Helping followers of Jesus to discover truth, goodness, and beauty through the written word.
Jesus was not ambiguous about the target audience of the gospel. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14, NIV). Jesus said his purpose in coming to our planet was “to seek and to save the … Continue reading The Importance of Missions in the Christian Life
What comes to mind when you hear the word Puritan? Do you think of old men in black robes, funny hats, and big collars? That picture is the most common caricature of the Puritans. There is also a misconception that a Puritan is someone who thinks that “somewhere in society, someone is having fun” and … Continue reading Learning to Follow Jesus from the Puritans
As a seminary graduate trained in two different personality assessments (The Four Lenses and DISC), I found Personality and Worldview by J.H. Bavinck a welcomed insight into our culture’s obsession with personality. Having the book Forwarded by the late Timothy Keller helps as Keller always approached things in a thoughtful way that respects both theological … Continue reading The Gospel Must Shape How We Think and Act
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men…’ (Luke 18:11) Are you a Pharisee? Of course you’re not! How do I know this? Because none of us think of ourselves this way. As Michael Reeves writes, “Nobody today is a self-avowed, card-carrying Pharisee, after all. … Continue reading The Gospel Is The Cure For The Church’s Hypocrisy
In his book, Friendship with God (Crossway, 2023), Mike McKinley closes his introduction with the statement, “God…deeply longs for fellowship with you.” It’s this concept, difficult for many Christians to come to grips with, that the author addresses. But admittedly his thoughts are not original. They are those of a famous 17th century Puritan. If … Continue reading The Triune Friendship of God
I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. … Continue reading God’s Symbol of Mercy and Patience
What you know and what you believe will affect what you do. That statement is true of the Christian life as well. In the last two posts in this series weI have discussed the need for being a three-fold disciple: head, heart, hands. First, we must know the truths of the gospel (head), which in … Continue reading The Three-Fold Disciple (Part Three)
I have heard it said that the distance between the head and the heart can be an eternity (though it is approximately 18 inches). Often times discipleship is measured by intellectual facts that have been learned. As we discussed in part one of this series, it is important that there be an intellectual aspect of … Continue reading The Three-Fold Disciple (Part Two)
What does is it mean to follow Jesus? The term that Jesus most often used to describe his earliest followers was the word disciple. The word disciple simply means learner. It was a term commonly know in that day to refer to the students of a particular rabbi. The disciple would follow the teachings of … Continue reading The Three-Fold Disciple (Part One)
Books about megachurch pastors are so discouraging. The success stories of how they built a church of thousands from a Bible study in their living room sell lots of books, to be sure, but they also hold up a worldly measure of ministry achievement, and promote an ungodly desire for celebrity status among pastors. For … Continue reading Learning from Spurgeon the Pastor
Knowing God. This is the single most important need of the human heart. Yet all of mankind is fallen, and we cannot know God apart from his revelation. But God. These two words thunder through the pages of the Bible, and lavish grace on sinners. God in his rich mercy has made a way for … Continue reading The Life-Changing Grace of Knowing God
Augustine wrote his masterwork, Confessions, some one and a half thousand years ago (397 AD). His name in his native Latin was Aurelius Augustinus, but he is better known as Saint Augustine of Hippo. Hippo was an ancient Roman port city on the Mediterranean coast of Africa where Augustine served as bishop. Even then, he … Continue reading A Glimpse into Augustine’s Confessions
