Wednesday's Word

I hope that your church pulled out all the stops for a raucous celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord! For followers of Jesus Christ, Easter Sunday is the single most important day in history. Without it, there would be no reason for our faith. The Apostle Paul writes that "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:14) So I certainly hope that Easter Sunday is the biggest and best day on your church calendar.... Read More

I love Easter. I love the celebratory music we sing at church. I love the passages of Scripture we read during worship. Most of all, I love the visual image of the Empty Tomb. In one culminating and specific moment in history, Jesus Christ summarizes and finalizes the salvation narrative. There are 6 things in particular that I love about the Empty Tomb. 1. The Empty Tomb reveals that God is faithful. Centuries earlier, after Adam and Eve rebelled, God promised that he would... Read More

Your Bible begins with four carefully selected words, four words that I would argue are perhaps the most important words in all of Scripture. "In the beginning, God..." With these words, everything in your life - including sex - is given its shape, purpose and meaning. Genesis 1:1 tells you that your life is not about you; it's about the Creator. It's vital to know that you were born into a universe that by its very nature is a celebration of him. What this means... Read More

When it comes to sex, we've gone culturally insane. Just think about how much sexually explicit and sexually driven material is pushed in front of your eyes every day. With all of this so readily available, it's very tempting to blame sex, societal values, the mainstream media, or technology as the problem. But here's the humbling truth: sex is not the problem, nor is our environment the primary problem. The act of sex, as God designed, is beautiful and rewarding - not evil.... Read More

Are you in a moment of temptation right now, or have you experienced temptation recently? Are you experiencing some type of sexual suffering right now, or have you recently? (If not, I'm sure you are close to someone who is.) As sexual beings with sinful hearts, we should anticipate attraction to things that God prohibits. Similarly, as residents of a fallen world, we should expect to suffer, and at times, that suffering will impact our sexuality. Despite these inevitable... Read More

There are two things that you should expect, both as a human being and as a follower of Jesus Christ: You should expect to suffer, and you should expect suffering to impact your sexuality. That's a discouraging and potentially awkward way to start, isn't it? Keep reading - I pray you'll find hope at the end! Here are a few ways you can expect to suffer sexually: You will suffer through the temptation to take your sexual desires – which God hardwired you with -... Read More

If you spend any time watching television, you’re bound to have seen commercials from the major phone networks offering unlimited plans What an attractive offer. No restrictions, no limits, nothing to get in between you and the way you want to use your device. Maybe that works for a smartphone. But if you want to live realistically and productively as a sinful human being in a fallen world, it’s absolutely critical that you humbly admit your limits. Every person is subject... Read More

I live in Philadelphia, and the Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl! After their latest win, the city erupted in celebration. (You probably saw some of the crazy videos online.) The scene in my city from last Sunday reminded me of something I saw years ago. After a big sports win, I was in the middle of a huge and boisterous crowd. Probably many of them had had too much to drink. They were coming out of the stadium, with celebratory grabbing, shoving, and high-fiving all over the place.... Read More