in by Scripture.
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.
Not Yet Married: The Pursuit of Joy in Singleness and Dating
God has far more planned for you than your future marriage. In his new book, author Marshall Segal won't call you to wait quietly in the corner of the world for God to bring you “the one,” but instead sets out to inspire you to live and date for more now.
Why the Church Needs Teens and Teens Need the Church
Because they are a part of the body of Christ, teens should be included in the active community of the church.
Essential Tools to Learn in Seminary
Learning the biblical languages is not just stocking a bookshelf. It’s more like digging a well that you can then draw from over time.
How Prayer Exposes the Illusion of Control
Prayer reminds us of who we are and who God is.
12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You
Within a few years of its unveiling, the smartphone had become part of us, fully integrated into the daily patterns of our lives.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Bible is the most sweeping and engrossing and enthralling epic ever written.
Watch Paul Tripp Teach on 12 Doctrines That Will Transform Your Life
Paul David Tripp takes a close look at twelve core doctrines and how they engage and transform the human heart and mind.
Why It’s OK that God Loves Himself Most
Where God’s love is fundamentally different than a fallen human being’s love is that it is holy. It is utterly set on himself and his own glory.
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.
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 One Thing That Makes Parenting Tough Today
Distraction is a huge issue for the modern Christian parent.
Why Moralistic Therapeutic Deism Is a Dead End
It's very easy to shelve God and decide we don't really need him. We just need to believe in ourselves, to invent who we are and what we want to do.
Every elder is a pastor. The New Testament uses three terms that are all distinct, but they all describe the same office.
Advice for a New Christian Reading the Psalms
We want to read the Scripture, inhale it, and then exhale it out to God in whatever way makes sense for our own life.
How Delight and Obedience Coexist
The law of God changes when we move from thinking about it in terms of our justification to our sanctification.
Introducing the New City Catechism
The New City Catechism is a modern day resource aimed at reintroducing this ancient method of teaching to Christians today.
A Brief Introduction to the Life and Ministry of Martin Luther
Martin Luther made a lasting impact on the world with his boldness and dedication to Scripture and faith.
A Brief Biblical Theology of Friendship
In the beginning, we walked with God in friendship. Then we walked away. But now, God is befriending us again.
How to Avoid Both Graceless Parenting and Overly Spiritual Ministry
The biblical storyline is a four-fold storyline of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation, but I think oftentimes both for ministers and for parents, we don't think about it holistically.
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.
3 Doctrines We Can't Afford to Neglect
If you talk about a doctrine that needs to be recovered, you have to start with the doctrine of Scripture.
Introducing the New ESV Bible App for iPhone and iPad
We’re pleased to announce the release of Crossway’s new ESV Bible app for iPhone and iPad, now available for free in the App Store.
How Idolizing Comfort Can Lull Us into Spiritual Sleep
We’re all comfort junkies and we crave it from the minute we get up until the minute we go to bed.
David and Goliath Is about More than Having Courage
Every story in the Bible can be better understood through the lens of Christ and the gospel.
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.
Jesus’s Love in the Midst of Sexual Sin
The unfailing love of Jesus is unspeakably glorious, sacred, and precious—especially right after sexual sin.
Does God Care about Gender Identity?
In this video, Samuel D. Ferguson carefully walks through the core beliefs of the transgender movement, comparing them with fundamental truths expressed in Scripture.
What True Humility Is and Is Not
One mistake that we can make in thinking about humility is seeing it as self-hatred, as though to be humble means you’re constantly attacking yourself or you’re denying your own worth.
A Brief Introduction to the Life and Ministry of William Tyndale
The courageous legacy of William Tyndale is one for which any English-speaking Bible reader should give thanks.
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 Is the Ultimate Goal of Sexual Renewal?
Depending on the particular struggle we face, the Lord knows how to renew us sexually in exactly the ways we most need.
The Legacy of the ESV Study Bible
When we first began work on the ESV Study Bible, we could never have anticipated the way God would use it to encourage and equip Christians to study his word.
Build Your Life around Spiritual Habits, Don’t Just Fit Them In
If there's anything in our life that we want to do with regularity, we have to plan for it. It's just practical living.
Introducing the ‘ESV Scripture Journal: New Testament Set (Artwork by Ruth Chou Simons)’
Introducing a beautiful new ESV Scripture Journal Set featuring artwork from bestselling author and artist Ruth Chou Simons in nineteen journals containing the entirety of the New Testament.
Learning from the Life and Death of Stephen
This is the way all of us want to live and die. We want to live full of faith and the Holy Spirit.
The core issue here is our heart. It’s our nature. I always choose what I choose because I want what I want because I am who I am.
Is Sexual Renewal a Simple or Complex Process?
The journey to sexual renewal is a complex but worthwhile battle.
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.
Why You Can’t Have Justification without Sanctification
Justification should not be abstracted from the person of Christ.
Why I Believe in the Doctrine of Justification
The Bible makes clear that our right standing before God comes not by works, effort, merit, or achievement, but by faith in Christ alone.
Steward Your Body for the Glory of God
The fact that God has made us physical means that attending to our physical life is not unspiritual; our bodies are not unspiritual.
God is transforming the city into a place that he intends to live in forever with his people
Do Christians Ever Need to Choose the Lesser Sin?
The notion that we sometimes have to choose the lesser sin is a dangerous and deeply harmful idea for the Christian life.
The Final Days of Jesus: Friday, April 3, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
Don’t Try to Make the Bible Say More (or Less) than It Does
To the degree that sin remains within us, we all seek to find in the Bible what we want it to say rather than what it actually does say.
Introducing the ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible
The ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible is designed to help readers see Christ in all of Scripture, and grace for all of life.
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.
Learning to Kiss the Wave: Dave Furman's Story
What if we can learn to experience the nearness of God in the midst of suffering? What if God intends to work through our trials rather than simply take them away?
A Word to the Youth Pastor Who Feels Discouraged
To a youth pastor who is feeling discouraged, your reward is in heaven where you’ll see in glory the things that Jesus has done through your ministry, you’ll see the fruit of your labor.
God’s Grand Plan for Motherhood
God has created and equipped women to nurture the life he creates—both biological and spiritual.
Introducing the ESV Women’s Study Bible
Introducing a new resource for women who are eager to study God's word. For a limited time, Crossway+ members receive 50% off and free shipping in the contiguous US of the ESV Women's Study Bible.
2 Little-Known Facts about C. S. Lewis
Readers of C. S. Lewis may be quite surprised to discover that the man behind the pen was a bit different than how he may be perceived through his writing.
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 Should I Do When I'm Bearing Unbearable Suffering?
In the midst of pain and suffering, we must preach truth to ourselves rather than listening to the lies in our own heads.
Read-Aloud Video: ‘Polly and the Screen Time Overload’
Watch a video and enjoy hearing this children's story about healthy boundaries with technology read aloud by its author.
What Did the Reformers Think of the Church Fathers?
Luther and the Reformers looked to the church fathers and were shaped by them.
How God Saved David Powlison from Destroying Himself
Counselor David Powlison shares his testimony of how God softened his heart and brought him to repentance and faith.
Why We Need the Psalms of Lament
The Psalms help us express our pain to God, knowing that he hears our cries.
Those preparing for adoption or orphan care must be equipped in more ways than they might realize—most importantly, to fight the spiritual battle that rages for the vulnerable.
4 Traps to Avoid When You Suffer
How we respond to suffering shapes our experiences with suffering.
One Simple Yet Crucial Decision College Freshmen Need to Make
My oldest son is a freshman in college. So I’ve thought about this question: What is that important piece of advice for a graduating high school student heading off to college?
Complaining about God vs. Complaining to God
There is a difference between complaining about God and complaining to God. He wants us to trust him with our anxieties and burdens.
Introducing the ‘ESV Story of Redemption Bible’
Be led on a journey through the Bible's storyline from start to finish.
The Final Days of Jesus: Wednesday, April 1, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
Hospitality: What It Is and What It's Not
Hospitality, biblically speaking, means love of the stranger. What hospitality is not is fellowship.
What Should a Pastor’s Authority Look Like?
What is the authority of a pastor? The authority of the pastor is to teach and give oversight to the flock by being an example to the flock.
What Is Natural Law and How Should It Be Used?
Natural law theory refers to the idea that there is an external moral order that God has brought into existence and is an extension of God’s reason and God's will.
God is a good God and a generous God who wants to bring joy and happiness into our lives. He loves to bless his children.
The Final Days of Jesus: Thursday, April 2, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
I’ve Heard It Said That the Bible Is God’s Love Letter to Us
“The Bible is God’s love letter to us.” I can see where that’s coming from. It’s not a hundred percent wrong. It’s just that it’s probably not a big enough statement about what the Bible is.
Why Do I Struggle to Read the Bible Consistently?
Sometimes we think of Bible reading as a duty, rather than a grand invitation to encounter the living God by opening the pages of Scripture, reading it, seeing him, and understanding more of who he is and how we should follow him.
The Lord’s Prayer Reignites Our Desire to Want to Pray
Jesus doesn’t give us an impossibly high standard of prayer. It's lofty, and none of us will do it perfectly, but he's giving us something that we can do.
Cultivating Habits of Grace with David Mathis
For many of us, the "spiritual disciplines" are little more than a list of things we aren't doing but feel like we should be doing.
A Brief Introduction to the Life and Ministry of Ulrich Zwingli
Although Zwingli's life was cut short, his was a ministry of zeal for the Lord and for his precious Word.
Hard-Won Doctrines That We Take for Granted Today
We need to remember that we are indeed standing on the shoulders of those who’ve come before us. We need to be grateful for their labors and praise God.
Why Teens Must Read the Bible for Themselves
Teenagers who are wondering if the Bible is relevant to their lives are often starting off on the wrong footing with Scripture.
We were made for closeness to others and to God through Christ, and yet it doesn’t always feel as though we can grasp God’s nearness to us.
How to Help Your Kids Establish Bible Reading Habits
Ask yourself, What do I want most for my kids? If we're Christian parents, we want our kids to know Jesus, we want them to be saved. Sometimes just writing that down really helps to reorder our lives.
Men, Are You Showing Signs of Burnout?
Recent statistics have shown that 77% of Americans have symptoms—physical symptoms—associated with stress. Then there are emotional symptoms . . .
The Purpose of the Church Is Bound Up in These 3 Commands from Jesus
Jesus gave three commands that Christians know well but maybe don’t always connect back to the local church.
Why Believing That God Is Sovereign Makes All the Difference
God's sovereignty applies to our everyday lives because it assures us that he working in every circumstance.
The Best Premarital Advice Is Bad News
In marriage preparation, we need to get at the deeper heart issues, the deeper effect of sin on the way that we function, and begin to expose how sin reveals itself.
The Final Days of Jesus: Tuesday, March 31, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
Hope for When Sanctification Feels Slow
You’re a new creation. So sanctification is a reality, affected by how obedient and willing we really are.
Why You Shouldn’t Neglect the First 39 Books of Your Bible
Trying to understand the New Testament without the Old Testament is like trying to understand the last four chapters of a book without reading the first eight.
How to Move Doctrine from Head to Heart
If you preach to the heart, you enter into the experience of the people of God as they encounter doctrine in their own lives.
What Freedom from Sin Looks Like in This Life
It’s natural to feel frustrated that you’re still staring down the same habits of sin in your life.
The Single Most Important Task of the Pastor
Preaching is central to the pastor’s ministry because that is primarily our calling.
Why Is the Book of Romans Considered the Greatest Letter Ever Written?
Studying Romans carefully is worth every minute you invest that way. It’s a relatively short letter, it takes about sixty minutes to read aloud, and it’s profound.
Memorizing Scripture Can Be the Most Important Discipline in Your Christian Walk
Scripture memorization keeps me close to Christ. As I go over the words of Scripture, I find my heart drawn into active fellowship with Christ.
A Brief Introduction to the Life of Pope Leo X
How Pope Leo X's desire to bring glory to Rome (and himself) ended up being the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation.
Introducing the ESV Concise Study Bible
This robust Bible offers fresh content for new believers and seasoned saints alike, helping readers explore the essential meaning of the Bible.
The Deceptively Easy Path to Prideful Humility
There is a danger, in thinking about humility, that we can become so self-preoccupied in the process, and it kind of defeats the point.
Good Advice for Living a Countercultural Life
When you think about your life, you are the main character. You never think about your life as a supporting actor or actress in someone else’s story.
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.
The Comfort of God’s Justice and Judgment
The message of Revelation—over and over again—is not that judgment is going to fall, but instead, that you will be protected in the judgment.
How to Hope in God When Life Gets Hard
Simply knowing the end of the story gives us hope in our present circumstances.
Why You Should Read This Obscure Old Book about Pastoral Ministry
Every pastor faces that tension of cultivating a rich inner-life, focusing on the spiritual aspect of calling, without neglecting the mundane responsibilities of ministry.
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.
What I Learned While Waiting for My Spouse
I spent many years of my life wanting to be married. Sometimes I didn't know if I’d ever get married.
A Special Easter Video from ‘The Biggest Story’
Get together with your family this weekend and watch this special Easter video titled “Jesus Lives” from The Biggest Story Bible Storybook based on the story of the resurrection in the Gospels.
What Is Anxiety vs. Depression?
It's important to realize that anxiety and depression are different while being careful to realize that they do sometimes overlap.
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.
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.
How a Busy Mom Can Stay Consistent in the Word
Here are some steps you can take to stay consistent in the Word.
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.
3 Ways the Gospel Encourages Weary Men
Freedom from the past, power for the present, and hope for the future.
Why Christians Should Study Ethics
Questions of right and wrong aren't always straightforward for people today.
The Church’s Role in Making Abortion Unthinkable and Unnecessary
Our God laid himself down for us. He gave his life for us. So whenever we take life for our own purposes, it is deadly, both to bodies and to souls.
Get to Know the Voices of the New ESV Audio Bibles
Crossway has added a number of new voices to the ESV Audio Bible that will allow you to listen to the entire ESV Bible read by different Bible teachers and Christian artists.
How Were the Books of the Bible Chosen?
