Previously, I contended (see here) that local church involvement is not an option for believers. The church (made up of local churches) is as much God’s plan for this age as the ark was for Noah’s. At times, it’s a…
Romans 5:5 – God has poured out his love into our hearts . . .
Have you considered how amazing it is that the Father has poured out the Holy Spirit into our hearts so that we can experience the love of Christ and be confident as we anticipate one day standing before God? “and…
Trevin Wax Reviews Unpacking Forgiveness
Trevin Wax, author of the forthcoming, Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals, posted a review today of my book, Unpacking Forgiveness. . . . Two things caused me to give Unpacking Forgiveness a chance. First, I…
Russell Moore: “What happens when you bite on this bread?”
I’ve been thinking and studying a great deal in recent days about the sacraments or ordinances. I’m okay with either word. I am convinced that we need to recover a more biblical view of their central place in the life…
Can Someone Be A Believer Yet Not Be Committed to a Local Church? (On the misapplication of the doctrine of the invisible church)
Do you know someone who professes to be a Christian, yet is not part of a local church? Those who profess some faith on some level, but don’t attend church might appeal to the idea of the visible and the…
“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe (Proverbs 29:25).”
People-centeredness (“the fear of man”) disguises itself in many forms. The question is not “if” you struggle with being people centered, but “how?” (If you think you never struggle with being people centered, then in your case the problem may…
Laura Ingalls Wilder, Her Wild Daughter Rose, and the Little House with a Long Shadow
The values vision set forth by the Little House books is one worth showing our children. But, as adults who live in the long shadow of the little house, we should probably also know something about the trajectory of the…
Perhaps, do nothing more than read the verse and Murray’s quote aloud, slowly, three times, with expression.
This is truth to be absorbed. Each reading will take approximately 82 seconds. "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For…
Head On: Apply Directly to the Forehead – I’m All Out
As a pastor, people regularly contact me to see if I inventory “Head On.” They want something they can apply directly to their “forehead.” Hurting people don’t always want the “Head On” for their forehead. Sometimes, they want a salve…
The Paradox of Repentance
Cornelius Plantinga: It’s hard to repent. And while it’s hard enough to repent before a perfect God, it’s even harder to repent before an imperfect human being. To admit that you have injured or neglected another person, then to go…