Christians are exiles. That is, what Christians believe is becoming increasingly strange to the culture around us. We don’t need to fear this because God’s people have been here before. In the Bible, we are called ‘exiles,’ ‘strangers,’ and ‘foreigners,’ dozens of times. There’s plenty in the pages of Scripture to direct our thinking and…
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Found all throughout life, including sports, there is story. A plot is established. There’s a sense of anticipation. Good stories create tension, dissonance, and mystery. There are moments where the story is not going the way you would like. There are even times when the story doesn’t end the way you’d like it to; but…
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New Year’s resolutions are upon us. Goal setting can be a good thing, and perhaps one goal you need to have in 2016 is to be less busy. Here’s one thought that may help fuel your motivation. Jesus was a busy man. He was in high demand. Crowds flocked to Him. Everybody wanted a piece…
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High school was challenging for me. I attended a large public high school in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a graduating class of 460 students. Socially it was a nightmare. I had come from a very small, private middle school and as a result was clueless to what was and was not “cool.” Early in my…
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10. “Hey, girl, I’ve got the gift of prophecy and I see you in my future.” 9. “You must be made out of water, because Jesus turned you into FINE!” 8. “I have been struggling with loneliness. Would you mind meeting me to pray about it?” 7. “Your middle name must be ‘Grace’ because, baby,…
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With multiple pastors serving on the staff of a single church, and with thousands of sermons from hundreds of different preachers available to people through digital media, we run the risk of falling into a danger Paul addressed in the Corinthian church. That danger? Having a favorite pastor. In my own ministry context, I am…
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This article was written by Joe Carter and is currently posted on The Gospel Coalition. To read this post in its entirety, please click here. Islamic State claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Paris this past weekend that killed 127 people. In a statement, the group said the purpose of the killings was, “To teach France, and…
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If you follow the news headlines, it’s easy to get discouraged. It seems like everywhere we look, we see signs of cultural disintegration. The sexuality debate rages on, the atrocities of Planned Parenthood linger, and increasing attempts to privatize faith continue to march forward. If you’re a Christian, this can be demoralizing. But it shouldn’t be….
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This is the final installment to this short series on “Sloppy Christian Sayings.” The purpose in doing a series like this isn’t to be harsh or critical of what Christians say. The purpose is simply to encourage us to pay more careful attention to the details of Scripture. God bothered to put it there, so…
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We are all guilty, at times, of making statements that may ring true to our ears, but upon careful reflection may not be entirely accurate. I’m doing a short series of blog posts on “Sloppy Christian Sayings.” My previous post took up the statement: all sins are the same. Today: God loves everybody the same….
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