We got the Bible through a providential process. God continually orchestrated both what was going on in the Jewish synagogue and also how the books were being used and affirmed by Christians.
Is It Possible to Love Jesus but Not the Church?
People find the church ugly because their focus and their vision is on the wrong thing. It's on the wrong person, if you will. They're focused on those who make up the church: sinners.
God has begun to fulfill his promises in and through Jesus, but he's not quite finished yet.
Does the Law of Moses Matter for Christians Today?
Moses matters for Christians, and yet he spoke in a context that’s very different from our own. The old covenant is not the covenant we’re under. We are under the new covenant.
The Difference between Legalism and Discipline
Paul hated legalism but he enjoined discipline upon all of his followers for the purpose of godliness.
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.
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.
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.
We first need to understand biblically what gentleness is, because it is a largely misunderstood term. In our day, we often associate gentleness with weakness. That is not the biblical virtue of gentleness.
The Proper Expectation for Pastor’s Wives
It's important to remember our families are members of our churches and not unpaid staff.
We live with a God who has many, many, many ways of meeting us, and it's good to become aware of them all.
Are You Frustrated by Others’ Spiritual Immaturity?
The Holy Spirit guarantees that he is at work. He will continue to be at work until it is completed on the day of Christ Jesus.
How the Psalms Speak to All of Our Emotions
The Psalms are in the Bible to give a us a full range of ways to approach God. They're not just for those who are happy and they're not just for those who are in pain. They cover the whole range of emotions.
Why Youth Pastors Must Be Gifted to Teach God's Word
Historically, churches have had a false paradigm for what youth ministry should look like. It's far more than getting kids in the door and keeping them out of trouble.
Intimacy with Christ Is for Men and Women
The Song of Songs gives us permission to have a very intimate, affectionate relationship with Jesus.
Introducing the ESV Panorama New Testament
View many of the New Testament books in their entirety on a panoramic, two-page spread with this new edition.
Why You Should Teach Your Kids about the Reformation
The Reformers so clearly point us back to Christ, and point us to Scripture.
Introducing ‘Do You Believe?’ by Paul David Tripp
Paul David Tripp takes a close look at 12 core doctrines and how they engage and transform the human heart and mind.
The Importance of Lament in the Midst of COVID-19
The more you know about lament, the more things really come alive to you in reading Jeremiah's lament. His lament is so relevant to the suffering that we’re going through right now.
Sexual ethics, and a high standard of sexual integrity, are so vital. It is vital because it isn't just a petty taboo.
How the Bible's Message Impacts Daily Life
Knowing the whole message of the Bible should be transformative.
The Song of Songs: Highly Practical, Deeply Spiritual
When people read and interpret the Song of Songs, there are a couple of mistakes that they often make.
How Suffering Can Be Our Teacher
There’s no way you’re ever going to learn endurance without having to keep on going through something hard that doesn’t go away.
God shows us how he consistently provides for people who cannot provide for themselves.
Understanding the Book of Revelation Isn’t Your Biggest Challenge
The most challenging part of Revelation's very clear message is a call to bold allegiance to Jesus Christ, and a call to refuse to compromise with the world.
3 Things to Remember When You're Feeling Anxious
Anxiety is an understandable part of life. God reassures us that we need not worry and can bring our fears to him in prayer.
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.
4 Pieces of Advice for Stressed Out Christians
Take the necessary steps to communicate about and treat your burnout. These 4 steps will help you begin to heal.
I’ve Heard It Said That Motherhood Is a Woman’s Highest Calling
Motherhood is so good. Motherhood was designed by God, and it’s a good gift from above. But, first and foremost, we are children of God.
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.
The Importance of the Gathered Church
Love is messy. You know what else? The gospel is messy. It means loving sinners—people like you and me.
When you’re talking about discipline for the purpose of godliness, it’s with an eye on the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who enables godliness.
You Don't Need a Degree to Read (and Understand) the Bible
Sometimes we make studying the Bible more complicated than it has to be. In reality, it's actually just a matter of asking the right questions that point us in the right direction as we seek to relate to God through his Word.
What Makes Charles Spurgeon Relevant Today?
Spurgeon's ministry was marked by his constant looking to Christ for his salvation.
Introducing ‘The Biggest Story ABC’ Board Book
Kevin DeYoung has once again teamed up with illustrator Don Clark to create a new ABC board book for kids aimed at walking them through the Bible's overarching story.
How and When Kids Learn Theology
Kids really learn theology when it moves from being information in their heads to truth in their lives.
The Biblical Case for Observing the Sabbath Today
We were made to work, but we were made for more than work. We were made for worship—fellowship in communion with the living God.
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.
Does Doctrine Matter for the Everyday Christian?
Does the doctrine of justification make a difference in the way that we live the Christian life?
Don’t Define Gender Apart from the Bible
What it means to be men and women is a really complex issue and one that's very controversial today, so we need to be really careful not to go beyond what God has said.
Is Joy in Christ Possible When All I See Is My Sin?
We think that somehow we have exceeded God’s capacity to forgive. We deceive ourselves to think that our sin is greater than his grace.
Understanding the Bible Thematically
Two books, two ways to study the Bible.
What Does Depression Mean for My Faith?
Kathryn Butler speaks to some of the misconceptions about clinical depression, which can be especially challenging for those of us who are followers of Christ.
Men: Seek Transparency Rather than Accountability
Accountability opens the door for men to be pressured, cornered, and coerced into admitting what they really don't want to admit.
The Secret to Resolving Conflict
The Song of Songs does give us some guides for navigating marital conflict.
Where Do Christians Get the Doctrine of Total Depravity?
Doctrines arise out of holding together a whole number of biblical texts and then synthesizing internally related doctrines as they’ve been understood through church history.
How to Go from Fearful to Forgiven
Isaiah 53 has to be the best news for sinners, and that's all of us.
To know the attributes of God is to not only know God, but to know what God is like. To know what God is like is to know what God is toward us. More pointedly, to know God is to know Christ.
Why Dating Doesn’t End with Marriage
Justin Buzzard helps men remember and re-learn the all-important (and often forgotten) skill of dating their wives.
Video: Jen Wilkin on Staying Motivated in Bible Study
In this video, author and Bible study leader Jen Wilkin offers some advice for staying motivated in our reading of God's Word and explains the limitations of topical Bible studies.
2 Things Pastors Can Learn from Spurgeon’s Preaching
One of Spurgeon's great strengths is that he would always seek preach Christ to people where they were at and to their needs.
What Does It Mean for a Man to Lead His Home?
A father who understands the Bible, loves the Lord, and has surrendered his life to Christ should not apologize for being the head of the house.
The Only Way We Can Overcome the Debilitating Power of Shame
Shame is undoubtedly one of the most crippling and destructive experiences in the human soul. To a certain extent, we’re all hardwired for self-punishment.
To Be a Woman Is to Be Fully Human
Being a woman means being human. And this is good news.
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.
What It Means that Christ Died for God's Elect
In the phrase definite atonement, the adjective definite does double duty. The death of Christ is definite in its intent and it's definite in its nature—Christ's death really will atone for his people's sins.
3 Crucial Qualities of All Good Sermons
Pastors need all three of these views in order to give an accurate account of what God is doing and will do.
If the Bible Is Enough, Why Is It Good to Retell Bible Stories?
God, throughout history, has always given not only his word to people but also has given qualified men who might teach others.
Does God Really Care about My Job?
He does care about your job because he cares about you, and he has given you a calling of extending his kingdom, his name, and his glory into the place that you work.
Start Early: Teaching Your Kids the 10 Commandments
There have been three items that have formed the backbone of the church’s catechesis: the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments.
How Angels and Demons Intersect with the Christian Life
What does Scripture have to say about angels and demons and what role do they play in the world today?
Endure Suffering with Patience until Jesus Returns
It may be that many people approach the book of Revelation with the assumption that somehow, as they look at the book, it's going to give them a better sense of when Jesus is going to return.
Introducing the ‘ESV Journaling Study Bible’
Learn about a new Bible featuring both in-depth study notes and plenty of room for taking your own notes as you study God’s Word.
The way deacons are described in the New Testament and the way they operate is that they are exemplary servants who function on behalf of a congregation to assist the elders by doing at least three things.
Making Every Issue “Your Thing” Is Impossible
In this digital age we have access to millions of people's hopes, dreams, fears, pain, and suffering. Shouldn't we be doing something about all of these problems?
4 Things to Remember When Meeting with Jesus
Pray, have a plan, be patient, and be positive. You will meet him in his word.
The world tells mothers that they can do it all and have it all, but that they need not give their all.
4 Essential Things to Remember When Disciplining Your Children
What are we trying to do in disciplining children? We are not just trying to avoid all annoyances. There’s an aim here and it's a glorious one.
A Word to Parents at Their Breaking Point
It can be helpful to manage your expectations of what normal life can and should be, and recognize that the season you’re in is intensely difficult in a particular way and that it won’t always be that way.
4 Things That Might Hinder You from Embracing Definite Atonement
The doctrine of definite atonement is a misunderstood doctrine, one that we must seek to understand more accurately and embrace more deeply.
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.
Beware These 4 Common Threats to Your Contentment
Culture is like a big magnet, it’s pulling on us and around us.
When Genuine Obedience Becomes Impossible, Hell Becomes Impossible as Well
There’s no way to understand the pastoral epistles unless you realize Paul has a category for Christians who are living a faithful, obedient life, and a category for those who are unrepentant, in whom there’s no progress.
Why Godly Discipline Is about Learning to Fail Better
We're sinners and are not striving for perfection, but aiming to please God.
Coming Soon: ‘The Biggest Story Curriculum’
Releasing in June, The Biggest Story Curriculum will incorporate a host of integrated print and digital components to teach kids key Bible stories from Genesis to Revelation.
The Benefits of Honoring Singleness
In God's economy, blessing our spiritual family becomes a blessing to us.
What Is Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
Jesus teaches all the things that will be forgiven of people and then closes that talk by saying that the one thing that will not be forgiven in this world or the next is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Falling Behind in Your Bible Reading Plan Isn’t Your Greatest Danger
Perhaps the biggest danger in reading and studying our Bibles is to miss the whole point, which is to miss encountering Jesus, the risen Lord and Savior of us all.
Advice for Singles Who Feel Lonely
Place your relationship status in God's hands and find freedom from worry and loneliness.
3 Battles Your Teen Faces Every Day
Teens must stand up against the untruths they hear from culture and from within themselves.
A Simple Way to Think about Sanctification
Walking with and becoming like our Savior are two important dimensions of sanctification.
What to Remember When Looking for a Church
When you come to church with a consumer mindset, you’re actually never able to fully commit or fully love it.
A good literacy-builder honors the learning process by moving through three distinct stages of understanding: comprehension, interpretation, and application.
Why You Should Study God's Incommunicable Attributes
God’s incommunicable attributes are important for us to understand because they’re the ones that tell us how God is not like us.
How to Make Time for Your Family as a Pastor
Even the busiest pastors can make it a priority and count it a privilege to spend quality time with their families.
The Final Days of Jesus: Saturday, April 4, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
Don't Miss What God Is Teaching You in Your Pain
God works through our weakness to bring glory to his name and make it absolutely clear that it's him who's at work.
How Suffering Crushes Our Unrealistic Expectations
Our expectation is that tomorrow will be just the same as today was, but this world is not operating the way that God intended for it to operate.
We're pleased to announce the launch a completely redesigned version of ESVBible.org—our online platform for reading, studying, and engaging with God's Word.
Why Christ’s Relationship to the Law Matters
Christ fulfills the law by obeying it perfectly during his earthly ministry. This is an important detail that's sometimes left out of gospel presentations.
The Right and Wrong Way to Read Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah 29:11 is a very familiar verse to many Christians. Jason DeRouchie examines how someone might apply this verse rightly—and wrongly.
How Being Honest about Death Brings Hope
We live with more detachment from death than in any other time and place in history.
How to Balance Being a Husband and a Father
God is willing to give wisdom to every young dad for both being a father and a husband.
What Is the Difference between Union and Communion with Christ?
An important distinction that a lot of Christians misunderstand is between the eternal union we have with God and the experiential communion that we have on a daily basis.
Explaining and defining terms in preaching are both important—but that's not all a preacher is to do.
How Can I Teach My Kids to Help at Home?
We want to raise our children to see themselves as contributors to society, and whether they work inside the home or work outside the home, we want them to see that work is not about pay, it's about contribution.
The fact that you have a cesspool of sin down in your heart doesn’t mean you should camp down there because that’s precisely what God is trying to lead you out of.
How Is the Church Doing at Caring for One Another?
Are we caring for one another the way the Bible instructs us to do so?
What the Church Today Needs to Hear from the Book of Revelation
This message to patiently endure persecution for Christ is a message our church needs today. And if where we are right now means we don’t need it today, maybe we will tomorrow.
Christians Don’t Need to Submit to Every Scientific Finding
God can work exceptionally. We have science existing at all because God is faithful in his governance of the world.
8 Tips for Engaging with Your Bible Artistically
God invites us to meditate on his Word (Ps. 1:2). Art journaling is one of many ways to study and reflect on Scripture.
How to Pray in Times of Trouble
When we cannot articulate our prayer requests to God, the Holy Spirit understands our groanings and translates them into intelligible prayers that God the Father can understand and will answer.
3 Ways Teens Can Stay Rooted in God's Word
It's hard for teens to stay in the Word, but it's easier if they make a plan, set aside a specific time, and read with someone else.
Practical Tips to Prepare for the End of Life
As we’re coming to the end of life, it’s very important to make practical decisions about how and where we want to depart.
Don’t Get Sloppy in Defining Grace
Especially as Christians, we understand how important it is to have been saved by grace. So it’s incumbent upon us, then, to carefully talk about this grace.
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.
An Untethered Identity Is Dangerous
The way that our world shapes and steers us on that quest for identity can be dangerous because it’s often without reference to God, without being anchored in his Word.
What Does It Mean to Represent Jesus in My Job?
If we are representing Jesus in our work, it means there's value to our work because we are showing the world his character and care—and that's always part of our witness.
