Psalm 25 always strikes me. It is one of those Psalms that touches a nerve with almost every verse. It is Psalm which is so easy to pray because it is a rich prayer to God. It is the cry of a dependent heart. The first nerve that this Psalm touches for me is the […]
As we come to a new year, we have yet another opportunity by God’s grace, to push the reset button on reading the Bible through in a year. There is nothing magical about reading the Bible through in a year, but there is something healthy about establishing rhythms and habits that become a part of […]
“And having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15). Almost 25 years ago I was at a pastors’ fraternal in California. I asked a friend of mine if he had any sermon tapes (yes, cassette tapes) I could listen to on my drive home. He gave me a […]
“Having put on the breastplate of righteousness” Eph. 6:14b Jesus told His disciples in Matt. 23:3, “All that they (the scribes and Pharisees) tell you, do and observe, but do not according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.” The Pharisees were self-righteous, that is, they thought they were […]
Augustine, speaking of godliness, said, “In that way the first part is humility; the second, humility; the third, humility” (Augustine, Letters, 118). He was not wrong. The Bible is chock full of commands and exhortations to be humble, for example, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10). To be humble is to have […]
“Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth.” The call to stand firm is not a call to dig in your heels against your spouse and stand your ground. This is often the posture of a spouse who feels trapped in marital conflict. They think if the make a concession or admit a wrong […]
I often pray as I walk in the mornings. This morning as I was praying for needs in the body, I found myself praying, “Father, may Your grace invade their lives today.” I began thinking, what does an invasion of grace look like? We know that we were chosen by grace (Eph. 1:3-6; 2 Tim. […]
It is easy to be critical. I know. The reason I know is because I can easily be critical. But yesterday I was thinking about the things we criticize. Some things are worthy of criticism because they are evil, sinful, contrary to the Law of God and the good of humanity (1 Thess. 5:21). But […]
I recently heard a reading of this essay by Reinhard Hütter, and I was able to find the original publication online. As a pastor, I have counseled many Christians who struggle with pornography, and I know that there are many more brothers and sisters who are in the same bondage. Hütter points us to, what […]