We have heard people say, “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Both believers and unbelievers alike cling to this proverbial life principle that gives us a sense of comfort and hope in the midst of our daily anxieties, miseries, and afflictions. This is a universally understood truth that Scripture itself teaches (Rom. 5:3-5; Jam. 1:2-4, 12; 1 Pet. 4:12-19). Trials do indeed make us stronger and more steadfast in our faith. Trials mature us. They help us to grow up. However, this is only one part of the biblical equation.
Tag Archives: Gospel
Suffering and Glory
July 2, 2010 – 11:46 AM
We are greatly encouraged to feature a new article by TGC Council member and pastor of Willingdon Church (in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada) John Neufeld. In "Suffering and Glory," Neufeld uses Romans 8:18-25 to lift our eyes heavenward as a means of seeing our suffering in the light of eternity. Here's how Neufeld opens: Living [...]
Social Networking and Us
July 1, 2010 – 11:35 AM
Disturbing statistic of the moment: An explosion in social networking activity has also triggered an avalanche of narcissism, especially on college campuses. A 2009 poll of 1,068 college students in the US conducted by researchers at San Diego State University found that 57 per cent believe that their generation uses social networking sites for self-promotion [...]
How do I apply the most important elements to a funeral?
June 30, 2010 – 9:05 AM
In a previous post, I highlighted the four most important elements to any funeral service. Though those four elements are clear, it can still be a challenge to know how to apply those four elements into a funeral service. Thus, here is one of the ways I try to accomplish this task by using the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead from John 11.
Tullian Tchividjian and Advance 2010
June 29, 2010 – 9:42 AM
Tullian Tchividjian (shameless plug alert: TGC blogger at "On Earth as it is in Heaven") preached recently at the Advance the Church conference in Durham, NC. Here's the video to his message titled, "The Gospel Unchanging: Contextualization Without Compromise." For other messages from the conference by J.D. Greear, Matt Carter, Tyler Jones, Mark Driscoll, Ed [...]
Funeral Service Essentials
June 25, 2010 – 6:06 PM
Recently I was asked to do a Q & A with the pastoral interns and some of the staff at Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, KY to discuss the logistics of funerals. As many of you know, there are all kinds of details that we would list as important and essential. Yet, in our conversation, I narrowed those down to four areas that must be proclaimed.
Pain and the Ethics of Abortion
June 25, 2010 – 9:18 AM
A headline in The Guardian (London) this morning reads, "Human Foetus Feels No Pain Before 24 Weeks, Study Says." Then this subtitle, "Finding in major review of scientific evidence strikes blow to those seeking to reduce upper time limit for abortion." There is a deeply tragic triumphalism to this headline/subtitle. A scientific study is being [...]
Love: The Most Excellent Way
June 3, 2010 – 1:18 PM
If you have ever been a part of any church for any amount of time, then chances are you have witnessed conflict, perhaps even major conflict. This is a sad reality of life and ministry. You would think that a church full of professing Christians would be able to avoid divisions, but the truth of the matter is they don’t. Why is that?
The Gospel and Social Justice: Toward a Robustly Biblical Conversation
June 2, 2010 – 9:39 AM
Writing for TIME magazine, Amy Sullivan brings to our attention an issue that has much of contemporary evangelicalism scrambling for clarity. The issue is the relationship between the gospel and "social justice." How this relationship develops, particularly among younger evangelicals, is fraught with potential pitfalls for the unified advance of the gospel in our day.
The Ongoing Need For the Gospel
Tullian Tchividjian reminds Christians of our ongoing need for the gospel. He writes, One of the most important discoveries of my life has been that the Gospel is not just for non-Christians; it’s for Christians too. I used to think the Gospel was simply what non-Christians must believe in to be saved, while afterward we [...]