Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
In the past few weeks, we visited the book of Philemon twice. There we learned of what true, gospel-motivated forgiveness looks like in both heart and actions. One of the actions we saw modeled by the apostle is restitution. Restitution
Continue readingMatthew 6 records some of the most alarming words ever spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ. In the portion of His teaching which has become known as the Lord’s Prayer, He instructed the disciples to regularly pray for forgiveness. He
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The Holy Spirit was kind to include the very personal letter of Philemon in our Bible, as a case study in forgiveness practiced the way Jesus commanded. Three Main Characters There are three main characters in this true story of
Continue readingHebrews 2:11 contains one of the most surprising statements in the New Testament. It says Jesus is not ashamed to call us His siblings. Why does the Bible make this statement, and how can it possibly be true? Before we
Continue reading“Over and over again in the New Testament, Christians are reminded that God has forgiven all their sins through Christ’s death. And time and again, too, Christians are commanded to forgive.” So writes Julia Marsden, author of the little 10
Continue readingA gentleman in our church recently told me that he has listened to this sermon many times and it has changed his life. It’s called Bitter Root, Rotten Fruit and has been downloaded over 10,000 times since it was first
Continue readingHere are some resources that blessed me this week: Financial Disciplines: Remember Your Marriage – “Leaving a good financial legacy behind is worth striving for, but it’s far less valuable than the legacy of lifelong faithfulness. So learn to be
Continue readingThe refusal to forgive is a common problem among professing Christians and the #1 reason many conflicts remain unresolved. Therefore, it is essential for every believer to consider the most significant passage in the New Testament on this topic. Please
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What is sin? One definition is that sin is anything within me, or an action produced by me, which fails to bring glory to God (Romans 3:23). Whenever the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of your heart to see your
Continue reading[Here’s a flashback from 2011.] Here at the blog we have been thinking much the past week about forgiveness and the root of bitterness that grows in its absence. Today, let’s think about what may be the two most important
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My week has been pretty crazy as I prepare for a teaching trip to Ukraine. So, I trust you will pardon me for cutting and pasting from my class notes. The following is a bite-sized portion from the lesson entitled
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A passport is a powerful document. It certifies a person’s citizenship and carries authority to travel to foreign countries. While visiting other countries as a guest, your citizenship remains, along with a certain amount of protection that your country’s government
Continue readingFear is a crippling form of unbelief that usually leads to many other sins, one of which is the unforgiving spirit that leads to resentment and deep-seated bitterness. How does sinful fear hinder the experience of true forgiveness? Answering this
Continue readingNothing is more important than understanding what the Bible teaches about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What we understand and personally believe about this historical and supremely spiritual event determines our eternal destiny. Therefore, there is no
Continue reading“But You are a God of forgiveness,” the Levites prayed on behalf of the repentant people of God (Nehemiah 9:17). What a marvelous declaration! The spiritual leaders continued to describe their covenant-keeping God: “Gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and
Continue reading[A couple weeks ago, Dr. William Varner, a professor at The Master’s College, posted on Facebook some brief, but very insightful thoughts from the life of David, particularly about a lesser-known figure named Ahithophel. I asked him if he had
Continue readingAs we continue to walk through the story of David and Absalom, in my preaching at our church, we are learning that it is by focusing on David that we see Christ through him and the godly response to betrayal
Continue readingThe Subtle Art of Destroying Humans – John Knight: “As I had warned you, I was concerned that your boisterous assault on the unborn vermin with the rare chromosomal makeup (the “disabled,” as the other vermin call them) was going
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By God’s grace, I’m a husband, dad, grandpa, and pastor at Cornerstone Community Church in Mayfield Hts, OH. I love Christ because He first loved me.
