At the beginning of a new month it is good to be reminded: At this very moment God is reigning from his throne, so Christ will soon return and all will be made right.
(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for February 2023)
The Christian’s Glorious Freedom
Sinclair Ferguson: “You may have been a Christian for some time and yet not grasped your new status in Christ. You may still be intimidated by the domineering character of the tyrant who once ruled over you. Believers sometimes wrongly assume: ‘I have sinned; therefore, sin still has authority over me. I cannot possibly have ‘died’ to sin.’ Paul unambiguously contradicts this thinking.”
A Darker Consumerism
Chris wants us to consider that “our relationship with social media has made us consumers of people.”
Dear Nursery Worker: Thank You For Loving Our Family Like Christ
Here’s some encouragement: “Sister, if you ever feel like your job is useless as a nursery worker, if you ever feel like you’re doing no good for the kingdom, stomp out those lies. You’re loving those children, and you are loving those parents. You’re modeling Jesus…”
Hurt, injustice and dealing with reality
Stephen reflects on some of the ways we can be hurt in church (and how we can hurt others). “As much as I don’t want to diminish the reality of bad experiences, I also think there is some balance needed in how we think about these things. None of what I am about to say is meant to undercut real experience of hurtful things…”
Defining and Defending Liturgy
“What first comes to mind when you hear the word ‘liturgy’? You may believe that ‘liturgy’ is something mechanical or impersonal, not really speaking to the heart. Perhaps you think it a cold, lifeless term, expressing a concept that does not have practical value or promote spiritual worship. Liturgy? Who needs it!”
Should We Cancel Karl Barth, Martin Luther, and Jonathan Edwards?
Trevin considers theologians we may now find troubling in different ways. “We can either look down on past theologians for their sins or we can look deeper. Looking deeper requires us to consider different kinds of sin, how those sins might affect the outlook of the theologian, and what treasures we may still receive, with wisdom and discernment, from flawed forebears.”
Flashback: Which Christian Best Portrays Christ?
Christians are called to be like Jesus, to make a careful study of his life, of his ways, of his character, then to portray him on the canvas of our lives.
To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.
—G.K. Chesterton
