On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Did God Really Know Me Before I Was Born?...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Did God Really Know Me Before I Was Born?...
Who the Puritans Really Were Horse racing is said to be the sport of kings. The sport of slinging...
Genesis 17:11-13, “You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign...
1. Revelation is not hard to understand. Revelation is a book that many people avoid, convinced that it is too hard to interpret and understand. Certainly there are some challenges to rightly interpreting some of its vivid imagery and plentiful symbolism. It is a...
Genesis 17:8-9, “And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” 9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave considers the purpose of family worship, the need for family worship, and the practice of engaging in family worship. What You'll Hear On This Episode The purpose of family worship The need for family worship The practice of...
When a small group from our church gathers to pray every week, we start by asking God to help us pray. Every Christian wants to pray, and we all ask the same question: How? We know we need help. So, when Jesus says, “you should pray like this” (Mt 6:9), we listen....
Genesis 17:6-7, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Josh Moody discuss union with Christ, legalism, growing in and serving Christ, the countercultural message of holiness, and his book, Everyday Holiness: Becoming Who You Were Made to Be (Christian Focus, 2022). What...
What Is The Target of a Biblical Sermon? Before he died, a friend asked a local pastor to preach at his funeral. Many unbelievers would be present, so he asked him to preach an evangelistic sermon. The pastor read John 3:16, "God so loved the world," and described...
Genesis 17:3-5, “Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of...
Join Dave as he looks at James 4:5-10 and grace for the humble.
People of the Book Why do Christians take the Bible so seriously? Despite some variety in how they might frame their doctrine of Scripture, debates about its nature and function, and differences in their understanding of particular passages and what emphasis should be...
Genesis 17:1-2, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” Abram displayed a lack of faith in...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What Does the Bible Say About the Antichrist?” What You'll Hear on this Episode The Antichrist is a Christological Rebel. Standing Fast for the Deity of Christ. 1 John 2:19, the Christian, and Assurance....
On today's episode of For Life and Godliness, Drew traces a history of Supreme Court decisions that mapped the cultural path to normalizing abortion in America. Recently, a leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision revealed the court's intention to overturn the...
Genesis 16:13-16, “So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. 15 And Hagar bore Abram...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers what abortion is, the biblical case for life, statistics on abortion, why and how Christians should speak about moral and ethical issues, how the Church can be about life, and ministering to those facing or who...
Dear College Student, College is often depicted as a time of great freedom and discovery, and rightly so. In both Western culture and the modern educational system, it seems like all roads lead to the college experience. Elementary school prepares you for middle...
Genesis 16:11-12, “And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael,[a] because the Lord has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave considers friendship with the Lord and union with Christ and five practical ways to demonstrate love and care to your wife. What You'll Hear On This Episode Friendship with the Lord and union with Christ. Five practical ways to...
Genesis 16:7-10, “The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Natasha Crain discuss what a biblical worldview is, the popularity, and dangers of deconstruction, and how we should respond to a cancel culture, along with her book, Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in...
1. We’re afraid we won’t be able to understand it. Revelation is filled with strange creatures, other-worldly imagery, and scenes that we find difficult to imagine and decipher. It demands that we use our imaginations, and we’re not really used to doing that when...
Genesis 16:4-6, “And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 5/2/2022-5/7/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he looks at James 4:1-6 and the Gospel according to James.
Dear Pro-Life Christian Brothers and Sisters, I feel your palpable energy and pent-up hope and prayers that are on the cusp of being answered in the probable overturn of Roe v. Wade. In your rejoicing and praising Jesus, don’t forget to be Jesus to those who see this...
Genesis 16:2-3, “And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of...
October 13, 2021, will be a day I will remember until I go to be with the Lord. It was a day that my dear mentor, my adopted big brother (and me, his little brother), and one of my former pastors Mike Beaudin, went to be with the Lord. To say that the almost seven...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What Is the Pseudepigrapha?” What You'll Hear on this Episode Reasons to reject the pseudepigraphical. The Apostle Paul and Pseudepigraphical Issues. Books Within the Pseudepigraphical. Athanasius and the Canon...
On today’s For Life and Godliness show, Drew discusses the purpose of forgiveness, the danger of bitterness, putting sin to death, and what it looks like to extend forgiveness. What You'll Hear On This Episode What forgiveness look like in marriage. The purpose of...
Genesis 16:1, “Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.” In our study of faith over the past few days we noted how the real test of fidelity is not whether we will believe in but whether we will...
Loving the Church for Who She Is, Not for What She Can Do for You from Crossway on Vimeo. A Better Question Over the past number of years, in reading various books and various texts, there have been so many good things to come out about the organization of the...
Genesis 15:18-21, “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give[a] this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave considers the grace of God, loving one another, clear and open communication, developing friendship, overlooking offenses, and building trust. What You'll Hear On This Episode Clear confession of need of God’s grace and loving...
“One Another” Ministry for the Homebound (Part 2)[1] From 2020 to 2022, Christians faced Covid-19 lockdowns and connected online from separate homes. Many worldwide still faced harsh governmental restrictions or the threat of persecution. Yet these circumstances do...
Genesis 15:14-16, “But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers how the New Testament Church dealt with conflict, why Christians should move toward one another in conflict not away from one another, how to confront one another in love, and why every Christian should seek peace...
Fearing the Almighty The fear of the Lord is an important concept throughout the storyline of Scripture. Solomon saw the wisdom in fearing God when he said, "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death" (Proverbs 14:27)....
Genesis 15:12-13, “As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants...
In this issue of Theology for Life Magazine, we’ve been considering the dangers of progressive Christianity and how Christians should view it. We understand that we haven’t covered everything on this topic, but it is our prayer that, hopefully, readers of this issue...
I will never forget a very special evening with a small group of Christ-followers at the McLean home. My good friend, Don suggested that we read Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards in one sitting—on our knees. And so a group of middle-aged adults...
What is theological liberalism? Liberalism is both a tradition—coming out of the late-18th century Protestant attempt to reconfigure traditional Christian teaching in the light of modern knowledge and values—and a diverse, but recognizable approach to theology. Like...
By means of sophisticatedly crafted statements on social media, certain prominent voices in the evangelical wing of Christendom have revealed their penchant for pitting Jesus’ ethical teaching against that of the Apostle Paul. To elevate what Jesus taught over against...
Several years ago, my husband and I began attending a local Evangelical, non-denominational church, and we loved it. We cherished the sense of community we found among the loving and authentic people we met there, and the intelligent, “outside the box” pastor who led...
When any discussion develops concerning Christianity and liberalism, it is crucial that one gives a proper definition of liberalism. The term liberal can mean anything from being free in one’s thinking to being a proponent of the latest fad in the realm of theology or...
I’m convinced that one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind is the discovery of all things dairy. Cream-top milk, full-fat cheese, grass-fed butter, rich gelato, and whipped heavy cream are some of my favorite indulgences. Can you imagine the bitter...
Scripture is the final authority for the faith and practice of every Christian for every square inch of life. But in contemporary evangelicalism, it’s often assumed that we are “Bible only” people, and by that I mean that we should only “know and understand...
In high school I fell in love with studying theology and quickly began delving into exploring church history. And the more I studied church history the more I began to see that it was comprised of everyday men and women—regular folks the Lord used in powerful ways....
Conversations about deconstruction seem to be ubiquitous. Legions are the number of articles, social media links, sermon series, and videos dedicated to critiquing existing theological traditions, parachurch platforms, or public religious figures. While those engaging...
C.S. Lewis gets many things right. Years ago, he concluded that there were only two possible answers to the religious search: either Hinduism or Christianity, which are ultimate, contradictory expressions of religion—that is, either One-ist pantheism or Two-ist theism...
As the Enneagram spreads, there is a need for accurate information since it is not readily available, and the information is conflicting. People are trusting others that the Enneagram is valid rather than investigating. There are five main issues with that need to be...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 4/25/2022-4/30/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Sunday...
Join Dave as he looks at James 3:13-18 and Two Kinds of Wisdom.
The Plausibility of Self-Creation The idea that we can be who or whatever we want to be is commonplace today. Consumerism, or late capitalism, fuels this notion with its message of the customer as king and of the goods we consume as being basic to who we are....
Genesis 15:9-11, “He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not...
In this episode of For Life and Godliness, Drew explains the danger of making your spouse an idol, along with four critical aspects that will help you grow in your love for the Lord and your spouse. What You'll Hear On This Episode The danger of making our spouse an...
Genesis 15:7-8, “And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” Immediately following the commendation of Abram’s faith in...
Have you ever been listening to your favorite Christian podcast, only to be stopped in your tracks by a confusing statement the speaker makes about the Bible? Have you uncomfortably shifted in your pew as your pastor preaches a sermon that seems to cast a negative...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “How can I know the difference between wise and false teaching?” What You'll Hear on this Episode What a false teacher is according to the Bible What false teaching is according to Scripture. What false teaching...
I’m currently in the “last days” of teaching a bible study on the book of Revelation. I started the study somewhat hesitantly, knowing there are many wild interpretations of difficult passages. However, throughout the study, I’ve been constantly encouraged and blessed...