How to Die for the Glory of God
Coming to the end of life can be very self-centered and that’s antithetical to the gospel. When I die, I want my life to reflect the gospel.
2 Ways Leaders Can Exemplify Humility to Those under Their Authority
Make it your personal ambition to build up those around you, and let them flourish in their gifts.
The Greatest Promise in the Bible
What we see in Eden is God preparing a home that he intended to dwell in with his holy people.
Can I Pray to the Holy Spirit?
It’s a great question and the theological guideline is that we can pray to anyone who is God. So you’ve got choices.
How to Avoid Pastoral Arrogance
There are two things that a new pastor experiences that can help knock the smirk off an ego‘s face.
This unique book is an enriching blend of devotional meditations and recipes that invites readers to ponder the true bread of life as they bake for their families and friends.
How Does the Cross Lead Us to Humility?
For an awakened heart—a heart that’s been touched by grace and the gospel—there’s a different kind of humility that is produced when you think about what Jesus did for you.
Why Expository Preaching Is Important
When you do expository preaching you get a sermon's symmetry and structure from the biblical text.
What Not to Say to a Grieving Person
Here are three things that grieving people wish no one would ever say to them again.
Martin Luther was, at one point, the famous man in Europe. Discover two surprising facts about his quiet life and death.
Practical Ways to Sustain Family Worship
3 Simple Helps I've noticed when I talk about family worship that people say, I've tried it. It doesn't work. Or, I've tried, but I can't keep it going. They are discouraged from even trying …
Answering Kids’ Hardest Questions: Will God Always Keep Me Safe?
As a parent, we’re often trying to help our kids overcome fears that they might be encountering in their lives. But we have to remember that God never promises bad things won't happen to us.
Introducing the ESV Illuminated Scripture Journal, Gospels Set
Each of the four books features hand-lettered, gold-ink illustrations by renowned artist Dana Tanamachi, inviting readers to add their own artwork and reflections to each page.
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 Modern Challenge to the Doctrine of Justification
In the 21st Century, though, we not only continue to face that challenge that the Reformers had with the Roman Catholic Church but also a bigger task.
What We Lose If We Deny a Historical Adam
The importance of believing in a historical fall of Adam and Eve is seen when we ask the question Who is to blame for the evil in the world today?
It is deeply wounding to be accused falsely and to be treated as if you dishonored the Lord when you haven't.
Awe: Why It Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do
Human beings are hardwired for awe. We are worshipers. We are searching for joy, hope, and fulfillment.
How to Read (and Not Read) the Bible
We have to read the Bible as literature, but we also have to recognize that it is unlike any other book we know.
A Street-Level View of the History of Abortion
There is plenty of scholarship looking into the political history of abortion in America or the legal history, but we wanted to take a different angle.
Observing the Sabbath Starts on Monday Morning
I need to order my life Monday through Saturday so that I can do the work God has given me to do in the six days that he's given me. And if I can't do that, then the problem is on my end.
How to Help Those Who Consider Themselves “Done” with Church
We have to admit that as much as the church is not a human project, there has been human involvement in the church that has not honored or followed God’s will.
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.
Are You Dissatisfied with Life? Take Communion
The Lord’s Supper is a gift where Christ himself presents himself to us, and he wants us to think about who he is and who he is to us. We are hungry and thirsty people.
How Was the Resurrection of Lazarus Different than the Resurrection of Jesus?
Lazarus would die again, but Jesus would not. And for all who trust in Christ who are united to him by faith, what is his is now ours.
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.
2 Comforts for Those Discouraged with Prayer
Many Christians are—or have been—discouraged by their prayer lives. Here are a couple of things to remember about the practice of prayer.
3 Practical Applications of Definite Atonement
Definite atonement has practical applications for life and mission
Parents, Disciple Your Teens (While There's Still Time)
Teens need discipleship, and parents are some of the best disciplers.
The Most Influential Event to Happen in 1776 Isn’t What You Think
In a thousand years’ time, what will people look at as the most important development in this period? And I think it's probably the economic transformation.
How Medicine Is a Means of Common Grace
Common grace prompts us especially to love one another as Christ has loved us and to pursue medicine as a ministry of mercy.
I’ve Heard It Said the Gospels Are Full of Contradictions
What I like to do with this question is to take it out of the culture war it can be used in and to slow down and really think about what’s going on.
There’s no guarantee that because we’re in a saving relationship with God through Christ that we’re going to be exempt from darkness.
Author Interview: Matt Harmon on Asking the Right Questions in Bible Study
Justin Taylor sits down with Matt Harmon to discuss his new book about asking the right questions when reading the Bible.
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.
Introducing Unfolding Grace for Kids
In Unfolding Grace for Kids, children ages 8–12 are invited on a guided journey through 40 select Scripture readings to uncover the unifying message of God’s Word.
2 Reasons We Don’t Know How to Lament
The notion that lament isn't familiar is actually an indictment of the state of the American church.
Why Bible Study Should Always Lead to Worship
Anytime we spend time gazing at who God is as he’s described in the Scriptures, we cannot help but be drawn into worship.
Priests of God in the Workplace
You are a priest of God in your workplace. A priest represents the glory of God by showing his character and care to his people.
Pastor, What Do You Preach to People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together?
Titus 2 tells us that it’s the grace of God that teaches us to say no to ungodliness. If people aren’t growing in godliness, Paul says they need more grace.
How to Encourage a Grieving Mother
Because of what Jesus did on the cross and the suffering that he took for her, every grieving mother has hope that one day these tears will be washed away.
How Not to Share the Gospel at Christmas
Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to share the hope of Christ with people in your life—both in word and deed.
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 Do I Do If I Don’t Like My Job?
Even in the onerous jobs, there is a glory that God intends for his people as they do what needs to be done.
Jesus Is Not Ashamed of Those with an Embarrassing Past: The Story of Tamar
While we may blush over our sin and our stories and our embarrassing past, we have a Savior who doesn't blush. He actually enters into the mess with us.
John MacArthur's Story: A Passion for Doctrine
John MacArthur, Richard Mayhue
I grew up with an appreciation that the Bible contained truth—completely consistent and coherent because God was behind all of it.
We get our Bible, first of all, because God has chosen to reveal himself to humans. If it weren’t for that first step, of course, there would be no Bible.
Why Pastors (and All of Us) Should Read the Puritans
Reading the Puritans can contribute to our growth, holiness, and conviction of the need to stay close to the Lord.
Why We Don't Have to Hide Our Pain from God
Like a child going to a parent, we don't have to clean up our spiritual act to pour out our hearts to God.
Rich communities can be harder to reach because wealth and comfort tend to make people think that they’re invincible.
Why Does Jesus Call Himself the “Door”?
Jesus is saying that, as the door, as we enter into eternal life with him and through him, we will be saved. He is access to salvation.
Spending the Rest of Your Life Teaching Sound Doctrine
If you're going to enter the ministry, whether as a missionary or a pastor, you will spend the rest of your life (if you're faithful) teaching sound doctrine.
God’s Primary Provision for Our Spiritual Hunger
How does God intend to satisfy our spiritual hunger? He gives us his word. Matthew 4 says that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The Danger of Wrongful Comparison
The knowledge of God and the knowledge of self always go hand in hand. There is no true knowledge of self apart from the knowledge of God.
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.
4 Things Pro-life Christians Must Do in a Post-Roe World
If we do these four things in a post-Roe world, I think pro-life Christians are well-situated to make a real difference.
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 God Ever Give Christians Over to Their Idols?
When we’re committed to something else that doesn’t have the Spirit of God, we become as spiritually inanimate as that thing to which we are committed. We need the Lord to break through.
Why Spontaneous Prayer and Planned Prayer Are Both Important
Praying about something right in the moment reminds us of our dependence, but planned prayer has its place, too.
4 Things at Stake When Your Children Don’t Obey
What’s at stake in practicing correction is probably better gauged by understanding what happens when correction doesn’t get practiced very well.
Are You Far from God This Christmas?
The Christmas story is a story of God making himself available, making himself near. And, so it's a story for everyone who feels distant from God.
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.
Is Marriage the Cure for Loneliness?
Loneliness is a big issue for married women, whether their marriage is good or not.
Encouragement for a Fatigued Caregiver
Caregiver fatigue is real. For someone going through this, there is still hope, joy, and merit to your service.
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.
How Biblical Doctrine Makes Us Beautiful
The Reformation was intimately tied to beauty, goodness, and human flourishing because the Reformers were seeing—through Scripture—God’s glory shine.
Marriage Is a Place for Joyful Sacrifice
Every day in a good marriage is just a series of sacrifices that you joyfully make and that you then enjoy the fruit of that spirit of sacrifice.
How God Called Wayne Grudem to Serve the Church
In this video, Wayne Grudem recounts his journey to become a professor and author, sharing about his passion to faithfully teach the Bible to God’s people.
5 Tips for Being a Faithful (and Not Just Busy) Mom
Only God is God, so only God gets his to-do list done at the end of the day.
One Thing You Might Not Know about Charles Spurgeon
Spurgeon possessed an ability to use humor from the pulpit and in his life as a weapon.
4 Essential Ingredients of Reformed Preaching
Reformed preaching aims to take all of the Bible into account and to apply it.
Stop Looking to the Bible for Fortune-Cookie Wisdom
If you understand that the Bible as the epic story of the history of humanity and God’s dealings with humanity, then the glory of God shines through so brightly.
There’s No Heaven That Envy Can’t Turn into Hell
Envy is one of those sins that hides and lurks. And so many times we can be experiencing envy that's robbing our joy, and yet we're not even aware that we're struggling with the sin of envy.
A really intriguing thing, which goes against the notion of expressive individualism, is the fact that we live in shared stories.
Why We Need to Be More Than Nice
God's not calling you to be a nice person only—he's calling you to be a Gospel-proclaiming person.
What All Healthy Churches Have in Common
The most important things about a Christian church are always the things that make it a Christian church. The things that are unique about your church or mine can never be the most important things about it.
Why Do We Feel Lonely at Church?
In this video, Jeremy Linneman takes time to explain why the mounting problem of loneliness matters and offers suggestions for how we might build spiritual communities for ourselves.
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.
Answering Kids’ Hardest Questions: Does God Love Everyone the Same?
God hates the sin that’s in us, but he sent his son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins so that we can have a relationship with him.
What We Think We're Entitled to in the 21st Century
We realized just how much we had assumed we would have, how many things we believed were almost rights of ours.
Help for Discerning God’s Will
There are several things that can be taken into account in a cumulative way to help us know what God is guiding us to do.
How Can Evangelicals and Catholics Work Together for the Common Good?
There is a lot of overlap in the convictions that Protestants and Catholics have on a lot of deeply controversial moral and ethical issues in our society.
I’ve Heard It Said That Abortion Is Healthcare
Women Need Support I’ve heard it said that “abortion is healthcare.” I think I understand the sentiment behind that declaration. I do have friends who are involved in the pro-choice movement and even in providing …
When the risen Christ sought to put those in charge or in leadership in local churches, he chose—amazingly—teachers.
The Church’s Most Powerful Witness to the World
God is using the power of the church’s shared witness in remarkable ways all over the world.
What Are Some Dangers of Neglecting Church History?
By cutting ourselves off from church history, we are cutting ourselves off from a rich tradition that the Holy Spirit has been teaching the church through his faithful disciples.
A person is gospel fluent when the gospel becomes their "mother tongue."
Discovering Depth and Renewal through Daily Liturgy
If we are dissatisfied with our times of devotion with the Lord, enriching our daily liturgy can lead to renewal and rejuvenation.
3 Things We Often Forget about the Christmas Story
Three words that sum up what we’ve tended to miss about the Christmas story are sacrifice, honesty, and glory.
The Eternal Importance of Our Earthly Bodies
Jesus's resurrection body is the foretaste of what is going to happen to all of us. We will all be raised to new physical life.
What Happens when Doctrine Suffers from Historical Amnesia
As evangelicals, we tend to go right to the cross and to Jesus dying to save us, and sometimes we forget that’s not the only thing that he did to save us.
Introducing ‘ESV Psalms, Photography Edition’
The ESV Psalms, Photography Edition seeks to capture the beauty of this beloved book of the Bible by featuring the text of each psalm alongside captivating original photography of the Irish landscape.
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.
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.
What Would Be Lost If We Didn’t Have the Last 2 Chapters of the Bible?
Revelation is not simply another book in the Bible. It's the final book of the Bible, and it's such a fitting end not only to the book of Revelation, but to the Bible as a whole.
Don’t Fall for This Misconception about Singleness
The church is family to all of those without brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters.
Justification: The Heart of the Reformation
The issue at the heart of the Reformation was without a doubt the question of justification.
Why You'll Never Grieve Well without Hope
To grieve well is to have a growing sense of confidence and rest that God's promises of resurrection, centered in the resurrected Jesus, are really true.
Are Grace and Works Compatible?
If you really have experienced the grace of God and you are in fellowship with him, your heart will desire to discipline itself for the purpose of godliness.
Why You Should Go to Bed Early Tonight
Sleep is a gift from God. It’s one of his most wonderful gifts to us—when we receive it as he intended us to receive it.
Has God's Kingdom Already Come?
When we think about the message of the Bible, we should never lose sight of God's kingdom, or his reign over his people, and ultimately his reign over the entire universe.
How to Stay Focused in a Distraction-Filled World
We have our phones that open a thousand possibilities for us to do a thousand different things at every moment of every day. But God has set good works for us.
Why Modern Christians Should Stay Hitched to Church History
Theological retrieval is a way to draw attention to things that you were assuming that you didn’t even know that you assumed.
Why Wisdom Is More than an Intellectual Pursuit
To do theology we need to do with an attitude of reverence to the God who has made himself known in his Word.
Why Your Sermons Should Address Believers and Unbelievers
Preachers should aim to capture the attention and inspire the affection of both unbelievers and believers.
What Makes the Preaching the Word Commentary Series Unique?
The Preaching the Word commentary series is unique because I’ve asked all the contributors to have preached the content of their commentary viva voce, or live.
How Does Being Created in the Image of God Change How We Think about Our Work?
Because we're created in the image of God, reflecting him in what we do, we're also fulfilling his purposes for our lives.
