Category: Spiritual Growth
What Kind of Older Man Will I Be?
I first heard pastor and author Alistair Begg talk about T.S. Mooney when I was in college. He gives some details about Mooney’s life in his book Made For His Pleasure: Ten Benchmarks of a Vital Faith (Moody Press, 1996, pp. 55-57). Begg first met Mooney...
Biblical Resolves for Every Christian, Every Year
If you’re like most people, January 1 brings to your mind the thought of New Year resolutions—using the changing of the calendar as an opportunity to review, and hopefully improve your life in various ways. Perhaps you will decide this year to improve your diet, or...
Jesus on Obedience
Did you know that your motive for obeying someone is just as important as the obedience itself? For example, if a child obeys a parent just to avoid punishment, or just to get a reward, it is not as meaningful as if the child were to...
The Stories in the Gospels: Why You Need Them, and How to Read Them
Ever seen a book about some event in history and thought to yourself, “That looks like a must read!”? And then, several dollars later, the book is yours. Was it a must read? Probably not. However, there are true stories about real people and events in...
What Is the Bible, Anyway?
We Christians spend a lot of time reading the Bible, hearing it preached, and meditating on its words. Why this commitment? We are committed to the Bible because of what it is and what it does. The Bible guides us to its purpose and power through...
Faith, Hope, and Love: Recovering the Essential Triad of Christian Living
We are called to be many things as Christians—generous, hospitable, disciplined, respectful. Each biblical characteristic is important and should be pursued wholeheartedly. But there is one set of characteristics—a triad of traits—that is foundational and essential: namely, faith, hope, and love. If we do not have...
What if You Fall Back in Love With This Present Age?
One man always comes to my mind when I think about people I’ve seen fall away from the Lord. He was so zealous for Jesus when I baptized him. His fervor lasted for several years. But then he started to “run with the wrong crowd.” He...
Mommy Wars: Judging and Feeling Judged in a Diverse Body
Within a few hours of airing on YouTube, a Similac commercial called “Mother ‘Hood” went viral. In it, groups from several different mommy sub-cultures show up at a playground—nursing moms, bottle-feeding moms, businesswomen-moms, even baby-wearing-yoga moms. Battle lines are drawn immediately and insults fly. Eventually, just...
Be Faithful unto Death
The second church in Revelation chapter 2, the church at Smyrna, received sobering news from John: they were soon to suffer severe persecution. Some would be imprisoned for their faith, and some would be put to death (Rev. 2:8-11). The message to this church, conveyed through...
His Truth Will Triumph Through Us
“We will not fear for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.” This victorious line is found in the English version of Martin Luther’s famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” It has often bolstered my faith. The truth is bigger than you...
