• Posted in Bible, Devotions, Discipleship, Gospel, Sanctification, Suffering
Ten Big realities about God and about us that we all need to hear every morning.
• Posted in Books, Fellowship, Godly speech, Gospel, Grace, Life in the Church, Relationships, Sanctification
Paul Tripp's book Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands was written to help Christians counsel other Christians. While there is certainly a place for professional counseling, the book underscores the idea that most of our giving and receiving of counsel will not be in the therapist's office, but in living rooms, coffee shops, church lobbies, offices, classrooms, and grocery stores. All day we are listening to and giving counsel. The question is, are we doing that well?
• Posted in Bible, Discipleship, Life in the Church, Mission, Sanctification
Jeremy Walker at the Reformation 21 blog recently wrote a post with recommended books and resources for Christians in the workplace. There is a variety of old and new, long and short, so pick one that fits what you're looking for.
• Posted in Discipleship, Life in the Church, Sanctification
Michelle Alston has created a list of Scriptures (and some paraphrased Scriptures) that unpack in wonderful completeness who we are in Christ. For some of these, the pronouns are changed to personalize them, and for others a paraphrase is used to get at the essence of the text. Yet, these several dozen texts remind us vividly that God not only loves us, but he wants us to grow in our understanding of that love.
• Posted in Life in the Church, Relationships, Sanctification
David Powlison recently addressed this question on the CCEF blog (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation). His answers are insightful and helpful.
• Posted in Bible, Discipleship, Sanctification
Martin Luther gives us the biblical answer to the question, "When will I be perfect?" He says, not yet!
• Posted in Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Book Reviews, Sanctification
"No manliness no maturity! No discipline no discipleship! No sweat no sainthood!" (15). This captures the message Kent Hughes delivers in Disciplines of a Godly Man (Crossway, 2001).
• Posted in Bible, Devotions, Discipleship, New Testament, Old Testament, Sanctification
New Year's is a good time to think about your Bible reading and what changes you might make for the coming year. Here's a new reading plan organized around "the story line of the Bible: God's plan of redemption.
• Posted in Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Book Reviews, Sanctification, Work
The Masculine Mandate: God’s Calling to Men (2010), is an excellent combination of illustrations, biblical reflection, and insight about what God asks of men. We are to work the gardens where God has put us to labor – cultivating, nurturing, building up, and leading – in our parenting, marriage, workplace, church, and friendships.
• Posted in Discipleship, Evangelism, Life in the Church, Mission, Sanctification, Service, Vision
Everything the Bible records about Jesus—his birth, actions, teachings, miracles, cross, resurrection, etc.—is written with God's Holy Spirit highlighter that says, "Catch this! It is important!" The words about Jesus are not more inspired than the rest of Scripture, but there is a unique importance to them that has appropriately made them central to the church's reading and teaching for two thousand years.