Even if the worst happens in this life, you can persevere with strength, comfort, peace, and joy, because you have a true, righteous, human, and divine mediator and deliverer. Jesus is your human and divine mediator and deliverer in the midst of your fears and anxiety, and that is comfort for your soul.     ... Continue Reading

Taken together, these considerations point to the conclusion that the “all Israel” that shall be saved is the whole covenant people of God, the completed olive tree, comprising the full number of elect Jews and Gentiles. Thus, Paul’s declaration should be understood neither as a prophecy of a future conversion of the great body of... Continue Reading

Our self-sufficiency is a myth that will be dispelled by coming seasons of trials and dependence on Jesus Christ’s sure victory. Hallelujah.   I walk in the wilderness near home in Northern California. The autumn breeze cools my face as I watch our dog roam ahead. Falling pine needles and leaves totter and spin about,... Continue Reading

Garden friendships require a more intentional investment of time and attention that only a few people can provide. Jesus asked nine disciples to sit close by, but only three were asked to remain closer to Him in His desperate hour.   “Jesus could have done it alone, but he didn’t.” Our conference speaker, Dave Busby,... Continue Reading

Scoffers abound. Sources of wisdom are rare. Let us seek out God’s voice through his Word, through prayer, and through godly people around us so that our roots might go deep in his streams of wisdom.   How loud are the voices of scoffers in your life? The mockers, the angry, the rude, the crass.... Continue Reading

Always remember that your work ethic flows from your identity in Christ. Let who you are in Him shape how you speak, pray, prepare, and respond in work environments that are toxic and challenging.   As a minister I don’t always experience the feelings you do before another day at work, but I counsel many... Continue Reading

Do you let Scripture dissect your feelings and examine them, or do you accept them as “valid” for interpreting your situation and pushing you to act? The latter can be very dangerous when it comes to our spiritual navigation.   Ripples and Response Ripples on the surface of water: it’s a fitting image for human... Continue Reading

In a culture that conditions personal identity on the 70-hour work-week, Calvin’s insistence here acts as a vital reframing of the way we view our lives. This theological guardrail against excessive devotion to one’s career was further reinforced by Calvin’s distinction between sloth and leisure. The former is a sinful neglecting of our callings. The... Continue Reading

What would it look like to see with the spiritual eyes God intends us to have? In what might seem like an ordinary section of his letter, the author of Hebrews gives us an answer. “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers” (Heb. 13:1-2), he admonishes. If I were writing... Continue Reading

While building successful and dynamic churches or ministries can be a good thing, it is also possible that such building can be done as another opportunity to build a name for ourselves. Anyone paying attention over the last decade can see how many churches and ministries have been shipwrecked by the desire for self-glorification. Now,... Continue Reading

Dads, you might not realize or be interested or even think it’s fair that such a weight of responsibility falls on you as the primary spiritual influence in the lives of your children. Sorry – you are, whether you like it or even know it or not. In these matters, there’s really not a choice.... Continue Reading

All Christians are called to garden work, and pastors are called to model it—to labor diligently like farmers as we cultivate the health of the saints under our care. (2 Tim. 2:6). Our churches are “God’s field” (1 Cor. 3:9). This simple truth should reorient the way all Christians view the church. Are you cultivating... Continue Reading

It takes a certain level of wisdom to see the pain as a means for joy. We must see the trials we endure as the means by which God shows us we are truly dependent on Christ. When all else is stripped away, all we have is Christ. What is our only comfort, or joy,... Continue Reading

We live in a world vandalized by the fall into sin.  Things are breaking down.  We’re breaking down.  Not just me, but all of us are terminal cases.  Right now, if everything is clear in your mind and God’s grace enables you, you can take hold of Christ and believe.  He holds on to you,... Continue Reading

The pattern then is clear: we cease working, we gather and feast, we remember what God has done and all he has provided for us, and we give thanks with joy.     Thanksgiving is upon us. In this article, I want to explore a little slice of what the Bible says about gratitude, but... Continue Reading

Christ is the faithful Covenant Head who never abandons those under His care. Every other covenant derives its strength from Him, and every refuge finds its fulfillment in Him.     God has established various covenant relationships—family, church, and civil government—to provide both protection and accountability. That protection is both physical and moral. It guards... Continue Reading

The hard truth is that our kids will experience meanness, unfairness, loss, and uncertainty. This is often not just painful, but confusing. We want them to feel loved and accepted and cared for. But as caregivers, we must also ask ourselves, “Why?” Why do we want them to feel loved? It can’t just be to... Continue Reading

“We will praise God because His lovingkindness is better than life.” It is not hyperbole. This is literally true—that those who know God truly can say with all their hearts, “Yes, life is precious, but the lovingkindness of God is better.” Therefore our lips shall praise Him. We will not be silent.     “O... Continue Reading

I want to walk in the confidence of prayers heard. I want to push away fear with the reality of a prayer-hearing God. I want to evangelize and kill sin and read my Bible knowing that as I’ve prayed for God’s help in these areas, God will surely come to my aid. I want to... Continue Reading

There is a strange unspoken theory percolating that believes loud means courage and faithfulness. They must be doing a great work of God because they are always speaking up and out. They’re condemning the government and they use words like ‘woke’ and ‘weak’ to describe those Christians who aren’t joining in loud unison. But of... Continue Reading