For the first time in ministry, I was genuinely tempted to close up my heart. I told myself I would love the church, counsel the church, pray for the church, and preach the gospel to the church as best as I could, but I would no longer befriend the church. Friends would be found elsewhere.... continue reading
Everyone who was friends with Chris knew he lived purposefully. Everything he did was intentional. Whether it was learning a new hobby, researching a leadership development tool, finding a new fishing lure that worked, or perfecting a card trick—all things we both loved—he was fully invested, which is why we got along so well.... continue reading
Normally, a disciple would ask a teacher if they could learn the Torah from him. But in this case, it is the other way around. Not only that, but Jesus did not ask. He commanded. In this sense he is more like a prophet than a normal teacher. But here the surprise goes further. Prophets did not call people to follow themselves but God. Yet Jesus commanded people to “follow me” (my emphasis). Jesus is more than a prophet. He is the Lord and King.... continue reading
Teaching your children to walk pales in comparison to teaching them to walk with wisdom in a world flooded with foolishness. Likewise, teaching your children to talk, and use proper grammar is child’s play compared to teaching them to be slow to speak, and to do so with grace and humility amidst the godless banter of modern media.... continue reading
I’m sure there are many reasons Jesus said, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). But surely one of them had to do with a child’s capacity for experiencing amazement?... continue reading
When you think about it, joy in suffering makes no sense apart from God’s grace, yet this is the testimony of believers throughout church history. Take, for example, the Christians to whom the apostle Peter sent his first epistle. He addressed them as “elect exiles of the dispersion” (1 Peter 1:1).... continue reading
There will be a day when every child of God will be invited to the one funeral that we will all want to attend: we will be invited to the funeral of death.
Yes, it really is true—death will die and eternally be no more. Along with it will die all the grief, pain, fear, sadness, suffering, and loss that death always drags with it. The completely righteous life of Jesus, the acceptable sacrifice of Jesus, and the victorious resurrection of Jesus, all accomplished on our behalf, guarantee that the enemy of everyone living—death—will finally and forever die.... continue reading
To think about God’s greatness, we naturally tend to talk about what God can do. We, however, are going to consider what God can’t do—and when you realise what God can’t do, his greatness might just blow your mind.... continue reading
Leaving the nest can be scary and, well, confusing. With graduations right around the corner, students are in need of hope-filled advice for the years to come. To meet that need, we’ve compiled some of our books’ most encouraging and truth-filled Christian quotes for (soon-to-be) graduates. ... continue reading
Studying the Bible can seem intimidating. It includes 66 books covering an extended timescale, full of unfamiliar names and places, and large sections can feel like alien territory. But each book is full of good news. In Isaiah: Here Is Your God, the newest addition to the Good Book Guide collection, trusted Bible teacher Tim Chester takes you through the book of Isaiah in a digestible and accessible way. ... continue reading