Do Christians Fast Because Food and Drink Are Bad?
There are a number of things that God has given Christians as disciplines for our pilgrim condition in this world.
What Makes Pastoral Ministry Enjoyable?
Pastoral ministry—while having its unique challenges—is also filled with particular, and sometimes unexpected, joys.
No, Good Theology Didn’t Start with the Reformation
Sometimes evangelicals view church history as though our main tradition is the last 500 years, but there's much more to our history.
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.
2 Primary Goals of God’s Election of Sinners to Salvation
It’s really helpful to answer the question, What’s the goal of election? because we can better understand what we see if we know what the goal is.
God Cares about Beauty (and We Should, Too)
God has implanted in people longing and desire for the true, the good, and the beautiful. The Bible speaks to all three of these.
Teenagers and the Dangers of Relativism
There are two pretty big things that young people have to face when trying to follow Christ in a post-Christian world.
Gospel Hope for Suffering: A 5-Day Devotional with Paul David Tripp
In this five-day video devotional learn how to trust God more deeply—even through circumstances you wouldn’t choose for yourself.
Don't Make This Mistake When Studying the Bible
Most of us haven’t spent much time devoting our attention to just things that are true about God.
What Does It Look Like to Be Blessed?
What is the proof that God is for us? Where else do we need to look other than God giving the most valuable thing in the universe, offering up his one and only Son for his people?
How to Turn Weeping into Witnessing
We can’t jump straight to It’s alright. God will be good. We can be sure he will, but that’s probably not where we should start.
Which Approach to Bible Study Should I Use?
The longest-lasting—and most accurate and faithful to the Word and character of God—is to approach the Bible trying to understand what God is saying to us about himself.
Cultivating Habits of Grace: Day 1
Day 1: It's All About Grace In this first video, David Mathis shares three important discoveries he made in his Christian life that undergird this study and are helpful to mention right at the very …
I’ve Heard It Said the Old Testament Is Full of Errors
The copies we have of Old Testament manuscripts do have signs of human error within them. But the question is, Does that lead to despair? Dr. John Meade answers that question with a resounding no.
Why Pursuing Sanctification Is More Than Just Remembering Justification
There are many truths in Scripture that speak to the process of sanctification.
Why Men Need to Be Transparent with Each Other
One of the best ways men can encourage each other with the gospel is simply with honesty and transparency.
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.
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.
Jesus Is Not Ashamed of Those Who Still Sin: The Story of Peter
Our sin doesn’t put us on the sidelines for the rest of our lives. Christ forgives us and he puts us back in the game to serve him, just like Peter.
Why Is It So Hard to Discern the Work of the Holy Spirit in My Life?
You come to awareness and confession and belief in Christ and then gradually become aware that if you are successfully believing in Jesus, it’s because the Spirit is at work within you.
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.
4 Common Misconceptions of What the Church Is
Before you establish what the church is, you have to define what it isn’t. You have to clear away some of the rubble before you can build and construct something.
2 Categories of Questions to Ask When Reading the Bible
The worst thing you can do when you read the Bible is to read it passively or thoughtlessly.
The ESV is an “essentially” translation of the Bible in contemporary English emphasizing “word-for-word” accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning.
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.
This gospel meditation by Paul David Tripp encourages us to turn to Christ in our hardships, taking even our most difficult moments to him.
The First Step in Celebrating Divine Grace
It’s good to mourn, it’s healthy to be sad, and it’s appropriate to groan. Something is wrong with us, something is missing in our hearts and our understanding of life.
The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden
Kids need to know how classic Bible stories connect to Scripture’s overarching message about God’s glorious plan to redeem his rebellious people.
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.
Should Children’s Ministry Be Church-Centered or Family-Centered?
We have the responsibility to train our children in the faith, and yet the whole church has this responsibility to hold parents accountable.
The ESV Heirloom Single Column Legacy Bible
The Heirloom Single Column Legacy Bible was designed to be a Bible that would last a lifetime. In keeping with it’s name, it is an edition that can be passed from generation to generation.
Why You Should Join an Imperfect Church
We need the body of Christ to grow and to know what it means to be a mature Christian.
The Scoundrels of Scripture: A 6-Day Video Devotional
Learn from the stories of a handful of the Bible’s scoundrels and see more clearly the ways in which they reveal the generous grace of Jesus toward sinners.
Are Love and Authority Mutually Exclusive?
But authority in creation and authority and redemption actually work together—for good.
Why the Reformation Isn't Over
We need to be constantly searching in God's word to see how further reformation needs to work itself out in our lives.
How the Modern West Is WEIRDER than the Rest of the World
Joseph Henrich introduced the term WEIRD about ten or fifteen years ago, and he said that people in the modern West are WEIRD: Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic.
Introducing the 'ESV Devotional Psalter'
The devotional content of the ESV Devotional Psalter is intentionally designed to point to and highlight the biblical text, and to build bridges from the Psalms into the reader's heart.
Seeing God’s Grace in the Hospital Room
It can be really hard to remember God's love when you're working in the hospital witnessing other people's suffering, or even in the hospital as a patient yourself.
What Is Catechesis and What Role Do Bible Stories Play in It?
Catechesis is basically training discipleship. When we catechize someone, we are instructing them, oftentimes, in the foundational, fundamental elements of our faith.
What Is the Best Question to Ask a Hurting Friend?
There are lots of good questions to ask someone who is hurting, but I think one of the best questions is this: "How are you doing today?"
3 Pieces of Advice for Responding to Miscarriage
Miscarriage can be an acutely painful experience. Yet it teaches those who experience it—and the church as a whole—to lean into the Lord's care.
What the doctrines of grace do is they show us that God is still on his throne. He's still saving people.
Is the “You Do You” Experiment Actually Working?
In our day, personal identity has never been more important. So there’s unprecedented interest in identity formation, being yourself, and thinking about yourself.
Answering Kids’ Hardest Questions: If God Speaks to Me, Why Can’t I Hear Him?
No, we can’t hear God audibly, but we can hear him speak in the sense that he has written his thoughts down for us to read and to hear in his word.
How Do You Pursue Neighbors Who Continually Avoid Your Invitation?
Here are a couple of barriers you can remove to make people feel loved and welcomed.
The Rich Biblical History of the Sacraments
The biblical exodus is recalled and made part of our lives through baptism, the Lord’s supper, and these other celebrations that place us within their pattern.
The reality is that Christians are priests and that’s one of the most significant identities we share as human beings.
Pastor Jeff Vanderstelt encourages us to remember our baptism—the sign of the new identity that Christians have in Jesus Christ.
You need to be willing to stand on the shoulders of those that have come before.
This week's excerpt in our Devotional Resources series is taken from "Morning and Evening", by Charles H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by Alistair Begg.
The 2 Battles Every Minister Fights
In ministry, there will be a war in which you’re called to come and lay down your life as Christ laid down his life.
What We Misunderstand about the Story of Abortion in America
If early American men were going on trial for forcing women to eat abortifacients, we certainly can’t believe what Justice Blackman wrote in his original Roe v. Wade opinion.
The Key to Happiness Is More Stuff . . . Right?
Our contentment is unshakeable when it is rooted in our unchanging God.
A Book for Teens Who Want to Take the Gospel Seriously
If you are a teenager and the gospel has changed your life, this book is for you.
Why Is Teen Anxiety on the Rise?
What factors contribute to the rise of anxiety in teenagers today?
Did Christ Die for My Sins Just So That I Can Go to Heaven?
The question, Did Christ die for my sins so that I can go to heaven? assumes something that is correct, but not complete.
Help for Regular Bible Reading When Life Is Hectic
The best thing is to have a plan—even if it's one of your own creation. Just map out a series of readings for yourself.
Why You Should Disciple Your Child during the Teen Years
We are so used to training up our children when they’re very young, but it's just as important when they hit the pivotal growth point of the early teen years.
2 Ways the Church Can Help Women Who Are Burned Out
The church can be actively aware, learning or acquiring knowledge about the stresses and strains on women and families.
The Why behind Rapid Cultural Shifts in Gender Politics
Christians are often prone to focusing on symptoms rather than looking at underlying causes.
We have a strong foundation by which we know that Christ is building his church all over the world.
How Have Modern Ways of “Doing Church” Fallen Short?
Coleman M. Ford, Shawn J. Wilhite
I think that modern ministry has had a lot of fruit come from it, and perhaps a lot of good methods have been produced. Typically, what it doesn’t do, though, is to care about the soul of the pastor.
Learn more about artist Joshua Noom and his work on the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Artist Series.
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.
Why It Matters That Jesus Is Better Than Everything
Introducing people to Jesus involves showing them how Jesus meets their needs better than anything else.
Can We Find Lasting Encouragement through the Power of Positive Thinking and Self-Help?
But God's word says that God's power is made perfect through weakness. So I'm intended to come in my weakness in search of God's power, not in search of my own power.
Knowing Church History Is an Asset for Every Pastor
Our brothers before us have gone down challenging roads and they have much that they can share that is of true benefit to us.
Blessing in God’s Plan of Redemption
Blessing plays a significant role in God's plan of redemption, in that blessing is the goal of God's plan of redemption.
Follow the Second Adam into True Rest
There is an unending, eternal rest that God established himself and that we have always been meant to enter into with him.
How to Be a Gospel-Centered Bible Reader
To make sure that you are gospel-centered every day, look for Christ in the Scriptures.
Why Is the Pentateuch Referred to as the Book of Moses?
If Moses is behind the Pentateuch, that lends a certain massive authority to it. It's a singular book and Moses is ultimately the author, so we should listen to it.
God Blesses Holiness, Not Pastoral Talent
If you’re not cleansed from the things that corrupt your life, you’re not a vessel fit for the Master’s use.
The Cosmic Effect of Resurrection
The resurrection is the guarantee that the wrath of God has been appeased by the sacrifice of Jesus.
A Key Difference between Social Conservatism and Political Conservatism
I am a political conservative myself and I’ll fully admit that there are aspects of political conservatism today that gain acceptance under the umbrella of political conservatism that I am wary to adopt.
What Peter and Jude Would Say to the Contemporary Church
One of the things that makes 2 Peter and Jude so relevant to our contemporary situation is the fact that they address issues that the church still faces today.
We must always keep in view that each of us individually is called to love God with our minds.
No one sets out to learn lament. But once you find it, you're so thankful because there's grace that God can give you when the dark clouds of hardship and pain roll into your life.
Why Martin Luther's Preaching Was So Offensive
As soon as the Reformation began in 1517, Martin Luther became the most famous man in Europe.
Behind-the-Scenes: The Creation of the ESV Psalms, Read by Kristyn Getty
Giving priority to the Scriptures can help ensure that we make God’s voice the loudest message we hear.
3 Words of Counsel to Sufferers
Be aware that you're always preaching to yourself some kind of gospel.
Why Preaching Is the Number One Way a Pastor Leads
Preaching has to be the first way we lead as pastors, in one sense, because it’s inherent within our position, within our role.
2 Truths to Help Navigate Doctrinal Disagreement with Other Christians
This side of heaven, we see through a glass dimly. It’s just reality. We’re not going to agree on everything.
How Reading the Bible Shapes Our Identity
But if every revelation of God is a revelation of myself in relation to God, then all of Scripture is continually in the business of rewiring our self-understanding.
Ashamed Sinner, Unashamed Savior
God has gone through great pains to prove to us that he's not as ashamed of us as we often are of ourselves.
The Vicious Cycle of Idolatry and Loneliness
Escape from difficult circumstances can easily turn into idolatry and unhealthy coping mechanisms. But God always provides a way out.
Is There Any Purpose in Our Loneliness?
We were originally created by God, alone. The reason God created in this way is so that we will find our all in him.
Everything depends on how people use the term. Individualism can be simply the focus on self. In certain contexts, it would be very difficult to have a deep difference between the two.
Are Authority and Submission Inherently Flawed?
Lewis uses the Great Dance as a way of talking about the patterning, ordering, structuring, and interlocking of reality.
Doctrine: Information Leading to Heart Transformation
When you enter the world of biblical truth, you’re entering a moral battleground. The great drama of life is not about information.
This new beautifully illustrated children's book introduces the biblical imagery of sowing seeds and planting gardens to young readers to help them understand the story of redemptive history.
3 Questions Leaders Should Ask Themselves about Equipping the Church for Ministry
Here are three questions for church leaders to ask themselves before trying to help their people love each other better.
Spiritual Authority in an Anti-Authoritarian Age
God-appointed church leadership is for our good, stability, health, and protection.
The Counterintuitive Nature of Authority
Authority can be dangerous. But, if used rightly, it can also be a blessing.
Why Devotional Bible Reading Is Good Bible Reading
The purpose of reading the Bible devotionally is to commune with God and grow closer to him.
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.
Rebalancing Our Approach to Observing the Sabbath
We don’t want to add to his Word. We don’t want to take away from his Word. We want to observe his Word, and the Sabbath is no exception.
Reading the Bible Is a Discipline, Loving the Bible Is a Gift from God
Reading the Bible is an action. It's something that I do, but there is a supernatural reality going on when we open God's Word that we can't see with our eyes.
Zach Eswine shares his own story of loss and the stunning realization that true faithfulness is not synonymous with ministry success.
The Most Accessible Person in the Universe
Jesus is lowly, he's accessible. You don't have to go through security to get to him. You just have to humble yourself.
Is It Right for Christians to Think the World Is Not Our Home?
There really are two kingdoms that are competing within the gospels. There is the kingdom that is ruled by Satan and there is the kingdom that is ruled by Jesus.
Preach the Bible, Not Your Dog
One of the big dangers that faces pastors today comes from a desire to connect with people.
Prayer is the means by which we implore the Holy Spirit to take up residence in our study time.
Spurgeon’s Secret to a Fruitful Ministry
Fruitful ministry is less about self and more about Christ.
The One Thing That Will Free You from FOMO
The more heavenward my life has become, the more meaning I’ve found in mundane things, and the more motivated I’ve been to serve the Lord.
How the Gospel Transforms the Teen Years
To live a life transformed by the gospel means that everything in life changes.
