How big are your problems? And more importantly, how big is your view of Jesus? If the Christian life means living in dependence upon Christ for every situation you can face in this world, then you need to be sure of how big Jesus is to be sure that you can trust Him in your […]

People often struggle with the apparent disagreement between Paul and James over justification. But there isn’t a disagreement between them because the Bible teaches two kinds of justification. As Paul said, For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God (Rom 4:2). Paul, who repeatedly taught justification […]

Here’s a simple illustration of how Bible truth should take precedence over emotions in your life. Think of your life like a train. A train consists of a locomotive and all the railway cars that it pulls. Locomotives can be powered by different kinds of engines, such as steam, diesel, or electricity. Likewise, the locomotive […]

Obedience matters to salvation, but maybe not in the way you think. Do you want to be righteous before God? Do you want Him to see you as good—as really good? Do you want God’s approval so you can be certain your heavenly Father does not just love you reluctantly but wholeheartedly? How can you […]

What would you think if you heard someone pray, “Lord, please send the Messiah to come and save us from our sins?” Wouldn’t you say to her, “I have good news! You don’t need to pray that prayer. God has already sent the Messiah. His name is Jesus.” But if she insisted on begging God […]

How do you go about planting a church? We need more churches worldwide—especially grace-based churches—but who will start them? Here’s a quick overview of Paul’s church planting method. No one chapter in the Bible describes it, but you get the general idea from the Book of Acts and the comments made in Paul’s epistles. Here’s […]

Everyone loves John 10:10, but we tend only to quote the last half of the verse. Here’s the whole thing: “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance” (John 10:10). Jesus was drawing a contrast. He called Himself the […]

I’m on a quest for a grace-based spirituality. That’s not what most of you are familiar with. Instead, you’re familiar with performance-based spiritualities where God’s relationship—His love for you—depends on what you do for Him. But what if spirituality is more about what God does for you? It might be hard to imagine the difference […]

Legalistic religion is usually manipulative. The threat of hell, and the promise of heaven, are used by religion to motivate people to do things they otherwise wouldn’t do. For example, the doctrine of salvation-by-works has often been used to convince young men to kill and be killed in holy wars. We’re all familiar with that […]

I’m a recovering news junky. I’ve read newspapers for most of my life. And before entering the ministry, I worked for newspapers (on the production side). I love the fast-paced environment, where editors and journalists argue, debate, and prod each other to chase down leads, find just the right interviewee, and break the most important […]