Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
“Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.” – Psalm 119:24
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Now, of course, we know that’s not true. The Bible warns us that our words have power. They can either destroy or nourish. There is one whose
Continue readingYesterday, as I was reviewing notes from a workshop I’ve taught on trials and suffering, I was again counseled by these words from Jerry Bridges: “As we watch tragic events unfolding, or more particularly as we experience adversity ourselves, we
Continue readingI’m pleased to let you know of a valuable conference taking place in late-October at the The Biblical Counseling Training Center of Arizona. The theme for their 11th annual conference is “Discerning God’s Will – How to Make Biblically Informed
Continue readingThom Rainer, president of Lifeway Christian Resources, is a servant of the Lord for whom I am thankful. Though I recognize we have some differences in philosophy of ministry and church growth, I have benefited from many of his blog
Continue readingThis past week, as I was preparing my sermon from Philippians 3:12-16, I discovered these beautifully-crafted words from an old Baptist pastor from the early 1900s. Commenting on the apostle’s expressed desire to fully apprehend Christ because it was Christ
Continue readingSince I’ve been preaching through Philippians since February, the themes of joy and rejoicing are reoccurring. Here’s a rerun post from 2012, the fruit of spending time there during my daily devotions. The book of Philippians has been my food
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Is it a sin to talk too much? Well, that depends. Years ago, my men’s small group discussed the discipline of the tongue. After reading a chapter in Disciplines of a Godly Man by Kent Hughes, and verses from Proverbs
Continue readingRecently, a man who had attended a conference in 2010 emailed to request the homework examples I had given in the workshop I taught on the need for personal discipline in sanctification. It took a bit of digging to find
Continue readingIt is no secret to any of us that we live in an age that is increasingly skeptical about the very concept of truth. What was once right or wrong, truth or error, is now simply a matter of one’s
Continue readingHere’s some articles that I found interesting this week. The Pastor’s PTSD – “My wife, Judy, and I know what it is like to live through a season of church conflict and not be OK, even after the trouble subsides.
Continue readingFive years ago, this month, I published this article. Since then 44,000 people have read it. Therefore, I thought it may make a good Flashback Friday post. I trust it will encourage your growth in grace. A local church is
Continue reading[Yesterday morning, we read this in our staff meeting. It is a precious prayer demonstrating dependence upon the all-sufficient God. It is taken from Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions.] O LORD OF GRACE, The world
Continue readingLast week, I spent several days in Psalms 3-7 as part of my study through Alec Motyer’s devotional translation of the Hebrew songbook we know as the book of Psalms. Whether or not all agree that Psalms 3-7 belong to the
Continue readingThe past few days we have received instruction from the Lord as to how to battle against worry. The apostle Paul’s words to the Philippian believers have taught us to worry about nothing and pray about everything in order that
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Have you ever experienced the power of encouragement? I can remember many times over the years when God provided faithful believers who were “others-focused” enough to come alongside and strengthen my hands for His work. The Apostle Paul had such
Continue reading“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.’” There
Continue readingMy goal in writing is simple. I want to increase every Christian’s love for God by increasing their delight in His Word, the Bible. That’s why I wrote my first book, Delight in the Word, and have just released the
Continue readingI’ve been thinking about last week’s post on three ways suffering makes us like Christ and remembered an illustration that I told in an earlier book. As servants of Christ suffer for His name, and for the sake of His
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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.
