Does God Care about Our Suffering?

Agonizing in prayer over a difficult leader who was causing conflict in my church, I asked God to remove him and to protect my family and me. As senior pastor, I became the target for a few disgruntled people that this man had secretly poisoned against me. Eventually they demanded my resignation, threatening to disrupt […]

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Peace that Exceeds Understanding

Peace. Whisper the word to yourself and you can almost feel your heart relax. When you’re at peace, you feel an inner confidence that things are not running wild—regardless of the circumstances. Your mind is at rest. Your heart doesn’t flutter with anxiety. Your focus is clear. But far too often, peace is like that […]

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Micah and His Message

Little is known about the prophet Micah. His hometown Moresheth lay in Judah’s fertile foothills near the fortified cities Lachish, Maresha, and Soco. It was about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem and so close to the Philistine city Gath that it was often linked with this larger city and called Moresheth-gath. Most commentators believe Micah […]

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Romans: Cornerstone of Christian Truth

The editors of the New Geneva Study Bible describe the book of Romans as Paul’s fullest, grandest, most comprehensive statement of the gospel. Its compressed declarations of vast truths are like coiled springs—once loosed, they leap through mind and heart to fill one’s horizon and shape one’s life. John Chrysostom, the fifth century’s greatest preacher, […]

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Conforming or Transforming

Romans 12:1 deals with the physical, our bodies. Romans 12:2 deals with the metaphysical, our minds. Jews focused all of their attention on the ethical, public behavior of a person, which is good in many ways. However, Jesus was not satisfied with mere external, physical obedience. He called for His followers to have clean hearts […]

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Tips for Teaching Kids Truth

1. Tap into Transparency. Modeling Christian truth for your kids doesn’t just mean going to church, reading your Bible, and letting them see all your spiritual bright spots. Allow them to see the dimmer points in your past and present. Without disturbing them with unnecessary detail, be honest about the struggles you’ve endured. Relate to […]

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A Better Way to Train Up A Child

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) Proverbs 22:6 is probably the best-known passage on the issue of childrearing and, ironically, the most misunderstood. One classic interpretation of this proverb goes this way: Be sure your kids attend Sunday […]

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