Author: S&P

How Do We Know God’s Will for Our Lives?

Knowing and wanting to be in the Lord’s design for our lives is one of the most pivotal heart issues Christians encounter. A woman who mentored me early in my faith journey said, “The Lord wants you in His will even more than you want to be. So don’t let figuring out His will become an idol. Pursue the Lord and trust Him to keep you in His path.” When we seek God just for a formula, too often we m...

shine

The tree root is gnarled,twisted, bending andcontorting until it findswater, the source of lifein the ground.It will not stop untilit finds it.Without thinking it continuesto hunt for sustenance,the hope it will get in returnfor effort, not of the mindbut the heart, its DNA.Underground, the search isrelentless, the pushing,breaking through hard placesso even the rootsforget how they are made.That ...

How Martin Luther King Jr.

One of my earliest memories is of a substitute Sunday school teacher chastening me for putting a coin in my mouth. “That’s filthy,” she said. “Why, you don’t know if a colored man might have held that.” It might just be my imagination playing tricks on me, but it seems as though she immediately followed this up with, “Alright children, let’s sing ‘Jesus Loves the Little Children, All the Children ...

40 Years after Roe vs. Wade

[Editor’s Note: January 22, 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, which effectively legalized the roughly 50 million abortions that have now been committed in America. The following is an edited transcript of a sermon delivered by pastor and long-time pro-life advocate, John Piper. Audio and video versions are available at&n...

The Woman, the Dragon, and the Child

Another Christmas season has come and gone. The last remaining decorations have been packed away for next year. Many people heard the wonderful story of Christ’s incarnation, and some understood it for the very first time. But the version of the Christmas story that most haven’t heard, the one that even many Christians don’t seem to understand is the one found in Revelation 12. It is this account ...

Grace Is Not a Substance

“The very center and core of the whole Bible is the doctrine of the grace of God.” –J. Gresham Machen “Grace” is the most important concept in the Bible, Christianity, and the world. It is most clearly expressed in the promises of God revealed in Scripture and embodied in Jesus Christ. Grace is the love of God shown to the unlovely; the peace of God given to the restless; the unmerited favor ...

Hobby Lobby: Standing Up for Religious Freedom

The Christian-owned arts-and-crafts chain Hobby Lobby faces steep fines for refusing to comply with the Obamacare mandate requiring employers to provide contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs in their health insurance plans. As Hobby Lobby continues to fight the mandate in court, what are the implications of the case for religious liberty in the United States? Originally published January 23, ...

The Apostles’ Creed, Part 3: Jesus Christ

As the earliest extra-biblical Christian confessional document, the Apostles’ Creed has stood the test of time as the preeminent testament to creedal orthodoxy.  The creed, attributed to the earliest missionary followers of Jesus, distills the basic outline of what it means to be a Christian into a short summation that belies the depth and richness of what it proclaims. The Apostles’ Creed We...

Mark Driscoll on the Life-Shaping Issue of Identity

People have struggled with the question of identity since the very beginning of creation. How you view yourself deeply effects how you live your life. In his book, “Who Do You Think You Are? Finding Your True Identity in Christ” (Thomas Nelson, 2013), Mark Driscoll takes readers through the New Testament letter of Ephesians for the definitive answer from God’s Word. In this webcam interview, Mark ...

6 Ways to Deepen Your Church’s Sense of History

Recently, I was asked why some evangelicals convert to Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.   Reasons vary, I am sure, but I commented that one theme I have noticed over the years is the fact that evangelicalism lacks historical roots.  That is not to say that it has no history; rather it is to say that a consciousness of history is not part of the package. Rock band w...

10 Reasons Why It Is More Blessed to Give than to Receive

The most unbelieved beatitude in the Bible is: “It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35). The giver happier than the getter? Surely some mistake? That goes against all our intuitions and instincts. So let me help you to believe it and act upon it by giving you ten reasons why it is more blessed to give than to receive. 1. Giving obeys God’s command The Old Testament has way more comma...

What Is Postmillennialism?

Postmillennialism is an end-times view that focuses on the progressive victory and expansive influence of Christianity. It believes that we are currently living in the “Millennium” and that, during this indefinitely long period of time, Christians are tasked to extend the Kingdom of God in the world through the preaching of the gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individ...