How Lament Can Help with Racial Reconciliation
When we don't know what to say, lament can become a really helpful language to use.
Is Family Life a Proving Ground for Ministry?
The family really is meant to be a proving ground for a man's character, his ability as a leader, his ability to teach and shepherd and guide and direct and provide.
Understanding the Role of Justification
Theologically understood, justification is the moment—the event—that God declares a sinner righteous in his sight.
My friend, as you are united to Christ and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is applied to your life, you will experience the change that you long for.
Should Ministry Be a Calling or an Aspiration?
Scripture doesn’t use the exact word calling. So, that means we don’t have to. It’s a question of wisdom. Is this helpful language?
The common good is such an important concept because it helps us understand that when we are pursuing the welfare of the city, we're not looking out for our self-interest alone.
Waiting on God Means Releasing the Right to Control Your Life
Why is it so easy to get angry when we have to wait? It seems like that‘s our natural go-to response. Things are out of my ability to manipulate, manage, or maybe even figure out.
Read-Aloud Video: ‘Lucy and the Saturday Surprise’
Watch a video and enjoy hearing this children's story about the dangers of envy and joy of contentment read aloud by its author Melissa Kruger.
Why It’s Easier to Show Regular (Not Sporadic) Hospitality
It’s much easier for me to practice daily hospitality than it would be monthly because I don’t have to do something different.
The Purpose of Vibrant Illustrations in ‘The Biggest Story Bible Storybook’
Kids—and really all of us—are drawn to images and pictures. The illustrations in this edition present a kind of mood.
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.
How to Pray When You’re Feeling Shame
Here are three things to pray for when you’re feeling ashamed.
Why Restoration from Victimization Is Possible
God's Word is neither shy about topics of sexual victimization nor simplistic when it comes to solutions. Restoration is possible!
What Is Our True Comfort in Life and Death?
If you want both comfort in life and death, start by recognizing the truth about the world and about yourself.
David Wells, author of God in the Whirlwind: How the Holy-love of God Reorients Our World, is asked a few questions about what he hopes to accomplish with his new book and why he thinks a renewed appreciation for God's "holy-love" is important for evangelicalism.
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.
Why the Book of Psalms Is for You
The Psalms were written for ordinary Christians leading ordinary lives—lives marked by depression, discouragement, despair, frustration, or maybe even numbness toward God or anger toward others.
When the Sun Rose, the Son Rose
In some ways the exodus is a death and resurrection story, but in many other ways the death and resurrection of Jesus is an exodus story.
Common Pitfalls on the Path to Becoming a Pastor
Ministry is a gift of grace. So, hold your aspirations loosely and recognize any opportunity to serve God's people is a gift from him.
You’re Needed, No Matter What Life-Season You’re In
Without trying to be somebody you're not, think about how you can be hospitable to those around you in your current season of life.
The Question at the Heart of Christianity
Central to our faith is the answer to this question: How is one right with God?
The Christian Life Is Not Interrupted by Death
The New Testament answers the question about whether Christians at the point of death are in heaven with the comfort that they are “away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Answering Kids’ Hardest Questions: Does God Love Me More When I Obey My Mom and Dad?
Because we’re not God, our anger is imperfect anger at times, even sinful. But it doesn’t change our love for our kids.
The God Who Runs After Those Who Wander
We are a people who are prone to wander. We are so drawn to instant gratification. We're drawn to the things that we can see that are tangible and right in front of us.
How Can Busy Moms Pursue a Lifestyle of Faithfulness?
The call to faithfulness still applies to moms. We are shaping young hearts to follow Jesus, and so that calling is very real. Our faithfulness is important for our children.
Talking about Heaven with a Grieving Person
What do you do when that’s the way everyone is talking about someone who has died, but you’re not sure that you ever saw any genuine relationship with Christ?
How Does the Gospel Shape Our Goals for Children’s Ministry?
There are four ways that the gospel shapes our goals for children's ministry. I read those four ways in the way that Paul ministered to the church in Corinth.
The Messy-yet-Instructive Culture Surrounding the Canons of Dort
We can learn something about how previous cared about theological points because the worship of God, the purity of the church, and the understanding of Scripture were at stake.
Introducing ‘Be Thou My Vision’
This 31-day liturgical guide is designed to provide structure to the daily worship of individuals and families.
Being Constantly Online Has Changed Us More than We Think
When you ask, How could being on the internet so much be shaping us?, the real answer is, How could it not be shaping us?
What We Can Learn from the Reformation 500 Years Later
The Reformation emphasized preaching the gospel with boldness and clarity.
Why You'll Never Be Content without God
Since God is able to be completely content in himself, we are able to find contentment in him as well. We will never find true contentment with God.
How Our Theology Shapes Our Prayers
Theology helps us uncover what we know about God and turn it into prayer and praise to God.
Virtual church cannot deliver the water of baptism. It cannot deliver the body and the blood, the bread and the wine of Christ's body broken and his blood shed for us.
The Unexpected Outcome of Self-Sufficiency
Do you ascribe something to yourself that is only true about God?
A Surprising Scoundrel of Scripture
The high priest was to serve as a mediator between God and the people of God. What was he supposed to mediate from God to the people? Mercy.
4 Things that Make the Bible Literary
The subject of literature is human experience. We should read the Bible through that lens.
Read-Aloud Video: ‘Meg Is Not Alone’
Watch a video and enjoy hearing this children's story read aloud by its author about the importance and blessing of the local church.
When Christ Turns Persecutors into Persecuted (for His Glory)
Jesus is alive, is at work, and he’s bringing men and women to himself.
Hell is eternal conscious punishment where sinners are separated from God’s gracious presence. Hell is eternal. Hell lasts forever after this life.
Why Do We Need a Liturgy for Our Daily Worship?
It's not whether or not you're going to have a liturgy for your daily quiet time, it's just which kind of liturgy you're going to have.
Pastor: Expound, Apply, Repeat
You are hired as a minister in your church to be a preacher—not just to expound the Word, but to apply it.
How Does the Parable of the Two Sons Display the Genius of Jesus?
The parable of the two sons is Jesus’s longest story, and it’s remarkable in so many ways. Jesus loads up the story with layers of meaning.
Am I Sinning When I'm Not Content?
God is in control of every part of life—from the mundane to the significant. Discontentment is questioning the wisdom and sovereignty of his plans.
What Happens When We Forget We’ll Die
If we see our lives through the truth about death, then Jesus’s promises begin to take on an entirely different tone for us.
What Is Our Friendship with God Supposed to Look Like?
We think that communion with God, or friendship with God, is some sort of secret, mystical, spiritual experience, but it's not as complicated as we might be tempted to think.
The beauty and the goodness of who he is is reflected not only in the grace of God but in the law of God.
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.
Is Feeling Discouraged Always Wrong?
If Jesus knew our humanity and that we needed to be encouraged to be strong and courageous, then we don't have to feel embarrassed or ashamed when we feel afraid.
Introducing the ‘Pour Out Your Heart Prayer Journal: A Planner for a Life of Prayer’
Designed to be used over many years, this durable hardcover journal features a unique method that guides readers toward an intentional, Scripture-focused prayer life.
Does Theistic Evolution Lead to Open Theism?
Not all, but certain forms of theistic evolution theologically lead to the open theism perspective.
How Pastors Can Benefit from Studying Archaeology
When we understand what's going on culturally in the Bible, we're more able to understand the world that much better.
Why You’ll Never Be Ready for All of Life’s Troubles
God may give me way more than I can handle—and I think that’s normal.
God Used This Broken Pastor—and He Can Use You Too
Part of what I try to do as I’m reading church history is to make sure that I’m keeping these people human.
Answering Kids’ Hardest Questions: How Can God Hear Everyone’s Prayers at the Same Time?
Our kids can know that when they’re in their dark rooms and they’re feeling alone, God is with them. He hears their prayer when they’re at school, feeling nervous, feeling sad.
Face Your Doubt . . . and Then Fight It
Don't succumb to guilt if you are doubting; instead, combat your doubt with specific truth.
The Priesthood of Believers: A Lens for Viewing the World
As we live in our identity as a priest—which means that we are near to God—there are a couple of things that emerge as we look out into the world.
The Everyday Object Biblical Archaeology Depends Upon
Archaeologists get very excited about pottery as very few people elsewhere in the world do.
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.
Learning to Live a Grace-Paced Life: An Interview with David Murray
Justin Taylor sits down with David Murray to discuss his new book.
One Great Encouragement to Spend Personal Time With the Lord
The Lord Jesus is the one who encourages us not just to say the Lord's Prayer together at church, but also to go to our room, to shut the door, and to pray to our Father in heaven.
What Does It Mean to Take the Lord’s Supper in “Remembrance” of Christ?
Many times today, Christians think that this remembrance is simply recalling past events, but this remembrance—at least from a biblical standpoint—means a lot more.
How the Reformers Help Us Understand Definite Atonement
The Reformers laid the foundation, helping the next generation or two to present a mature doctrine of definite atonement.
What Can I Do to Foster a Deep Hunger for Jesus?
There are so many ways that we can foster a hunger for Jesus, but the most important and primary thing is to be praying for the Holy Spirit to change our hearts.
Can I Really Have Friendship with the Triune God of the Universe?
Because of everything that God has done for us in Christ, we can shockingly have a relationship—a friendship—with God.
After establishing what the text says and what the text means, we are finally in a position to ask how it should impact us.
How Can the Stories of Puritan Women Help Us Treat Others with Respect and Appreciation?
We can learn from Puritan women in this area because they were so good at it themselves. They had a lot to say about different Christian virtues.
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"?
Why It’s Surprisingly Easy to Reward Disobedience
Reward the behaviors you want and don’t reward the behaviors you don’t want.
What Is Doctrine and Why Does It Matter?
Faith is not just something you do with your brain. Faith is a commitment of your heart that changes the way you live every day.
We need to look to Christ. We need to draw our strength from him. The way we grow is simply by looking to Christ.
Foundational Qualities of Good Leaders (That Might Surprise You)
What is the foundational quality of a good leader?
The Biggest Detriment to Longevity in Ministry
The call to pastoral ministry is unlike anything else you're going to do in life. What's the key to staying the course?
How Can Church Communities Show Hospitality to Children?
There are three things that I think are really great for children's ministers to think about when thinking about giving, being hospitable, and giving their grace-filled presence to families coming to their church.
4 Ways You Can Swim against the Cultural Tide
Want to stand out as a Christian? Foster diligence, honesty, self-control, concern for others, and integrity.
Build Your Church around Theology, Not Preference
Theology should determine so many things about what our churches are like, and we shouldn’t try and reverse engineer our preferences into our theology.
Jesus Is Not Ashamed of Those Who Are Overlooked: The Story of Bartimaeus
It's not hard to feel overlooked, right? In a world this big, we can kind of just blend in and it just makes us feel, in many ways, insignificant.
The Center of the Center of the Pentateuch
If you look at the structure of the Pentateuch, we've got five books. Right in the middle is Leviticus. And what do we find right in the middle at the center of the center of the Pentateuch?
Why Work in the Home Matters to God
The first thing we need to understand regarding why stay at home work matters to God is that God created us for work.
Ministry Is Best Learned in the Trenches
Seminary education is to the church what basic training in the military is to war.
How Stress Undermines Our Relationships
Burnout takes a toll on men's personal relationships and support system, leaving them vulnerable to sin.
A Surprisingly Unhelpful Promise for a Hurting Friend
For many of us, asking for help goes against every fiber of our being.
Opportunities to Care for the Poor and Needy Are Closer Than You Think
Here are ways for you—in whatever season you’re in and whatever mundane activities you have to get done every day—to live for the mission of Christ.
Why Our Limits Are a Good Thing
Every boundary that he places in our lives—every limit that he gives us—is for our flourishing.
Why We Feel So Tired and Confused by What We See Online
The internet makes no distinction between what is relevant to us or what is not relevant to us, what is part of the life that we’re supposed to live or what doesn’t really matter.
Why Sin Wasn’t Humanity’s First Problem
It’s not good to be alone. Why? Because God made us for friendship.
What Should I Do if I’m the Only Elder in My Church?
If you are the only elder in your church, be encouraged that God is still working in your congregation.
What Is Pastoral Burnout, and What Contributes to It?
The things that contribute to pastoral burnout are actually very simple. Coleman Ford explains several of these and offers something for pastors to consider.
Introducing ‘New Morning Mercies (Note-Taking Edition)’
This new edition of Paul David Tripp’s best-selling book has been updated with space in the margins for note taking, encouraging readers to reflect on the devotional content.
The Key to Understanding Why Parenting Is Hard
The Bible is incredibly helpful in leading us to understand why parenting is so challenging.
Why Every Serious Atheist Should Be a Moral Nihilist
Every consistent atheist ought to be a moral nihilist.
What Questions Should a Pastor Ask Himself after Preaching a Sermon?
You actually can’t tell how effective a sermon was by the response you receive.
Depression Isn’t a Modern Problem
Depression has been around since the fall, and the Bible gives examples of even the greatest people who suffered from depression.
I’ll Be More Faithful When I’m Older
I thought I would get to be this wise Christian woman that I desired to be later in life, and I really thought that would just come with age.
What If Your Church Were Filled with People Just like You?
When we love in ways that we can only love by the power of God’s Spirit, we show him to be sufficient. We show him to be good and glorious.
The False Guilt We Feel When Our Quiet Time Falls Short
There is no command in the Bible to have a daily quiet time—not as we think about it. God wants us to prioritize Jesus and spending time getting to know who he is through the power of his Spirit.
What Your Complaining Says about God
One of the things that’s important for us to do for our own sanctification is to ask the question, “Why am I grumbling and complaining about this?”
How Gospel-Identity Enables Gospel-Behavior
The gospel changes not only the way God deals with us, but the way we deal with each other.
The Importance of Committing to a Church—Even When It’s Hard
Christian's are to be characterized by love—not just every Sunday at church, but throughout every sphere of their lives.
Learning to Endure Life's Troubles Like Jesus
Whatever trouble you are facing, there is somebody that you can relate to in the Bible.
