Everything short of hell is mercy. This one truth should change the way we view our hardships and frustrations, no matter how terrible they may be. If we, as sinners, are not facing the wrath of the infinitely Holy God at this moment, our life is better than we deserve. That is true for every … Continue reading Everything Short of Hell is Mercy
In the parable of the tenants, the temptation faced by the workers is still faced by many churches today. The tenants wanted the vineyard for themselves. They wanted complete control of what did not belong to them. They desired to build their own kingdom, not someone else’s. They had been working the vineyard for years … Continue reading A Warning to Churches from the Parable of the Tenants
Last night, I woke up thinking about something I had witnessed long ago that had disturbed my young faith. The years have stolen most of the details of that night from my memory, but the impactful aspect of the event still lingers. It was one of those moments when the simplicity of youth is confronted … Continue reading A Disturbance at the County Fair
The following is a guest post by Pastor Rob Golding of First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. Sexual sin dominates the human landscape because, in part, it feeds off one of God’s most physically compelling gifts. However, there is an even stronger desire that more principally compels the human longing to transgress God’s design for sex. The … Continue reading We Crave Pride, Not Pleasure
What is all this struggle in the world for? Why so many attempts to be something and have something in a realm that will not last? This struggle for passing vanities is like foam and bubbles contending for a place on a rapid stream—gone in a moment! We forget that we are here today and … Continue reading How to Spend this Short Life
He always said his heart was satisfied in Christ alone—that he needed nothing else. He even believed it was true until the Lord enrolled him in the school of contentment. It is easy to boast when things are good, but the believer must often be trained by many hardships to make contentment a reality. Our … Continue reading In the School of Contentment
If a Christian is facing an illness that will not go away and needs encouragement, the Lord healing the paralytic who was lowered through the roof in Mark 2:1-12 can touch our deepest wounds but not in the way many might think. When the man who could not move of his own volition was lowered … Continue reading Sin is Worse than Sickness
I know from experience that when faced with troublesome circumstances beyond our control, our natural reaction is to fear, but we must ask ourselves, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" Have we forgotten our Father, and how many times he has delivered us? Yes, the storm is raging, but he can … Continue reading Why Are You So Afraid?
Many of our mundane moments go unnoticed, but we should pause to appreciate them occasionally because they will soon come to an end. I am sure this will sound strange to some of you, but I take pleasure in pulling out a chair and sitting next to a table or desk. The simpler, the better. … Continue reading Finding Joy in the Ordinary
Some of the most significant damage we inflict on our life together is caused by our efforts to create Christian community. If you asked 100 churchgoers to define “Christian community,” you would end up with 100 variations—many idealistic and unfeasible. Now, consider that many of those churchgoers expect their church to meet their expectations, and … Continue reading Does Your Church Lack Community? This Might Be the Problem.
The Fight of Faith 