A New Year, A New Bible Reading Plan — Beginning in Genesis 1 and Matthew 1
One of the most important rhythms in my life at the start of every new year is beginning my annual Bible reading plan. I’ve used several plans over the years, but the one I return to most often is the simple approach that takes me through the entire Bible in a year.
Starting the New Year with the God Who Holds Our Time
There’s something about the first days of a new year that invites us to pause. We look back on what was and we look ahead to what might be. We set goals, we make plans, we start fresh. In many ways, the turning of the calendar feels like a clean slate. But if we’re honest, a new year can also feel heavy. Some of you step into January carrying grief. Some carry anxiety. Some feel weary from a hard season that hasn’t lifted. Others feel hopeful, excited, even joyful. And many of us feel a mix of all the above.
Dispelling Christmas Myths
Every December, nativity scenes go up, carols fill the air, and familiar images of Christmas come rushing back. Over time, however, tradition and imagination have blended so seamlessly with Scripture that it can be hard at times to tell where the Bible ends and where myth and legend begin.
The Beginning of Christmas
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis gives us one of the most memorable pictures of what a true king is like. When the Pevensie children first hear about Aslan, they are surprised to learn that he is not a man, but a Lion.
The king from Bethlehem
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis gives us one of the most memorable pictures of what a true king is like. When the Pevensie children first hear about Aslan, they are surprised to learn that he is not a man, but a Lion.
For To Us a Child Is Born
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received in my long and very lucrative baseball career (please do not be misled, I never made it past J.V. baseball) was this: “Keep your eye on the ball.” If you fail to keep your eye on the ball, you almost certainly miss it.
The Christian’s Battle for the Heart and Mind
As we approach Thanksgiving, many of us find ourselves reflecting on gratitude, blessings, and the goodness of God. Yet for many believers this season also highlights another reality: the ongoing battle taking place within our hearts and minds. Holidays have a way of exposing what is happening beneath the surface. According to recent research, nearly three-quarters of people report feeling more anxious or more discouraged during the holiday season than at any other time of year. Scripture tells us that these struggles are not only emotional challenges, they are matters of the heart. They are spiritual battles.
Not Causing Your Brother to Stumble
In 1520, just three years after nailing his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Martin Luther wrote one of his shortest and most influential works, On the Freedom of the Christian
Welcoming One Another in the Church
If you could speak to a younger version of yourself, what would you say? What advice would you give? I wonder, would your convictions or priorities be the same?
Discipline in the Community (Matthew 18:15–20)
“All you need is love,” sang the Beatles: “love, love, love.” I think that might be the mantra of our world today. Our culture is obsessed with the idea of love, whether romantic love or self-love. Love