Genesis 15:4-5, “And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son[a] shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Drew discusses the purpose of forgiveness, the danger of bitterness, putting sin to death, and what it looks like to extend forgiveness. What You'll Hear On This Episode What forgiveness look like in marriage. The purpose of...
I am an unashamed golfer. I grew up around the game and began playing competitively by age 6. For the longest time, it’s all I ever knew. Golf has always been my favorite sport, from the feeling you get when you hit a perfect shot to draining a long putt. For the...
How should we respond when life doesn't go our way? Shelbi and Kim ask author Lisa Hughes for the answer on today's podcast.
Genesis 15:2-3, “But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue[a] childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” In the New...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Mark Thompson about the importance of Jesus in Scripture, deconstruction and biblical discipleship, the doctrine of Scripture, the Christian life and ministry, and his book, The Doctrine of Scripture: An Introduction...
Kevin DeYoung has published another resource geared toward children helping them (and their parents) see the redemptive narrative from the Old Testament to the New Testament. I have DeYoung’s previous two shorter children’s works, and I have found them both helpful as...
Genesis 15:1, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” Having finished our study of the various face-to-face encounters people had with Jesus, encounters like the one the...
Join Dave as he preaches at Grace Bible Church in Talent, Oregon on Knowing Christ Revealed in the Word and Witnessing For His Glory to the Ends of the Earth from Luke 24:13-35.
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 4/18/2022-4/23/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he continues his series through James looking at James 3:1-12 and who can tame the tongue?
Genesis 14:17-20, “After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Are Steps to Salvation Biblical?” What You'll Hear on this Episode Jesus Alone Saves. Life’s Answers and Longings are Found in Jesus. The Solution to Sin is Jesus. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can...
1. The Edenic origin of the priesthood. In Eden, God created mankind in his image to reflect his glory. In this setting, God crowned man with glory and honor (Ps. 8:5), authorized him to subdue and rule (Gen. 1:28), and gave him priestly instructions for serving in...
In this episode of For Life and Godliness, Drew goes over some key points that will help you deepen your study of God’s word. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Life and Godliness via iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify. If you like what you’ve...
Genesis 4:17-20, “Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael...
We recently took the training wheels off my son's bike. After a few falls, he wanted to quit and put the training wheels back on. I imagine Bible reading can feel similar. In January, we resolved to read the Bible. A couple of months later, we might look at how many...
Defining the Church Every generation struggles with devising a thoroughly biblical definition of the church. Previous generations defined the church through ecclesiastical hierarchies, while others shaped their characterization of the church around her distinct...
Genesis 14:13-16, “13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Ben discusses how to approach working through issues in your marriage and gives practical advice on navigating conflict in marriage. What You'll Hear On This Episode Why all of life should be lived in submission to the Holy Spirit....
What Percent of God is Good? Recently I heard a wonderful and inspiring story of a young man who, during a routine physical, was sent immediately to the hospital to investigate a knot on his collar bone. After extensive testing, it was determined that there was a 99%...
Genesis 14:8-12, “8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Doreen Virtue discuss the dangers of Reiki and why Christians shouldn’t engage in it, the dangers of unbiblical spirituality and biblical spirituality, along with the nature and purpose of Jesus’ miracles, and the deity...
The Ministry of the Spirit Any discussion on the church would be severely lacking without a close look at the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Without him, the church would never have been founded. Godly leaders would never have been called, believers added,...
Genesis 14:1-7, “In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 these kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king...
In his latest study through James, Dave considers James 2:20-26 and justified by a faith that works.
Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live (Psalm 116:2 NASB). What is a collect? [Ka’-lect: a gathering prayer with a set sequence of movements based on Scripture. The collect movements include: Humbly calling on the...
Genesis 13:14-18, “14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Why Is it Important to Study the Various Characters in the Bible?” What You'll Hear on this Episode The Clarity of Scripture. Reading the Bible Isn’t Boring. Maturing in Grace. Subscribing, sharing, and your...
In today's episode, Drew looks at Christ as the resurrected savior and gives two main points as to why the resurrection of Christ is important for us as believers. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Life and Godliness via iTunes, Google Play,...
Genesis 13:8-13, “8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.[a] 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the...
Over the past six months, I’ve been going through deep grief, been in biblical counseling for the last three months, and have been sitting on this article since writing it about two weeks after a dear friend and mentor died. See, six months ago today, a very dear...
“One Another” Ministry for the Homebound In 2020-2022, many churches faced Covid-19 lockdowns, and Christians connected online from their separate homes. Yet circumstances did not excuse the church from obeying Scripture's “one another” commands. We needed fresh ways...
Our Context Shapes Us On a recent hike in Colorado’s famous Garden of the Gods, my brisk pace was halted by a tree. I saw it when I emerged from the woods: a solitary evergreen, jutting out of the expanse of red sandstone. On one side of the tree were all its limbs,...
Genesis 13:5-7, “And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen...
No matter what kind of ministry the Spirit of God calls any of us to, we may be profoundly thankful for the sufficiency of the Word to accomplish His soul-edifying work. This is true because of the unique qualities of Scripture. Hebrews 4:12-13 uncovers the power of...
Genesis 13:1-4, “So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. 2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Graham Cole discuss the nature and purpose of sanctification and glorification, union with Christ, suffering, and his new book, Glorification: An Introduction (Crossway, 2022). What you’ll hear in this episode The...
Should Preachers Target the Conscience? Before he died, a friend asked a local pastor to preach his funeral. Many unbelievers would be present, so he asked him to preach an evangelistic sermon. The pastor read John 3:16, "God so loved the world," and described God's...
We have all been troubled by stories from those who have been abused or betrayed by the church. Sometimes these anecdotes stymie us as we try to share the gospel. When I hear these stories, a scene from the Bible reels through my mind: When Jesus was in the Garden of...
Genesis 12:17-20, “ But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 4/4/2022-4/9/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he continues his series through James looking at James 2:14-19 and Faith that works.
Now that we’ve answered the questions, “What is theology?” and “How do I engage in theology?” in my first article, we turn to the question, “Why is theology for all of life?” It’s a question of equal importance, but not less than the other questions. Theology is not...
Genesis 12:10-16, “Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Why Did Jesus Cast Out Demons?” What You'll Hear on this Episode How People (and Demons) Responded. The Priority of the Word. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to the Servants of Grace...
On today's episode of For Life and Godliness Drew gives a brief introduction to the topic of Apologetics. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Life and Godliness via iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify. If you like what you’ve heard, please...
Genesis 12:4-9, “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people...
Theology is the study of God. Christian theology is concerned with understanding God, who has revealed himself in the sixty-six books that constitute God's reliable, trustworthy, clear, and authoritative Word for every phase and sphere of life. No theology can exhaust...
I love watching the groom at weddings. The moment he sees the bride walking down the aisle is a moment of raw and pure emotion. No one ever finds a bride more stunning than her groom. Everyone attending the wedding says how wonderful the bride looks, but she is most...
Genesis 12:1-3, “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I...
On today’s episode of Warriors of Grace, Drew Von Nieda explains the danger of making your spouse an idol, along with four critical aspects that will help you grow in your love for the Lord and your spouse. What You'll Hear On This Episode The danger of making our...
Three critical pillars support confidence in Scripture’s reliability, the first of which is inerrancy. Inerrancy A fundamental feature of inerrancy that needs to be embraced is infallibility. This means that the Scriptures are exempt from error; they are unfailing....
Genesis 12:1-9, “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Greg Lanier discuss why Christians should read and study the Old Testament, and why understanding Jesus revealed in the whole of Scripture matters, along with his book, Old Made New: A Guide to the New Testament Use of...
Every Christian knows the importance of Bible reading and desires to read the Bible better. However, most Christians read the Bible less today than in previous generations. A friend told me once that he wrestles with why he should read the Bible. It was hard to...
Genesis 12:1-9, “Now the Lord said[a] to Abram, “Go from your countryand your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 3/28/2022-4/2/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he continues his series through James looking at James 2:8-13 and all or nothing.
Genesis 12:1-2, “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Our...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What Does it Mean That God Is Infinite?” What You'll Hear on this Episode The Meaning of Omniscience. The Meaning of Omnipotence. The Meaning of Omnipresence. The Meaning of Transcendence. The Meaning of...
On this episode of for Life and Godliness Drew discusses Biblical worship and why it is important for us to worship God in the way, He has instructed. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Life and Godliness via iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify....
Genesis 11:27-32, “Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name...
Enjoy Walking the old Roads I was part of my church for years without a drop of angst. However, after a couple of months into my pastoral ministry training, I started questioning everything we were doing. I could only see the flaws in our ministries, and I believed,...
Genesis 11:10-26, “These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11 And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters. 12 When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Ben discusses intimacy in marriage. What You'll Hear On This Episode The purpose of intimacy in marriage. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Warriors of Grace via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or your...
I remember what it felt like as a child needing comfort and receiving it. To hear my mother say, “Come here” when I was hurting and relaxing in the rest of her arms. Even if my need arose from something I had done wrong, I found welcome and respite from my distress in...
Genesis 11:1-9, “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave talks with Dustin Benge about the beauty of Christ, church hurt, responding to error with Scripture, walking worthy, and his new book, The Loveliest Place: The Beauty and Glory of the Church (Crossway, 2022). What you’ll...
