Blessings to you today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Much Will Be Required)
‘Tis the Season for Topigetical Sermons
“This season brings with it discussions and debates among Reformed believers genuinely concerned about how best to honor the Lord in the midst of what can feel like sensationalistic, materialistic mayhem rooted more deeply in paganism than sentimentality-sated Christians care to acknowledge.”
Reform Your Faith, Don’t Deconstruct It
“I’ve had doubts about my faith. I’m guessing you’ve had them as well. No one is immune to wondering whether their convictions about Christianity are true. It’s a common human experience that is acknowledged in Scripture.” But as Alan Shlemon argues here, that doesn’t mean you should deconstruct your faith.
Does the Holy Spirit tell people things in their thoughts? (Video)
I found it strangely affirming that these three theologians struggle to answer the question and that the even disagree a bit among themselves. It shows that it’s a very complicated question.
Honoring Dishonorable Parents
“The holiday season is one in which happy families get together to eat lovely meals and have laughter-filled conversations followed by games of charades or meaningful talks around a fireplace – or at least that’s how Hallmark portrays the holidays. For many of us, however, the holiday season is one in which we face a very difficult problem.” That makes this the time of year when many people will struggle to be with and honor their parents.
Is It True That “All Is Vanity”? (Ecclesiastes 1)
This article deals with those key words from Ecclesiastes: all is vanity.
When Goodness Doesn’t Make Sense
“If you live long enough, you will suffer. If you counsel long enough, you will hear some stories of unimaginable suffering. Our awareness of the fallenness of the order in which we live should, in theory, prevent our shock when listening to our counselee’s pains. Often, that is not the case. Some stories are just jaw-dropping.”
Flashback: What Matters Is Not the Size of Your Faith
The smallest bit of faith in God is worth infinitely more than the greatest bit of faith in ourselves, or the strongest measure of faith in faith itself. Faith counts for nothing unless its object is Jesus Christ.
The gospel is about being close to God. To do that, Jesus identified with you even to the point of entering into your afflictions.
—Ed Welch
