Robert ElmerHow many different ways can we apologize to God? Quite a few, actually. And in the ancient prayers of God’s people—in Scripture and outside it—their focus quite often turned to confession or its many related expressions: remorse, guilt...
Even beyond the earliest examples in the book of Acts, Christians throughout history have experienced many of the same challenges and frustrations we face. They wrestled with materialism and obedience to God, with sharing their faith and worries and...
No doubt we’ve all heard somewhere that money is the root of all evil. The saying is deeply embedded in popular wisdom. But is it really true?
Envy typically means the desire for something someone else has. It can be used as a noun or a verb. So, for example, we might avoid envy (the noun) or we might envy someone (the verb). Jealousy is a close cousin, though it’s often interchanged with...
It’s one of the most recognizable verses in the Bible—Genesis 1:1. Maybe that’s because that verse and the thirty-one verses of Genesis 1 open the door to everything we know, our shared human experience. It comes right before Scripture outlines the...
Visit any church enough times and you’ll probably hear a sermon that spotlights Galatians 5:22–23—the “fruit of the Spirit” passage: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness … ” Sound familiar? It’s a perennial favorite of many preachers, as it dives...
If you’ve spent any time in church you’ve probably heard this verse: “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10 ESV). But what does this verse really mean, and how is it even possible to “be still and know”? Let’s find out. 8 different angles on...
We see it sometimes when a baseball player steps up to the plate or when a worshipper in a liturgical church approaches the altar. It’s the sign of the cross, traced on the forehead, shoulders, and chest. In the West, the motion goes: up, down...
Last time you checked the cover of your family Bible, it probably didn’t say “The Bible, by God.” Perhaps that’s why several good questions often arise early in faith conversations, such as: Who wrote the collected books of the Bible? What does the...
When it comes to heaven, it’s easy to be confused by all the opinions. What is heaven like? Where is it? Who goes there, and why? Ask your neighbor, your dog groomer, or the person who delivers your mail. Or take a peek at social media. You might...
In the final hours of a hectic day, sometimes it’s all we can do to get the kids to bed, or rinse the dinner dishes, or whisper a quick prayer before crawling under the covers. And then the alarm is set for tomorrow, when we’ll do it all over again...
The alarm chimes and our busy day begins. Our to-do list is ready and our phone is fully charged. But wait! Are we forgetting something important? Here’s a collection of morning prayers, collected both from Scripture and from the sermons or...
Twenty-five years ago, singer-songwriter Rich Mullins lost his life in a car accident on his way to a benefit concert in Kansas. We remember him from hit songs like “Awesome God” and “Sing Your Praise to the Lord.” At the peak of his career, Mullins...
Where do you go to get love and marriage words of wisdom? What if God was your marriage and family counselor? And what does the Bible say about some of today’s thorniest relationship issues? You’ll discover answers that make sense in a collection of...
The original Daily Study Bible commentaries have been a favorite for both devotional and scholarly Bible study for nearly fifty years. These more recently released volumes are significantly revised, updated, and edited—ready for a new generation of...
Imagine sitting down with one of the world’s most respected New Testament scholars and asking him questions about everything from Ezekiel’s vision or the cryptic language of Revelation 14, to how we can understand difficult passages in the Gospel of...
Most of us cannot read or recognize this Bible passage in its original language: Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ᾽ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. But that could all change in a...
If you want to do expository preaching right, Bryan Chapell’s classic Christ-Centered Preaching is a must read. (And if it’s not already on your digital bookshelf, it should be!) Dr. Chapell is senior pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria...
The Anchor Yale Bible boasts 90 volumes and top ratings, but why else is it worth adding to your library? Here are four simple reasons . . . It’s study step #1 In many circles the Anchor Yale Bible series is known as the go-to “Monday commentary,”...
In the Job volume of the NIV Application Commentary, John Walton (professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College) suggests that the book of Job isn’t focused just on the nature of suffering, the way we’ve always thought. Rather, it’s all about the...
All too often, the job of making visitors feel welcome in your church is relegated to a couple of faithful volunteers who stand by the entry each Sunday morning, extending the right hand of fellowship with a friendly smile. You know who I’m talking...
Dr. Michael Heiser says that if we're really honest, the world is a lot stranger than we think. In Aliens & Demons, this respected Bible scholar adroitly navigates the fringe world of tabloid tales and government conspiracy theories. Along the way...