Genesis 10 offers us the table of nations. These genealogical lists trace the descendants of Noah’s three sons — Shem, Ham, and Japheth and lists the peoples they fathered. At the outset it is important to examine why Moses provides us with this information. Though it...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 3/21/2022-3/26/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he looks at James 1:26-2:7 and the tests of true religion.
While the Old Testament revolves around the story of the nation of Israel, this does not mean that the other nations of the world are not also a concern. Actually, the revelation first given to the old covenant people of God has a lot to say about the wider world, for...
On a special Servants of Grace theology segment, Dave address Supreme Court nominee Jackson, and her thoughts on life, being a woman, and what a biblical worldview teaches about both. What You'll Hear on this Episode The Bible's teaching on life and gender. Speaking...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What Does ‘Always Be Prepared To Give an Answer’ Look Like?” What You'll Hear on this Episode Study the Word intentionally, memorize it, and prepare to point others to it. Pray for the courage to speak when the...
In this episode of For Life and Godliness, Drew goes over some of his favorite podcasts in hopes that you will give them a listen and that they will be helpful for you as well. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Life and Godliness via iTunes,...
Genesis 9:24-29, “When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” 26 He also said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant....
See the Church Differently “I love Jesus but not the church.” This is seemingly the increasing cry of our generation. Many of us can think back to a time in our lives when specific people within the church, and sometimes in the name of the church, hurt us. That hurt...
Genesis 9:18-23, “The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed. 20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave discusses the covenantal nature of marriage. What You'll Hear On This Episode The covenantal nature of marriage. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Warriors of Grace via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or...
Pastor Philip De Courcy, teacher on the daily media program Know The Truth, joins Shelbi and Kim to unpack elements of his new book "You Go Girl: How Women Build Up the Church."
Genesis 9:12-17, “And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth....
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Jen Oshman discuss freedom, sexual ethics, purity culture, and her new book, Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made for So Much More (Crossway, 2022). What you’ll hear in...
I recently received a series of tragic updates that tipped my normally trust-filled, hope-saturated prayers into anguished, aporetic cries of lament. A very close friend’s preteen daughter had suddenly and inexplicably fallen into the darkness of mental illness,...
Genesis 9:8-11, “Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 3/13/2022-3/19/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Sunday...
Join Dave as he continues his James series looking at James 1:19-25 and hearing to obey.
Justified Human Anger There are a few examples in the Scriptures of human anger that would appear to be justified, but only a few. What follows is not a selection of examples; it is, so far as we can see, the entire list! When Moses comes down the mountain with the...
Genesis 9:7, “And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.” A biblical theme that is closely related to marriage is the family, and that will be our focus for the next few days as we consider how Scripture develops this theme...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What Are the Lost Books of the Bible?” What You'll Hear on this Episode The Historical Background to the Canon. The Matter of the Lost Books of Scripture. The Gospel of Thomas and Scripture. The Gospel of...
Genesis 9:5-7, “And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man...
On Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers Jesus’ response to criticism, how to best handle criticism and controversy, and why Christians are to be discerning and test all things according to Scripture. What you'll hear in this episode Why Christians are to be...
Introduction: March 28th is the first anniversary of my late wife going to glory. Her name was Heidi. And that is how best to put it that she is in glory. She is not dead but with the Lord. Though we wait for the resurrection of the body (1 Cor 15:42), we know in the...
Genesis 9:1-4, “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave considers social media usage, the temptation to create a false identity, break the 9th commandment, be idle, be caught up in narratives, overvalue our own words, and to lust. What You'll Hear On This Episode Social media...
Several years ago, I had cancer. It was rare and fast-growing and came out of nowhere. Despite my trust in Christ and knowing that I would be with him if this cancer took my life, the fear I felt was persistent and, on a few terrible days, crippling. Fear is a deeply...
Genesis 8:20-22, “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers the need for biblical hermeneutics, the hard teaching of Scripture and biblical interpretation, and help to navigate the hard sayings of the Bible. What you'll hear in this episode Why the Bible is Hard to...
I recently preached on Jesus’ clear and authoritative answer to the irenic scribe who asked Him which one commandment was foremost. Jesus boiled all God’s requirements down to supreme, sacrificial love for God, as well as neighbor (Mk 12:28-34). Thus, all our sins can...
Genesis 8:20-22, “20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse...
Join Dave as he preaches from Psalm 42-43 at Grace Bible Church in Talent, Oregon on Hope for the Downcast Soul.
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 3/7/2022-3/12/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he looks at James 1:12-18 and Blessed Endurance.
Seeking to Serve Radically ordinary hospitality—those who live it see strangers as neighbors and neighbors as family of God. They recoil at reducing a person to a category or a label. They see God’s image reflected in the eyes of every human being on earth. They know...
Genesis 8:18-19, “So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.” Continuing our examination of grace as evident in...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Why Do False Teachings Stand Out More Than the Truth?” What You'll Hear on this Episode The Danger of false teaching The Purpose of Engagement and Separation. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can...
On today's episode of For Life and Godliness you will hear a sermon that Drew gave for a Men’s Conference titled “The Dangers of Passive Men.” Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Life and Godliness via iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify. If you...
The Gospel of Matthew was written to a primarily Jewish audience with a great deal of knowledge relating to the Pentateuch and Torah. Indeed, as J.K. Brown has noted, “Most scholars consider that Matthew was writing to a Jewish audience that had been persuaded that...
Genesis 8:13-17, “ In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace episode, Dave talks with James and Nathan about five biblical principles regarding a Christian’s response to and relation towards the government, the essential nature of the church, faithfulness to Christ, and their book, God vs....
There’s a tiny Italian bar and restaurant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, called Valentino’s. Their generation-spanning secret spaghetti sauce recipe is comparable to Feast-of-the-Lamb fare (I exaggerate only slightly). This plate of wonders is complemented by a basket...
Genesis 8:6-12, “At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the...
On today’s episode of Warriors of Grace, Dave considers the relationship between sex trafficking and porn, a biblical view of man, and how men can stand against porn and sex trafficking and be useful to the Lord in this fight. What You'll Hear On This Episode The...
Preaching in a pastoral context—the parish, the community—requires a vocational dedication that stewards time and deploys a thoughtful strategy and tactical operation to realize the mission. On the topic of such vocational intentionality, the Apostle Paul wrote in 2...
Genesis 8:1-5, “But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the...
On today’s show, Dave talks with James Coates and Nathan Busenitz about Christian conscience, Christian liberty, statism, James’ testimony, sphere sovereignty, government overreach, and their book, God vs. Government: Taking a Biblical Stand When Christ and Compliance...
Indispensable Truths for When Tragedy Strikes The Apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, commands believers to be in a constant state of readiness: “…always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that...
Genesis 8:1, “But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.” Many years ago, a famine in the land of Canaan caused the sons of Jacob to journey to Egypt...
Join Dave as he looks at James 1:2-12 and The Trials of Life.
A Foundation of Truth Warfield was a Christian and a theologian, but for him these two categories are virtually one and the same. And we must recognize this if we are to understand him and profit from his instruction on the Christian life. For Warfield theology is not...
Genesis 7:17-24, “The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Why we are not to believe every spirit?” What You'll Hear on this Episode The danger of doubt. The importance of guarding our hearts and mind with Scripture. The importance of testing teaching with the...
On today's episode of For Life and Godliness, Drew tackles the issue of whether or not it is sinful for Christians to drink alcohol. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Life and Godliness via iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify. If you like what...
I hate disappointment. When plans get canceled, expectations are not met, or I simply can’t have my own way, I tend toward brooding. Last year I experienced a couple of sharp disappointments, denials of things I prayed fervently for. Good things. Things I thought were...
Genesis 7:11-16, “In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers how biblical meditation helps us address bitterness in our lives, the means of grace and keeping short accounts with God and others, and why wise people put safeguards in their thoughts and actions. What you'll...
Jesus’s Teaching of Finances in Luke’s Gospel Most know it to be true that too much of a good thing can quickly turn into a bad thing. The child who longs for candy soon finds that too much candy leads to a stomachache. Likewise, those who long for great financial...
I don’t enjoy all the books my kids ask me to read, but I love Polly and the Screen Time Overload by Betsy Childs Howard. The Screen Struggle Every year Polly spends her birthday week with Gamps and Gammy on their farm, her favorite place. This year she gets a tablet...
Genesis 7:6-10, “Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean,...
On today’s episode of Warriors of Grace, Dave considers both the priesthood and kingship of Jesus and the sufficiency of God’s grace and enslavement to pornography. What You'll Hear On This Episode Jesus is Both Priest and King. Christ and the Assurance of the...
Your cell phone rings, and your glance informs you that your spouse is calling. You answer with the expectation of hearing the familiar voice and tone. Instead, you encounter your beloved sobbing as they haltingly break the news that a loved one has passed into...
Genesis 7:1-5,” Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Eric Ortlund discuss the purpose of Job, suffering, the character of God, Christian friendship, along with his book, Suffering Wisely and Well the Grief of Job and the Grace of God (Crossway, 2022). What you’ll hear in...
A Pattern of Priesthood from the Beginning In the beginning God created a priest. And not just any priest, but a royal priest—a man made in God’s likeness, a son fashioned to reflect God’s beauty, an image bearer commissioned to rule God’s world with holy affections....