When the Church Got Slavery Wrong
It’s one of the great tragic notes in all of church history that when African slavery came into view and such prominence, the church did not take a clear stand against it.
4 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage This Christmas Season
Be intentional to focus on the gospel this Christmas. Here are some suggestions for how to do this in your marriage this year.
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.
Why It Matters that God Is Our Father
God is our Father at the level of creation and at the level of redemption.
Genesis 1–3 defines marriage and shows us that marriage began in the Garden of Eden, in a perfect world.
Show My Child Grace, or Lay Down the Law?
I know my children need the awareness of God’s law, they also need the self-awareness that law gives them.
Introducing a Devotional Liturgy for the Advent Season
A closer look at two new devotionals for this Christmas season to help Christians effectively prepare their hearts for the arrival of their King and worship him the way he deserves.
Mom, What Is Your Only Comfort in This Life?
When our hearts are full of questions and we're asking Why? and How?, so often what we think we want or need is answers to those questions.
How to Center Your Family on Christ During the Holidays
How can you always point your children and family to the spiritual significance of this time of year?
How to Effectively Bring the Gospel into Your Parenting
Using shame to discourage children's sin isn't what they need—they need forgiveness and acceptance.
God Offers Christians a Better Way to Measure the Fruitfulness of Their Lives
We get into trouble when we start to measure our self-worth and how the Lord sees us by how much we got done, by what we can check off our list, and what we can accomplish.
Dave Furman's Story: Finding Help in Suffering
In this video, Dave Furman, author of Being There: How to Love Those Who Are Hurting, shares his story of debilitating need, resilient care, and finding the help that only God can supply.
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.
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.
Pursue God, Not Just His Blessings
God’s blessing is not contingent upon whether we live in material wealth or whether we live in material poverty because we can learn to be content.
Is There Any Benefit to Looking Inward to Find Myself?
It's easy nowadays to sneer at people who say things like, "Be yourself. Be true to yourself. You do you.” But the reality is there are some real benefits to looking within yourself to find yourself.
Life Is a Battle; Dress Appropriately
You don’t put your armor on once the battle starts, you wear your armor so you’re ready when the battle begins.
Listening is one of the most important aspects of evangelism. Speak Jesus into the needs of everyone you share the gospel with.
Without the Trinity the Doctrine of the Atonement Goes off the Rails
The atonement is the apex of the triune mission of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together to reconcile sinners and renew creation.
Why Is the Setting of Genesis 3 So Important to the Storyline of the Bible?
We are all born outside of Eden. In the garden, we are entering a world that is before the fall, and then we're watching an unfolding event.
What Is the Secret to Reaching the Next Generation?
What we need to do is keep doing the same things that Christians in every age have been called to do: make disciples, love one another, speak the truth, be kind, and ask good questions.
What Does the Aaronic Blessing Ultimately Promise Us?
The highest happiness of every believer is to see the face of God unmediated, not just having to look with the eyes of faith but actually one day seeing with our eyes.
Where Is God in My Loneliness?
Loneliness serves a purpose: it points us toward community and toward our heavenly Father.
The theological doctrine of calling is a rich, rich doctrine all of us should wrestle with and embrace.
What’s underneath cowardice? How does the Bible describe what’s underneath that cowardly demeanor? The answer is unbelief. We don’t believe that God can do it.
Christ’s Heart on Full Display
Jesus proves that he is gentle and lowly through his actions throughout his life and the pages of the Gospels.
3 Simple Ways to Get Started with Family Worship
Build your hopes and your faith on the truth that God can take his word, with prayer and worship, and bless it to your children’s salvation.
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.
Why Your Church Is Not Exempt from the Work of Church Planting
It is important that every local church find some way to focus their ministry efforts on church planting.
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.
Introducing the ESV Reader's Bible, Six-Volume Set
This unique edition is the culmination of immense passion for getting the glorious gospel of Christ into the hands of his people.
Jesus Comes for Sinners and from Sinners
The point is that Jesus not only comes for sinners—that is, to die for our sins—but he comes from sinners. He identifies with sinful people like us.
What Tom Brady Can Teach Us about Contentment
He made it to the top and thought “There’s got to be more than this.”
Why Beauty Is a Problem without God
I think in a way, for somebody who has not yet surrendered to Jesus Christ, beauty is a problem because beauty is so evident in this world, and it awakens a desire for eternal things.
When Trouble Comes: Phil Ryken’s Personal Testimony
A year or two ago, Phil Ryken went through a season of deep spiritual discouragement; some would probably call it depression.
The Christian’s Hope Isn’t Complete without a Bodily Resurrection
The apostle Paul is talking about our Christian hope of a bodily resurrection—not to minimize our suffering, but to maximize our perspective.
What the Puritans Understood about the Human Heart
The genius of the Puritans was that they knew how to build bridges between Scripture and the human heart.
Two Possible Responses to Christ
When we read the Bible, we have a deep-seated instinct to look at particular characters and compare ourselves to them. We wonder, Is this someone I should try to emulate?
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.
How to Overcome Fear in Sharing the Gospel
God is the one who does the work of saving people, not us.
How to Keep Corporate Prayer Focused
We want to avoid the various negative experiences many of us have faced in corporate prayer.
Pastor: Is Your Holiness a Priority?
There's diminishing interest in holiness and godliness among this generation of younger pastors because of pragmatism.
Don’t Disconnect These 3 Vital Facets of Scripture
We must read the Bible as history, theology, and literary artistry because there’s only one God who is doing all three things at the same time.
How Does the Holy Spirit Beautify the Church?
We can't talk about the church without talking about the Holy Spirit. He is our helper. He is our beautifier.
3 Ways You Can Ignite a Passion for Church Planting in Your Church
If you desire to spread a passion for church planting in your church, go to Scripture, partner with other churches, and pray, pray, pray.
How Christ Has Changed Our Destiny
What does it mean to be united to Christ? It’s a little bit mysterious and elusive.
In Your Shepherding, Make It Obvious What the Good Shepherd Is Like
We pastors learn gentleness as we ponder carefully how anyone actually changes. We ourselves have never really changed by being scolded, cornered, pressured, or belittled.
Jesus Is Not Ashamed of Those Who Have Nothing: The Story of the Thief on the Cross
The reality is that Jesus doesn't need anything. And we see this vividly in the story of the thief on the cross.
The Hollow Promise the Internet Makes to Lonely People
The web is preaching to our hearts that you can be anything and you can do anything, and you don’t have to accept the life of the world or the truth that God has put in your life.
Reaching the Next Generation Is Easier and Harder Than You Think
Sometimes we fear or we feel this burden that if we’re going to be effective as pastors, Christians, or parents that we need to have this cultural expertise.
Encouragement for Those Who Aren’t Resting on the Sabbath
The Sabbath is a day that God calls us to observe in his word. It’s a day that we need to observe for our own good—soul and body.
How We Can Cherish the Work of the Holy Spirit
John Owen points out three things that we see in the New Testament in terms of how we can go about cherishing the work of the Spirit.
What Is the Single Best Explanation for Jesus’s Genius?
God invented humans. He invented language. He invented human language. So when you allow that, it’s hardly surprising that he should know such a lot.
Moving Biblical Characters Off the Felt Board
Our understanding of who people in the Bible were—what drove them and what their lives were all about—can be very one-dimensional.
A Sneak Peek at 'The New City Catechism' with Tim Keller
Tim Keller explains the value of catechesis and shares a sneak peek at ‘The New City Catechism.’
Where Do We First See the Hope of the Resurrection in the Bible?
When you read what New Testament authors say, Jesus’s resurrection has fulfilled an earlier hope. And we can see that the resurrection is an ancient notion.
Finding the Good Life: A 5-Day Video Devotional
In this 5-day video devotional, Nancy Guthrie answers the question, “What is the good life?”
Can We Have Justice without Jesus?
The real question is whether or not we would want justice without Jesus. And there are two reasons why the answer to that question should be ‘no.’
Our hearts are always captured by something—that’s how God made us.
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.
Psalm 23 The Lord Is My Shepherd A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He …
A Personal vs. Private Relationship with Christ
As we've prioritized our personal relationship with Christ, we've also privatized it.
The Most Significant Edit to the Declaration of Independence
Franklin read Jefferson’s draft which said, “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable,” and he crossed out “sacred and undeniable” and replaced it with “self-evident.”
The Reformation’s Evangelistic Impact
The most lasting impact of the Reformation is gospel-centered mission. The Reformation unleashed a movement that continues today as Christians everywhere take the good news to the entire world.
Finding Grace in Unlikely Places
When we could not take care of ourselves, God took care of us. That’s the message of grace.
Can We Ever Emphasize Grace Too Much?
t’s not gracious to reveal to God’s people the safe path that the law is without it also being a reflection of God’s character and care.
How to Stay in Ministry Over the Long Haul
It's important for those in ministry to establish checks and balances in their lives to prevent burnout.
How You Can Slow Down and Appreciate Christmas More This Year
A daily liturgy can help us by giving us the discipline to do something day after day. And a liturgy helps us with content and structure.
Why All Christians Should Expect Trouble
The longer you live in this fallen world, the more kinds of trouble you face.
A Brief History of the Bible Verse (and Why We Developed the ESV Reader's Bible)
Crossway has published the ESV Reader’s Bible as an invitation to read the Bible as it was originally written.
Answering Kids’ Hardest Questions: Can I Choose to Be a Boy or a Girl?
Andrew T. Walker, Christian Walker
When we are approached with questions like that, the first thing we want to do is go to Genesis 1. And when we look at Genesis 1, we see this notion of creation order.
The Sacredness of Sexual Intimacy
Sexual intimacy in marriage is not only allowable, it is sacred.
How Celebrity-Pastor Culture Impacts Pastors
We wrestle with this invitation to do a truly great thing by serving the least, while inside of us and outside of us, we're pressured to make much of ourselves.
What to Say to a Grieving Person
Sometimes it can be hard to know what to say to someone who is grieving. Yet there are helpful words we can give to people who are suffering—words that will actually help and encourage in the midst of grief.
#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.
Where Is the Promise of the Gospel Found in the Pentateuch?
There are going to be two lineages, two seeds: one of the woman and one of the serpent. Ultimately, the seed of the serpent is going to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman.
Christianity was a multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural movement from the beginning.
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.
How Work in the Home Reflects God
As Christians serve and care for those around them, they are acting as God's hands and feet in the world.
Where to Learn to Become a Healthy Pastor
Formal theological training is important, but even more important than seminary would be simply to plant your life in a local church.
Why Your Identity Is Not the Same as Your Role
It is the temptation to find your identity in your role.
A Personal vs. Private Relationship with Christ
As we've prioritized our personal relationship with Christ, we've also privatized it.
How Does God Feel toward Discouraged People?
God speaks tenderly toward Jerusalem. He's kind. He's patient. He's slow to anger. He's abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Beware of This Blindspot in the Christian Life
Why do some Christians—maybe why do many Christians—fail to experience a good life in the present?
Answering Kids’ Hardest Questions: What If I Sin Too Much—Will God Still Forgive Me?
We know that God says that if we confess our sins, he’s faithful and just to forgive them and that we all fall short of God’s holiness. None of us can live up to his perfect standards—no matter what.
Should I Try to Be My Child's Friend?
Your child should know without a doubt that you deeply love them, even on their worst day.
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.
Pastor Jeff Vanderstelt recalls the mission that Christ left his followers before his ascension.
How Embracing Our Depravity Helps Us Suffer Well
Becoming bitter prevents healing, creates hardened hearts, and creates distance in our relationship with God.
Nancy Guthrie's Story of Hope in the Midst of Grief
In the midst of Nancy Guthrie's incredible pain, God was at work.
Mom, Your Hardest Day Is Not the End of Your Story
Mourning may last for a night, but rejoicing does come in the morning, and in light of these momentary troubles and trials, there is an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
An Interview with the Editors of the ‘ESV Archaeology Study Bible’
In this video, Dane Ortlund sits down with Drs. David Chapman and John Currid to discuss the, ESV Archaeology Study Bible.
Marriage is the one flesh union of one man with one woman for one lifetime.
Why Men Should Memorize the Psalms Together
There is something sweet that goes beyond just repeating the words of Scripture to each other but actually living in the good of God’s Word together.
You Have Been Raised Up with Christ
Paul's letter to the Ephesian church details how being embraced by the love of Christ truly changes everything.
God’s Blessing Goes Deeper than Any Gift or Experience
We often think of God's blessing as an achievement or an experience, but it actually goes far deeper. Chris Castaldo started learning this lesson at age nineteen in a hospital.
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.
Face It: You're Going to Die . . . and Then Rise
The church bears witness to a watching world. What does it mean to die well, and place our hope in the resurrection?
The Psalms, ESV is a wonderful edition for devotions, for liturgical use, or for giving as a gift.
How to Mobilize Your Small Group for Mission
Jeff Vanderstelt offers some practical ideas for mobilizing your small group to be on mission for Jesus.
How Parenting Kids with Special Needs Shifts Your Reality
In a sense, our story was really one of reconsidering every aspect of our lives.
J. I. Packer: In His Own Words
As we look back on the life of J. I. Packer, join us in thanking God for his humble writing ministry and the legacy of his service to the church.
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.
An Urgent Ministry Opportunity—Global Study Bibles for Leaders in Africa and Asia
Throughout the month of December, Crossway requested the help of our readers and supporters to provide the remaining $500,000 needed for the project.
How We Can Best Pray for Our Hurting Friends
Rather than just telling people you're praying for them, pray aloud for them in their presence.
How Should a Pastor Handle Ministry Success?
Though the Lord doesn't often do large, famous, and fast things, he sometimes does.
Jen Wilkin Answers Your Questions about Bible Study (Women of the Word Bonus Episode)
In this special bonus episode, Jen Wilkin answers the questions that listeners have sent in about studying the Bible.
What Question Is Jesus Trying to Answer in the Beatitudes?
Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. It’s a counterintuitive turn. It is, if you will, an upside-down kingdom.
The Liberation of Being Bought By Christ
With the gospel, if we belong to Jesus physically and bodily, then actually the only person our bodies need to please is Jesus.
Answering Kids’ Hardest Questions: Why Don’t I Fit In with My Friends?
