Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
Yesterday, our church continued our study of Ezra and Nehemiah in a series titled Repent, Restore, Rebuild. After reflecting on Ezra’s prayer of confession for the returning exiles (Ezra 9:5-15), I led our congregation in a similar prayer. Two members
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The history of Ohio, the state where I live and serve as a pastor, contains the account of the Cuyahoga River Fire of 1969, which is one of the most significant fires in history. On the morning of June 22,
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You have dealt with me because of all my transgressions; for my groans are many, and my heart is faint. Lamentations 1:22 Suffering that is nobody’s fault may be hard to accept. Perhaps more difficult, though, are painful situations that
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[The following article, The Unrepenting Repenter, is an outstanding tool for counseling and discipleship, as well as personal evaluation of our own hearts. It is written by Jim Elliff and published by Christian Communicators Worldwide.] The believer in Christ is
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Biblical repentance is an important discipline of the Christian life, but it can only be properly understood within the larger work of sanctification. God’s goal is to remake us in the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). In Christ, we died
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The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the well from which the fountain of new life springs. If you are united to Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection then you possess this new living water in your innermost being (Jn
Continue readingJeremiah prophesied to the southern kingdom of Judah before and as the people were taken away to Babylon by king Nebuchadnezzar. Chapter 32 of this prophetic book, which I preached last Sunday, is the center of a three-chapter section in
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Immediately following Adam’s and Eve’s choice to rebel against God’s singular command, the eyes that were blinded by Satan’s lies were opened (Genesis 3:7). Guilt was known. Shame was felt. They did what they could to hide their sin. And
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Imagine you are a long road trip to visit your grandmother for Thanksgiving Day. The low-fuel light turns red on your dashboard indicating you have about 30 miles worth of gas left in the tank, and the next exit is
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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
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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
Continue readingEvangelical Christians continue to be obsessed with political activism as the answer to the problems of our nation. “If we can only get the right people into the right positions who can then make the right laws we can turn
Continue readingWhile meditating on Psalm 51 and the gracious work of God in David’s heart, Sinclair Ferguson, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC, describes the layers of sin that dwell in our hearts. Understanding the depth of our sinfulness
Continue readingGod listens to those who listen to him. The proof of this is all over Scripture. Isaiah 66:2 offers a prime example when God says, “this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite
Continue readingLORD JESUS, Give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin; a dread of its approach; Help me chastely flee it, and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be thine alone. Give me a deeper trust, that I may
Continue readingAs you pray for your local church ask the Lord to bring true revival to the hearts of believers. That’s where revival begins. Here are some thoughts to get you started. They come from Del Fehensfeld, Jr. in his book
Continue readingWhile recently meditating on 1 John 1:8-2:1, the Holy Spirit uncovered ten significant truths that I affirm every time I acceptably confess my sin to God. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
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The Bible is clear. Each of us is a selfish sinner, and so is every other person with whom we have a relationship. Therefore, conflict is inevitable. This never excuses our own sinful actions or attitudes, however, but God’s Word
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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.
