Stop Living for Yourself
We are meant to live for the One who created us.
We are not our own because we are bought with the precious blood of Christ. (1 Cor. 6:20) So let us live for God; our rightful Owner; our righteous Master; our all-wise Creator. And as we joyfully live for Him and sacrificially live for others, we know deep inside our hearts that there is where... Continue Reading
Hanging Up Your Cleats?
The thought of quitting the ministry can therefore be quite devastating.
Regardless of how you serve, just because it is no longer as an ordained minister does not mean your life is over. Granted, this might be a very bitter pill to swallow. If you try to pursue the pastorate regardless of the circumstances, even if providential signs are pointing in the opposite direction, you very... Continue Reading
Objections to Church Planting
Church planting is God’s strategy to carry on His plan to take the gospel into the whole world and make disciples.
As we review the data about the church’s situation in the United States, we can see not only that church planting is good for regions and countries that are not Christian but that we need new churches to help Christian nations remain faithful to our Savior. Church planting should not be seen as a threat... Continue Reading
Gospel Audacity Today
All of us are called to trust God and take audacious risks.
God calls us to take risks, accept costs, and make sacrifices too. That’s how the gospel moves forward—be it to Rome, to rural America, or to Ricky in the next cubicle at work. Ambition and risk are the human ingredients God uses to put the gospel into circulation. The word audacious hardly brings to mind serenity... Continue Reading
The Honesty that Brings God’s Grace
If we admit our sin and need, God turns on the Divine supply of grace …
We will find compassion if we “confess and forsake” our sins. The Lord loves us, and His convicting hand is His loving hand, designed to pressure us to release what is hurting us and others. He will rush to our aid if we get transparent with Him and others. Are there sins that you are... Continue Reading
The Antithesis between Legalism and the Gospel
The ancient Jewish leaven of legalism even infected the church in the first century. Let us reflect upon this phenomenon and then draw out some practical applications.
The Jews, steeped in the mentality of legalism, once asked Jesus, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:28). This is the typical question of the unsaved person who does not know the gospel: What work of righteousness shall I do? How can I be good enough to ... Continue Reading
The Power of Prayer
Ask, seek, and knock are three metaphors for prayer.
Prayer is a powerful means of grace that God has provided to us. He has good things to give us that we do not have because we have not asked. Some may argue, but God knows what we need even if we do not ask. That is true, but refusing to pray is disobedience, and... Continue Reading
Does John’s Last Supper Chronology Differ from the Other Gospels?
This misunderstanding can be cleared up quickly when we examine the historical context.
It’s likely the case that John’s original audience saw no contradiction between John’s Last Supper chronology and the chronology of the other Gospels because they understood the way terms were used interchangeably in their day. Unfortunately, for modern readers who are unaware of the context, John’s language can sometimes be misunderstood to represent a different... Continue Reading
There’s a Religious Earthquake Coming. Can You Feel It?
What do we need to leave in the rubble heap and what do we need to rebuild?
Here we are in a society paralysed by the fears, anxieties and ennui of a culture that promised so much, yet has delivered so little. And here we are in churches that are in decline census after census, and which we will pull almost any lever we can find to ensure that the earthquake does... Continue Reading
The Judgement of Getting Exactly What We Want
Sometimes God gives us the desires of our heart so that we can see just how unappealing it is.
Things that are otherwise good or neutral that we chase after and desire – that the Lord has been keeping us from for our own good – that he eventually gives to us. In the end, he may give them to us so that we realise the Lord was keeping us from the things for... Continue Reading
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