Suppose I wrote you a letter, about five pages long, in which I explain in some detail a controversial behavior of mine a week ago that people have been misinterpreting. And suppose that in the letter, I describe the behavior in a paragraph, and I give the background for it, and I explain my motivations,…
Category: Health
When My Old Testament Became Christian
Jesus didn’t grow up studying the Gospel of John, 2 Corinthians, or Hebrews. Instead, books like Leviticus, Psalms, and Isaiah shaped our Savior’s mission and understanding of God and his ways. What we call the Old Testament was Jesus’s only Bible. He summarized it as “the Law and the Prophets,” which he saw as lastingly…
Facing a Task Unfinished: A Battle-Hymn for Mission
Have you ever assumed that you’re enjoying spiritual progress or making the most of life simply because you know you should be? I have. The logic ran like this: Christians redeem the time. I am a Christian. Therefore, I must be redeeming the time. We walk by faith, not sight — but that does not…
The Quiet Grief of Caregiving: Four Balms for the Overburdened
“So, you’re a trauma surgeon! Tell me, what was your best case?” Suddenly, the studio lights glared uncomfortably bright. Undoubtedly, the interviewer wanted me to offer him a flashy, adrenaline-fueled scene worthy of TV docudramas, a story stuffed to the brim with clickbait. But for those of us who toil in the wages of sin…
Can We Pray for God to Teach Someone a Lesson?
Audio Transcript Can we pray that God would teach someone a lesson? Can we pray for God to disrupt and make their life hard, all to get their attention? It’s an interesting question from Tiffany today. “Pastor John, hello and thank you for the podcast. I know the Bible says to love our enemies and…
He is first in all things!
He is first in all things! Posted by appolus on August 4, 2024 It is not first holiness then peace, but peace and then holiness. The root of all holiness is peace with God. Until the clouds are rolled away and the sun shines pit, we cannot be warmed and enlightened. Until the frost is gone…
Live a Larger Life: An Invitation to World Christianity
When someone turns from self to Christ, he trades not only sin for righteousness, hell for heaven, and despair for living hope. He also trades a small life for a large life — a life as large as the world Christ came to redeem. The transformation takes time, of course. But in the end, the…
Your Pain Has an End Date
When I’m crying out, “How long, O Lord?” my pain has already outlasted my patience. I want deliverance — now. Today. To me, “How long, O Lord?” means “Lord, this trial has outstayed its welcome. Please fix it and restore me right away.” Maybe you’ve felt that way too. Yet even when our suffering feels…
Theology Without a Heart: Four Signs of Dead Orthodoxy
In 1959, Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) preached a series of messages on the topic of revival, including one called “Revival Sermon: Dead Orthodoxy.” In the sermon, Lloyd-Jones argues that “dead orthodoxy” is the greatest threat to revival, to the church at large, and to all individual Christians. Such an observation merits careful inquiry. What is dead…
Should My Construction Company Help Build a Casino?
Audio Transcript We’re now about a dozen years into the podcast — or eleven and a half years of podcasting, to be more exact. We have talked a lot about work over those years. We have talked about career building and finding our vocational calling, how to glorify God at work, and on the issues…