Genesis 6:19-22, “And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every...
How the Gospel of Mark’s Image of Jesus as Spiritual Conqueror Teaches Christians to Battle Spiritual Conflict In the first verse, Mark begins his Gospel record by referring to Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) and as the Son of God. For the Jewish audience, he was...
Genesis 6:17-18, “ For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark,...
Join Dave as he looks at James 1:11 and introduces the book of James.
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “How long does grief last?” What You'll Hear on this Episode Jesus and Our Grief. Four aspects of Christian friendship. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to the Servants of Grace Podcast...
Lead These three verbs describe freely given love: lead, sacrifice, and care. Let me speak directly to men with each of these words. Husbands, lead your wives. I remember hearing John Piper say on more than one occasion that the husband should be the one who most...
Genesis 6:14-15, “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.[a] Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits,[b] its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits.” The story of Noah...
On this new episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave considers why a biblical application is a matter of obedience, the benefits of applying the Word, biblical application and biblical meditation, guidance on applying the Word, and application and our ministry to...
Is America a Christian nation? Ever since Alexis de Tocqueville penned his famed Democracy in America, many authors have attempted to answer that question. The question of a Christian America certainly deserves our serious thought. Contemporary scholars like Martin...
Genesis 6:12-13, “And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy...
On today’s Warriors of Grace episode, Joey Tomlinson and Ryan Davidson talk about finding hope in our identity in Christ, biblical accountability and repentance, biblical counseling and helping those enslaved to pornography, and the means of grace and the local...
Continuing their "Issues of the Heart" series, Shelbi and Kim interview the founders of Accountable2You, a widely used software application that monitors computer and phone activity for the purpose of purity and integrity.
Genesis 6:9-11, “These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.”...
On this new episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave considers the purpose and nature of biblical meditation and memorization, the importance of biblical context in memorization, how memorization fuels meditation, and biblical meditation and prayer. What you'll hear in...
Guilt drives most superheroes. In “Captain America: Civil War,” Tony Stark (Iron Man) generously funds the Sr. projects for every MIT student. One character is blown away and responds, “Tony, so generous!” But another character cuts to Tony’s heart when she reminds...
Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” Yesterday we saw that when Scripture describes God’s regret or “change” of mind, it never suggests this change is caused by unforeseen events. Our Creator has ordained all things (Rom. 11:36) and knows the...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 2/14/2022-2/19/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he ends the 2 Samuel series looking at 2 Samuel 24:15-25 and the Gospel According to Samuel.
I’m sure you have heard people purport that doctrine is divisive, irrelevant, boring, or not practical. Yet, we must not, as Dr. Charles Ryrie so aptly retorts, “forget that all practice (and every experience) must be based on sound Bible doctrine, and all Bible...
Decision-Making Fatigue Sometimes things become so much a part of the fabric of our lives that we don’t even recognize them. Decisions are chief among them. They are so ubiquitous that we tend to drown out their prevalence and significance. In a self-initiated...
Genesis 6:5-7, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What Does the Bible Say about Questioning God?” What You'll Hear on this Episode Whether it is a sin to question God or not. What makes something sinful or not. What to do when you start questioning God. The...
In this episode of For Life and Godliness Drew tackles the controversial topic of Christians and Tattoos. If you have any questions regarding Christians and tattoos feel free to reach out. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Life and Godliness...
Enjoy Thinking about the Trinity Among my Christian friends, the Trinity was like a dirty Christian secret. We believed it was true, sang about it (God in three persons/ blessed trinity), but we dare not bring it up in polite company. Conversations about the Trinity...
Genesis 6:3-4, “3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers what a loyal, caring, and concerned Christian friend looks like, along with how to walk with a grieving or struggling friend. What you'll hear in this episode What a loyal, caring, and concerned friend looks like....
When Our Kids Talk Back We’ve all been there. You tell your child to do something, or you try to help them see something about themselves or the larger world, and they respond immediately with some kind of verbal push back. Sometimes they quickly refute you, “That’s...
Genesis 6:1-2, “When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.” Undoubtedly, Moses describes the devotion of men like...
On today’s Warriors of Grace episode, Parker considers current statistics on pornography usage, walks us through 1 Corinthians 10:13, and provides a five-step process to help address sin, honor Christ, and be accountable to the Lord and others. What You'll Hear On...
Genesis 5:1-32, “This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man[a] when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Sarah Jenkins discuss navigating challenges and conflict in marriage, humility, forgiveness, and staying current with your spouse in marriage. What you’ll hear in this episode Men leading in forgiveness in the home....
In recent months I’ve had the joy of talking to a few young men who are thinking about seminary. With that in mind, I want to share seven words of advice that come from my own experience, which includes choosing a seminary, going through seminary, helping found a...
Introduction Love is many things to many people. Love is defined in the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary as, "Strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers affection based...
Genesis 4:25-26, “And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time...
Join Dave as he continues his 2 Samuel series looking at 2 Samuel 24:1-14 and David’s Census.
Genesis 4:23-24, “Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24 If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.” When Cain...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Why is there so much Old Testament violence?” What You'll Hear on this Episode What the violent incidents in the Bible means. Whether Jesus addresses Old Testament violence. Whether God is more angry or violent...
On today's episode of For Life and Godliness, Drew asks the listeners a difficult question: “What consumes your thoughts and time?” Have your Bible ready as Drew discusses Romans 12:1-2, and the importance of renewing your mind. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback...
John MacArthur-A Brief Biographical Sketch of a Faithful Expositor We find the admonition from the beloved apostle Paul to “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). The importance of example and mentoring is underscored in this text and others...
Genesis 4:17-22, “Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Sarah Jenkins discuss the nature and purpose of covenant marriage, the gospel and marriage, developing friendship in marriage, communication in marriage, and keeping short accounts in marriage. What you’ll hear in this...
The Strongest Human Emotion Boo! It’s one of the first words we enjoy. As children, we loved to leap out on our friends and shout it. But at the same time, we were scared of the dark and the monsters under the bed. We were both fascinated and repelled by our fears....
Genesis 4:13-16, “Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave opens the Dangers to Intimacy with God and one’s spouse series setting forth the vision, purpose, and shares what you can expect from this series. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Warriors of Grace...
Settling for Plan B? Once a year, my family and I put on our baseball hats, hop on the trolley, and head to downtown San Diego to attend a Padres game. At some point during the event, the three-cup game appears on the screen, bidding the fans to figure out which of...
Genesis 4:9-12, “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and David Schrock discuss how the cultural icons help us understand the priests of our day, the royal priesthood, discipleship, and vocation, along with his book, The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God (Crossway, 2022)....
When John Bunyan penned his famous work, “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, in the seventeenth century, he used the technique of personifying characteristics to compose an allegory about a journey through life. In the case of Bunyan’s work, it documented Christian’s trek prior...
Genesis 4:8, “Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.” When Jesus taught that the divine prohibition against murder meant that we also must not hate our brother (Matt. 5:21–22), He was not...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 1/31/2022-2/5/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 23:8-39 and What the Gospel Can Do.
Truths about the Holy Spirit It is sufficient that God’s word speaks much of the Spirit, for the only warrant we need to study a truth is that God teaches it in his word. However, to strengthen our motivation to study this topic deeply, let us consider reasons why it...
Genesis 4:5-6, “but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?” Though the story of Cain and Abel begins with the hope Cain may be the one to bring...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Why do manipulative people misuse the Bible?" What You'll Hear on this Episode Why manipulative people misuse the Scriptures. Why manipulative people use deception and distortion. The danger of spiritual...
In this episode of For Life and Godliness, Drew goes over the well-known Parable of the Prodigal Son. For a long time, you may have only heard one aspect of this parable, but is it only about the son who came home? You will hear the parable read and explained in...
Experiencing Church as an Introvert Nearly every Sunday for the past fifteen years, I’ve gotten a migraine headache. It typically sets in sometime after the benediction—while I’m standing on the church lawn talking with members and visitors. Once I get home, the...
Genesis 4:3-5, “In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave explains why church members need good preaching, the need for the corporate reading of God’s Word, and how to listen to sermons in church on the Lord’s Day. What you'll hear in this episode Church Members Need Good...
My husband has been watching old western films lately. In my opinion, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, but don’t tell him that. They all have the same plotline; the bad guy comes to town, tries to get the good guy’s girl or livestock, and resolves it with a...
In theology, we are not just called to study and store up knowledge of the truth. We are called to study to show ourselves approved so that we may preach—or teach, or write, or counsel, or anything else that qualifies as heralding the good news—sound doctrine. I...
Genesis 4:1-2, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. Today we continue our study...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 3:8-15 and pursuing the profitable, avoiding the unprofitable, an example in profitable ministry, and the most profitable investment. What you’ll hear in this episode Pursuing the...
In your church, "Ben," a young man is found to have a deep involvement with pornography, using his phone and laptop to access it regularly. Through patient, gentle, and loving confrontation, Ben has repented of his sin and is serious about change. His biblical...
Hebrews chapter eleven is one of my favorite places in Scripture. Often referred to as the “Hall of Faith,” the author recounts stories of Old Testament figures who, by faith, accomplished wondrous feats to the glory of God. For me, Hebrews eleven is less like reading...
