Our deepest sense of wonder should be reserved for Christmas celebrated as the coming of Immanuel, God with us. The marvel of the incarnation ought to captivate us during the Christmas season and throughout the year. Read More ...
Before God made one molecule of matter, before one photon of light began shining, he had a plan to save sinful man. From eternity past, God had a plan and a purpose that required Jesus to be born, to live a sinless life, to suffer, and to die for our sins. Read More ...
This great change is something God does—he is working in us “both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil 2:13). Growth and maturity in the Christian life come from yielding ourselves to God (cf. Rom 6:13). Life begins to change when we live for him who died for us (cf. vs. 15). Read More ...
The central truth of the Christian Gospel is that Jesus died for us and rose again. His death and resurrection have monumental significance for us. It provides both salvation and motivation for obedience and service. Because Jesus died for us, we should respond by living for him. Read More ...
I hope all of us strive to value things that are eternal and profound rather than things that are flashy, superficial, and shallow. Christians have historically promoted things that are good, beautiful, and true. Our culture values just the opposite—things that are wicked, ugly, and false. We should love what God loves and hate what God hates. Read More ...
I wish that modern political leaders would encourage the nation to give thanks to God for all he’s done for our country. I pray that the leaders of our nation do as this psalm says—give thanks to God, call upon him, and seek the Lord. It would be wonderful if the current leaders of our nation turned to the Lord like the founders of our nation did. Read More ...
What are you doing to store up for yourself gold, silver, and precious stones? What have you done that will withstand the fire of God’s judgment? We want that great graduation ceremony to be one of rejoicing and gladness, not shame and regret. The prospect of the JSOX should motivate us toward faithfully serving God, serving his people, and obeying his word. Read More ...
Our ultimate approval in God’s sight comes because we are saved. God approves of us because we are united to Christ by faith; we are “accepted in the beloved” (Eph 1:16). The only way that we can be well-pleasing in God sight is through faith in Christ. Otherwise, there is nothing we can do that is acceptable to God. Read More ...
Anything we do in the worship of the church must have a biblical basis. It’s not enough to say that we can do anything not prohibited by the Bible. We must insist that what we do has biblical sanction/authorization. Read More ...
Paul is confident about the things he’s saying here, and we can be confident about them as well. We can know for sure that, when our earthly tents—that is, our bodies—are untied and fall down, we have an eternal home in heaven. We can be assured of that; it’s guaranteed; we can be and should be confident about it. Read More ...