God made you unique. He gave you particular gifts and tastes and a personality. And having confidence in the person that God made you to be is very attractive to other people.
How Community Helps When Battling Loneliness
Church relationships, fellowship with other believers, and being involved in a local church are crucial.
2 Principles for Formulating Advance Directives
There are two important things to think about when equipping those you love how to act on your behalf.
Jesus didn't just experience a taste of humanity, he experienced the fullness of what it means to be physically human.
What the Book of Hebrews Teaches Us about Jesus
In this video, pastor Matt Capps discusses the unique contribution that the book of Hebrews makes to the New Testament.
The Importance of Recapturing Biblical Marriage
Reclaiming the biblical meaning of marriage in our culture today matters because the darkness of our generation is deep and profound.
The Seeds of Promise and Grace Planted in Genesis 3
If we study the fall in Genesis 3, I think we're going to notice that the seeds that are planted in that chapter are going to bear much fruit to flower over the progressive revelation of the Old Testament.
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.
Common Ways That Jesus Displayed His Genius
The way Jesus displays his genius is very understated. That is, he says to people, “Let the one who has ears to hear, hear.” And it’s very easy not to hear.
Engage with God's Word Every Day ESV Scripture Journals were created to help you engage with God's Word every day. Each journal pairs lightly lined blank pages opposite each page of Bible text, making them …
I’ve Heard It Said That Feelings Follow Actions
Though our feelings are part of God’s created design for us, they still need to be subjected to God’s word and to what is true.
What Did Christ’s Atoning Work Accomplish?
The death of Christ is a multidimensional accomplishment within a story that begins in the garden and ends in the kingdom.
What about the window of time in between forgiveness of past sins and assurance of future heaven?
Is There a Difference between Courage and Christian Courage?
Jesus is better. And that enables me to face the danger, the hardship, and the fear of death that’s in front of me, because Christ is gain.
How Pride Undermines the Joy of Confession
Confession is like the gateway to freedom. As we confess, repent, and own the wrong things that we have done, we move forward with a lightness of heart.
How the Psalms Verticalize Our Lives
Meditation on the Psalms lifts our eyes and reminds us to be mindful of God.
How Lament Moves Us toward Others
Lament doesn’t solve all the problems of racial reconciliation, but it can really help.
This gospel meditation by Paul David Tripp laments the effects of sin’s curse on the world.
Video: John Piper Reads "The Innkeeper"
John Piper reads his illustrated poem The Innkeeper.
Don’t Put Science in a Straightjacket
There are actually ways that certain scientific assumptions can impede the scientific search for truth.
Is There a Wrong Way to Study the Bible? (Women of the Word Episode 3)
Jen Wilkin describes the wrong ways we approach Bible study and what our failed attempts to engage with God's Word reveal about our own attitude toward Scripture.
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.
The Blessings of a Frustrating Church
Frustration is part of the sanctification process that God intends for us in church.
Cultivating Habits of Grace: Day 2
Day 2: Hear God's Voice In this video, David Mathis explains the first means of grace: hearing God's voice. He then explores a few practical habits that we can cultivate aimed at helping us stay …
One Reason We Shouldn’t Get Rid of Youth Ministry
We need missionaries and evangelists out there reaching teenagers and sharing the gospel with them.
Watch the First 3 Minutes of 'The Biggest Story: The Animated Short Film'
Get a glimpse into the film's rich content, striking animations, and beautiful storyline.
The Amazing Truth at the Heart of the Psalms
The Psalms have an important message: God loves you.
Loving the Church for Who She Is, Not for What She Can Do for You
We get wrapped up in the organizational structure of the church and in what she can give us, what she can do for us, or even, what's in it for us.
Why the Church Is More Important than Any Other Christian Organization
The church is the only human institution that goes into eternity. We won’t be building the Gospel Coalition in eternity. We won’t be building seminaries in eternity.
There’s Always More for You in Scripture
The more delight we take in the Bible, the more we want to get into it, and the bigger difference it makes in our spiritual lives.
The Power of God's Word in India
Sometimes, in God’s plan and providence, this ministry takes us to the farthest corners of the world.
5 Practical Ways Pastors Can Care for Their Wives
Though a pastor expends much energy and effort on relationships in the church, he shouldn't neglect his most important at-home relationship.
Moving Biblical Characters Off the Felt Board
Our understanding of who people in the Bible were—what drove them and what their lives were all about—can be very one-dimensional.
Overcoming Common Barriers to Bible Study (Women of the Word Episode 2)
Jen Wilkin identifies a handful of perceived obstacles that prevent us from studying the Bible and how we can actually overcome those and take joy in reading and studying God's word.
4 Ways to Think about the Persecuted Church
The persecuted church often display joy that can be a powerful example to us that Christ is with his people.
Video: J. I. Packer's Life and Legacy
In this video, Justin Taylor sits down with Sam Storms and Leland Ryken to discuss the life and legacy of an evangelical titan.
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.
How the Gospel Sets Us Free in Everyday Life
The message that the gospel has in terms of freedom for a man’s everyday life is really a counter-intuitive message.
How to Achieve Pastoral Success
Do the work set before you and trust that God will bear fruit.
Artist Spotlight: Lulie Wallace
Learn more about artist, Lulie Wallace, and her work on the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Artist Series.
I’ve Heard It Said “You Are Enough”
You are enough in that God has made us with limitations. God made us to be unique, so God has made us in a specific way, and we don’t need to strive to be like others. But we’re not enough.
Human beings—as image-bearers of the God who made the world—are responsible to take care of the world and to use their time, talent, and treasure in everything they do for the Lord.
We need to remember that the Bible is God's direct speech to us. His word is the source of wisdom. It is God himself speaking to us.
What a Productive Life Is (Not) All About
The productive life is not a life of working all the time. It’s a life of wisdom to know when it’s time to work and when it’s time to rest.
Common Barriers to Family Worship
There are barriers to creating a regular habit of family worship, but God has provided many helps to get over them.
God Is at Work Worldwide—Even Here
God is not just working across the world. He's still working in the hearts of his people among us.
Why the Church Can Rest in Christ’s Victory
We’re a part of what the Lord is doing in the world when we’re pastoring a church or even a member of a church. We know that he will accomplish his good end.
Has Our Society Lost Its Vision of What It Means to Be Human?
These moral universes are irreconcilable. They’re impenetrable. We are unable to reason together on even the most basic essentials necessary for the common good.
Video: J.I. Packer on Weakness
J.I. Packer, renowned theologian and author of the forthcoming Weakness is the Way, reflects on his experience of weakness, having been hit by a bread truck as a child and now facing the realities of aging.
Outward Beauty Cannot Bear the Weight of Being Your Source of Hope
Does our outward appearance convey to the watching world where our hope is? Does it show that our hope is firmly rooted and established in Jesus, in his good work, on our behalf?
Does America’s History Reveal a Common Consensus on Abortion?
Knowing abortion is murder is not something that is just a result of modern technology. It has been the common sense of people in America for centuries.
God loves beauty, and he gives it to us as a gift. He is the source of beauty, and he is beauty himself.
Preview Chapter 2 of 'The Biggest Story: The Animated Short Film'
Enjoy this sneak peek into the chapter highlighting the story of Noah and the flood.
Introducing the ESV Men's Devotional Bible
Our world presents daily distractions that can easily displace Christ as the center of a man’s heart and life.
We need to know that we are not in charge and we need to know how to submit to God as the one who is in charge.
When you see the message of grace unfolding in the Bible a pattern emerges. God is gracious to us, and then expects us to respond.
The Death of My Son Awakened Me to the Reality of Heaven
Even though I was grieving my son's death, heavenly mindedness was giving me greater perspective. It was refining me. It was motivating me for things of the Lord.
Compromise on Marriage, Lose the Gospel
Who Created Marriage? We must not compromise on same-sex marriage. If we had invented marriage, we could reinvent it—there would be no problem with that. We could make it whatever we wanted it to be. …
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.
Watch the Trailer for 'The Biggest Story: The Animated Short Film'
The Biggest Story connects the dots from the garden of Eden to Christ's death on the cross to the new heaven and new earth.
Why Claim Total Depravity When People Do Good All the Time?
If you study the doctrine of total depravity on its own, you may be led to think that an unbeliever cannot do any good in society— and yet, that is incongruent with our own experience of unbelievers.
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.
Devote Yourself to Good Works Even When It’s Hard
We don’t just naturally fall into doing good. So we want to orient our lives in such a way that we’re positioned to practice generosity, to show hospitality to the lonely.
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.
How to Fight the Power of Shame
To fight the power of shame, you have to do what is most counterintuitive.
Why Ordinary People Matter to God
One of the things that I love about the stories in the Bible is how many ordinary people you meet.
Moms, You Have Permission to Feel Weary and Exhausted
Weary, discouraged moms need permission to feel okay about feeling weary and exhausted. Small children are exhausting. It's a hard season.
Artist Spotlight: Ruth Chou Simons
Learn more about ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Artist series and her work on the Be Transformed cover.
Lydia Brownback Discusses the Largely Undiscussed Topic of Loneliness
In this video, Justin Taylor sits down with Lydia Brownback to discuss her new book, Finding God in My Loneliness.
What someone shouldn’t immediately offer to the couple struggling with infertility is a set of solutions to the problem.
The Most Important Message You’ll Ever Receive
The Bible is God speaking to us, ever pointing us to Christ.
Don't Go through Life Overcome with Guilt
The Psalms give us language to pray to God when we are guilty and seeking forgiveness.
How to Respond to Hurtful Comments When You're Grieving
So you’re grieving and someone has said something to you that, instead of being helpful like they’d hoped it would be and like you would have wanted it to be, was actually hurtful. What are you going to do with that?
One of the deepest fears an earnest pastor has is that he is going to let God down.
Resisting the Power of Idolatry
One of the things that has really helped me understand the power of idolatry in our own time and place is, strange to say, the plagues in the book of Exodus.
Is It Morally Right to Impose My Pro-Life Convictions on Others?
When the pro-lifer says abortion is wrong, he’s not talking about what he likes or prefers; he’s talking about what’s right or wrong regardless of preferences.
Engaging with God through the Psalms
The Psalms are meant to invite readers into communication with God.
Video: Being Disciples of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life
Many Christians have unwittingly embraced the idea that “church” is a once-a-week event rather than a community of Spirit-empowered people.
Pastors must guard against these three common pitfalls in ministry.
100,000 ESV Global Study Bibles to Leaders Around the World
Our greatest passion at Crossway, as a not-for-profit ministry, is to reach the people of the world with the Gospel and the life-transforming Truth of God’s Word.
Why Admitting Limitations Is Life-Giving
There is freedom in admitting that we are not Christ—we are not perfect. But Jesus loves us anyway and only asks that we follow him.
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.
Why “Going Our Own Way” Is a Burden, Not a Freedom
We often hear the encouragement to go our own way or blaze our own trail. In a lot of ways, that sounds like freedom. But without Christ, it’s actually bondage.
This gospel meditation by Paul David Tripp contrasts the broken cities of this world with the restored one to come.
Why Pastors Should Be Good Readers
When pastors do the right kind of reading, it can heighten sensitivities to the literary forms of the Bible.
2 Glorious Themes from These Overlooked Books of the Bible
In the context of 2 Peter and Jude, there’s a very strong emphasis on the reality of God judging those who are in rebellion against him. And that’s intended as comfort for his people.
How the Local Church Combats Foolishness
The local church feels uncomfortable because it's countercultural on so many fronts. It goes against the spirit of our age.
The Shepherd of Psalm 23 Leads Us—and Dies for Us
The good shepherd is the one who doesn’t just walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He actually walks through death itself so that the sheep can now walk through and fear no evil.
A Blazing Light in a Dark World
The truth of Scripture upholds and sustains the church in every age and in every culture, regardless of what may be taking place outside her doors.
Are Vocation and Occupation the Same Thing?
In our ordinary conversation, vocation and occupation can be the same thing, but in the history of language and in the Bible’s expression of what we're doing, they actually have very special distinctions.
Psalm 37 He Will Not Forsake His Saints Of David. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. …
Video: Elyse Fitzpatrick on How She Reads the Bible
In this video, author and speaker Elyse Fitzpatrick explains why she stopped reading through the entire Bible every year and reminds us that God doesn't get "mad" at us when we miss a day of reading his Word.
Video: Nancy Guthrie on Pretending to Teach the Bible
In this video, popular author and Bible study leader Nancy Guthrie explains a valuable tip for those looking to study the Bible well.
The Recipe for Good Pastoral Theology
Spurgeon was an avid student of Scripture, but is not often thought of as a theologian.
How to Apply Literary Sensibility to Christian Doctrine
We need a sensitivity to the different genres of literature in order to make the move from the literature of the Bible to the doctrines of systematic theology.
Announcing Women of the Word Month
Join us for Women of the Word Month, a free 31-day campaign aimed at helping you kindle a passion for life-changing Bible study.
5 Key Principles for Transformative Bible Study (Women of the Word Episode 4)
Jen Wilkin walks through principles for studying the Bible that are essential to remember in order to get the most out of your time in God's word.
Video: Kathy Keller on Reading the Bible Every Day
In this video, Kathy Keller encourages us to make time for God's Word each day, even if it's just a few short minutes.
The Problem with Human-Centered Morality
Is moral value whatever we say that it is?
Who Was Herman Bavinck, and Why Is He Worth Reading Today?
Herman Bavinck is someone who people have become really interested in and aware of in recent years through the translations of some of his theological works. He was a really important thinker.
Buy 1, Get 1 Free: ESV Scripture Journals for Churches and Ministries
Now through September 30, 2019, church and ministry account holders get 40% off every case of ESV Scripture Journals and receive another case for free.
Video: Bible Study Q&A with Jen Wilkin (Part 1)
Crossway recently asked readers to submit questions about Bible study for Jen Wilkin, author of Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds.
How Is It Possible That Jesus Would Delight in Me?
Is it true? Does Jesus really want to be friends with me? Does he delight in me? How could that possibly be?
