Giving to others equals lending to God: a mandate for generosity
God doesn’t need us to loan him anything. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. What God does expect is that our transformation by the power of the gospel will include a change in how we see and use all of the resources we have.
How we can, and why we should, embrace our everyday powerlessness
A favorite repost from 2021.
It may be just one thing, but I suspect it is more like one life
Some talk about our service as our “for such a time as this” moment. Maybe it would be wiser simply to think of each moment as a one God can use to accomplish his purpose through us.
There’s so much I cannot do, but there’s one thing all of us can do
The list of things I cannot do would be very long. That’s probably true for you, too. But we can relax with the good news of what God tells every one of us can do.
A psalm for the suffering: It’s OK to ask God the hard questions
I was 28 or 29 when I first memorized and prayed these verses. And through many seasons of suffering since then, I have come back to them again and again.
Why we should be careful when we’re tempted to bet on our own horse
Owners can bet on their own horses. Athletes can feel confident about their own strength. Leaders can assume past successes guarantee future fortune. Solomon has a warning for all of them.
Just as Paul was grateful for his readers, I am thankful for you
Paul said of his readers that because of their faith in Jesus, the gospel was being proclaimed throughout the world. I know this is true of my readers, too.
The most important way to think of yourself and introduce yourself
When we think of how we typically introduce ourselves, we’re struck by how Paul described himself to those he was writing.
An example of transformation, and a pause to consider our own
The transformation of our lives is a long, slow arc of change, and we must be diligent to allow God’s work of transformation to continue. We want to end our lives like the transformed Paul.
His groaning, our rejoicing that he has entered the house of God
Eddie walked into a place God had prepared for him. And he was reunited with many he loved and thousands more he never knew he had influenced for good and for God.
Three lessons from Psalm 3 about God’s activity in our lives
We can learn many things from David. Three practical, helpful lessons are all together in Psalm 3.
Remembering a friend: calling out to God and called home by him
Eddie knew the Lord, and as a man of faith who spent his whole career in Christian higher education, he no doubt had read and prayed this passage many times in seasons of difficulty.
Doing it yourself has advantages, but it comes with consequences
A favorite repost from 2021.
A young king realized what we can see about the vitality of God’s Word
He wept and repented when he realized he and his people had been ignoring God’s Word. It’s an example for us as we consider the copies of Scripture we own.
What does a life look like when it has been truly transformed?
The apostle Paul gives us a profound picture of a life transformed. Even a brief look provides a challenging example for every believer.
The psalmist compares healthy spirituality to a flourishing tree
We get to choose whom we will listen to and from whom we receive advice and counsel for our lives. But Psalm 1 narrows our choices into two options.
Tasty morsels can lead to death: the danger of ‘delicious’ gossip
“Gracious words are like honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”
In times of tiredness and trouble, David gives us the prayer we need
“With my voice I cry out to the Lord. . . . With my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. . . . I pour out my complaint before him.”
Praying ‘God bless America’—it’s more than a song or a sentiment
A favorite repost from 2021.