Jon PrattWhat do good works have to do with salvation? Absolutely nothing! I would like to contest the notion that Paul contradicts himself when he insists that salvation does not come from works and that we must work out our salvation. We will investigate...
Layton TalbertPrayer by itself has no power whatsoever. It wields no inherent supernatural sway; nor does it involve a formula or ritual which, if done right, guarantees any desired result. Christian prayer is not magic. The measure of prayer’s power, then, is...
Kirk E. MillerWriting and delivering well-communicated, biblically faithful sermons demands our study and energy. But having the right tools can help us in that effort. In this article, we’ll survey some of the best tools and resources available to preachers in...
Wendy WidderIf someone or something has ever put the fear of God in you, it likely wasn’t a positive experience. And you’d be happy if it never happened again. That cultural idiom is resoundingly negative. But the Bible calls the fear of the Lord the beginning...
Sandra GlahnLife is messy. Really messy. And it presents humans with all sorts of complicated spiritual, social, and legal challenges about what’s right and wrong, or even good or best. Ethics relates to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions. When...
David P. BarshingerThe world with its flashing screens, its promises of pleasure, its offerings of wealth, its promotion of power and fame, screams for our attention. It is like Lady Folly in Proverbs, luring us to fix our gaze on things below. Much of what we see in...
Mark WardWhat is the most violated verse on the internet? Probably love the Lord your God with all your heart. Every online sin draws its nourishment from that root. But right behind that violated verse might be—our second-place winner—Paul’s words: Speaking...
Peter KrolOne of the greatest threats to our study of the Bible is our familiarity with God’s Word. When we believe we already know something, we tend to stop laboring to understand it. Familiarity thereby breeds presumption. And when presumption reaches full...
Daniel K. EngThe Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5–7) contains some of the most memorable sayings of Jesus: Love your enemies. Seek first the kingdom of God. The Lord’s Prayer. Do not judge. Figures like Mahatma Ghandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. were heavily...
Jeremy D. BlaschkeDiscovered in the sparse wetland environments of northeastern Australia, one remarkable species of frog swallows its own fertilized eggs, sending them to what seems to be their digestive doom. But by transforming this normally hostile environment...
A former coworker of mine, now retired, a very sharp editor and faithful Bible reader, sends me occasional Bible questions. She sent one the other day about the alleged secret meaning of God’s name, YHWH.
Mitch ChaseCreation is there, and it is not silent. The heavens declare the glory of God (Ps 19:1), the floods lift up their voice (Ps 93:3), the rivers clap their hands (Ps 98:8), and the mountains praise the Lord (Ps 148:9). But amid the shouting and...
Daniel StevensThere are many, many options for reading and studying the Greek New Testament. There are more studies, editions, and tools available to the student or scholar than ever before. Manuscripts are available at a click. Surveys of historical opinion are...
Matthew HarmonWhen it comes to understanding the person and work of the Holy Spirit, theologians often use the term mystery. Reflecting on John 3:3–8, Graham Cole writes: Jesus said that the Spirit’s action is like that of the wind. The movements of the wind have...
Wyatt GrahamIn 2 Corinthians 3:17, the apostle Paul writes, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Two immediate questions come to mind. What does “the Lord is Spirit” mean? What sort of freedom does the Spirit give...
Jonathan ShirkOn every page of the Bible are words of comfort for our souls, but how those words comfort us is not always immediately clear. The more we understand the meaning of a passage and how it connects to the grand redemptive story of Scripture, the more...
Rhyne PutmanOpen your social media feed or turn on the news, and you will quickly recognize that we live in a fractured society, one that is deeply divided by competing worldviews and ideologies. In this fallen and broken world, it comes as no surprise when...
Josh StewartAs the Israelites said of the manna that fell from heaven, so it must be said of the youth pastor: What is it? Empirically speaking, youth pastors are half-friend, half-pastor, half-parent, half-can’t-decide-what-it-is types of things. But what...
There is one question I receive more than any other when Christians discover I’m involved in a collegiate discipleship ministry: What materials or resources do you use? I appreciate the eagerness behind the question, as folks generally aim to...
Lauren HunterAs the son of a soil farmer in Minnesota, Harold Senkbeil didn’t set out to leave bucolic life behind for ministry. But God had plans far greater than anything he expected. Intimidated as he was by city folk, he was surprised to find his calling...
Patrick SlymanIt was an innocent question, “Will you use sermon slides when you preach?” I was a first-year seminary student asking a recent graduate embarking on his first pastoral position. The curtness of his answer surprised me, “Not on...
Kyle BeutlerThere’s been an overwhelming number of worship songs about the Holy Spirit released in the last two decades. Common themes fill these songs: revival in our churches, renewing of our faith, resting in the love of God. Here’s a look at thirty songs...
Esther SmithPrayers for physical wellness fill our prayer chains, but what about prayers for mental health? We all face struggles that threaten our mental well-being. Anxiety overwhelms us. Depression crushes us. Addiction entices us. We walk out of...
Keith N. Smith Jr.Are Christians in a war? If so, how do we fight in this war? These are important questions for every follower of Jesus to consider, because the Bible tells us that we are indeed engaged in a spiritual battle against the kingdom of darkness. This is...
Ryan LyttonFew issues in Christianity today are more controversial than speaking in tongues. The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary defines tongues speaking as: The act of speaking a language one did not acquire by natural means. This is often related to either...
The baptism of the Holy Spirit has been a subject of debate and much discussion among Christians over the years. What exactly does it mean to be baptized in the Spirit? Is it a distinct event that occurs after conversion, as some maintain, or an...
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in worship? I often tell my students that my default answer to theological questions is, “It’s more complicated than you think.” A guiding framework for me in that regard is Gregory the Great, who describes the...
Zach HollifieldThe spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.—Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38 Every year as a kid I looked forward to New Year’s Eve because it was the one time a year when all bets were off when it came to bedtime. The mysterious happenings of the...
Brian CollinsAn immense list of the best books on the Holy Spirit could easily be overwhelming. So start here! Your study of the Spirit through these selections will be time well spent. Table of contents1. St Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit2. John Owen...
Bryan BlazoskyWhile serving in a small church plant during my first year of college, I remember being given for the first time something called a spiritual gifts test. I don’t remember the specific questions on the test, but I do remember the result. For the...