5 Things that Killing Sin is NOT
I have been reading the classic work, The Mortification of Sin, by John Owen. Owen famously challenges us to “be killing sin or sin will be killing you.” He strongly states, “The vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.” It is our duty, […]
Through the Risen Christ
Because He is alive, we may live and live in freedom. In his classic work The Finished Work of Christ, Francis Schaeffer reminds us that we live as Christians only through Jesus. We live only through the power of the risen Lord. The law is not enough to save us, and it is not enough to […]
Let the Word Dwell in You: Why It Matters
My friend, Toby Jennings, is guest-blogging today. Toby is the Managing Editor of LifeWay’s Explore the Bible, a book-by-book study for groups of all ages. Toby earned his PhD from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. You can access a free preview of the first month of Explore the Bible here. When asked by Roman Christians how God could […]
Paid Debt and Response
Perhaps you have pulled through a Starbucks drive-through and experienced the barista informing you that the person in the car in front of you has already paid for your coffee. In that moment, your heart is filled with gratitude over a small action. It likely impacts the rest of your day. Grace does that to […]
I Feel God’s Pleasure When I…
The classic movie Chariots of Fire is based on the 1924 Olympics and two prominent runners—Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. Both were gifted and successful athletes who carried the hopes of their respective nations on their backs when they raced. Eric Liddell was a devout Christian who represented Scotland. He was a missionary, and some […]
God’s Gracious Mocking
Because “the sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply,” God is gracious to show us the futility of pursuing something other than Him. He is good if He mocks us in our attempts to find life outside of Him. Augustine captures this beautifully: I was still eagerly aspiring to honors, money, […]
Don’t Return to the Corpse
According to Galatians 5, there is an ongoing and internal battle occurring in believers. The Lord has graciously caused His Spirit to live in our hearts, yet at the same time, we are still plagued with our flesh, our unredeemed humanness. And though in our inner being we desire Him and His ways, our flesh […]
Christians and Our Idols
The apostle John wrote, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). In a loving and pastoral way, John encouraged us not to ruin ourselves by replacing God on the thrones of our lives with something else, something less. In our sinfulness, we are prone to wander, prone to leave the God we love, […]
How People Grow…in Groups
In Transformational Discipleship, we unpacked the important relationship between truth, posture, and leaders. God brings about transformation as godly leaders apply the truth to our hearts while we are in a teachable posture. Truth: The Lord transforms us, sanctifies us, through His truth—and His Word is truth (John 17:17). The truth of the gospel and […]
Do You Want a People Filled with Gratitude?
Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16). Most church leaders long to see the people they serve become a people who teach and encourage one another in the Christian […]