The 18th-century preacher John Wesley once wrote to a fellow believer: “Give me 100 who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen. Such alone will shake the gates of hell, and set up the kingdom of heaven upon earth.” It reminds … Continued
This article originally appeared on MissioAlliance.org and is reposted here by permission. If there were ever a time in recent history in which anxiety seems likely to run high, this current cultural moment certainly seems to qualify. As well as pastoring a church, I help faith leaders understand the nature of chronic anxiety. Most of us are … Continued
As a second generation Filipino-American I am very aware of my othernesswhether its at church on Sunday which includes a 30-minute worship set with a beautiful LED screen displaying the lyrics so we can sing along, a distant departure from my Catholic upbringing where we were accompanied by a pianist and the sheet music was […] This article explores how to love other Christians even when you don't agree.
The question Can I lose my salvation? is one of the biggest questions I wrestled with when I first became a Christian. I loved Jesus but still struggled with so many things and because I struggled with so many things, I wondered if my struggles would take me outside of Gods grace. I remember coming […]
Insights from the life of David on how to fight your battles.
Parents know that if they want to get a child to drop something, they need to offer something better in its place. We can apply the same principle when sinful thoughts come our way. Scottish minister Thomas Chalmers called this, “the expulsive power of a new affection.” This means that something is so powerful that … Continued
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” —Matthew 23:12 Our college ministry staff has been reading the classic Campus Crusade book Principles God Honors by Jim Sylvester. In the book, his first principle is: God honors himself, not men. Sylvester writes of five signs that indicate you may be … Continued
Have you ever felt like you’re on the backside of the desert or in some twisted form of an apocalyptic wasteland? Do you feel a bit isolated and irritated in your struggle with the COVID dilemma? Of course, you’re pretty sure God hasn’t abandoned you or moved out of your reach. But … You feel … Continued
Abraham was getting on in years, yet he and Sarah didn’t have any children. However, God had given him this promise: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing” (Gen. 12:2). Although Abraham was older than old, he kept believing that … Continued
There seems to be two extremes when it comes to how Christians view their relationship with their possessions. The first one is that God wants 10%, often called the tithe. This is based on an Old Testament principle that the first 10% of what God gives us goes back to him. For this group, after you've learned how much to give, you've essentially fulfilled your duty and can do whatever you want with the rest. It's like a God-tax. After you pay it, you're done.