Genesis 3:17-19, “And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Bryan Chapell discuss how the gospel addresses conflict, criticism, marriage, Bible-reading, preaching, the means of grace, along with his new devotional, Daily Grace 365 Daily Devotions Reflecting God’s Unlimited Grace...
Does Doctrine Matter for the Everyday Christian? from Crossway on Vimeo. Relevant for Christian Living Sometimes the temptation is to think Doctrine, in general, is just stuff for the head, for the academics, for those in institutions. In the church, though, we’re...
Genesis 3:16, “To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” The curses God pronounces immediately after the sin of our first...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 1/23/2022-1/29/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Sunday...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 23:1-7 and like morning light.
Genesis 3:14-15, “The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What is a grave image? What You'll Hear on this Episode The Background of Idolatry. The Seriousness of Idolatry. The Christian and the Ten Commandments. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe...
On today’s For Life and Godliness show, Drew discusses the beautiful truth that no one is beyond the reach of Christ’s redeeming love. Many are hesitant to come to Christ for fear of not being good enough or thinking their sin is too great to be forgiven. Yet, we want...
Confessing Our Sin For five years, one particular sin trapped me. I knew it was wrong, and I also knew Christ was more rewarding than this sin. Still, for years this sin threw relentless body punches and kept knocking me down to the mat. Then, suddenly, it lost its...
Genesis 3:6-7, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,[a] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate....
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers some marks of a healthy local church, what to look for and avoid in a local church, and why local churches should be firmly grounded in and shaped by the Word of God. What you'll hear in this episode What a...
Suppose a young man came to you for biblical counseling concerning the ongoing tension and conflict with his ‘partner.’ Oh, by the way, he and his girlfriend are living together, though there has never been a wedding. He says to you, “Well, we’ve already committed to...
Genesis 3:1-5, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 3:4-7 and the reasons, resources, and results of grace. What you’ll hear in this episode The Reasons of Grace The Resources of Grace The Results of Grace How Sweet the Sound!...
Host Kimberly Cummings interviews special guest Betty Price about reading plans, memorization, meditation, and other principles of personal Bible study like observation and application.
The Church is blessed with a brand-new resource on the problem of evil. This subject has been heavily debated for two-thousand years. It is a subject that many evangelists fear. A seeming lack of an answer is often used as an intellectual argument against the...
Genesis 3:1, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” In the first two chapters of Genesis, Moses reminds us that in...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Robert Jones discuss the nature and work of biblical counseling, addressing our emotions in a biblical way, spiritual warfare, and biblical counseling, along with his book, The Gospel for Disordered Lives (B&H,...
On this new Tulips and Honey episode, Lauren and Kristin answer your questions on Christian yoga, idolatry, worship, angels and Satan, Adam, Genesis, sin, and the person and work of Jesus. What You’ll Hear on This Episode The dangers of Christian yoga. The danger of...
As people, we are really good at remembering anything good that has been promised to us. The Christmas bonus, our guaranteed vacation time, free products if we sign up for email updates, a free meal on our birthday, the list goes on. We are also really good at making...
Genesis 2:25, “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Much of our understanding of the nature and purpose for marriage comes from the description of life in the garden of Eden. This is because no other couple besides pre-Fall Adam and Eve have...
John Calvin said, “If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house, then in a field…it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light.” Abortion is the premeditated killing of an unborn child. In other...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 1/17/2022-1/22/2022. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 22:25-51 and Blessed Be the Rock.
Genesis 2:24-25, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” As Moses concludes his narrative on the creation of Adam and Eve, he...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “How can we study Scripture to show ourselves approved?” What You'll Hear on this Episode The Context of 2 Timothy 2:15. What 2 Timothy 2:15 means. Whether 2 Timothy 2:15 means we can earn our way into heaven....
Genesis 2:21-23, “So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the...
n today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Aimee Joseph discuss why our decisions reveal our spiritual maturity, the role of Christian friends and decision-making, the local church, accountability, and finding godly friends, Demystifying Decision Making: A...
On today’s For Life and Godliness show, Drew considers knowing our great need of Christ, how to be sure you are known by God, and availing yourself of the means of grace. What you’ll hear in this episode Critically assessing our needs versus our ultimate need for...
Genesis 2:19, “Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. We have been...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 2:15-3:3 and an authoritative ministry of Words, a reminder to be good citizens, and neighbors. What you’ll hear in this episode An Authoritative Ministry of God’s Word. A Reminder to...
Shelbi and Kim continue their "Issues of the Heart" series by turning their attention to what God's Word has to say about battling ungodly worry.
In Matthew 24:2, Jesus says something that shocks all those around Him. Jesus is with His disciples near the temple, and as they admire its beauty, He says, “You see all these things, do you not? Truly, I say to you; there will not be left here one stone upon another...
Genesis 2:18-24, “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for[a] him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed[b] every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Aimee Joseph discuss the danger of a New Age approach to decision making, biblical worldview and a framework for biblical decisions, the prescriptive and descriptive will of God, along with her book, Demystifying...
On this new Tulips and Honey episode, Lauren and Kristin answer your questions on finding a biblical church, identifying a false church, election, salvation, and church history. What You’ll Hear on This Episode How to find a biblical church. The importance of church...
Genesis 2:18-25, “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 22:1-24 and David’s Song of Deliverance.
A Book of Good News Many of us approach the Bible not as oxygenating, but as suffocating. We see the Bible lying there on the end table. We know we should open it. Sometimes we do. But it is usually with a sense of begrudged duty. Life is demanding enough, we think....
Genesis 2:15-17, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Do we know what God was doing before He created the universe?” What You'll Hear on this Episode The Fellowship of the Trinity. Planned Redemption and Glorification. Planning His Kingdom. The Christian’s Destiny...
Mike Cosper had an incredible impact on me in 2021 that had nothing to do with “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.” In 2021, I read his book, Rhythms of Grace: How the Church’s worship tells the Story of the Gospel. I read it because, ever since a teenager stopped me in...
Genesis 2:15-17, “15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not...
On today's Equipping You in Grace, Dave considers the place of open dialogue and discussion in church history, what a biblical understanding of speech means and entails, and the dangers of the cancel culture and how it has infiltrated the Church. What you'll hear in...
If you are like me, you cannot remember a time when you were not making a New Year’s Resolution at the beginning of each new year. However, did you ever stop to think about why you were making such resolutions? Did you ever consider your own motivation behind it? It...
Genesis 2:15-17, “15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 2:13-14 and a plan to embrace, a person to meet, a purpose to fulfill, and the second coming of the Lord Jesus. What you’ll hear in this episode A Plan to Embrace A Person to Meet A...
As Christians, we don’t always feel like loving and serving each other the way God calls us to. This is an unavoidable truth. But in those moments when our hearts are out of step with God’s Word, how should we respond and what passages of Scripture should we look to?...
The spiritual discipline of daily Bible reading is something in the lives of several Christians, to be inconsistent and even hap-hazard, as they stumble towards doing what they know is important. Like other well-intentioned believers, I recall occasional attempts at...
Genesis 2:15-17, “15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace episode, Dave and Doreen Virtue discuss the danger of syncretism, the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, lawless living and legalism, Christian obedience, the providence of God, and the danger of yoga and the enneagram. What...
On today’s episode of Tulips and Honey Lauren and Kristin sit down and take your theology questions on false verses biblical churches, the difference between the word of faith and the prosperity gospel, and empathy, compassion, social media, and the end times. What...
I remember holding my newborn babies and thinking through the fog of exhaustion about all they would need to learn over the next 18 years. With topics ranging from sleeping through the night to choosing a spouse, the task of imparting all this knowledge overwhelmed...
Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Understanding how to discern God’s will with respect to our vocation requires us to view work as an area in which we can pursue our sanctification. God’s basic will for...
Join Dave as he looks at Receiving God's Word from 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7 as he preaches at Grace Bible Church in Talent, Oregon.
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 21:15-22 and slaying the giants.
We are engulfed in a body-focused world. In our media and entertainment-driven age, we are being told stories from all angles about our body's purpose, how our bodies must look, and what we can do to make our bodies look a certain way. Turn on the TV, unlock our...
Genesis 2:10-14, “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What does it mean that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega?” What You'll Hear on this Episode The Eternity of God. The Self-Existence of God. The Omnipotence of God. The God Who Speaks. Subscribing, sharing, and your...
If you are a parent or know anything about children, you’ll be familiar with the famous road trip question, “Are we there yet?” Children ask it repeatedly during road trips. Although it gets annoying, it’s a fair question. After all, traveling is not the point of a...
The Proverbs 31 Woman The Proverbs 31 woman has what seems like an endless list of expectations—the A to Z of spiritual etiquette. This list of virtues appears unrealistic for any mortal to accomplish, causing some women to feel inadequate. Yet this must never be the...
Genesis 2:1-3, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it...
On today’s episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave discusses statistics on sex trafficking, the relationship between pornography and sex trafficking, and what can be done about sex trafficking, a biblical view of man, and the gospel and sexual sin. What you’ll hear in...
In the Garden of Eden, there lived a man whose name was Adam (Gen 2:20). The Creator had formed Adam from the dust of the ground (2:7), and the man was made in the image of God as a reflection of God’s glory (1:26-27). He was loved by God and given the task of...
