What does it mean to repent? If you’re not sure, how will you know if you have done it? The cost of not repenting is one you do not want to pay. What is not repentance? To help us arrive at a definition, let’s first take a look at examples of...
Loneliness is truly an epidemic in our Western culture. Countless people lack any close friends or romantic partners. They join no groups. They go bowling alone. What can churches offer to the lonely? One answer: the practice of public confession...
As interest in traditional churches and liturgy has grown among evangelicals, there is also growing curiosity about liturgical terms and actions such as confession, absolution, and benediction. Because the word “absolution” has changed in meaning...
By Stephen Witmer I lay awake, staring into darkness, mentally replaying a conversation from earlier that day. My friend had misunderstood me and then condemned me for it. I felt deeply wronged. I also felt a toxic mixture of anger, self-pity, and...
This is a guest post from Dr. Samuel Lamerson, professor of New Testament at Knox Theological Seminary. While I was in graduate school, I paid my bills by working as an entertainer. I was a juggler, magician, and ventriloquist. Every so often...
What is the proper response to violence? In an increasingly violent culture, this is a question we must all ask ourselves. And as Christians, we must answer this question in a way that is not only practical but also faithful. It isn’t just a...
It can be easy to reduce Jonah’s story to the version we might have learned in Sunday school when we were young. Being swallowed by a “big fish” is a story that engages our imaginations and teaches a valuable lesson about obedience. But by focusing...
As people grow closer, friction is bound to occur. Both small and not-so-small offenses are inevitable. Nobody likes to apologize, but Scripture tells us to confess our faults to one another (James 5:16), seek reconciliation when we wrong one...