What are the essential elements of worship music? My wife and I heard a stirring worship song the other day. Not only were the lyrics theologically rich, but the music was moving as well. Still, something seemed off. By the end of the song, we realized it was AI-generated—not merely written by AI, but performed … Continue reading Why AI Worship Music Feels Empty
Every Christian wants to bring his or her faith into the workplace, school, society, and our culture. But how do we do it? At the upcoming God and Culture conference, a slate of expert speakers will shed light on this all-important question. Topics include Christianity and politics, modern culture’s relationship with Christianity, and the difference between Christianity … Continue reading God and Culture Conference
Those who teach that works must be added to faith as a condition for salvation can never tell you when you have done enough. This fact alone exposes why you will never find assurance of salvation in their systems. The problems with believing our right standing before God is a result of Christ’s work, plus … Continue reading The Pitfalls of Faith Plus Works
God is doing more in our hardships than we can possibly conceive. Imagine you come down with an illness, or maybe you do not need to imagine it because you are facing something like that right now. This malady is not a short illness; it is something long and troublesome, so you ask the Lord … Continue reading A Thousand Wheels of Providence
Lately, I have been studying Christian contentment and have even written a few posts here on the blog. I recently had the opportunity to preach on the topic at First Artesia CRC. My goal with this sermon is to challenge Christians to reevaluate their priorities and find true satisfaction in God alone. - CLICK TO READ MORE.
There is something about me that always wants to be in control. If I am sick, I want to outlearn the disease and overcome it. If relationships start to fail, I want to be able to charm them back to life. We all desire control. I think this is why we buy into so many … Continue reading Finding Peace Beyond the Illusion of Control
Many people believe the punishment of a crime should not be viewed as a penalty the criminal deserves; it should be understood as rehabilitation that works to cure the criminal. These people believe this way is more humane and will keep people from being treated unjustly. However, it is essential to remember that if you … Continue reading A Gospel Perspective on Rehabilitation in Criminal Justice
Some of Scripture’s strongest encouragements come in the middle of some of its darkest passages. 2 Peter 2:1-11 is one such passage. It contains one of the darkest and most foreboding condemnations of false teachers, but Peter wrote it to encourage us. We see this when we get to verse nine, but to truly appreciate … Continue reading Bright Hope on a Dark Canvas
We may say we are fully content with God and that he is all we need, but we all wrestle with certain sinful attitudes and behaviors that communicate otherwise. They are characteristics incompatible with fulfillment in God, but there is hope. The more we grow in Christian contentment, the more these tendencies will lose their … Continue reading 8 Characteristics Incompatible with Christian Contentment
As Jeremiah Burroughs puts it, Christian contentment is a rare jewel. Every believer should strive to possess it, but often, we misunderstand what it is and expect it to do things it will never do. To summarize Burroughs, here are three things Christian contentment does not include. Firstly, Christian contentment does not mean we will … Continue reading 3 Misunderstandings of Christian Contentment
The Fight of Faith 