Psalm 96 calls us to “Sing to the Lord” (Ps.96:1a). Regardless of our present pains or disappointments, the Bible assumes that if we are recipients of his grace and mercy, we have a lot to sing about. And the focus should not only be historical (i.e. [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
God’s grace is the theme of the New Testament and yet with all this scriptural emphasis it seems we are still slow to rightly understand it. We either tend to think that it is some kind of extra credit that adds to our goodness, thus maki [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
It has been rightly said that we should never use biblical truths in unbiblical ways. We make this costly error at times without knowing it. We may be hailing some aspect of God’s word with a resolute focus while unwittingly beginning to utilize that [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Truth is not always popular. Depending on the environment, statements that reflect absolute truth can be downright offensive to many. That is one reason the Bible instructs us to make sure our hearts are centered on pleasing God even before we open... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
If only we were as concerned with our spiritual beauty, as people in our culture are with their external attractiveness. Unfortunately, like the world, we often fail to value what God finds attractive. The kudos received for losing a few pounds or... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Rejection hurts. And unfortunately our Christianity increases the likelihood that we will encounter it more often. Part of the cost of “taking up our cross” and “following Jesus” is the harsh reality of “bearing the disgrace he bore” (Heb [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
The Bible often reminds us to not forget. It tells us to hang on to what we’ve learned and to build on the gains that we’ve made in the Christian life. The goal is not to be nostalgic, but to be sure to “live up to what we have already at [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Some chide us for “checking our brains in at the door” when we come to a place of trusting in Christ for forgiveness and new life. But that is not how Christianity is presented to us in Scripture. The New Testament evangelists never asked [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Most of us at, one point or another, have said in frustration “I hate money!” While that may sound better than the alternative which is prohibited in Scripture (1Tim.6:10), it is obviously not how God would have us live. God knows we will [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Unfortunately, this side of heaven we will all experience a lot of injustice – much of it personal. In this fallen world we can count on being falsely accused, mistreated, misquoted and maligned. Fortunately, none of it escapes the watchf [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
