Unplugging the television
Unplugging our TVs altogether is an extreme measure, but following Christ is all about extremes. “If anyone wants to follow after me,” Jesus said, “let him deny himself.”
Ignoring our smartphones
The church can turn the world upside down, assuming the next text message can wait. All we need, at least to start, are a few thoughtful, intentional tweaks to our daily routines.
The world should see our fruit
When a tree bears fruit, you can see it. You can reach out and take hold of it. You can taste it. When people look at us Christians, they should see the fruit of the Spirit.
Following Jesus requires holiness
Come as you are, but don’t expect to stay that way. Justification explains how we are declared holy. Sanctification explains how we become holy.
Calvinism is about much more than predestination
If we want to understand John Calvin and his impact on the world, we need to realize that Calvinism encompasses far more than his soteriology.
Following Jesus requires the Holy Spirit
Following his death and ascension into heaven, the disciples had to learn to follow Christ when Christ wasn’t with them. The same is true for us.
Following Jesus requires prayer
On the one hand, prayer is one of the easiest things we can do. We simply speak to God our Father. On the other hand, prayer can be a struggle for us. Why?
Following Jesus requires commitment to the church
The New Testament assumes every believer will want to join the family of God in the local church. In Scripture, the idea of an “individual” Christian is entirely foreign.
Following Jesus requires the Bible
According to Christ, all of Scripture is about Christ. If we want to follow Jesus, we need the Bible.
Following Jesus requires a life of faith
For the next three months, I will attempt to answer the question, “How do we follow Jesus?” For some, it’s a refresher course. For others, these lessons will be foundational.
God offered Cain a second chance
I’m never surprised by the depths of man’s depravity. Instead, I am perpetually stunned by God’s patience with us.
God is speaking to us from the sky
We’ve lost the Hebrews’ sense of awe and wonder. Do we even notice the sky and stars anymore? I wish we would because God is speaking to us through them.
John Owen: The greatest among the Puritan theologians
Despite not knowing much about John Owen’s personal life and the difficulties of reading his work, he is still massively influential to this day.
Chronological Bible reading plan with OT/NT overlap
Once again, I’ve created an annual Bible reading plan. This plan follows the entire Bible in chronological order, with overlap between the Old and New Testaments.
The peace we seek is found in the Prince of Peace
We may grasp for peace and not find it because we’ve failed to identify the source of our most significant strife.
Do you believe in God?
What are the odds of nothing creating something? What are the odds of non-life creating life? What are the odds of simple organisms randomly mutating into complex beings?
Yes, heaven will be a familiar place
We do ourselves a tragic disservice by remaining ignorant regarding our eternal state. Our excitement for paradise is often tinged by fear of the unknown.
Heaven will be a new earth
Assuming we skip ahead to the end, Scripture foretells a day when heaven comes down to a newly created (or recreated) earth.
Do we take the words of Scripture for granted?
Lack of reading is not the only way we take Scripture for granted. Have we ever stopped to appreciate that God inspired men to write his words in the first place?
The best-selling book that emerged from a prison cell
For good reason, Bunyan’s allegory has proven to be the most widely read and distributed book in English outside the Bible. I pray future generations won’t overlook it.