Video: Jani Ortlund on Staying in the Word as a Young Mom
In this video, Jani Ortlund offers some advice for staying motivated to read God's Word and making time for Bible study as a young mom.
The Calling of a Pastor's Wife
Pastor's wife and blogger Jen Thorn talks about the unique calling of the pastor's wife to the church and her family.
Video: The Whole Story of the Bible in 16 Verses
Chris Bruno sits down with Justin Taylor to discuss his new book, The Whole Story of the Bible in 16 Verses
Video: The Word of the Lord by Nancy Guthrie
In this video, Nancy Guthrie introduces us to the newest addition in her new Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Bible study series, The Word of the Lord: Seeing Jesus in the Prophets.
What It Means To Be a Missional Mother
Our responsibilities may have shifted, but our role in the kingdom remains unchanged.
Can Burnout Ever Be a Good Thing?
God is good, and we will experience that goodness if we humble ourselves in the midst of burnout and become teachable.
Video: Don Whitney on the Benefit of Praying the Bible
In this video, Justin Taylor sits down with Don Whitney to discuss what it means to pray through God's Word.
When Did You Realize You Were an Imperfect Pastor?
Recognition of pastoral imperfections and flaws comes with experience and reflection on past ministry.
A Parent’s Role in Teen Anxiety
If your teen experiences anxiety or depression, it’s very common for you to feel that you’ve failed or you’ve done something wrong. So what do we do with these feelings and thoughts?
Justin Taylor recently sat down with Greg Forster, author of The Joy of Calvinism, who asserts that Calvinism is a largely misunderstood tradition that is ultimately about joy and the love of a God who saves.
Video: Nancy Guthrie on the Miracle of Bible Study
In this video, popular author and Bible study leader Nancy Guthrie discusses how God used regular time in his Word to work a miracle in her heart.
Video: Kristie Anyabwile on What God Taught Her Through a Challenging Book of the Bible
In this video, Kristie Anyabwile recounts how God used her study of Leviticus to sharpen her approach to reading the Bible.
History: Stranger than Fiction
Discovering church history is like going through the wardrobe into Narnia and discovering there’s a whole world back there just waiting to be explored.
Video: Dr. Bruce Ware Answers Questions About "The Man Christ Jesus"
Have you ever struggled to understand and explain the biblical truth that Jesus is both fully man and fully God?
Video: Sam Storms on Eternal Security
Sam Storms sits down with Justin Taylor to discuss his new book, Kept for Jesus: What the New Testament Really Teaches about Assurance of Salvation and Eternal Security.
Video: The Explicit Gospel Tour with Matt Chandler
In mid-April, Matt Chandler and Shane and Shane traveled to six locations on the Explicit Gospel Tour.
Introducing a Resource for Church Leadership
Introducing Lead by Paul David Tripp, a new resource for church leadership.
10 Bible Study Tools Every Christian Needs (Women of the Word Episode 8)
Jen Wilkin walks through different tools that can be used in the Bible study process and offers wisdom to help know when and how to best use them.
Want to Pray More? Try Memorizing Scripture
A good quiet time is when the Lord is speaking to us by his word and his Spirit, and we are speaking back to him what we are hearing in his word by the Spirit.
What Can I Give to a Grieving Person?
What can we give as a gift to someone who is going through grief—something that we can do for them that would be really helpful?
How the Gospel Is Like a New Language
In many ways the gospel is like a new language—it takes time.
What Pastors Should Agonize Over
We learn from the apostle Paul that the pastor's primary calling is the sanctification of his people.
Cultivating Habits of Grace: Day 5
Day 5: Recap In this final video, David Mathis recaps our journey thus far, offering a few parting tips aimed at helping you cultivate sustainable, life-giving habits of grace that connect you to God's grace …
How Can We Uphold Sola Scriptura as Well as Christian History?
This is a really crucial question. And to grasp this, let’s go back to the Reformation itself where sola scriptura was born.
Psalm 67 Make Your Face Shine upon Us To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, …
Video: Kristyn Getty on Coming Back to the Bible
In this video, singer and songwriter Kristyn Getty shares two passages that have had a big influence on her life and offers some encouragement for those struggling to consistently read God's Word.
Faith Is More about Confidence than Certainty
There’s an arrogance in saying we can know with absolute certainty. That sounds more like the Enlightenment than from the Bible.
Video: Bible Study Q&A with Jen Wilkin (Part 2)
Crossway recently asked readers to submit questions about Bible study for Jen Wilkin, author of Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds.
Answering Kids’ Hardest Questions: What Is It That Makes Me, Me?
A question that a child might ask—maybe not directly but even indirectly and is certainly one that they are thinking about in their life—is, “What is it that makes me, me?”
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.
Why You Don't Need to Live Confused, Accused, and Defeated
The truth of the gospel frees us from the power of guilt and condemnation.
Video: 6 Reasons to Pray the Bible
Here are six benefits of praying through the Bible.
Video: How to Cultivate "Gospel-Doctrine" and "Gospel-Culture"
Ray Ortlund sits down with Justin Taylor to discuss his new book, The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ.
#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.
Small Book, Big Topic: An Interview with Chris Bruno
In this video, Justin Taylor sits down with Chris Bruno to discuss his new book, The Whole Message of the Bible in 16 Words.
Counsel for Pastors Intimidated by Counseling
The call to counsel can be a bit intimidating. But having wise conversations with God’s people is something he intends for us to do.
Video: Studying the Books of Ruth & Esther
In this video, Kathleen Nielson introduces us to Ruth & Esther: A 12-Week Study, which is part of Crossway's Knowing the Bible study series.
The antidote I need is to remember that each of us has been called with different gifts.
Cultivating Habits of Grace: Day 3
Day 3: Have God's Ear In this video, David Mathis looks at the second means of grace: having God's ear in prayer. He then explains 3 different types of prayer and a helpful approach to …
Why I Wrote a Book about God's Incommunicable Attributes
Most of us have some familiarity with the attributes of God, but we probably haven't spent a lot of time contemplating those things.
Counsel for Those Experiencing Loneliness Not by Choice
Jesus is a available to everyone, even those who feel isolated, excluded, and rejected.
Artist Spotlight: Jake Weidmann
Learn more about artist and master penman, Jake Weidmann, and his work on the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Artist Series.
Introducing the ESV Pocket New Testament
We recently released the newly designed ESV Pocket New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, a portable but readable edition designed for a number of uses.
Video: New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp
Paul David Tripp wants to energize you with 365 gospel-centered devotions designed to remember God's mercies all day long.
The Greatest Example of Courage in the Bible
It was joy that animated Jesus in the face of hardship, and therefore, he is the greatest example of courage.
Do You Have What It Takes to Wait Well for a Lifetime?
You feel that you simply don’t have what it takes to wait well for a lifetime. You know what? You don’t.
Is Beauty an Attribute of God?
Beauty is clearly an attribute of God. That’s why the psalmist sometimes uses the term “beauty” to describe God.
1 Thessalonians 2 Paul's Ministry to the Thessalonians For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as …
Ask a Pastor's Wife: Friendships
Gloria Furman responds to Pam who writes, "How do you have friendships that are open and honest when you are having marriage problems?"
Ray Ortlund on Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel
In this video, Dane Ortlund sits down with Ray Ortlund to discuss his new book.
Advice for Those Helping the Hurting
The biggest piece of advice I have for caregivers is that it’s okay to grieve your loss in someone else’s pain.
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.
Video: Four Ordinary Means of Grace
Kevin DeYoung explains that there are four very ordinary means to pursuing holiness.
Cultivating Habits of Grace: Day 4
Day 4: Belong to God's Body In this video, David Mathis explains the third means of grace: belonging to God's body, the church. He looks at the word fellowship, explaining what it really means in …
Serving the Church as a Pastor's Wife
Pastors' wives (and all believers) are uniquely gifted by God to serve the church in a multitude of ways.
Christ Is a Light for the Lost
This gospel meditation by Paul David Tripp expresses a burden to share the light of Christ with those who may be unaware of his presence.
Video: Joe Thorn on the Most Difficult Season of His Life
Justin Taylor talks with author and pastor Joe Thorn about walking through difficult seasons and finding refuge in the triune God.
Video: The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler
Popular pastor and worldwide speaker Matt Chandler writes his first book to remind the church of what is of first and utmost importance—the gospel.
Following Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life
In this video, pastor Jeff Vanderstelt calls us to look beyond the special "church" events that so often dominate our calendars and start focusing on reaching the lost in and through our everyday lives.
3 Ways Pastors Can Promote Gospel Fluency in Their Churches
Pastors can speak the truth of Jesus into the everyday stuff of life by preaching, training, and ministering.
Video: Lydia Brownback on the Book of Proverbs
The book of Proverbs offers wisdom for godly living that both glorifies God and leads to blessing for his people.
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.
Artist Spotlight: Jess Phoenix
Learn more about artist, Jess Phoenix, and her work on the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Artist Series.
Godly Lament Reminds Mothers of God’s Goodness in the Midst of Pain
Godly lament is a vehicle that God gives us to be able to bring that sadness and heartache to the Lord in a way that we have emotional freedom with our Heavenly Father.
Video: The Advance of the Gospel Around the World
In this video, Tim Keesee sits down with Justin Taylor to discuss his new book, Dispatches from the Front: Stories of Gospel Advance in the World's Difficult Places.
The Battle of Accepting Our Limits
This gospel meditation explores the idea of being worried and confused with the Christian life, offering an invitation to turn to God when life doesn't make sense.
Video: What Leaders Are Saying About "Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament"
A variety of Christian leaders testify to the depth, quality, and gospel-centered practicality of Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament.
In this video, Greg Gilbert explains why he wrote What is the Gospel?.
Cultivating Friendships as a Pastor's Wife
Pastor's wife and blogger Jen Thorn talks about navigating the sometimes difficult process of making friends in the church as a pastor's wife.
One Million Bibles: A Crossway Global Initiative
Would you prayerfully consider a gift to help distribute God’s Word to those with little or no access? Our overall goal for this initiative is to raise $5 million for the distribution of 1 million Bibles.
Fundamentally, sin is the refusal to glorify and praise God as God. When we sin, we are making ourselves gods.
How to Be Most Safe and Most Strong
The gospel works in all of Scripture to teaches us that our primary goal is to enable God’s people to love him more.
What Those Who Care for the Hurting Need Most
This book is not for one who is necessarily suffering physical trauma or depression. Instead, it is a book for everyone.
John 5 The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a …
Don Clark discusses why he creates art and how it has the potential to give us a glimpse of the way the world was intended to be.
Why Do Pastors Need the Gospel?
We need to know the message so we can live it, speak it, communicate it.
Distributing 100,000 Study Bibles to Spanish-Speaking Church Leaders
Crossway is collaborating with global ministry partners to provide 100,000 copies of the Concise Study Bible, Spanish Edition to international pastors and church leaders.
Tips to Help Anyone Teach the Bible (Women of the Word Episode 9)
Jen walks through different contexts for teaching the Bible, offering tips and wisdom on how to teach well no matter who or where you are.
Church Is More than a Building
Pastor Jeff Vanderstelt questions our understanding of the word "church," helping us recapture a biblical vision for the body of Christ in community and on mission.
Marriage came down from above. It was not invented. It was given from God.
A Passion to Share the Advance of the Global Church
It's amazing to witness the power of God and how Christ is building His church all over the world.
Ask a Pastor's Wife: Sermon Feedback
Gloria Furman responds to Megan who writes, "How can I give my husband good sermon feedback in a constructive way?"
Video: Justin Taylor (Sorta) Interviews Dane Ortlund
In this video, Justin Taylor asks Dane Ortlund about two common objections related to Jonathan Edwards.
David Wells: God in the Whirlwind
In this video series (part 1, part 2, part 3), Dr. David Wells reflects on the message of his newest book, God in the Whirlwind: How the Holy-Love of God Reorients Our World.
5 Things Pastors Should Ask Themselves Before Sunday
Pastors must check in with their own hearts and minds before proceeding with leading their flock each and every week.
Hurtful Ways to “Help” the Hurting
No one wants another treatment, ointment, acupuncture reference or a diet that is 100% guaranteed to heal them.
Video: Studying the Book of Psalms
In this video, Douglas Sean O’Donnell introduces us to Psalms: A 12-Week Study, which is part of Crossway's Knowing the Bible study series.
How to Be Present With Your Family As a Pastor
Some advice for returning home to your family without carrying the whole church on your shoulders.
Faithfulness in This Digital Age Is about Establishing Priorities
Faithfulness in the digital age means prioritizing God’s word and prioritizing embodied relationship over these digital tools.
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.
Video: Justin Holcomb on the Book of Acts
Justin Holcomb, author of Acts: A 12-Week Study, explains how the book of Acts chronicles the spread of the gospel in the early church and offers transformative grace for us today.
Ask a Pastor's Wife: Prayer Life
Gloria Furman responds to Laura who writes, "How do you organize your prayer life?"
The Heart Behind ‘The Biggest Story Curriculum’
Listen to the heart behind The Biggest Story Curriculum.
Andrew Fuller and the Most Important Historical Development in the Last 200 Years
Although he never went abroad, Andrew Fuller was a zealous promoter of world missions, influencing countless missionaries.
What Pastors Should and Should Not Share with Their Wives
Every aspect of pastoral ministry is not meant to be shared at home. Find out what is best kept at church.
The Ultimate Hope for the Pro-Life Movement Is Still the Gospel
We need lawmakers and lobbyists that will encourage state legislators to pass pro-life laws to protect unborn babies, but heart-change is not going to come just through new laws, but through Christ.
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.
Win A Free Copy of the New ESV Following Jesus Bible
Full of outstanding content to help children ages 8-12 to understand and enjoy God's Word and transition from a beginner's Bible.
Why I Wrote a Book about Helping the Hurting
While my physical pain and emotional stress is difficult, it doesn't just affect me—it affects all of the people around me.
Stories both entertain and educate, occupying the mind and forming it at the same time.
The Truth About Paul David Tripp
WARNING: What you are about to see is probably completely real and might be disturbing to some.
Bryan Chapell on God's Unlimited Grace
In this video, Justin Taylor sits down with Bryan Chapell to discuss his new book.
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