Christian feast days—what are they? Far from being a strange and sour corruption from the late middle ages, the feast days of the church—or what is called the liturgical calendar—offer Christians a gospel-centered way of walking through the year...
When anxiety hits, among the places we go for advice and comfort—e.g., family, friends, pastors, spiritual directors, or perhaps even to a counselor or therapist—we must not forget to go to God’s Word to calm our anxious hearts. The Bible...
God himself is love (1 John 4:8). Love for God is the greatest commandment. Love for others is the second (Matt 22:34–40). Love is the greatest Christian virtue. But what is love? That is a rather important question. Similar questions come to mind ...
Genesis 3:8 is a familiar verse in a familiar story: Adam and Eve have sinned, and now, in the cool of the day, they hear the sound of the Lord God walking in the Garden. Afraid, they hide among the trees.
Who is God? What’s he like? Ask a hundred people, and you might just get a hundred answers. So let’s find out the truth of who he is—from Scriptures. They’re his Word to us, a gift that allows us to get to know him directly. As...
Hebrews 11:6 says “without faith it is impossible to please him.” Not unlikely. Not difficult. Impossible. Thomas a Kempis, author of The Imitation of Christ, wrote, “Faith is required of you, and a sincere life, not a lofty...
Hope. It’s a word most of us overuse: “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” “I hope there’s a good parking spot open.” And, of course, “Hope you’re well!” as a pleasant (admittedly unoriginal) email intro. The Bible uses hope this way sometimes...
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...
“In everything give thanks.” The importance of thankfulness is impossible to miss in that well-known verse. Other aspects of 1 Thessalonians 5:16 and the following two verses, however, are easier to overlook. Keep reading to find out how “in...
Many of us read Luke 2 at Christmastime, but what Scriptures can we read at Thanksgiving? Here are 54 Bible verses about thanksgiving and gratitude to meditate on during the holiday season or take turns reading around the table on Thanksgiving Day...
More people go to church on Easter than any other day of the year, and churches around the world are already preparing for more visitors—whether online or in person. There are plenty of ways to ensure your Easter service is great, but what about the...
God calls all Christians to become more like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:18), and this transformation happens in the innermost part of a person: their heart. This progression is called spiritual formation, which involves...
Today is Valentine’s Day, a day on the greeting card calendar for celebrating romantic (or what the Greeks called eros) love. We’d like to twist this day a bit (though there’s nothing wrong with hearts, flowers, and chocolate) and turn our eyes...
The coronavirus has spread throughout the globe and impacted not only the health of millions of people but also daily routines and everyday tasks. But thanks to the unsung heroes who have put themselves in the path of the virus to keep our world...
The world can be a scary place. From wars to epidemics to natural disasters, we often have good reasons to be afraid. But Scripture reminds us that we have even better reasons to trust God. These 14 Bible verses about fear help us remember that God...
1. Job 42:10–11 Then Yahweh returned Job’s fortune when he prayed to him on behalf of his friends. Thus Yahweh increased all that Job had twice as much as before. So all his brothers and all his sisters and all those who had known him before came to...
atonement [ uh–tohn-muhnt ] Also called: Expiation, Propitiation Reconciliation between God and humanity, specifically through Jesus’ death. Top Bible Verses about Atonement 1. Leviticus 16:29–34 “And this shall be a lasting...
Today’s guest post is by Dr. Daniel Bush, author of Live in Liberty: The Spiritual Message of Galatians and Embracing God as Father: Christian Identity in the Family of God. Dan holds a B.Sci. from Michigan Technological University, the M.Div...
The Bible doesn’t promise us that life with Jesus is easier. The difference is that when life gets hard, we have somewhere to turn for strength, courage, hope, and peace. When times are tough, these verses are tougher. Here are seven Bible...
Logos is the only software tool I use to study the original languages of Scripture, and I use it practically every day. I use Logos because it is fast, reliable, and beautiful. And I use the original languages because in my (Protestant) view of...
G. K. Chesterton claimed he never discussed anything except politics and religion stating there was nothing else to discuss. By this, he meant these two topics compass the whole of human activity and thought. I believed that valuing religion and...
The Protestant Reformation marked an explosive turning point in church history, as it recovered and proclaimed the gospel of saving grace. Its message was that God justifies men in his sight by faith alone. To be saved, a person must place their...
I recently heard about a hiker who came across another hiker with her two dogs. As they chatted, the dog owner unleashed her pets so that they could frolic among the flowers and the trees. The dogs could not contain their excitement as they felt...
Evil is the corruption of creational and relational goodness. Evil consists of thoughts, actions, or forces that diminish life. Evil takes what God planned for the good of all his creation and distorts or defiles it. This essay addresses many of the...
What is the Orthodox Church? And how do Orthodox Christians approach the study of Scripture? For many believers outside of Orthodoxy, Orthodox Christianity seems exotic and foreign. But for believers inside her communion, she is sometimes called the...
Robert Kolb, professor of systematic theology emeritus at Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis, is co-editor with Timothy J. Wengert of the translation of The Book of Concord (Fortress Press, 2000), co-editor with Irene Dingel and L’ubomir Batka of The...
The only thing taller than the Burj Khalifa is the stack of books I’m currently intending to read. I like to read. I like to read fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, news stories, human interest pieces, jokes, and Twitter threads. I like to read the...
If I asked you to name a woman in the Bible, who would come to mind? How many could you name? Countless sermons have been preached about Esther and Ruth. We’ve scrutinized the woman at the well’s encounter with Jesus and celebrated Rahab’s strategic...
There are many good reasons to start a Bible study for men. They include growth in understanding and applying the Bible, mutually encouraging relationships, and ultimately lives pleasing to God that have an impact for his glory. In short, getting...
I grew up in the church, just not an Anglican church. My journey into the Anglican fold is a story for another time, but I bring it up here because that experience strongly informs this selection of Anglican books you should know. These books were...