Verse of the Day

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT

Meeting Jesus at an Old Testament Feast

The default sin of the human heart is to put ourselves first. “It really is all about me!” was once a funny t-shirt slogan; it has now become a way of life. Unless we are careful, the way we handle Scripture can actually feed into this beast. We rush to application, consumed by the question,…

Verse of the Day

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT

“Through a Glass Darkly”

“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 There are two mindsets that dominate the thinking of…

When Everything Is Not Obvious

Duncan Watts’s 2011 book is aptly named. If you can read words upside down. The book is entitled “Everything Is Obvious”, with an * after Obvious. If you turn the book upside down you can read the asterisk: “Once You Know the Answer.” The clever title gets at the book’s big idea. We tend to…

Ways to Disagree with Grace with Our Fellow Christians

I’m sure as Christians we are eager to defend sound doctrine. That’s all well and good. But is not also the unity of the body of Christ one of these doctrines which we should jealously guard? The unity of the church is one of the keys for which Christ’s died, “For Christ himself has brought…

Verse of the Day

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 NLT

Verse of the Day

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalms 19:14 NLT

Verse of the Day

This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. Psalms 91:2 NLT

Mercy and Scandal; Evangelism Is Mercy Ministry

Sometimes in the church we distinguish between gospel ministry and “ministries of mercy.” The distinction is understandable. Some Christian service mercifully focuses on physical needs, providing food, shelter, medicine, job training, and disaster relief. However, those efforts don’t necessarily address the more fundamental needs of the soul. This is why many churches stress evangelism and…