Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
“Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.” – Psalm 119:24
“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,
Continue readingWhen the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, rebelled against their Creator’s clear and good command, “sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Thus, Adam
Continue readingThe word “psychology” brings many different thoughts and images to people’s minds. What exactly does it mean, or does it perhaps have many different meanings depending on its use and context? This 10-minute video, posted by the Biblical Counseling Coalition,
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God’s leadership principles are the complete opposite of man’s. Consider just one. If a man wants to go up then he goes up. If he wants to climb the corporate ladder then he climbs (often stepping on a good number
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It was sometime between 1986 and 1988. The setting was the daily chapel service at Calvary Bible College in Kansas City. The preacher was an area pastor with a speech impediment. From his very first words my eyes were fixed,
Continue readingThere are times in our walk with God when we are tempted to think we have sinned one too many times for God to hear us again in prayer. But as humble as this sounds, and seems to us at
Continue readingTim Challies has just released his fourth “Visual Theology,” which is going to be a great resource for anyone who cares about biblical discipleship counseling. “Think on these Things” is a visual depiction of Philippians 4:8, which is not only
Continue readingChristians today seem to be clamoring for more and more celebrity pastors and superstar authors who receive applause as they arrive at conferences with their entourage, but what the church really needs is more faithful shepherds who are willing to
Continue readingIt’s been some time since I was moved to tears by our church choir, but yesterday the Holy Spirit moved through them in a powerful way. You could hear a pin drop. Even the babies were silent. As the choir
Continue readingSurely one of the most hope-filled verses in the New Testament is 1 Corinthians 6:11, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
Continue readingI used to practice “dump-truck counseling.” If one Scriptural concept was helpful to the person I was counseling/discipling then surely an entire truckload would be more helpful. Additionally, unknown to me at the time, I think was fearful that my
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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.
