The Old Testament is full of examples of godly men and women who got the victory by resting in faith in the promises of God. If you’ve ever wondered how you can live a life of faith—a life of rest—then I will be exploring these wonderful heroes and heroines of the faith. For example, think […]

Do you depend upon Christ moment-by-moment—for big things and little things? Two weeks ago, while backing out of the driveway, we ran over a child’s scooter with a loud crunch and a pop. We blew a tire. The next day I went to the tire store and found that all the remaining tires were in […]

People sometimes ask me how to get started in preaching. Well, I didn’t get started in preaching by preaching, but by witnessing. A few months after I was born again, I started telling people about Jesus and the first group I remember going to were the kids at the Muslim Student Association. (That was an […]

I believe in sanctification by grace, not by law. However, does that mean grace-based parents shouldn’t discipline their kids? Does grace require you to let your kids run free without rules or consequences? To paraphrase Paul, “Absolutely not!” Grace doesn’t eliminate the law—it clarifies the role the law plays. That was a significant emphasis in […]

Your vocabulary matters. The words and phrases you use shape your understanding of what it means to live a normal Christian life. There are many ways that our Christian vocabulary—our Christianese—can obscure the saving message. But it can just as quickly obscure essential sanctification truths. For example, at the beginning of a church service, have […]

People who believe in salvation by works often wonder about the difference between true believers and false believers. In part, I think they ask that question because they lack assurance. They wonder, “Am I really a believer? How can I know?” Since they think salvation depends partly on how you act, they often think the […]

The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked (1 John 2:6). Quick question: How did Abraham get from Ur to Canaan? Step by step. How did the Israelites go from Egypt to the Promised Land? Step by step. And how do you live the Christian life? The same way. […]

I often hear this objection to eternal security: “If you can’t lose your salvation, how do you explain Satan falling away? And what happened to Adam and Eve?” What happened to Satan, Adam, and Eve was tragic, but here are five reasons they didn’t lose their salvation. First, salvation didn’t exist before the fall. Some […]

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders (1 Timothy 4:14, emphasis added). The Holy Spirit gives every believer a spiritual gift, and as Paul implied to Timothy, you can neglect it. Why would you do […]

Every generation needs to be evangelized—and that starts at home. Parents and grandparents are responsible for telling their kids that Jesus died for them on the cross, rose again from the dead, and now offers them everlasting life simply by believing in Him for it. You’ll have to tell them more than once before those […]