We consider our past not as our present identity but as a means of celebrating what Christ has done in and for us, a means of understanding ourselves to aid in our sanctification, and a reminder to keep our focus on Christ not ourselves.    Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget... Continue Reading

The moment to stop pleading is the moment when God speaks to assure you that his heart is now hardened and his hand, once opened to supply your needs, is now closed to cut them off. Until that day—a day that will never come—continue to pray, trusting that God continues to listen and to provide.... Continue Reading

There are two primary forms of special revelation: Jesus and the Bible. With these two external sources of truth and morality, we can have a quite accurate understanding of where we are at and where we are going. Jesus shows us what real humanity is meant to look like, and the Bible offers us all the... Continue Reading

The problem isn’t ordinary life. Jesus slept, ate, joked, and paid taxes. The problem is that we’re content with the ordinary. We need to widen our hearts. We need to learn how the ordinary are sign posts to the greater joys, the greater relationships God has made us for. We need to be planning for... Continue Reading

The principal theme of Zechariah’s preaching was hope in God’s unfailing purpose. Hope is the future perspective of faith. Like all true faith, hope is objective, and its object determines its value. Hope is not a trembling, hesitant, cross-your-fingers wish. On the contrary, it is a confident expectation that God’s promises cannot be anything but... Continue Reading

It is sweetly encouraging to imagine traveling from one side of eternity to the other and arriving to find you are both expected and wanted, that God, his people, and his angels are already preparing to receive you with great celebration. Such is the hope and the confidence of the gospel.   Local news recently... Continue Reading

We are all part of the same body, striving towards the same goal—eternal life with God. The Church Triumphant serves as a constant reminder of this goal and a source of encouragement for us in our earthly struggles. Their victory is our victory, and their joy will one day be ours as well. As members... Continue Reading

There seems to be an expectation that one can create an image of Christ and not worship such an image. On the one hand, if the image is a true representation of Christ, then worship ought to be expected – how can we see an image of God in the flesh and not worship? On the other hand,... Continue Reading

Whether overwhelming circumstances tempt us to deny, distract, destroy, or even die, the God who never runs from trouble is he who holds us, his beloved children, in the palm of his sovereign, wise, and good hand.3 We can rejoice in knowing his sanctifying work replaces our love of escape with something far, far better: a... Continue Reading

Find a Bible-believing church where you can start building those relationships. Seek out a biblical counseling ministry so that a counselor can walk you through your struggles. Pray that God might bring a friend or mentor like that into your life. It might feel terrifying to admit your sin but remember that fear is a... Continue Reading