I started as a lead pastor in September, and I began by preaching through Jonah. Of all the Bible stories from Sunday school, Jonah was my favorite. As someone who always seemed to fall off the boat when it came to being a good Christian, Jonah’s story, especially God...
Genesis 1:28-31, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 2:11-12 and salvation by grace, grace that says no to sin, grace that says yes to godliness, and encouragement in the present age. What you’ll hear in this episode Salvation by Grace....
On today's episode, Shelbi and Kim open up about times when they’ve battled discontentment. What passages of Scripture helped them navigate life's most challenging moments? What did God teach them through trials? Listen to find out.
A brand-new gift comes with a sense of goodness and potential, and we do a lot to preserve that goodness and to keep that potential alive. New car owners want to keep the inside smell as fresh as possible, new phone owners protect their screens with cases and covers,...
Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Republicanism,...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Ernie Baker discuss navigating challenges in marriages and relationships related to communication and conflict, forgiveness, and building a friendship with your spouse. What you’ll hear in this episode The covenant...
On today’s episode of Tulips and Honey, Lauren is joined by Kristin Everett and Doreen Virtue. Together they discuss the danger and claims of essential oils, how to evangelize someone caught in deception, Christian liberty and legalism, and the nature of Christian...
It’s time to flip the page and turn the calendar to a New Year. With that comes a new set of resolutions, and for Christians, a new resolution for reading the Bible. Maybe you are a brand-new Christian, and you simply resolve to read the Gospel of Mark this year....
Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, “Let us make man[a] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the...
The Christian walk is one that can only be done through obedience by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not an easy one and to be honest, we fail daily. Part of our failure is due to ignorance. We believe ourselves to be in the right relationship with God due to...
In this episode of For Life and Godliness, Drew shares a sermon on the nature of sin, the burden of sin, and the hope of Christ. The Observation of Sin The evil of his sin. God’s hatred of it. The Offense of Sin. Sin is against the Nature and Existence of God. “Sin is...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 21:1-14 and vengeance for the Gibeonites.
One of the great encouragements of Scripture is that believers are said to be “in Christ.” Not only have we been forgiven and redeemed, but we have also been united with Christ. While this is great news, this doctrine can often be mysterious. The better we understand...
Genesis 1:20-25, “And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm,...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “How can God make good what was meant for evil?” What You'll Hear on this Episode Why God Allows Evil and Suffering. God’s Purposes for Evil and Suffering. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can...
Genesis 1:14-19, “And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons,[a] and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Sarah Jenkins discuss enjoying reading and studying the Bible, the benefits of reading and studying Scripture, and finding and owning your approach to Scripture reading and study in the new year. What you’ll hear in...
Genesis 1:9-13, “9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth,[a] and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 2:9-10 and slavery and Christianity, the Christian worker, and slaves of Christ. What you’ll hear in this episode Slavery and Christianity. The Christian Worker. Slaves of Christ....
Sunday mornings are supposed to be easy. Lionel Richie even titled one of his songs, “Easy (Like Sunday Morning).” But are they? Kids are fussy but need to get dressed. The fuel gauge is on low, so you need to get gas. Breakfast is taking longer than usual, but you do...
Genesis 1:3-8, “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning,...
On today’s episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave discusses what happens if we do nothing about biblical illiteracy and offers some solutions to the growing issue of biblical illiteracy. What you’ll hear in this episode The rise of “Christian” music that doesn’t...
On today’s episode of Tulips and Honey, Lauren and Dave discuss the means of grace and the spiritual disciplines, advice for reading your Bible with the Church, the difference between reading and studying the Bible, and the importance of being able to access all of...
Our youngest offspring was in the final year of high school when this variation of a childhood question came to mind. It did not elicit the same excited response that it had when I was a child! After 27 years teaching my children at the kitchen table, I would no...
Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Being a Trinitarian creed, the Apostles’ Creed concludes...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 19:41-20:26 and the trials of Kingship.
A sliver of me doesn’t want to give any gifts this Christmas—at least not to my family. It’s not because I don’t think they deserve gifts or that they’ve been “bad” in some way. I have a wonderful family. And I love giving them presents. It’s just that part of me...
Genesis 1:1-2, “Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” "In the beginning, God created the heavens...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “How was there peace on earth at Jesus’ birth?” What You'll Hear on this Episode Gloria to God in the Highest. The Difference Between this Christmas Carol and Others. The Benediction of the Angels. The Peace of...
Paul David Tripp, “The glory of the birth of Jesus becomes even more glorious when it is seen through the humbling lens of the desperate condition that was the reason for His coming.” 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in...
Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Central to the theology of the Reformation is its doctrine...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave shares how the Lord used Servants of Grace in 2021, his top books of 2021, and our content scheduled for Theology for Life in 2022. What you’ll hear in this episode The year at Servants of Grace and how the Lord our...
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God in His sovereignty actively controls all that happens in creation, and He does so according to “the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11). In other words, our Creator has a wise plan for His...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 2:3-5 and the Titus 2 model, the Titus 2 curriculum, and the liberated disciple. What you’ll hear in this episode The Titus 2 The Titus 2 The Liberated Disciple. Subscribing, sharing,...
“I am one of those old-fashioned ministers who believe the whole Bible and everything that it contains.” (JC Ryle) You can replace the word ministers in the above quote with Christians, which will have the same effect. Oh, you’re one of those Christians, some may say....
As I watch the birds at my feeders this chilly December morning, I have a lovely sense of peace. The wrens, thrashers, bluebirds, woodpeckers, titmice, and towhees are enjoying the start of a new day. They feel no threat from the feral cats that roam the neighborhood,...
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” In order to explain how God established His people and saved them from slavery, Moses first had to tell them how they, out of all the families of the earth, were chosen for this redemption....
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Lucy Moll discuss what panic attacks are, cultivating spiritual disciplines, advice for biblical counselors counseling anxiety and panic attack sufferers, along with her mini-book, Help! I Get Panic Attacks (Shepherd...
On today’s episode of Tulips and Honey, Lauren interviews Cheryl Marshall and Caroline Newheiser on equipping women to speak the truth in love, what graciousness looks like with one another, genuinely listening and understanding one another, along with their book,...
“AD-vent: a coming into place, view, or being; an arrival” (Dictionary.com). “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” (O Holy Night; A. C. Adam) Have you ever waited so long for something, you never thought it would...
Yes, you read it correctly. No, it is not a typo. I really did mean to write discipline. Now you may be thinking, “Great, first, he says the Christian life will cost something. Now, he says we need discipline.” I certainly affirm both of those things, but let us slow...
Romans 16:27, “to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” Fittingly, Paul's concluding doxology in Romans ends with a reminder of the great wisdom of God. After all, it is in the gospel of God presented in this epistle that the Lord reveals...
Luke 4:24 gives a general principle of human relationships. We often envy the success of those who come from the same circumstances that we do. Indeed, the people of Nazareth seemed to resent the fact that rather than staying at home, Jesus went off and became a...
It is tempting in our melting-pot societies to think that living alongside people of different faiths is a purely modern phenomenon. But people of different religious beliefs have been coexisting for millennia, sometimes in conflict and sometimes in peace. One way in...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 12/13/2021-12/18/2021. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 19:8-40 and mercy enthroned.
Henry W. Longfellow, 1863 said, “I heard the bells on Christmas day, their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth, good will to men. And in despair, I bowed my head, “There is no peace on earth”, I said, “for hate is strong and...
Romans 16:25-26, “25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Do the Narratives of Jesus’ Birth Contradict Each Other?” What You'll Hear on this Episode Details that are Agreed Upon by Matthew and Luke. Details Unique to Matthew and Luke. The Central Claim of Contradiction...
Romans 16:21-24, “Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Sue Nicewander Delaney discuss the two sources of shame, how the Lord Jesus counteracts guilt, humility and shame, how the local church can help those experiencing shame, along with her mini-book, HELP! I Feel Ashamed...
Jesus is Our Rest from the Christmas Rush Christmas is a tale of two seasons for many people. It’s called the most wonderful time of the year for a good reason. The harsh realities of long winters are redeemed as early darkness becomes a blank canvas for Christmas...
Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Generations of Christian interpreters have found in today's passage an allusion to Genesis 3:15 and God's promise to "bruise" or "crush" the...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 2:1-2, 6-8 and what accords with sound doctrine, the character of older men, urging younger men, a pastoral example, and commending Jesus Christ. What you’ll hear in this episode What...
This is the time of year when I reprogram the presets on my car radio. Gone is NPR. Gone are the country and oldies stations, so Christmas music is the only option I have on several radio buttons. It’s my glorious, two-month hiatus from news, seventies hits, and...
Romans 16:19, “For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.” Christian leaders must keep a close watch on the flocks under their care, and in so doing, they are to have a...
On today’s episode of Tulips and Honey Lauren and Dave discuss advice on discovering your writing voice, growing as a writer, selecting topics to write on, avoiding the use of generalizations in writing, what to do before you publish a book, and focusing on...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Lauren Hereford consider what a caring Christian friend is, how Christian friends can walk alongside one another, intentionality and purposefulness in handling grief and loss, growing through your own grief and loss,...
I once lived in the mirror. No, there wasn’t a bedroom hidden in my bathroom mirror. But the mirror was where I found my worth, purpose, and identity. My body was the temple where I went to worship. Each and every day, my thoughts were consumed with calculating...
