Does Generosity Prove Your Love for God?
No one argues that miserliness is an admirable character trait. The national convention of Ebeneezer Scrooge urging Americans to be less generous doesn’t exist. Many perceive one of America’s strongest…
No one argues that miserliness is an admirable character trait. The national convention of Ebeneezer Scrooge urging Americans to be less generous doesn’t exist. Many perceive one of America’s strongest…
“Son of man, when a land sins against me…even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness”…
Last summer, our purebred chocolate lab enlivened our home with a litter of puppies. One of them captured the hearts of many visitors, both in person and online. Flash had…
Every once in a while a new movement comes along that seeks to capture the attention of people away from traditional faith commitments. My attention was grabbed by one so-called…
“I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring…
“I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians…
“A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by…
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). Have you ever broken the…
Dear Roger, How do I explain to my five-year old why God lets people be poor and homeless? In other words, how do I explain suffering in the world to…
Preachers have provided us with a plethora of postulations. I think I have a pretty definitive answer to that question. Here are some lame ones. Was Jesus doodling to stall…
Dear Roger, What nations will be involved in Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ? Scared Dear “Scared,” Folks have speculated about Biblical prophecy for millenia. Those in the…
What should you pray for your children? Pray a virtue a day: 1. Salvation—”Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in…
How can we survive economic setbacks? Do you fear the economic future of our country? There are only two approaches for meeting future financial needs including emergencies. One way is…
What is the point of Jesus’ parables? We must learn the context, the question and the hinge moment (the outlandish surprise element). The legal experts only wanted to call other…
This moving sermon by John Piper was preached at Watermark Church and was titled “A Tender Word for Pharisees.” Jesus shows God’s love for Pharisees in his parable of the…
The unbeliever is looking for something deeper and meaningful. He wants to know he matters. Jesus revealed that to reach the seeker we must not crowd people out with dogma…
Bad religion is decried by Jesus in Matthew 29 when He condemns the Pharisees on their hypocrisy. But we can easily commit the same sins. Here are seven ways you…
Faith is relational, not formulaic. If you are frustrated or confused by seeming inconsistencies in Scripture, the God of the Bible longs to meet you where you are, to be…
Jesus teaches the Bible is not a rule book. Jesus didn’t live in a set way. He lived out His love in a consistent way with His character as the…
Kent Shaffer codified his observations concerning Malcolm Gladwell’s sermon at Catalyst Atlanta 2013. His discussion of David and Goliath is both encouraging and life-changing. Israel was still in its infancy,…
We need to live lives that demand an explanation. Paul lived this life that didn’t make any sense. In Philippians 4, he is talking about joy and contentment while chained…
Galatians is different than other letters written by Paul. In every other epistle, he finds something for which to praise the young churches before giving them advice. However, he’s so…
The Mosaic Covenant, of the Law, taught the Israelites the truth about their sinful motives and that they couldn’t do enough works to earn heaven. The law stirred within them…
Modern Christians can be edified when the psalmist expounds on God’s law in Psalm 119 and says that the law is wise, able to keep a man pure, and a…
There are a lot of books, articles, and stage talks on how to get things done. In some ways, the topic has become so romanticized in Western culture that some…
It all happened in one day. One day he could choose his tee time at the nicest golf course in the country; the next he couldn’t even be the caddie.…
We have received all things by the grace, the unmerited favor of God, but all our work is done in the light of that truth and in the strength of…
Traditions can be biblical or they can simply be held because one is resistant to change. Distinguishing between the two is critical.
We live in a tired society, a weary generation. Will you choose to go back to the slavery of Egypt like the faithless Israelites? God had delivered them. Will you…
What is the model for the Christian church? We know that Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Paul tells us that as believers we…
God felt joy and delight for His creation. Our deepest pleasure comes from enjoying Him. Our identity should be based in who we are, not what we do. God made…
“So [Jesus] told them this parable: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country,…
People who are searching for Christ are frustrated by feeling they have to keep a set of rules to please God. The concept of receiving unconditional love is foreign to…
Dear Roger, I’ve heard that the Bible says that one of the ways we will know that the end is near is a dramatic increase in the number and intensity…
We live in a stress-filled society. Technology makes us accessible to anyone at anytime. Economic down-turns cause many to fear the loss of a job or a home. Stress has…
The Bible has a great deal to say about hope. In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter writes “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give…
Cain’s bloodless sacrifice was a homemade religion. Six substitutes for genuine faith God won’t accept are good morals and deeds, clear conscience, sincerity, great theology, religious rituals, cut and paste…
When we think about what we owe others, usually money, favors and other tangible support come to mind. But our Lord says it is that and more. “Give everyone what…
Our passion is to help people in their spiritual journeys so that they might become mature, passionate followers of Jesus. God is calling all of us to a greater pursuit…
Children have an incredible knack at comforting. One mother tells of her little Tina coming home late from school. “Where have you been, Tina?” her mom asked.“Lisa dropped her best…
Christ saw the Sabbath (and by extension, all of life) as being a time of restoration and connectedness with God. The Pharisees viewed the Sabbath as a day to prove…
Paul warns young Christians to be wary of legalistic pretending instead of grace-filled discipleship. Being obedient to the Holy Spirit means serving with a loving heart. We can do so…
True spirituality results from an intimate relationship with God, not a set of rules. We don’t bear fruit being religious laborers whose lives are defined by works. Our beliefs and…
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount contrasts the empty legalism of the Pharisees with the unconditional love and grace of the Savior. As believers, we can know who we are in…