Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
LORD, My sin has never been more repulsive to my spiritual senses, but Christ has never been sweeter. My strength has never more acutely felt like weakness, but Christ has never been sweeter. My awareness of living in a fallen
Continue readingWhen facing the reality of ongoing physical suffering, whether by disease or crippling disability, one of the distinct wellsprings of hope that believers in Jesus Christ have is the future resurrection of our body unto new life. Certainly this is
Continue reading“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms” (James 5:13). And if you are somewhere in between, do both. Sing a psalm while you pray or pray while you sing a psalm. Try
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Other than the Psalms, which deal with life in such raw honesty, there hardly seems a better place to turn when in the midst of trials than the book of Job. Job lost everything in a matter of moments; his
Continue readingCharles Spurgeon referred to the book of Psalms as The Treasury of David. Though David was not the only author, he did write more than any other contributor. He wrote exactly half of the 150 songs compiled for God’s people
Continue readingJoy is supernatural, it comes from God. Joy is dispensed from above before it ever becomes a reservoir within. It was “the joy of the Lord,” Ezra assured the disobedient and discouraged people of God, that would be their strength
Continue readingOne of the ways the Spirit of God ministers grace to us in times of trial is through music that is rich with biblical language and imagery. This does not necessitate the lyrics be direct quotations from Scripture, but many
Continue readingContinuing our study of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12, which we began yesterday, we need to consider five more markers on the road to true happiness. Happiness comes to those who have integrity of heart (v.8) – Jesus said, “Blessed
Continue readingOne of the most famous portions of the Bible is Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, which begins with what have become known as The Beatitudes. Each of these snippets of divine wisdom begins with the word, “Blessed,” which actually means
Continue readingAre you willing to suffer on behalf of the spiritual progress of others? Do you believe in the power of the Word of God to change human hearts? If not, your effectiveness in biblical ministry will be less effective than
Continue readingHELP! I’m Living with Terminal Illness is a new resource from the pastoral heart of Reggie Weems. For those suffering with a terminal diagnosis and for their family and friends, this booklet conveys practical advice, spiritual consolation, and, most importantly,
Continue readingFew attributes of God bring as much comfort to us in our suffering than omniscience. Knowing that God knows everything in the past, present, and future assures us of His providential care and the wise outworking of His perfect will
Continue readingAccording to Thomas Brooks, a British Congregationalist preacher who lived 1608-1680, church history records the extent to which the early followers of Jesus suffered for their faith. Peter was crucified with his heels upward—Christ was crucified with his head upwards,
Continue readingGod’s Word clearly exhorts us to test the teachings of men (and women) because there are many false doctrines in the world and, sometimes, more commonly, in the church (1 John 4:1). Applying this exhortation includes being diligent to follow
Continue readingEach time we are overcome by the depths of our sin against God, or the suffering it brings into our own lives and the lives of others, we are graciously granted an opportunity from God to run once again into
Continue reading“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2-3). Trials test how we stand in our faith before God and how we conduct ourselves before others while
Continue readingFaith is like a muscle; it gets stronger the more it is exercised and pushed to the limit. Though the nature of faith includes the element of submission (as we saw yesterday), this submission is not flawless, complete, or without
Continue readingFather, You say You are sufficient for my every need, my Strength for my every weakness. – Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. Father, You say You work all things together for good for those who love You (even feebly).
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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.
