Although I’ve written previously about God’s essential role in changing us from the inside out, I want to share five practical strategies that have helped me the most in fighting lust: Foresight: Make choices in moments of strength to prepare for moments of weakness. For example, if you are tempted to look at porn at a certain time of day … Read More
Cultivating Eternal Wishes for Others, Part 5 of 5
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” 1 PETER 1:1-2, ESV Over the past … Read More
Reclaiming a Christian Identity, Part 4 of 5
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” 1 PETER 1:1-2, ESV As … Read More
The Implications of God’s Special Favor, Part 3 of 5
As mentioned last week, I first became aware of and grappled with doctrine of election when I was seventeen. I had just graduated from high school a year early and started my freshman year at Baptist Bible College (BBC) in Springfield, MO. I went there because it was affordable, the largest Bible college in the world, and the school that … Read More
The Basis of God’s Special Favor, Part 2 of 5
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” 1 PETER 1:1-2, ESV I … Read More
Finding Treasure in Unlikely Places, Part 1 of 5
Corrie Ten Boom wasn’t as sexy as Diana Rigg in the British cult-classic The Avengers or Maggie Q in Designated Survivor but she was the real deal. A spy who risked her life to save the world and protect the innocent. In her book, The Hiding Place, she tells about a time she was in prison as a result of … Read More
Understanding Jesus’ Teaching on Hell
“Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” Flannery O’Connor Friends, I’ve wrestled for years with the Bible’s teaching on hell and its implications. Although it still troubles me deeply, so much so that I’ve chosen not to include a featured image this week, that doesn’t make it less true. Below are the most helpful quotes I’ve … Read More
Is the Essence of God Love?, Part 3 of 3
I mentioned last week that, in scripture, predestination is a positive doctrine (e.g. Eph. 1:4-5 says, “In love he predestined…”) and should be applied pastorally like the following: “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day … Read More
Is the Essence of God Love?, Part 2 of 3
Growing up, movies like The Burning Hell made me think God was more wrath than love, and then, detoxing from that, I spent another thirty-five years believing love and wrath were both attributes of God. In viewing John’s plain statement that “God is love,” I stood with good-hearted teachers that said things like “certainly love is a very important attribute … Read More
Is the Essence of God Love?, Part 1 of 3
Fatherhood—including now being “Papa” to my grandson, Emmett—has provided me with powerful testimony to a loving God who, in Christianity, reveals Himself as “Our Father.” I shared this story about the first time I heard my then two-year-old son, Matthew, tell me he loved me and received this note from a friend: “IMHO, you are probing, without saying so in … Read More