“How some would rejoice if they could possess a relic of anything that belonged to our Savior in the days of his flesh, even though it is of no use or benefit to them! Indeed, how many Christians boast in some pretended parcels of the tree on which he suffered. Love abused by superstition lies at the bottom of this vanity; for such people would embrace anything left them by their dying Savior…

Sometimes theologians have spoken about there being three great unions in the Christian faith. 1. The unity in the Trinity. 2. The union of Christ’s two natures. 3. The believer’s union with Christ. While true! there is also clearly a distinction between how these unions work. In the following passage, Thomas Goodwin looks at John 17 and seeks to highlight the uniqueness of the Son’s union with the Father….

Meditate on the following passages and think about how you can put the truths you discover into practice. Most of the Scriptures here are fairly straightforward. Some are commands. Others are statements with implications. The verses marked with an asterisk may require a little more effort to interpret and apply appropriately…

Every preacher needs to know what to preach and how to preach it. There’s a sense in which the answer to that question is easy. Preach the Bible depending on the Spirit to explain and apply what it means. But on the other hand, it is a big book. And people have a million different opinions about how to preach it well…

Even though it’s just a short phrase, there are some big challenges to understanding what Paul means. Like, first of all, the word “poor”.  Then, the word “became”. “He” is not too hard, because that’s Jesus. When we think poor, we think about money. We might imagine Paul is saying that although Christ was rich, he’s not talking about our financial prosperity here and now either….

To grasp the Son’s sacrifice in taking on human nature, we must deeply consider what it means for Him to be the Son of God. Paul helps us understand this in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “Though He was rich, He became poor…”

When we hear "rich," we typically think of money. But God is spirit, and as the Creator, He already possesses all things. So, what does it mean for God to be rich?

In 2 Corinthians 8:9, Paul motivates us to give sacrificially by pointing to who Jesus is and what He has done for us: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”…

There is no greater privilege than thinking deeply about Jesus. When it comes to what we choose to focus our minds on, we want to be a little like the apostle Paul. “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul is explaining why he preached the way he did…

I am weak. I want to be courageous. I have been thinking about spiritual strength lately. Me and AI did some talking back and forth and it helped me come up with a four week reading that explores the virtue of fortitude-spiritual strength, holy courage, and endurance-through classic theologians, Puritans, and a modern writer. Each week includes selected readings and reflection questions…

We're living in a dangerous world. Physically dangerous, for sure. We're constantly being reminded of that. Everywhere you go, there…

Is there anyone you envy? If there is, we usually don’t like to admit it. But most of us, if we’re honest, have looked at someone else and thought, “I wish I had what they have.” Often, the people we envy are financially successful. If we ask others, “Who are the most envied people?” we’d probably hear a lot of billionaire names…

How do we stir one another up to love and good works? Hebrews 10:25 starts with a clear answer: “Not neglecting to meet together.” The fact that he commands them not to neglect meeting together assumes that Christians were meeting together. This is basic, but needs to be said…

After reminding us of the privileges we have in Christ, the writer of Hebrews calls on us to respond. In Hebrews 10:24 and 25, he highlights one of our most critical spiritual responsibilities: the call to intentional thinking. “And let us consider…” We should notice who he is addressing. He’s talking to us. Not just pastors or church leaders, everyone of us who is a believer. If you have access to God through Christ…