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Let’s Turn Pride Month into Prayer Month

It’s upon us once again: 30 days of unremitting, unapologetic, rainbow-banner-waving support for the LGBTQ+ movement. While I admit that I’d much rather bury my head in the sand and ignore this aggressive campaign, I’m convinced that we followers of Christ must launch a campaign of our own. I’m not talking about petitions, protests, or … Continue reading Let’s Turn Pride Month into Prayer Month

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Are You Casual with the Holiness of God?

Imagine that, after suffering a loss on the battlefield, an American army general decided to galvanize his troops by taking the Declaration of Independence into battle. Sounds a little farfetched, I know. What kind of general would play so fast and loose with one of the most precious artifacts in the nation’s history? Though it … Continue reading Are You Casual with the Holiness of God?

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Discipleship: Back-Breaking Work

If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you have been given one job. Before leaving His disciples and ascending back into heaven, Christ commissioned the eleven (and all future generations of disciples) to one major task (Matt. 28:19-20). Though you may see other verbs in the Great Commission as imperatives in your English Bible, the … Continue reading Discipleship: Back-Breaking Work

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He Was Forsaken That We Might Draw Near

Nearly 20 years ago, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ depicted in graphic detail the horror of the crucifixion, bringing to the big screen a depiction of the most agonizing, painful form of execution ever conceived. In fact, our English word excruciating, literally “out of the cross,” derives its meaning from this Roman punishment. … Continue reading He Was Forsaken That We Might Draw Near

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God’s Providence Despite Bad Leadership

Esther, the unique Old Testament narrative, could compete with any New York Times bestselling thriller: assassination attempts, conspiracy, hidden identities, vendettas, suspense, romance, and poetic justice. Most curiously, the book never mentions the name of God. Yet, undeniably, one if its major themes is the providence of God. At first, this may seem counterintuitive. How … Continue reading God’s Providence Despite Bad Leadership

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God Can’t Wait to Forgive You

Bloodthirsty, vicious, fearsome, violent, wicked, indomitable—these are just a few of the words that describe the ancient Assyrian empire. Though Israel was just a bump in the road to these pillagers, it was a bump they desperately wanted to own. So they started breathing down the neck of God’s chosen people. As they felt the … Continue reading God Can’t Wait to Forgive You

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Ours the Cross, the Grave, the Skies: Our Union with Christ Makes Easter Worth Celebrating

If you wrote one song every single day of the year from now until the year 2047, you would have written approximately the same number of hymns as Charles Wesley. Of course, when you write over 8,000 hymns, not all of them are home runs, but a few live on even today, nearly 250 years … Continue reading Ours the Cross, the Grave, the Skies: Our Union with Christ Makes Easter Worth Celebrating

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Learn Humility from Children

Have you learned anything from children—either yours or someone else’s? If you’ve had any interaction with kids, the answer is probably yes. I’ve learned a lot in my three short years of parenting, including the names of construction vehicles (I can now distinguish between a backhoe and an excavator!), the make and model of every … Continue reading Learn Humility from Children

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How to Help an Unbelieving Friend in the Valley of Suffering

It wasn’t a normal after-practice conversation. It had nothing to do with jerseys, jump shots, or defense. My player had something else entirely in mind. Slowly a few details came out: her friend’s family (of unbelievers) had very suddenly and unexpectedly entered a very deep valley. To them it probably felt more like falling off … Continue reading How to Help an Unbelieving Friend in the Valley of Suffering

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Don’t Settle for Change That’s Only Skin-Deep

Did you make any goals for 2023? Statistically, the answer to that question is probably no. According to statista.com, less than 25% of Americans made resolutions in 2022.1And even if you did make a goal for 2023, statistics (and experience) tell us about 9 out of 10 people will fail anyway2. No wonder so many … Continue reading Don’t Settle for Change That’s Only Skin-Deep

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How Am I Supposed to Pray When I Don’t Feel Grateful?

Feelings of ingratitude are bound to trap us at some point during this holiday season. An unpleasant memory, another snow storm, the stress of holiday shopping, the pressure of preparing the perfect holiday meal, tensions between family members, bickering between siblings, an undercooked or overcooked turkey, pies eaten by a mischievous puppy, or any other … Continue reading How Am I Supposed to Pray When I Don’t Feel Grateful?

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To the One Thinking of Quitting Church

Dear Friend, I wish that we could have this conversation over a cup of coffee at Starbucks. I firmly believe that all the best counseling sessions involve caffeine. But, alas, the written word will have to do. So, you’re thinking about quitting church. On one hand, I understand that. I assume that you have been … Continue reading To the One Thinking of Quitting Church

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Watching Out for Unmarked Paths

“Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”1 As Screwtape, the veteran tempter, counsels his young apprentice and nephew Wormwood, Christians are most easily led astray when they don’t notice it happening—when they walk blissfully along a smooth path with no warning … Continue reading Watching Out for Unmarked Paths

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Favorite Books of 2022 at the Halfway Point

I love to read, and I love to share what I’ve read with others. So it makes sense to periodically post an update of the best things I’ve read lately.  Below you'll find four Christian living-type books and one novel. I’m not on the cutting edge of brand-new releases, and I know that. You likely … Continue reading Favorite Books of 2022 at the Halfway Point

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The True and Faithful Witness

Nothing makes a jury’s job easier than eyewitness testimony that corroborates circumstantial evidence. An overwhelming majority of the time, an eye witness will sway the jury to their side of a given case. However, while many eyewitness testimonies rightfully identify the guilty party, other times the “star witness” turns out to be mistaken. The human … Continue reading The True and Faithful Witness

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Worse Than Trading Away Babe Ruth…

Have you ever heard of the musical No, No, Nanette? Probably not. How about Babe Ruth? Even non-baseball fans recognize that name. Surely any team would do whatever they could to keep arguably the greatest player in the history of baseball on their team, even if it meant trading away everyone else. Apparently, the Boston … Continue reading Worse Than Trading Away Babe Ruth…

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Self-Controlled to the Glory of God

Read through Paul’s letter to Titus, and you’ll notice that one word pops up several times (1:8, 2:2, 2:5, 2:6). The English word varies with translations: discreet (KJV, NKJV), sensible (NASB), or self-controlled (ESV, CSB, NIV). Usually when a word in Scripture has several English renderings, the word in the original language has a breadth … Continue reading Self-Controlled to the Glory of God