Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
“Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.” – Psalm 119:24
Joy 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 reading“In order for churches to accept those who practice homosexual behavior,” writes counseling pastor Ben Marshall, “pastors began to reinterpret those Bible passages related to homosexuality: Genesis 19:1–11, Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:18–32, 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, and 1 Timothy 1:10. These
Continue readingThe Bible’s call to the wife to submit to her husband is one of the most misunderstood and confused areas of the Christian life. Therefore, sometimes, when defining what something is, it is helpful to consider what it is not.
Continue readingThe Underestimated God – If you are discouraged, disappointed, or close to throwing in the towel once and for all then you must listen to this sermon from the life of Elijah by Ligon Duncan. I have already listened twice.
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 readingImmature Christians are fickle; unstable in all they do. One of the most obvious evidences of this immaturity is the shortage of discernment today. Too many believers are doctrinally unstable. They flounder, some willingly blown around by every wind of
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 readingO refuge near, our strength in weakness, forever in His hands secure; Emmanuel, God always with us, Almighty One within my soul. I’ll never fear the roaring waters; the tempests know the One in me. The hands that hold the
Continue readingAt a funeral service this week, a young woman from our church read the poem she had written in memory of her father-in-law who came to repentant faith in Jesus during the final month of his life. Sometimes the storms
Continue readingToday, I wrap up this 4-part series on Christian liberty. I trust this examination of 8 reasons to choose love above liberty, from 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, has been edifying to your spiritual growth. Here are the apostle’s final two points
Continue readingThe past few days, we’ve been working our way through the apostle’s instruction concerning Christian liberty in 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, exploring eight reasons to choose loving our fellow believers in Christ above the selfish exercise of our own liberties. The
Continue readingIn yesterday’s post we began listening to Paul’s admonitions concerning Christian liberty, from 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, and his primary operative principle: love is better than liberty. Two of eight reasons were considered. Today, let’s think about two more reasons. REASON
Continue readingToday, I begin a series of posts exploring the key principles of Christian liberty taught by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. As we learn from the application of the life-transforming gospel to the lives of those redeemed from
Continue readingOne of the greatest ministry graces the Lord has given me in the past decade is the privilege of teaching many times in the former Soviet Union. As a result, my heart is knit to many brothers and sisters there.
Continue readingTim Challies has produced another Visual Theology infographic that is a wonderful teaching tool to hang in whichever office or room you find yourself doing most of your counseling in. The Fruit of the Spirit visual is a reminder to
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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.
