Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
“Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.” – Psalm 119:24
Right or wrong, God-centered or self-centered, there are many reasons people pray. But there is one foundational reason we often fail to recognize. We desire to be heard. It’s part of our make-up; it’s part of our design as relational
Continue reading[Today’s post is written by a woman in our church whose grandmother recently went to be with the Lord. What a wonderful testimony of the impact of a godly woman! After reading take a moment to meditate on the applicable
Continue readingA month ago one of our deacons loaned me the audio version of the book, Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, the life of the German pastor executed in 1945 for his part in conspiring to assassinate Hitler. This highly acclaimed
Continue readingAuthor and pastor, Daniel Darling, recently interviewed me on important subjects related to biblical counseling such as the relationship of counseling to discipleship, the pastor’s personal ministry of the Word of God, and the mutual ministry of believers counseling one
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 readingToo often we worship at the throne of our feelings. We are far more prone to say, “This is how I feel, therefore, I will do . . .,” rather than, “this is what I think, because the Bible says .
Continue readingThe goal of the Christian life is to become what we already are. What do I mean? Repeatedly in the New Testament believers are referred to as those who are “in Christ.” Since believers have died to sin and have
Continue readingSince hanging this visual of Philippians 4:8 on my office wall, opposite the door, I have been forced to look at it every time I enter the room. As a result, I’ve been thinking about how important our thought patterns
Continue readingThe following quotation is from Ray Ortlund’s chapter “The Pastor as Worshipper” in For the Fame of God’s Name. Though the context is that of calling younger men to seriously consider the high and holy calling of gospel preaching, it
Continue readingComparison is the enemy of contentment. That’s been pretty clear in my own life and the lives of others whom I know. It’s also been that which I’ve conveyed to others while counseling them. Imagine then how startled I was
Continue reading“Battling the Addictive Power of Sin” will be the theme of the men’s conference that I am speaking at in Philadelphia next month. Lifeway Baptist Church is hosting the event, which will take place April 27-28, 2012. For more information
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 readingLast night our six-year old daughter repeatedly asked me what I was laughing at. I replied, “This man says the funniest things.” After a few times, she stopped asking. I was reading Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life by
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 readingFaith—by its very nature—is submissive. Perhaps I’m simple-minded, too childlike, or unable to see the deeper issues that others see in theological discussions, but I confess to having always been puzzled by the debate over whether or not saving faith must
Continue readingThe Bible is a piercing book. That’s what the author of the book of Hebrews means when he calls the Word, “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12). The adjective “sharper” originates from the primitive root temno, meaning, “to cut.”
Continue readingA life of prayer is irrefutable proof of God-dependency… Prayer is the only form of communication with God available to the believer. It is crucial, therefore, that we understand how God wills for us to speak with Him. R. L.
Continue readingIt’s Monday morning and, honestly, I don’t have a whole lot to say. So, I was sifting through a pile of books that I read in the past couple years and was drawn again to another book by my old,
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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.
