Inspiration

After the question: Does God exist? to which God answers, I Am (Exodus 3:14), the next question that has shaped us most deeply at Bethlehem is: Why did God Read more

We begin a new series of messages this morning that will take us, Lord willing, through Easter Sunday morning, April 19. So I would like to begin Read more

Prayer can be difficult. As one theologian of the past said, “There are times in my life I’d rather die than pray.” When it comes Read more

It’s been fifteen years since I wrote When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy. I wrote it because hundreds of people who hear Read more

What an unspeakable and undeserved privilege it is to stand in this pulpit again and look out on you, the flock that the great Shepherd Read more

The two questions I want to try to answer today are: (1) What does it mean to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? (2) How do Read more

There’s a little baby in our church named Naomi Faith and she’s been in the hospital now for three months and hasn’t been home yet Read more

The assumption behind this article is that the preciousness and pleasures of Christmas will be deeper, stronger, and more intense if we experience Christmas as Read more

“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Read more

His Heart Is Broad as Heaven All Christians believe that God forgives sins. But how many of us feel, deep down in our bones, that God delights to Read more

As we are busy chasing the wind of Christmas season, it reminds us more soundly that we have made it through one other year and Read more

I invite you to look with me at a sequence of six passages in the New Testament book of Hebrews. These six passages contain the Read more

Learning from the Bible’s Songbook Why is the songbook of the Bible punctuated with so many commands directed to our emotions? Why do we read: Read more

Introduction You know the routine. Relatives have come from afar and it is time for a family picnic. Of course everyone wants pictures of the Read more

How is my obedience connected to my joy? It’s a question today from Jonathan. “Hi, Pastor John. I’m a seminary student in South Africa. My Read more

Five times here in Romans 8 the apostle Paul has asked questions to draw out the amazing privileges of belonging to Jesus Christ. Verse 31: “If Read more

“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of the world to the Father, having Read more

Answer: This simple, yet profound, question is the most important question that can be asked. “How can I be saved?” deals with where we will spend eternity after Read more

Answer: “Jesus saves” is a popular slogan on bumper stickers, signs at athletic events, and even banners being pulled across the sky by small airplanes. Sadly, Read more

The Bible, God’s Word, tells us what God is like and what He is not like. Without the authority of the Bible, any attempt to Read more

“How can a Christian learn to trust in God in the face of challenges?” Answer: We cannot trust someone we don’t know, and that is the Read more

Answer: Everyone knows that God exists. “God has made it plain” that He is real, “for since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal Read more

Answer: All that God deemed essential knowledge for His children is found in His Word—the Bible. Beyond that, all truth is God’s. God has, however, revealed Read more

The Gospel of John and this passage (John 14:1–11), in particular, is very practical. It’s very relevant to one of the most common struggles we Read more