The Greek word for grace is charis, and there’s no question of its importance in biblical theology. Charis appears 116 times in the New Testament. There’s a lot about grace in Scripture because it’s the message of Jesus. Grace means favor. It means acceptance. It means giving. Grace is free in the sense that something done or given in grace is done so without expecting to receive anything in return. Grace isn’t dependent on the way it’s received, the moral goodness of the one receiving it, or even that person’s ability to rightly … [Read more...]
How Do We Teach College Students to Share the Gospel?
"For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, CSB) Recently when a number of college students were asked to share the gospel, they struggled to do so. These students are leaders of ministries, grounded in their faith, involved in church, and they love Jesus. Their inability to share the story of Jesus clearly and succinctly was astonishing. Some of the students shared about who Jesus was in their lives. Others talked about … [Read more...]
Are You Distracted? (Part 2)
Editors note: This is part 2 of a series. Read Part 1 here. Are you distracted? I recently wrote an article in which I said, "If I could pick one word that I think best describes this generation it would be the word, distracted." So, how about you? Is your focus easily pulled from one thing to another? If so, you're not alone. And, distraction is more problematic than you may initially think. Distraction is doing a lot more than just keeping us from being able to hear God speak. Distraction is keeping us from effectively … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Stick With Your Daily Bible Reading
So you'd like to begin spending time with God daily? It's a noble goal and one that every Christian should strive for. Whatever it is that has moved you to act, you'll have a better chance of developing a daily habit of time with God if you follow these seven tips for nurturing a daily devotional time with God. 1. Pick a time. Make it a priority by calendaring it as you would any other important meeting. We set appointments for much less important things like oil changes, haircuts, and lunches. Set a specific time to meet with Him … [Read more...]
Advent: Expectation
When I think of the season of Advent, the four-week part of the church calendar that immediately precedes Christmas, the word that comes to mind is “expectation.” Indeed, Advent is a season in which we wait hopefully for that which is promised but is not yet fully formed. It is during this time of year that those of us who are Christians receive the startling news that Christ is being formed in us; that Christ is being born. The question is this: What will we do with such strange, wonderful news? Will we receive it as if for the … [Read more...]
Is Jesus Really All You Need?
“All you need is Jesus.” Ever heard that phrase? In the evangelical world that I consider myself a part of, this phrase is constantly proclaimed as the very essence of the Christian faith. All I need is my personal relationship with Jesus. Everything else may be helpful, but not necessary to live out my Christian faith. I know I have preached the same message. I've offered that message as counsel. I've even lived this message in my Christian faith. But is that all that there is to it? I don’t think so. Radical … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Endure Life’s Desert Seasons
Ever watched the show Man vs. Wild? It's an ingenious reality show that attempts to show you how to survive in any number of hostile environments—from the Costa Rican rainforest to the Alaskan frontier to a wide array of desert locations. The host is an aptly-named British gentleman, Bear Grylls, who parachutes into these remote locations, and spends a great deal of time running from, yes, bears, lions, and elephants. In fact, there is only one thing he spends more time doing—and that is looking for water. In one episode (at … [Read more...]
Easter is About Justice
But wait—Easter is about us, right? It’s about our hope? It’s about our security? It’s about our salvation? Yes, and no. The whole Easter thing, in a bigger sense, is about justice. It’s about God. It’s about God re-affirming His commitment to justice and confirming His perfect nature again. Coming into the very first Good Friday, the perfection of God was in doubt. See if God is perfect, then all His attributes must be the perfect expression of that attribute. Take His love for example. We tend to think of love as we think … [Read more...]
Lent: Meeting Jesus in the Wilderness
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. Matthew 4:1 For those unfamiliar with the liturgical calendar of the Christian church, one of the most important times of the year occurs during the 40 days leading up to Easter—a season called Lent. For Christians who take this season seriously, Lent is more than giving up chocolate; it’s a time of sober reflection on the sacrifice of Jesus; a time when we internalize Christ’s life and death by practicing self-denial and self-reflection. During … [Read more...]