Category: Christian Life
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Trusting God in the Face of Death
Two heavyweight proponents of gospel, grace, and godliness – Michael Horton and Tim Keller – discuss suffering, forgiveness, Justification through Faith, Evangelicalism (and Fundamentalism), along with a number of other topics in this thoughtful conversation between old friends. (According to Horton, this conversation was his last with Tim Keller, before Keller’s death in Spring of…
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The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards Categorized
The resolutions of Jonathan Edwards is a treasure trove of thoughtful godliness. The earliest of these Resolutions were penned when Edwards was still a teenager – age 19. The list was completed as Edwards was finishing his formal education and beginning his ministerial life. For the rest of Edwards’ remarkable life, part of his regular…
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Exposing Injustice & Creative Non-Violence
In light of the seeming incessant increase of social and political tension, acrimony, and even violence, I find this thought from the folks at The Bible Project on how Jesus wants his followers to respond to injustice and injustices – both real and perceived – to be a worthwhile reminder: “Jesus invites his followers to…
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Gospel-Driven Sanctification
by Jerry Bridges Early in my Christian life I heard someone say, “The Bible was not given to increase your knowledge but to guide your conduct.” Later I came to realize that this statement was simplistic at best and erroneous at worst. The Bible is far more than a rulebook to follow. It is primarily…
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Formula for Wisdom: Discerning Right From Wrong
Jerry Bridges, in his contemporary classic book, The Pursuit of Holiness, writes about a time when a friend shared some words of wisdom, a “formula” that helps discern right from wrong: “Years ago a friend gave me what he called his ‘Formula: How to Know Right from Wrong.’ The formula asks four questions based on…
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Shaped Through Suffering
“The suffering that comes to us is not random. It is not just the flow of chance events that careen along without a plan. It is not crazy coincidence. It is not haphazard and undirected. It is easy for us to see suffering as blind chance, or bad luck, or what others are doing to…
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To Those “Born Again” in the USA
My good friend, Fred Liggin, recently posted a contextualized paraphrase of John 8.30-37 on his blog, Long Way Here, and on his Facebook page. “As He was saying these things, many believed in Him. So Jesus said to the Christians living in the USA who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you…
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The Ways & Means of Following Jesus
Eugene Peterson, in his book, The Jesus Way, wrote: Following Jesus necessarily means getting his ways and means into our everyday lives. It is not enough simply to recognize and approve his ways and get started in the right direction. Jesus’ ways are meant to be embraced and assimilated into our habits. This takes place only…
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My Sin is Ever Before Me
‘My sin is ever before me’ ~ Psalm 51.3 A humble soul sees that he can stay no more from sin, than the heart can from panting, and the pulse from beating. He sees his heart and life to be fuller of sin, than the firmament is of stars; and this keeps him low. He sees…
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Anxiety: “Do Not Be Anxious”
Three times, in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs us “Do not be anxious…” (Matthew 6.25, 31, 34) The repetition is a rhetorical cue that he really means it. It could almost sound as if Jesus is doing his own version of the old Bob Newhart Stop It! sketch. Why is Jesus so resolute…
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Nothing More to Gain, Nothing to Lose
“We are not citizens of this world trying to make our way to heaven; we are citizens of heaven trying to make our way through this world. That radical Christian insight can be life-changing. We are not to live so as to earn God’s love, inherit heaven, and purchase our salvation. All those are given…
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Believing & Belonging
I found these words from John Stonestreet to be on target, well grounded, and a great truth around which we would do well to periodically re-orient our priorities and calendars: The central practice of the Christian life, at least biblically speaking, is gathering together as Christ’s body for corporate worship, for hearing the Word, and…
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Ashamed of Jesus?
This past Sunday I introduced the lyrics of an old hymn to our congregation, as part of a message from John 18.1-27 about Peter’s denial of Jesus. The point I was making is that while we are easily “ashamed” of Jesus, whether conscious of it or not, our relationship with Jesus – and with God…
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Directions for Reading Christian Books
[Adapted from Richard Baxter’s Christian Directory of 1673] Because God has made available the excellent, holy writings of his servants; and many may have a good book, on any day or at any hour of the week, even those who have no access to a good preacher – I advise all God’s servants to be…
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Jesus Material Measure of Spiritual Maturity
In 2 Corinthians 8.7 the Apostle Paul challenges us to grow in the grace of generosity through giving: “But as you excel in everything -in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you – see that you excel in this act of grace also.” Within his textbook, Biblical Ethics,…