Romans 16:18, “For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,[a] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” Very few, if any, false teachers come into the church announcing their plans to lead Christ's sheep astray...
The Inevitability of Criticism To be a pastor is to be told (often or infrequently) that you’re doing it wrong, that you are wrong, or that everything in the church is just wrong. You’ve committed yourself to people who are battling pain, unbelief, and multiform...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 18:19-19:8 and Absalom, O Absalom.
Romans 16:17, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” Returning to the book of Romans, we pick up our study in Romans 16:17. Paul has just finished his...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What Is the Meaning and Significance of the Manger?” What You'll Hear on this Episode The Location of Jesus’ Birth. The Story of Jesus is The Story of the Bible. The Angel, the Shepherds, and Sinners Today. Why...
Romans 16:16, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.” Having finished his long list of greetings to specific individuals in the Roman church, Paul in today's passage shows us that expressions of friendship and affection in the...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Deborah Howard consider the place of friendship in grief and loss, the immutability of God and facing loneliness, how the local church can help those facing loneliness, along with her mini-book, HELP! I’m So Lonely...
When my children were small, I sometimes worried about emphasizing Santa, even as we celebrated Christ. What if, when I worried when they would see the truth about the North Pole, they would also apply the same reasoning to Bethlehem? Still, every Christmas Eve after...
Romans 16:14-15, “ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.” Today we come to the last set of greetings that Paul...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 1:15-16 and defining purity as Jesus did, defiled in mind and conscience, how to be a Christian hypocrite, and our liberty in Christ. What you’ll hear in this episode Defining Purity...
Suppose you were called to pastor a church where none of the elders were biblically qualified, though they had been serving in their “positions of authority” for decades? Or what if you are serving at a church that had learned a bit about the Bible’s teaching on...
Did you know that Christianity will cost you something? That is strange, you may think. Is salvation not a free gift anymore? Salvation is, of course, a free gift. Jesus says: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11: 28)....
Romans 16:12-13, "Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well." Paul's letter to the Romans is Scripture...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Jonathan Gibson consider the importance of confession, singing solid theology, and the role of creeds, catechism, and confessions play in our daily worship, along with his book, Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily...
Maybe you’re not like me. Maybe you just breeze through life, accustomed to making the perfect choice whenever faced with difficult decisions. Maybe you’ve never encountered a difficult decision in your life! But something tells me that’s not you, either. Let’s face...
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In this verse, we find one of the greatest divine mysteries: The Lord Jesus Christ coming as the God-Man to save sinners. The infinite, eternal, and unchanging God becomes a man. The One who dwelt for all...
Romans 16:5-7, “5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert[a] to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,[b] my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 17:24-18:18 and Absalom’s Monument.
Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright 'Round yon virgin Mother and Child Holy infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Silent night, holy night Son of God, oh, love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Why Is Jesus Christ Unique?” The Importance of the Uniqueness of Jesus. The Uniqueness of Jesus in Scripture. The Heresy at Colossae and Paul’s Response to It. The Centrality of Christ. The Superiority...
Peter Bilhorn (1887) wrote, “Through Christ on the cross peace was made, my debt by His death was all paid; no other foundation is laid for peace, the gift of God’s love. Peace, peace, sweet peace! Wonderful gift from above! O wonderful, wonderful peace! Sweet...
Romans 16:3-5a, “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house.” “I’d like to be involved in gospel...
Romans 16:1-2, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant[a] of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.”...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers the dangers of a pragmatic approach and its effect on our approach to discipleship, seeing whole people in need of the grace of God, and the importance of teaching people the principle of the Word and helping them...
The Virgin Birth “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isa. 7:14) “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins....
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 1:9-14 and sound in doctrine, the plague of false teachers, the cancer of false gospels, and disciples committed to Christ. What you’ll hear in this episode Sound in Doctrine. The...
Down through the centuries, God has been pleased to raise up a long line of godly men who were ‘pillars of truth’ in their day. These men were identified as the “reformers” of their day in succeeding generations, calling men and women back to the Bible. Like the...
Romans 15:30-32, “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Andy Davis consider why errant views of heaven are popular today, how heaven helps us process grief and loss, and his new book, The Glory Now Revealed (Baker Books, 2021). What you’ll hear in this episode Why we are so...
Leon Morris and the Holy Spirit It is not uncommon for great books to fall out of print. After all, who could possibly keep absolutely everything in print that deserves to be read? This is simply an unfortunate reality. Despite this, from time to time, I have the...
Romans 15:28-29, “When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.” In Romans 15:25-27, we learn that...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 17:1-23 and ordained to defeat.
American lifestyles can be a little strange to those of us who live on other continents. I was born in the UK and have lived the last seven years in continental Europe in various parts of Romania. Growing up, we would occasionally hear about the American celebration...
Romans 15:25-27, “At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “How as Jesus God Incarnate?” What you’ll hear in this episode The Reason for the Incarnation. The Reason God Put on Flesh. The Centrality of the Cross. The doctrine of the Incarnation demonstrates that God...
Romans 15:22-24, “This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain,...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers a life of gratitude to God and the inheritance Christians have in Christ, evidence of a Spirit-filled life, biblical ethics, thankfulness, and obedience, and what thankfulness and humility are to look like in our...
The other day I grabbed a bite of lunch and hurriedly ate it, sitting in my car on the way to the next thing. As I finished up and headed out, I breathed a prayer of thanks for the satisfaction of a tasty meal. Just then, I realized I hadn’t thanked God before eating,...
Romans 15:20-21, “and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave starts the Titus series looking at Titus 1:5-9 and the office of elder, principles of eldership, demonstrated spiritual competence, prove spiritual character, tested spiritual commitment, and the grace of God. What you’ll hear...
When you hear the surname ‘Spurgeon,’ what comes to your mind? Do you think of the prince of preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon? Do you think of Charles’ God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered ministry? Or do you think of his beloved helpmeet, Susannah...
Paul covered a lot of ground in just one decade. Roland Allen notes, “Before AD 47 there were no churches in [Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia and Asia]; in AD 57 St Paul could speak as if his work there was done, and could plan extensive tours into the far west without...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Bodie Hodge consider why science comes out of a biblical worldview, why Christians do with science, why it matters Adam is a real person in real history, and how to read Genesis, along with the dangers of scientism....
What is Evangelism? In 1918, the Archbishops’ Committee in the Church of England defined evangelism in the following way: “To evangelize is so to present Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, that men shall come to put their trust in God through him, to accept...
Romans 15:14-16, “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given...
Join Dave as he preached from Philippians 4:1-13 on finding true contentment in Christ Alone at Grace Bible Church in Talent, Oregon.
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 16:1-13 and Flight from Jerusalem.
Romans 15:8-13, “ For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What Is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?” What you’ll hear in this episode A Time of Grace and a Time of Decision. Confessing Christ. The Help of The Spirit. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can...
Romans 15:7, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Key to Paul's argument for Christians not to break fellowship over minor matters is that we may not view any of those whom God has welcomed into His family as "lesser"...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers strategies to fight distraction in your Bible reading and the value of having multiple ways of reading and listening to the Bible. What you’ll hear in this episode Some strategies to fight distraction in your...
What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ actually mean? Sure, most of us know that the resurrection happened. Most of us can point to the gospel story, knowing that Jesus was physically dead for three days before his body rose from the grave and He walked on the...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the Titus series looking at Titus 1:2-4 why assurance of salvation must be joined to a profession of faith attested by good works, and why our assurance is rooted in the promises of God in the Word of God. What you’ll...
I remember coming down the stairs as a young child on Christmas morning with wonder-filled joy and excitement. I would ask: “Mom and dad, can we open presents yet?” “Was the gift that I had asked for under the tree?” and I would think to myself: “That present looks...
Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Early in its history, the church confronted a heretic named Marcion who believed, among...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Michelle Lesley discuss the role women have in the church today, the danger of a woman becoming a pastor, abuse and the complementarian view, how an older woman can come alongside a young woman, and what the church can...
Pornography is on the rise among men, women, and children. It has become one of the major fallouts of a society that is increasingly more virtual. According to studies that came out just one year ago, “The top porn site, Pornhub, is the third-biggest...
A faithful Christian book rarely hit the shelves and has as much success as Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly. Being a missionary in Romania, it can often be hard to get resources here. Financial strains often combine with long waiting times for things to arrive from...
Romans 15:1-3, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of...
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 15:1-37 and Absalom’s Rebellion.
When my daughter was young, I would make quinoa, oatmeal, and flax seed “waffles,” and she loved them. It wasn’t until we were visiting family in California that she experienced the hotel breakfast bar and loudly exclaimed, “Mom, these waffles are so much BETTER THAN...
Romans 14:22, “But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” As Paul draws near the conclusion of his discussion of Christian freedom in Romans 14:1-15:7, he gives some...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “How can we know something is God’s will?” What you’ll hear in this episode The hidden and revealed will of God. Decisions and the will of God. Seven Ways we can know something is God's will. Subscribing,...
Every year when the holiday's edge ever closer, we hear the same sentiments begin; there's too much to do. It starts with the stores slowly stocking the glittery, pine needly, ever enticing decorations that I already have too much of but still somehow wonder about...
