On February 8, 2023, students from Asbury University gathered at chapel as they would any other Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., but it was not an ordinary Wednesday. Those in attendance lingered in the chapel—for 15 more days. Craig Keener of Asbury...
The discipline of biblical theology represents an effort to describe the major themes and concerns of biblical authors at a level beyond a single text. In a sense, it is exegetical theology. We are giving the ancient authors “voice” about the topics...
How many times have you heard this in a sermon? How many times have you preached this in a sermon? Faith in Greek is pistis, which means fidelity or trust. In Hebrew, the word usually translated as faith is emunah, which means steadfastness or...
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.—Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) Who is God’s promise for? Casual readers of the Bible may read this popular verse and think, “Wow...
Almost two years ago, I switched to the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) as my primary preaching and teaching translation for my church, Mercy Baptist Church in West Chester, Ohio. Last year I led our church to purchase CSB pew Bibles (though we use...
Though an unlikely recipient of God’s grace, Naaman the Syrian experienced the mercy and power of God in his healing from leprosy. Naaman’s response to Elisha’s healing is both remarkable and puzzling. It is remarkable that this worshiper of the god...
Far from receding after the Gospels, the theme of repentance continues throughout the book of Acts. When a guilty crowd asked how they should respond to their complicity in the death of Jesus, their Messiah, Peter commanded them, "Repent and be...
It is natural at the turn of the seasons to reflect on the previous year. A question many of us may be asking during this time is: What’s next? What surprises await us in the coming year? The truth is that we don’t know what the coming year has in...
As I write this, we are just waking from the sugarcoated dream of the Christmas season. We have tried and tasted every delectable culinary bite we could. Salt-and-pepper-crusted medium-rare steak. Racks full of drying homemade pasta. Mugs of rich...
The word selah is prominent in the Psalms, occurring 71 times (as well as 3 in Habakkuk)— but what does it mean?
I was staring at the back of The Man Sitting in Front of Me, the one who killed my little brother. First my sister, then my niece, stood and told the man what his act had taken from us. The murder had been vicious. My not quite thirty-eight-year-old...
I met once a Latina single mother who’d been experiencing real hardship. She was unable to pay for adequate childcare for her four kids because she had to take on two jobs to make ends meet. She didn’t come from a very religious background. She was...
I heard the word “discipleship” frequently growing up. My Bible teachers and pastors spoke on this topic, explaining how it bolsters the Christian life. However, not until recently did I hear the related phrase “spiritual formation.”...
Every year, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus the Nazarene. Multiple Old Testament passages anticipate the unborn messiah in his mother’s womb. One such passage, Isaiah 49, predicts seven centuries in advance that God’s servant (Jesus) would...
Watch Mark Ward’s full interview with Jonathan Leeman on the theology of love. Love is the most important commandment in the Bible. And the second most important. On love for God and neighbor hang both testaments. And at the center of the Bible...
What’s the first part of your church’s worship services? Chances are, it’s a call to worship—even if your church doesn’t actually refer to it as a call to worship. What is a call to worship? Simply put, a call to worship is the beginning of a...
Thanksgiving Day gets overshadowed by other holidays in store aisles, porch decorations, and people’s priorities—but preaching about thankfulness will always hold a place in the pulpit. Here are 14 sermon illustrations on Thanksgiving to help you...
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...
This is the second article in a two-part series dealing with the common myth that Greek is the most precise language known to mankind. (Article one here.) I’d like to look at a few more examples of imprecision in the Greek of the New Testament...
Logos users loved Sermon Manager back when we introduced it. And by combining all the power of the new Sermon Manager with the improvements we made to Sermon Builder, Logos quickly won the hearts of organizational nerds everywhere. Finally, a...
Why doesn't John Piper need BDAG very much?
Sometimes volunteers are just going to quit, and there’s nothing you can do to change their minds. People move. They get new jobs or go through transitions that make volunteering more difficult or stressful. But sometimes people quit for...
There’s an epidemic in small group communication. You ask a question, and only the sound of crickets greets you. It’s not just once—it keeps happening. This epidemic isn’t anything new, but it’s gotten worse as small groups moved online, where video...
When it comes to church volunteer training, you might say, as Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … ” Having helped lead volunteer teams for hospitality, care groups, women’s ministry, events, finance, and...
Some years ago, Carl Trueman asked a question churches today are reckoning with: What can miserable Christians sing? In the midst of a pandemic, people in your services are likely struggling with fear, anxiety, grief, and uncertainty. We can’t know...
A lot of Christians think they aren’t cut out to be a youth leader. But if you love Jesus and you care about kids, everything else falls into place. In my five years working with middle school students I’ve met multiple 80 year olds who...
Is all the extravagance surrounding Easter a distraction, or are Christians right to give it the special attention they do? Let’s avoid the culture wars of the Easter Bunny, Cadbury eggs, and egg hunts, and simply speak to what happens in most...
Easter Sunday is just around the corner. As you prepare for your service and meditate on the glory of the cross, take a look at these Easter worship songs and hymns. Some are traditional, some are contemporary, and some are somewhere in between—but...
What you’ll see in this Logos Live episode Chauncey Allmond interviews Dr. Eric Mason, founder and lead pastor of Ephiphany Fellowship and founder and president of Thriving, an urban ministry organization. Hear about how preaching and...
Not long ago, the Dead Sea Scrolls were locked away in places where only a select few scholars could see them. That situation actually lasted for decades. The deep end Now, you can see the scrolls for yourself with all the helps you’re accustomed to...
