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In rejecting God, many in the modern West have turned to an alternative “gospel”—by that, I mean a truth which people look to for happiness: a big philosophy to live by. One of the biggest “gospels” our culture sells us is the gospel of self-esteem: “Look within to find out who you are: what you find is wonderful”.... continue reading
A powerful answer to this question can be found in the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was martyred for his faith. He begins his book, The Cost of Discipleship, with a chapter entitled “Costly Grace”. Costly grace is to be understood in part by contrasting it with what he called “cheap grace”. But what can this mean, since God’s grace is supposed to be free?... continue reading
The Bible encourages and reminds God’s people about who he is and why we can trust him. It helps us to have confidence when we are feeling uncertain about our circumstances or anxious about the future.
As we celebrate 30 years of opening up the Bible, we asked some of our staff to share an unchanging truth from God's word that is particularly precious to them, which they come back to again and again for encouragement.... continue reading
They’re few and far between, aren’t they, those days of transcendent joy? You’ve probably experienced a few of them in your life—when the guy you liked finally noticed you; when you got accepted to the college you’d been dreaming of; when you slept well, woke up late and knew the vacation was just beginning. But a life can’t all be highlights, and I’m sure you’ve had more than one moment of wondering, “How do I keep a feeling of contentment on the ordinary days, let alone the difficult days?”... continue reading
I can relate to exiled Israel, who quickly forget about God’s command to keep the Sabbath. Maybe you can, too. It’s so easy to let go of the rhythm of rest, forget all that rest is meant to help us remember, let loose a flood of issues, and by that stage be so far into forgetfulness that we wonder where all these issues came from and how on earth we might turn the tide.... continue reading
Life can be desperately difficult. The impact of the fall is everywhere and hard things come at us each day. Sometimes it feels relentless. Sometimes we’ll want to weep. Of course, the Lord has deep compassion for us in those moments - his love and care never fades - but, we don’t always remember that. When it’s hard, it’s easy to get distracted and let our minds think things that just aren’t true.... continue reading
Anxiety is a lonely place. A cursory glance at our social-media feeds and everyone else appears to have it all. Even when we remind ourselves that social media isn’t an accurate representation of how life is, that sense of being alone with our pain can remain.... continue reading
Why is belonging to a church such a challenge? As Christians, we need to overcome at least four obstacles to live out the biblical vision of a gospel-centered, Spirit-filled community in the church... continue reading
I have the privilege of talking with pastors from around the world on a weekly basis. Every context is dealing with Covid differently, but very many pastors have described to me the need to “re-launch” or “re-boot” their churches. After so many months of restrictions on church gatherings, they want to call people to re-engage. In my own context, too, we’re preparing to do a sermon series on the local church which will explore what the church really is—and emphasize its glory.... continue reading
If you’re an adult child, chances are that your parents may be among those who are feeling the ache of loneliness right now. There are lots of ways to come alongside them and help them feel less lonely—calling them regularly, sending a note, and dropping off a meal can be tangible expressions of love for sure. But there are times when even our kindest gestures can’t fill the void of loneliness, and the best thing we can do for our parents is to turn to the only one who can.... continue reading
