Clik here to view.
Sing Something Fresh
I began writing new songs of worship when I was fifteen years old. No one sat me down and said this practice can be a part of growing in Christ, nor explained the spiritual benefits of writing songs. I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
When to Baptize Our Believing Children
I have a confession to make: I’m Joe the Baptist, and I practice covenant childrearing. When it comes to church polity, I’m a congregationalist who believes a profession of faith is essential for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
God Brings Us Suffering for Others’ Sake
Ongoing pain and suffering is hard. My wife and I have wrestled with her chronic pain for five years now. Everyone suffers somehow. It might be chronic pain, cancer, broken relationships, disability,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Both-And Woman and Her Bible
One day over coffee with a fellow mom, theology books were on the table — alongside sippy cups and cracker crumbs. My friend remarked that her theological breakthrough arrived when she realized that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is Your Joy Real or an Imposter?
Do you believe that “real enjoyment is essential to real godliness,” or does that sound more like a tagline for the power of positive thinking? Or maybe a self-serving cliché on the lips of some...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What Does the Rainbow Mean for Gays?
What do you think of when you see the rainbow flag?Most likely, you think of homosexuality or the wider LGBT movement. Gilbert Baker, the man credited with pioneering the celebratory rainbow flag...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A God Worth Repeating in Worship
Today, I read the most repetitive praise song I’ve ever encountered in my life. It repeats the same line twenty-five times. In fact, that line makes up half of all the lyrics!As a worship pastor, part...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Stampede of Secularism Will Not Stop Conversions
A few weeks ago, I was talking with some pastors in England. In spite of the fact that Britain has been outpacing the United States in the usual signs of secularization, one of the pastors said that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
God’s Math for Good Mothering
Math is not my forte. As an English major in college I tried to get out of as many math credits as possible. It wasn’t always the concepts that frustrated me; it was the process. All the long...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are You a Superstitious Calvinist?
John Calvin uses a surprising term to describe our neglect of the doctrine of God’s providence in the course of our everyday lives. He calls it superstition.Superstitious people wrongly attribute...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Have You Made Me This Way?
It’s in the nature of us to question our Creator. Why did you make me like this, and not like him or him? Why did you make him like that, and not like me? Why do some believe the good news, and others...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What’s Wrong with Designer Genes?
In April, a group of Chinese scientists announced a world first: They had modified human embryos using gene editing technology.The announcement was met with skepticism and widespread disapproval....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Join a Church
One of the most counter-cultural things you can do is become an engaged member of a faithful local church.In our flighty and noncommittal age, neither non-Christians nor Christians are naturally...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is the Hope of Heaven Beautiful or Boring?
In five minutes, John Piper describes the beauty and wonder of a never-ending life in God’s presence. When you think about spending a trillion years in heaven, does that hope feel satisfying or boring?...
View ArticleClik here to view.
God Is Stronger Than Your Stubbornness
What was it that changed your heart from unbelief to faith in Jesus?It’s remarkable to ask Christians that question and see how eager they are to give God the glory, not self. Which is a very good...
View ArticleClik here to view.
God Wants to Show His Wrath
John Piper says, “In all the Bible, there are no more weighty, or ultimate, or difficult words than Romans 9:22–23.” These verse tackle the issues of God’s sovereignty and God’s wrath. How can God...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wives, Adorn the Person Within
I was enjoying a leisurely vacation with my family. Two days in, I’d made it a habit of rising early, working out, and then — one of my favorite things when I get the chance — enjoying coffee and Bible...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Turning Fifty and Still Fighting for Faith
I turn fifty this weekend. Fifty. It came faster than I expected.I received a birthday greeting in the mail from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). I told my wife that it was like...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Joy Bigger Than the Issue of Our Day
In less than two minutes, Russell Moore talks about the importance of joy for our Christian witness in America today. Moore says, “A Christian can focus so much on an issue that it becomes an idol. And...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Do You Define Joy?
As we begin this series on joy in the letter of Paul to the Philippians, it seemed good to me that we should probably begin with a definition of joy. Definitions are simply descriptions of the way...
View Article