One of the things I have been noticing lately is how often people will say something like, “you know, if my son or daughter (or wife or husband) had asked me the same question I just asked you, I would have given them the same answer you gave me.” They knew the right answer all […]
Faith Looks Out
Faith is not in itself a meritorious act; the merit is in the One toward Whom it is directed. Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus. Sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self-regarding. Unbelief has put self […]
Exercising Faith
In the Scriptures there is practically no effort made to define faith. Outside of a brief fourteen-word definition in Hebrews 11:1, I know of no Biblical definition, and even there faith is defined functionally, not philosophically; that is, it is a statement of what faith is in operation, not what it is in essence. It […]
Total Surrender
Obedience to God’s Word means taking refuge in Christ for forgiveness of our sins, knowing Him through His Word, serving Him with a loving heart, doing good works in gratitude for His goodness, and exercising self-denial to the point of loving our enemies. This response involves total surrender to God Himself, His Word, and his […]
The Blessing of Community
Pastor Bill Clem… [said,] “The world will not recover from the community of God’s people living lives to glorify Jesus.” This statement should change the way you, look at community in your church. We have the means to proclaim the kingdom of God through the same means God has always used: his people. The question […]
The Word Of God—Living and Active
I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking. The prophets habitually said, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ They meant their hearers to understand that God’s speaking […]
YOUR HEART DEFINED
Your story, your interpretations, your motivations, and your beliefs come out of your heart. This is the center of your life. The heart oversees the “whys.” Why work? Why play? Why love? It is the defining feature of humanness. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Prov. 4:23) Out […]
What it means to be Christian
“We are not to imitate the triune unity from a distance. We are to imitate it from within” (Doug Wilson, For a Glory and a Covering, p. 4).
Where Fighting Comes From
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. James 4:1-2