Katie FrenchWhen his childhood dream of being a major league baseball player bit bitter dust, Jim Hamilton realized he’d have to pick another career. He found a new passion: biblical theology, a passion that took off during his studies at The Southern Baptist...
Guest AuthorThe other morning I woke up while my children were still sleeping and began to pray. I started thinking about my identity. Who am I? As I settled into my prayer time, I began to rejoice at the thought that I am a mother. It is part of who I am. To...
Murray J. HarrisWord order can often be significant, especially when it is surprising. For example, Paul’s letter to the Christian believers in Rome is the flagship of the Pauline fleet. The apostle greatly treasured his special calling to be an apostle that came...
Robby LockettI love the New Testament letters. From Paul’s discourse on adoption in Romans to his discussions of love and resurrection in 1 Corinthians; from his powerful defense of gentile Christians and Christ’s finished work in Galatians to his wonderful...
David P. BarshingerWe are familiar with God’s calls in Scripture to be marked by a tender heart. Paul commands Christians, “Be … tenderhearted” (Eph 4:32), and Peter tells believers to “have … a tender heart” (1 Pet 3:8). These teachings clearly show what God expects...
Logos StaffOur political leaders need prayer, no matter who they are. And as Paul exhorted Timothy, Christians are called to pray for those “in high positions.” As we go about everyday life, the realm of politics often seems so far removed. Or, to be honest...
In today’s churches, pastors are often expected to be jacks of all trades but also master the art of the care of souls (what Harold Senkbeil identifies as the “enactment of the word of Christ upon the souls for whom our Lord shed his blood and...
As Easter approaches, there’s no better time to reflect on the power and glory of the resurrection through Scripture. To start, Charles Spurgeon gives five Easter Bible verses when explaining the importance of the resurrection. (Hover over...
Mary JahnkeEvery month, around 350 people search for “Bible reading plans PDF.” Nearly 12,000 people on average (and as many as 30,000!) search for “Bible reading plans” monthly. Here’s a great (free) option for every one of those people—and you too. Here’s...
Dean H. TaylorWithout unity, a church will not grow. According to Paul’s outline of church life in Ephesians 4, unity among believers is essential to a thriving church. His line of thought from verses 1–3 (“be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the...
Peter KrolWhenever my laptop or smartphone gets stuck, I always hear the same preliminary advice: try to reboot. For some reason, shutting the technology down and starting it back up again tends to shake things loose and get them back where they’re supposed...
This post is adapted from Delights & Disciplines of Bible Study: A Guidebook for Studying God’s Word by Warren W. Wiersbe. *** It’s unfortunate that some of our gifted Christian poets and songwriters have used Canaan, the promised land, as a...
Rebecca Van NoordDr. Tony Evans is passionate about discipleship that applies the whole of the Bible to all of life. The founder and pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship first found this passion for making disciples while attending Bible college and seminary during...
Mwindula MbeweWhy did John call Jesus “the Logos”? This question has puzzled biblical scholars for millennia; it is not a debate that is easily settled. One of the most compelling views is that John borrowed this idea from Greek thought. But theologians across...
Nick KennicottLuke 24 is about Jesus’s resurrection, his post-resurrection interaction with his disciples, and his ascension to heaven. On two different occasions during this chapter Jesus appears to his followers, first to Cleopas and his friend on the road to...
Randy A. BrownEveryone intuitively understands that disabilities can be hard to live with. They can even put a strain on your faith—some disabilities more than others. Imagine, then, being born without arms. This is the affliction God gave to Daniel...
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:34 ESV) This first of the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross was uttered probably shortly after he had been crushed to the...
It is not uncommon when reading the Bible to run into language or imagery that we don’t readily understand. Just spend some time in the Prophets or Revelation. We may view the difficulties in Scripture as deterrents to engaging it (even if we don’t...
Lexham PressWhere do you go when the calamities of life feel too heavy? We’re all tempted to turn inward, but perhaps we would do better to open the Psalms of lament instead. In the following excerpt from Christ and Calamity by award-winning author Harold L...
The definition of spiritual endurance (or “steadfast endurance”) is this: the power to withstand hardship or stress; especially the inward fortitude necessary. This definition from Logos Bible Software (Bible app and Basic package available free) is...
Daniel Ritchie was born without arms and faced a unique kind of adversity daily. Yet after surrendering his life to Jesus, he learned that only in Christ could true worth and purpose be found—freeing him from comparisons and restrictions and...
Mark WardConfidently. That’s the answer. If you’re going to get it wrong, along with Luther I say, Sin boldly. But that’s just it: when it comes to Bible words, there are fewer pronunciation sins than you think. Now… there are some. I was just listening to a...
Ryan Pemberton“Is this something we do?” I remember asking when I first heard the word “Lent.” Even though my father is Catholic, I grew up in a Protestant house where Lent, Ash Wednesday, and fasting were as exotic as Rome, the pope, and crucifixes. It wasn’t...
What makes a great marriage? If you asked several strong couples, you’d probably get several different answers. But if you examined their marriages, you’d find they have elements in common. These three elements of a great marriage are adapted from...
Why are we here, and what is our purpose? What on earth went wrong, and why are things so messed up? How can we go about making this wrecked world a better place? These are some of the most important questions a person can ask. If we’re willing to...
Ray Deck IIIWhat is a devotional? That’s not easy to answer. A devotional can be many things. It can be a Bible reading plan. It can be a series of meditations. It can be a liturgical exercise. It can be a daily selection of verses, accompanied by a...
For nearly 2,000 years, Christians have recited the Apostles Creed. Why? Why after millennia is it still important . . . still relevant? Here’s a short answer from Ben Myers in The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism and the new...
Who wrote the Apostles’ Creed? Why is it important? Keep reading! This article from the free Lexham Bible Dictionary gives those answers (and many, many more). Apostles’ Creed (Symbolum Apostolorum): A statement of Christian belief that...
Martin Luther once said, “Christian truth could not possibly be put into a shorter and clearer statement.” He was talking about the Apostles’ Creed, a declaration of belief that’s united Christians for centuries. In it, we find the foundational...
Zach HollifieldAlmost a year to the day after becoming a Christian, I fell to a familiar sin that had ruled me prior to conversion. At that moment God’s presence vanished. I was left wondering if I had lost my salvation—if I had been saved in the first place. The...