Rebuilding Trust in Church Leadership: Biblical Models for Integrity and Transparency After a Season of Scandals

Trust is slowly earned and quickly lost. That is true in families, workplaces, friendships and churches. Yet when trust is broken by a Christian leader, the damage can feel especially deep. Pastors and elders preach the truth, call others to holiness, offer spiritual guidance and are often welcomed into the most vulnerable moments of people’sContinue reading “Rebuilding Trust in Church Leadership: Biblical Models for Integrity and Transparency After a Season of Scandals”

A Heart Aflame for God

The phrase spiritual formation can make some conservative evangelicals slightly uneasy. It can sometimes be associated with mystical practices, vague spirituality or disciplines borrowed uncritically from Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. Yet the Bible clearly calls Christians to pursue spiritual maturity – to keep our hearts diligently, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling,Continue reading “A Heart Aflame for God”

Could Your Devotional Material Be Hindering Your Spiritual Growth?

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?”

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”

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”

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”

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”

Heaven, Earth Made New, and the Glory of Christ: Correcting Our Vision of Eternity

Few subjects stir both hope and confusion among Christians quite like heaven. We sing of it, long for it, and comfort one another with its promise, yet our understanding is often shaped as much by imagination, sentiment, or popular culture as by Scripture. As a result, many believers unknowingly carry misconceptions that, while sincere, canContinue reading “Heaven, Earth Made New, and the Glory of Christ: Correcting Our Vision of Eternity”