Editor's Note: This post is Part 2 of a 3-part series. You can read Part 1 here.

Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I've come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger,...

Sometimes loving the local church is hard. As with any relationship or commitment, there are ups and downs. However, loving other Christians is one of the clear signs of salvation (John 13:35). Unfortunately, many Christians do not have a right love for the church and most aren’t even sure...

Can you imagine if all of your conversations were recorded? Certainly, some things we’ve said would embarrass us a bit if they became public record.

The early disciples had one of those conversations. Looking back years later, I’m sure they cringed at the memory. In Matthew 18 they...

When you meet with the body of believers in which God by his sometimes secret design has put you, remember this great truth: it’s not about “me.”

You don’t gather to be mainly about you, but them. “Let all things be done for edification,” Paul said. That is, do...

"Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made” (Genesis 3:1).

Everything was good. Very good, in fact. All creation existed in perfect harmony, and at the center of everything was the crown jewel of creation. The man and the woman lived in...

I have made no secret of how impactful—yes I know that’s not a word—Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together has been in my life. I have read it a few times over the last several years, but the first time I read it was in the context of a men’s small group in my...

One Of The Best Things Churches Can Do For People With Mental Illness

Amy Simpson writes about the ways that the church can let those with mental illness serve in their congregations.

The Visible Body Of Christ

"The means of grace are present together is in the church," writes Guy Richard. He...

My husband and I grew up in a church which, at the time, felt like a Christian utopia. We thought we had the right doctrine and the right practice of Christian life. We had deep friendships and accountability. Our fortress was safe from strife.

Eventually, our church endured a messy split. Through...

"We know that all things work together for good to them that love God."-- Romans 8:28

Upon some points a believer is absolutely sure. He knows, for instance, that God sits in the stern-sheets of the vessel when it rocks most. He believes that an invisible hand is always on the world's tiller, and...

What does the Bible teach about hell?

To ask this question is to acknowledge that hell is a biblical teaching. That is an appropriate starting point for considering the doctrine of hell.

A discussion about hell is not like a discussion about purgatory. Scripture nowhere states, affirms, or implies...

It’s been several months now since Beth Moore wrote an open letter to her brothers about being a woman in ministry. While few women have Beth’s platform to speak truth to the masses, I have no doubt many resonated with her experience. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of women have...

If Jesus himself suddenly walked into your church, what would change (Luke 12:35-40)? Better yet, how much would change?

Consider Calvin’s burden for the church and plan for reform: God’s people must hear their God speak.

Here are three thoughts on three key issues that are...

“I don’t think it, I feel it.”  

This is the climatic line from a movie my daughter watches all too often about small colorful creatures who are happy all the time. I have heard it many times before, but yesterday, it all of the sudden hit me. This is the modern...

"Come Thou Fount" was written in 1758 and is sung in Christian churches to this day. What is it about this age-old hymn that keeps it relevant to Christians throughout the centuries? In my estimation it is nothing short of rich theological truths put to beautiful penmanship.

Orthodox Christian...

Let’s talk about theology.

Let’s begin by stating the obvious: it is entirely possible to read, think, and talk about theology in such a way that one dislocates head from heart. This is the exact phenomenon that occasions many of Jesus’ bouts with the Pharisees throughout his...

In Psalm 27:4 the Psalmist-Prophet-King David unveils the deepest longings of his heart.

 “One thinghave I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”...

My first year of pastoral ministry was insane. I mean insane! I was 24, single, and fresh out of a Pentecostal college (Lee University). All I knew of preaching was what I heard from Mark Driscoll and Matt Chandler. Theologically, I was just rescued from Rob Bell, Greg Boyd, and Open Theism. I went...

Recently, I joined a team of college student leaders in midtown Atlanta with our church planting partners at m28 Church. The goal? Starting conversations with the people of Atlanta. Our daily prayer as a team was simple and went something like this: “Father, turn our man-made conversations...

My six year old is the hardest worker I know.

He wakes up and gets right to it. My wife and I try to get up early every day. The alarm goes off at 4:00 AM and we make our way to the coffee pot and then upstairs to our bonus room to read our Bible, other books we’re making our way through,...

Jesus UnderstandsYourLoneliness

Jon Bloom writes about Jesus' deep homesickness on earth and how his life, death, and resurrection meet us in our loneliness. 

Why The Book of Acts Matters For Your Life

The biblical characters and the story of the mission of the gospel in Acts has deep...

One of the most sobering passages of Scripture to me is Matthew 7:21-23, which involves the condemnation of some who prophesied in Jesus’ name, cast out demons in Jesus’ name, and did mighty works in Jesus’ name.

What gives? If they could do such things in the name of Jesus, which...

"Nevertheless I am continually with thee."-- Psalm 73:23

"Nevertheless,"--As if, notwithstanding all the foolishness and ignorance which David had just been confessing to God, not one atom the less was it true and certain that David was saved and accepted, and that the blessing of being constantly...

Trees are one of my favorite parts of Creation. They speak when the wind blows, stand tall in any season, provide homes to small creatures and shade to larger ones. Some trees even provide food to sustain the life of other living things. They are intricate.

The branches grow and jut, here and there,...

“We’re expecting a new pastor soon, after many years without one, and I’m worried that some in the congregation will be tempted to dump work on our new pastor. Can you guide us in how to support and protect our new pastor both from his own and others’ expectations, so that...

"Students are the church of tomorrow." 

Is this really a true statement? Does the Bible teach that those who are teenagers are not real members of the family of God until they become adults? This could lead to the discussion about the necessity, usefulness, and benefits of youth ministry and...