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‘The Calvinist’: Verse, Video, Vision for All of Life
May I invite you into the life of a Calvinist? It’s probably not what you think. The sovereign God of the Bible is full of surprises. Sermons and essays are good. But sometimes only poems will do. We...
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What Will You Say to Jesus?
One day we will stand before Jesus.If we could see through the clutter of our lives now, if we could envision that day when everything is said and done, it’s clear that the enduring mission in and...
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Let a Little Lent into Your Advent
“What Child Is This?” is no chart-topper among the children. The minor keys and slower pace make it less engaging to little ears. It’s hard to compete with the brightness, cadence, and pep of “Jingle...
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Prepare Now for Your Pain
Suffering has a way of pressing us to go deeper with God.It’s sadly not the case for all, but many have testified that their embrace of God’s sovereignty and goodness was catalyzed during a season of...
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When You Start to Outlive Your Heroes
How does an old man obey Hebrews 13:7?Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.At 67, who are my leaders? Who...
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The Gospel Shadow of Adoption: Amos’s Story
I was once an orphan with no hope, no purpose, no aim, but God in his kindness . . .These words are true for all of us who are now in Jesus by faith. Oh how easy it is to forget it, and shy away from...
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Lay Aside the Weight of Christmas Expectations
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)At Christmastime, it’s good for us to remember just how dangerous fantasies...
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When We Send a Person to His Death
Ronnie Smith was shot and killed in Benghazi, Libya, on Thursday. He was 33. He was a husband and father. The leaders of his home church have given me permission to respond to his death publicly and...
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The Hopes and Fears of All the Years
Bethlehem was, is, and likely always will be, just a small town — a small town steeped in ancient history.In the first century, the historical marker at the center of town — if they posted such...
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Living with the Loss of a Loved One
For Lyle Dorsett, it was the sudden loss of his ten-year-old daughter Erica. She came down sick one night, and she died the next morning.Years later, Dorsett and his wife Mary still are healing. Losing...
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For All Who Ever Lost a Child
Suffering. Evil. Death. All of us experience them. They consume the lives of our precious loved ones — sometimes in unspeakably horrible ways. They bend us to the ground and produce tearful groanings...
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The Allure of Middle-Earth
More than seventy-five years after J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit, the glory and majesty of Middle-earth continues to draw millions of readers, and more recently, moviegoers. This week, theaters...
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As Cool As the Other Side of a Calvinist
If you know Calvinists, you probably know some bad ones. The stereotypes aren’t fair, but they don’t come out of nowhere. Calvinists are “cold,” “heady,” and “condescending.” They think they have it...
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Is There a Point to the Last Minutes of Suffering Before Death?
I’m still thinking about Ronnie Smith’s death in Libya, followed by Christians and the mainstream media alike.Two days before he died, my mind turned, at it so often does, to the reasons for suffering....
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Five Steps for Relating to Theological Liberals
Lib-er-al-ism n. 1. The desire for the Christian faith to be free from the word of God in mood, methods, morals, or message.For many of us happily immersed in the world of conservative evangelicalism,...
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Newtown, and a Thousand Losses, One Year Later
Last year on December 14, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, twenty first-graders and six educators were killed by Adam Lanza, who then shot himself. This Saturday marks one...
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Stockpiling Weapons Through Bible Memorization
Besides the Bible, When I Don’t Desire God is the most life-changing book I’ve read. I use “life-changing” carefully and intentionally. It has changed the way I go about my day-to-day life more than...
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Making Christmas Melancholy Point Hopeward
Each year Christmas night finds members of my family feeling melancholic. After weeks of anticipation, the Christmas celebrations have flashed by us and are suddenly gone. And we sit in the messy...
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Rethinking Santa
With Christmas quickly approaching, several Ask Pastor John podcast listeners filled the mailbag with Santa-related questions. Corbin, a listener from Gainesville, Georgia, asked: “Pastor John, should...
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God Will Fulfill His Purpose for You
“I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.”This is the straightforward truth that David clings to in Psalm 57:2.Here he states two basic facts: God has a purpose for him and...
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