There is a quiet irony in much of modern Christian publishing. We have more devotional material available to us than almost any generation in church history, and yet many Christians know their Bibles less well than previous generations did. That is not because devotional books are bad. Far from it. Many are rich, faithful, Christ-centred,Continue reading “Could Your Devotional Material Be Hindering Your Spiritual Growth?”
Tag Archives: Christian Life
Taught in the Valley: Why God Often Uses Suffering to Make Us Depend on Him
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”
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”
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?
Three Small Books About Big Topics
We live in an age of information overload. Students today have access to more content than any previous generation in history, yet many remain unsure about the most important questions of life. What does it mean to live well? How can I pursue holiness in a culture that normalises sexual sin? How can I speakContinue reading “Three Small Books About Big Topics”
Saturday Snippets (May 30)
As well as reading a lot of books, I also read a ton of articles every week. Here are some of the articles that I’ve read recently and have found interesting, helpful, challenging and encouraging. I hope that they will be the same for you, my dear readers
“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”
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