Serve, serve, and serve some more. Act in love even when you don’t feel loved, act with grace even if you don’t feel particularly gracious. Sow extravagant love to the love of your life, and reap the reward of joy. For the path to joy in marriage leads away from you and runs straight to... Continue Reading

By simply taking 5-10 minutes to read and meditate on the text your pastor is preaching in advance, you’ll position yourself to listen better. Maybe even read the footnotes in a study Bible as well. This will be easy to do if your pastor is preaching verse by verse through a book of the Bible. You... Continue Reading

Thankfulness ought not to be merely in an inwardly felt affection; but rather it is to be manifested in the actions of obedient sacrifice. Preparing a feast, raising children, supporting a ministry financially, caring for aging parents, protecting your nation from invasion, and feeding the impoverished all require your material expense and physical exertion.  ... Continue Reading

Lyte preached as a dying man to dying men. He knew that life was but a vapor and that sinful man must make haste to close with Christ. And even as his own life began to fade, Lyte pointed others to the solace that he found in knowing that our unchangeable God abides with all... Continue Reading

I need a view of heaven in every situation. I need to be reminded of heaven in my relationships with Christians. I need to see eternity in regards to my finances and my job. I need to remember that heaven is coming when I make choices about my family and my friends and my enemies.... Continue Reading

Rather than doing my utmost to fully obey even very difficult commands, I turn quickly to the exclusions. I become an expert on what God does not mean rather than a demonstration of what he does. I live safely and comfortably rather than radically. And, I fear, I end up living in self-satisfied rebellion rather... Continue Reading

We can notice a section of Mark’s Gospel where each category is represented. In Mark 4:35–5:43, we see a nature miracle (Mark 4:35–41), an exorcism (Mark 5:1–20), a physical healing (Mark 5:25–34), and a resurrection (Mark 5:35–43). I love how Mark has given us that series of stories so that we can see, all in... Continue Reading

God’s Wineskin contains instructions as to how we may receive certain gifts from God, gifts that we desperately need, and gifts that are meant for our eternal joy. These include the forgiveness of sins, rescue from the peril of eternal punishment, adoption into the family of a loving heavenly Father, the indwelling of the Holy... Continue Reading

The church has a high calling to bear witness to the Father’s glory throughout the entire world, which ultimately belongs to him. “This Is My Father’s World” is no ordinary hymn; it’s a powerful reminder of God’s sovereignty and the goodness of his creation. Unlike many of the kitschy and theologically anemic songs of today, it... Continue Reading

Are you amazed by the glorious magnificence and power of God? God can feel abstract to us. Mediating on God’s perfections, such as his glory, helps us worship and know him better. Our contemplations do not require us to empty our minds but to seek truth and consider it deeply. We see God’s attributes throughout... Continue Reading