The Great Commission passages in Scripture (Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 22:44-49; John 20:2; Acts 1:8) are powerful reminders from our Lord and Savior about the importance of sharing the gospel and discipling those who come to faith. Taken individually, they may at first...
Romans 14:22, “The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.” Jesus has left us free in many areas to follow our consciences. There are objective standards for our...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers why technology can’t replace the local church but can serve it, the importance of hearing the preached Word, the connection between the preached Word and small groups, the essential role of the local church in the...
Romans 14:20-21, “Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.”...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave starts the Titus series looking at Titus 1:1-4 and Titus 1:1-4 and saving faith and why a knowledge of the truth entails a study of Scripture and learning from sound expository preaching and teaching. What you’ll hear in this...
One of the benefits God gifts Christians is that they are “clothed with Christ” (Gal. 3:27). This means that we are united to Jesus by faith (Col. 2:12). In Ephesians 4:24, the Apostle Paul describes salvation as the “putting on of a new self,” which is Christ. Thus,...
Romans 14:19, “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Humility that recognizes our place and the place of others in the kingdom is one of the chief characteristics that the New Testament calls us to exhibit. For example, we find it...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Paul Smalley discuss wrong views of the Holy Spirit, being led by the Spirit and the will of God, assurance, the place of the law in the Christian life, along with his book with Dr. Joel Beeke, Reformed Systematic...
"We cannot cure humanity with the Gospel unless we have carried our own burdens to Him in a humble and secret life of prayer." However lovely or rugged the path before us, we cannot speak with incarnate truth of its splendor or severity without walking it. Thus, it is...
Romans 14:17-18, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.” Paul's pastoral wisdom shines through in Romans 14....
Join Dave as he looks at 2 Samuel 14:1-33 and the Banished One Restored.
Practice Perseverance Knowing that God has promised to complete the work he began in us, we are well equipped to practice perseverance, as Peter explains in his second epistle: His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through...
Romans 14:15-16, “For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.” Until our Savior returns, the church will...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Does God get angry as we do?” What you’ll hear in this episode The Anger of God and the Character of God. Two Flaws in Getting Angry at God. The Help of the Sovereignty of God. The Problem with Sinful Anger. The...
What the Puritans Understood About the Human Heart from Crossway on Vimeo. Connecting Scripture to Our Hearts The Puritans from four hundred years ago in England were so unusual because they knew how to do the both/and of going way down deep in the Scripture and in...
Romans 14:13-14, “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave considers how biblical meditation is guided by the gospel, shaped by the Scripture, reliant on the Holy Spirit, and exercised in faith, along with three ways to practice biblical meditation. What you’ll hear in this episode...
Turbo-Charged Dissatisfaction Having the ‘gimmees’ is nothing new. Kids have struggled with excessive longings to have more than they do for as long as there have been kids. It’s also not new for them to feel that they should have immaterial things as well as physical...
Romans 14:10-12, “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess[a]...
On today’s Warriors of Grace show, Dave continues the 2 Timothy series looking at 2 Timothy 4:9-12 and loving the return of Jesus, persevering through difficulty by the grace of God, friendship, and community in ministry, and celebrating the work of God’s grace in and...
“The quality or state of being filled completely; possessing a richness or intensity” (Dictionary.com). We all know that feeling of being full, especially at the Thanksgiving table. You have that one last bite of pumpkin pie (we lived in Florida for a while, so ours...
Romans 14:9, “ For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” Belonging to Christ has been Paul's emphasis in Romans 14:7-8, and he continues that theme in today's passage when he grounds Christ's ownership of...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave shares lessons he learned from his mentor Mike Beaudin who tragically passed away two weeks ago by discussing dealing with difficult people, accepting godly correction, the need for godly friendships, and why a love for...
We are natural-born interpreters. Even before we understand language, we interpret the world around us through the nonverbal. Once we know the language, we still interpret more than half of what we hear based on what we see. Facial expressions, hand gestures, eye...
How is your life characterized? Are you known as one who is grateful for the mercies that you have been given from God? Is there a spirit of gratitude in your life? Or is it a spirit of bitterness? Is it a spirit of ingratitude? What characterizes your life? Do you...
Romans 14:7-9, “For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again,...
In this issue of Theology for Life Magazine, we’ve been considering the subject of Christian liberty and Christian conscience. We understand that we haven’t covered everything on this topic, but it is our prayer that, hopefully, readers of this issue of Theology for...
Martin Luther believed that maintaining a good conscience was worth going to prison for and even dying for. That great Reformer discovered in the Bible that God justifies sinners by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The Roman Catholic Church...
The Apostle Paul reminds the saints at Ephesus that they are at war. And not only at war, but a spiritual one; such that even as we conduct life physically in this body, we engage in this battle which is spiritual. And not only are we in a spiritual battle, we’re...
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” True to the old saying, one lie becomes two lies, which become four lies, which can quickly spiral into a web of deceit. New research shows that the more we lie, the easier it is to continue...
Welcome those who disagree with you (Romans 14:1–2). Concerning any area of disagreement on third-level matters (i.e., disputable issues that shouldn’t cause disunity in the church family), a church will have two groups: (1) those who are “weak in faith” (14:1) on...
The Creator’s visuals convey a valuable message we all need to hear. But to learn the lessons that matter most, nothing beats His words! Who needs to read the instructions when you can just look at the pictures? As a kid I often got toys that needed to be assembled....
What happens if your finger accidentally touches an extremely hot object, like a stove or a dish that just came out of the oven? If your nervous system is functioning correctly, then you would reflexively pull back your hand to avoid more pain and harm. Your nervous...
Does music matter? Imagine the Lord of the Rings movies without the score. The epic journey the film captures so well, evaporates without the music. We want people to show up for the entire worship service and not just pop in when the sermon starts. We want them to...
Consider a day in the life of a typical American adult. The waking moments begin with the radio alarm reporting weather, traffic, and headlines. Breakfast is gulped down with a side of business news and features from the morning newspaper. Then the commute to work,...
Abraham Kuyper once famously remarked, “There is not a square inch in the whole of creation over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: “Mine!””[i] Down through the ages, the nations have constantly raged against Jesus Christ in an effort to overthrow...
The Great Schism occurred on July 16, 1054. It permanently alienated the Eastern Orthodox Churches from the western Roman Catholic Church. What were the issues? Sadly, they were trivial—whether to use leaven or unleavened bread at the Lord’s Supper, whether pastors...
What is Christian liberty? What does it mean to have liberty of conscience? How do we honor God in these particular areas? I find this topic to be one of the most undeveloped areas in the minds of Christians. It seems to be a constant flash point in many...
One topic that isn’t often considered on the subject of Christian conscience and Christian liberty, as we are discussing in this Issue of Theology for Life Magazine, is tolerating one another and the place of open discussion and dialogue. Throughout the history of...
Memories have a way of not only shaping you but molding you into the person you are going to become. I remember memories with my grandfather growing up spending time feeding the fish in his pond at the apartment complex my grandfather and grandmother were the managers...
This is our weekly roundup of posts for 10/25/2021-10/30/2021. If you have any feedback on how we can serve you our readers better, I would appreciate it. Thank you for reading and allowing us to minister to you throughout this past week through these posts. Monday...
Join Dave as he continues the 2 Samuel series looking at 2 Samuel 13:23-39 and Vengeance Is Mine.
2 Essential Doctrines of the Reformation from Crossway on Vimeo. Authority of Scripture The Reformation addressed many different theological issues, and as an entire movement, affected a reformation for the whole church. There were at least two issues—two doctrines...
Romans 14:5-6, “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord,...
Sometimes the best way to learn how to live in our modern age is to travel back several millennia. Because there truly is nothing new under the sun. And because the convenience of a church on every corner and family-friendly legislation is almost a historical anomaly...
On today’s episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “What are some things Christians should know about the Protestant Reformation?” What you’ll hear in this episode What is the Protestant Reformation? Some Important People in the Protestant Reformation The Purpose...
1. The Pope started the Reformation. The fourteenth century was a bad time for the papacy. For a period, there were two rival popes and the papacy was under pressure from the French monarchy. It wasn’t a good time for the city of Rome either—seven successive popes...
Romans 14:2-4, “One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to...
On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Jonathan Holmes the importance of asking good questions, what it looks like, markers of true versus false repentance, skills to help biblical counselors and disciplers, using social media well, along with his book with...
Richard Sibbes and Malcolm Gladwell run in different circles. For one week, though, I shared a table with them (in book form) for a conversation about the pace of godliness. In The Tipping Point, Gladwell writes about the big difference made by small changes. A...
Five hundred years ago, on October 31, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Castle Church door. This action launched a series of disputations about the Bible, the gospel, and the church—to name only a few. In time, Luther’s action would be considered...
Romans 14:1, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” Romans 14 deals with an important issue for Christians as they live in community with one another. There are always some differences of understanding between Christians,...
Is Reformation theology still relevant today? Absolutely! It reminds us that we have a big God and that salvation is found in Him alone. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God’s glory alone. And we know this because Scripture alone...
Dear first-time dad, As one dad to another, let me speak with you, some truths I believe are universal for fatherhood. I share my own stories of failure and success in Hope for New Dads. Words of Advice First, congratulations! It is a joy to bring a child into this...