Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
“Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.” – Psalm 119:24
Crucifixion was a form of the death penalty used by the Romans in Jesus’ day. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia records the history and development of the cross as a form of punishment. The solitary cross as a form of
Continue readingI’ve been meditating on the goodness of God toward me in Christ Jesus, His infinite love and patience, and the well-spring of His grace that transcends my ability to merit an ounce of it—even if given 10,000 lives to try.
Continue readingIt is time for Christians to regain a biblical understanding of the important role that an assembly of believers should have in their lives. The sooner we learn that we are not called to be consumers on the hunt for
Continue readingIt’s been silent here at the blog for a couple days because I’ve been immersed in the 9Marks Weekender at Capital Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. For several years, I have wanted to attend this four-day event, but made
Continue readingThe longer I am a Christian the more I marvel at the genius of the local church. The longer I am a pastor the more I marvel that God’s grace would be sufficient enough to save, call, and equip a
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 readingIn the first chapter of the book of Acts, we peek into the window of a second-story meeting of early believers who were gathered for the express purpose of praying together. As we look closely, we see “Peter and John
Continue readingThis morning, while preparing my thoughts for a funeral service that will take place at our church in a few hours, I found my heart drawn again to Psalm 46. Over the years, this has been the psalm that I
Continue readingO GOD OF THE OPEN EAR, Teach me to live by prayer as well as by Providence, for myself, soul, body, children, family, church; Give me a heart frameable to Thy will; so I might live in prayer, and honor
Continue readingThe sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!” As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he
Continue readingThe context of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15) reveals that when Jesus taught His disciples to pray He was infinitely more concerned about the true state of their heart than He was in giving them a formula prayer. Verse 7
Continue reading“Family Counseling & Parenting” is one of the courses I regularly teach as an adjunct professor in several seminaries. Someone recently asked what books I require my students to read. Here they are with a brief description. You’ll quickly see
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 readingA couple months ago, our church had the privilege of hosting a financial stewardship seminar with Dr. John Temple, author and financial teacher. Some of you have inquired as to whether or not the audio files from the conference are
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 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
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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.
