salvation

I hate to disappoint you, but the Bible is not about you. Specifically, it was not written to improve the quality of your daily existence (in the way you think). It is not a spiritual handbook and it is not a guide to determining God’s will for your life. The Bible is not a story of God determining in eternity past to send His Son to earth to create a more satisfactory existence for you. But, this is usually where we take the story. We are seriously self-absorbed when it comes to our Bibles. Who else could take the unbelievable episode of Moses and the burning bush and bend it back toward our everyday experience? Or, the life of Joseph and draw out principles for effective management? Your life and happiness are not adequate points of reference for the scope of what God has done and is doi...

In a series of tweets, Tim Tebow has announced that he has cancelled his upcoming appearance at the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. In his own words: While I was looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ’s unconditional love with the faithful members of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in April, due to new information that has been brought to my attention, I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance. I will continue to use the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope and Love to all those needing a brighter day. Thank you for all of your love and support. God Bless! Tebow leaves this “new information” undefined. For those who have been following this story, you know that Tebow has been under fire for agreeing to speak at a church that&n...

There have been many challenges brought by critics who doubt the reliability and trustworthiness of the accounts of Jesus’ life in the Bible. Some have said that the Scriptures we have today are not the same as what was written by the apostles in the first century. As we will see, however, these challenges do not stand up to scrutiny. New Testament Textual Variants The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—were probably written during the second half of the first century. Unfortunately, we do not actually have any of the original documents (called autographs) in our possession today. Instead, what we have are copies, often hand-written by scribes to preserve and circulate the words of the apostles so they could be passed around and used in worship services. The fact that the original ...

“Lack of conviction is the nullification of leadership,” ~Dr. Albert Mohler. In this webcam interview with Christianity.com Editor, Alex Crain, Dr. Mohler explains how his book, “The Conviction to Lead,” bridges two groups in evangelical churches: people who gravitate toward leadership material and others who gravitate toward theology. Mohler contends that leadership that matters will embrace both. (www.albertmohler.com) Originally published February 22, 2013.

Noted pastor and author Craig Groeschel talks with Crosswalk.com’s Shawn McEvoy about his latest book, Altar Ego, and how his life changed the day he started to see himself as God says he is. www.lifechurch.tvwww.crosswalk.com Originally published March 08, 2013.

So often, it is the case that when church leaders make moves from one ministry to another, they leave the way people vacate foreclosed home. Hearts are yanked out. Relationships are fractured. Huge informational and resource holes are left behind. Sometimes, this kind of destruction seems almost intentional—as if the ministry leader had a singe of vengeance coming off his clothes. It is astounding that some who are in “gospel ministry” never seem to think of leaving in a positive way so that a grace-filled, gospel ministry is set up to prosper long after their departure. Departures from the local church—God’s house—ought to be gospel departures. Acts 20 illustrates this very different approach to departing. Paul’s example is instructive for church leaders, who—if they must leave because of...

What expectations do you bring to hearing God’s Word preached?  The preaching of the gospel is a powerful means of grace for the Christian, but is that your expectation? What is the nature of your expectations every time you hear the word of god preached? A gospel-centered church will have a congregation full of Christians with gospel-centered expectations every time the Word of God is proclaimed. Their commentary (and lifestyle) post-preaching will show the nature of their expectations, whether they are God-honoring or not. OFF-BASE EXPECTATIONS When it comes to the preaching of God’s Word (or gospel) . . . » If you expect to come away with intellectual insights, you will find something to satisfy knowledge cravings. » If you expect the preacher will say something deb...

In Christian circles, the “Sinner’s Prayer” typically refers to a non-Christian’s initial prayer of repentance and faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus; thus, it is often associated with the moment of conversion into the Christian faith. In some cases, however, it has created some confusion and misunderstanding regarding the nature of saving faith and one’s assurance of salvation.  Confessing With Your Mouth The message of the Gospel is the message of Jesus, God in flesh, who lived a perfect life, died on a cross as a payment for sins, and was physically raised from the dead. Now, Christ “commands all people everywhere to repent” (Act 17:30) and place their faith and trust in his work alone for the forgiveness of sins. The Bible says that saving faith is a repentant f...

Every year on Good Friday, Christians take time to meditate on the depth of Jesus’ sacrifice for us in suffering a humiliating, bloody death by crucifixion. It’s a time to dwell on what Jesus suffered for us, in all its pain and intensity, without rushing straight ahead to the good news of Easter, resurrection, and new life. The Last Words of Jesus One of the ways Christians have traditionally meditated on Good Friday is by reading and reflecting on the seven last words of Jesus from the cross. Luke records the final words of Jesus before he died on the cross: It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, ...

“How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” (Matthew 21:20). Fig trees are for making figs. Pretty simple, really. We plant apple trees because we want apples, peach trees because we want peaches, orange trees because we want oranges, and fig trees because we want figs. We might as well ask what good is an apple tree that doesn’t produce apples? You might as well cut it down. Or curse it, as Jesus did the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-19). How did Jesus know the fig tree was barren? Because the leaves and the fruit typically appear at about the same time. To see a fig tree covered with leaves but with no fruit meant that it was barren. Three insights will help us understand this story. First, in the Old Testament the fig tree often stood as a symbol for the nation of Israel ...