There are lessons God teaches us in the valley that we rarely learn on the mountain top. I wish that were not true. I wish there were easier ways to learn dependence, humility, endurance, compassion and prayer. I wish sanctification could happen without tears, weakness, sleepless nights, hospital appointments, unanswered questions and bodies that doContinue reading “Taught in the Valley: Why God Often Uses Suffering to Make Us Depend on Him”
Category Archives: Blog
The Quiet Crisis of Prayerless Orthodoxy
There is a danger that can creep into conservative evangelical churches quietly, almost respectably. It does not usually arrive with scandal. It does not always look like compromise. It can sit under faithful preaching, sing doctrinally rich hymns, affirm historic confessions, defend biblical truth online, and recommend excellent books. It is the danger of prayerlessContinue reading “The Quiet Crisis of Prayerless Orthodoxy”
Stop Apologising for Long Bible Readings; Recovering the Lost Art of Public Scripture Reading
“I’m sorry, it’s a rather long reading this morning.” If you have spent any time in evangelical churches, you have probably heard those words. Perhaps you have spoken them yourself. The Bible reader steps to the lectern, glances apologetically at the congregation, and warns them that what follows may test their patience. A chapter fromContinue reading “Stop Apologising for Long Bible Readings; Recovering the Lost Art of Public Scripture Reading”
Why Pastoral Ministry Can Be Difficult
I love being a pastor. I love opening the Bible week by week and helping people see the glory of Christ. I love sitting at kitchen tables, listening to stories, praying with people, rejoicing at baptisms, grieving at funerals, and watching Christians grow in holiness. Pastoral ministry is a privilege beyond measure. And yet, itContinue reading “Why Pastoral Ministry Can Be Difficult”
God’s Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Why They Are Friends, Not Enemies
Few doctrines generate more questions among Christians than the sovereignty of God. For some, it is a source of deep comfort. For others, it feels unsettling. Many believers hear phrases like “God is sovereign” and immediately wonder: What about free will? Are our choices real? Does human responsibility matter?
“Praying in the Holy Spirit”: What Does Jude 20 Mean for Christians Today?
Among the shorter books of the Bible, the letter of Jude contains some remarkably weighty exhortations. Writing to Christians threatened by false teachers and spiritual compromise, Jude urges believers to “contend for the faith” (Jude 3). Yet his final instructions are strikingly pastoral and deeply practical: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holyContinue reading ““Praying in the Holy Spirit”: What Does Jude 20 Mean for Christians Today?”
Why Don’t Our Sermons Change People?
I was speaking with a friend yesterday. I sent him my sermon manuscript for some feedback as I’m preaching in a context that I’ve not spoken in before. He said something, in a wider conversation about preaching in general, that got me thinking… “Sermons are often 90% information and 10% application. Yet pastors expect livesContinue reading “Why Don’t Our Sermons Change People?”
The God Who Keeps His People; Assurance, Perseverance, and the Comfort of the Gospel
There are some theological questions that arrive in the study quietly, and there are others that arrive with tears. This is one of the latter. Can a true Christian finally fall away and be lost forever? For some, the question is deeply personal. A believer battles ongoing sin and wonders whether repeated failure has exhaustedContinue reading “The God Who Keeps His People; Assurance, Perseverance, and the Comfort of the Gospel”
Head Knowledge Isn’t Enough: Why Knowing About Jesus Is Not the Same as Knowing Him
There is a subtle danger that lurks in conservative evangelical churches, particularly those that rightly value sound doctrine and serious Bible teaching. It is the danger of confusing theological knowledge with spiritual maturity. Now, let us be clear from the outset: doctrine matters immensely. Truth matters. God has revealed himself in words, propositions, history, commands,Continue reading “Head Knowledge Isn’t Enough: Why Knowing About Jesus Is Not the Same as Knowing Him”
Coheirs with Christ: The Staggering Privilege of Belonging to the Son
Few truths in the New Testament are more breathtaking, or more neglected, than the Christian’s identity as a coheir with Christ. The apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:17 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we mayContinue reading “Coheirs with Christ: The Staggering Privilege of Belonging to the Son”
