The quotes in this article are drawn from a sermon series (by Paul Matthies) on loneliness, and offer insights into loneliness, and helpful, biblical perspectives for dealing with it.

Have you been hurt by the church? How did you deal with it? Overcoming church hurt can take some time but it is possible. This article suggests three ways one can do that.

What does it mean to be a spiritual leader? This article indicates that spiritual leadership is rooted in knowing where God wants people to be and taking the initiative to use God’s means to get them there. This understanding of leadership has two aspects to it: the inner circle and the outer circle.

Do you enjoy being a pastor? There are thirty reasons that make pastoral work great, and this article unpacks them.

What makes a revival? Jonathan Edwards gave a biblical reflection of this. However, to understand the answer of Edwards, we must understand the man himself, his understanding of God and how God works to reveal his glory. It is the view of God that shaped Edwards's understanding of revival. The article discusses this while pointing to crucial elements that constitute a revival.

Looking at Exodus 20:5-6, Exodus 34:6-7, and Leviticus 26:39, this article maintains that the Bible does not teach the concept of generational curses or generational sin. The Bible teaches that God punishes the sins of the fathers to their children when the children adopt those sins.

This article discusses five things Christians should know concerning heresy and deceptive signs and wonders.

The wisdom of Proverbs teach us to listen carefully to what people have to say.

How should Bible-believing Christians align themselves in the Jewish-Palestinian conflict? The Bible does not teach us to be partial to either the Jews or the Palestinians.

One of the duties of the Christian is to apply our minds in imagination. The mind is used for much more - observation, analysis, organization, memorization, etc. But imagination is different. Imagination helps explain what is not seen, but is out there.

Evangelism is witnessing about Christ, the light. Light is illumination itself. When you want someone to see the light, you don’t shine on the light; the light itself must be held up.

Saving faith has much to do with the trust that God will grant faith tomorrow. Trusting Christ today includes trusting Him not to leave you tomorrow. "Often we feel today like our resevoir of strength is not going to last for another day. The reality is, it won’t. Today’s resources are for today. We may have confidence that new resources will be given tomorrow."

This article is a meditation on Psalm 63. In this Psalm, David remembers times of worship in the house of God.

This article on 1 Peter 3:9-12 discusses the importance of Christian hope as ethical motivation. Hope is one of those dominant and decisive forces that shape us into the kind of people we are.

We should never think too highly of ourselves. Humility befits believers. The remedy for pride is to take serious the fact that our faith is a gift of God alone through His Holy Spirit.

This article looks at the task of the Holy Spirit in directing attention and conviction toward the Word (Hebrews 1).

This is a meditation on Revelation 3:5. What does it mean to have your name written in the book of life?

The sluggard creates imaginary circumstances to justify his laziness. He imagines danger to camouflages his reluctance to work hard. (Proverbs 22:13)

Marriage does not have a purpose separate from God. Its purpose is to magnify the beauty and greatness of God.

The Holy Spirit gives and creates love through our faith and trust in the promises of Jesus. Love in our hearts is never separated from the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit and Christ are not to be separated.

This article discusses the importance of prayer in the ministry of the Gospel (Acts 6:2-4).

Every moment of our lives should be governed by the glad affections of gratitude and faith.

Scripture often speaks of doing something for the sake of the name of God, which means virtually the same as doing it for His glory. The goal of human history is the glory of God.

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in who He is.

This is a statement on divorce and remarriage after divorce.

This article draws a connection between the passion of Christ and the suffering of the Jews in concentration camps.

We who have not seen Jesus on earth are not at a disadvantage, for we can see Him through His Word. This is all we need in order to believe and be saved. How do we see Jesus today in His glory?

True greatness is serving the needs of others.

This article outlines three exhortations against racism.

The self-love Jesus had in mind when He said, "Love your neighbor as yourself", was not a command to love yourself. He used the reality of self-love, and made it the measure of neighbor love. Is it important that we have self-love?

In times of great suffering and loss, people often feel angry with God. Is it ever right to be angry with God or express anger towards Him?

In this article, both the Old Testament and the New Testament are examined to discover the whole spectrum of the meaning of love in the Bible.

This article is an exegesis of 1 Corinthians 7:3–5. In marriage, couples are called to serve each other, also when it comes to sexual intimacy.

What is the innermost meaning of Jesus' crucifixion? What problem was God solving through the death of Christ? This article on Romans 3:25-26 maintains that the most basic purpose of the death of Christ is to demonstrate God's righteousness and justice.

The glory of the return of Christ is portrayed in Matthew 25:31-33.

A wrong understanding of self-worth can be damaging for our faith. How should we value ourselves as images of God?

This article is a beautiful story of the liberation of one person from homosexual desires through God's grace.

The people of God are called to humble themselves and seek His face - not just once, but always. This article discussing how fasting leads to humility.

A growing cultural phenomenon is present in many Western countries: "adultolescence" - the postponement of adulthood into the thirties. Here a possible response of the church to this cultural phenomenon is given.

Why did the Israelites have to slaughter the Amorites? This article discusses why the Israelites had to destroy the Canaanites.

The letter of Jude teaches us something about the value of knowing the history of God's salvation plan for his people.

Worship of God is not optional. Paul and Silas worshipped God even when bloodied, beaten, and locked in a prison cell (Acts 16). Let us therefore not forget to praise God even in times of suffering.

How does God waken in somebody a call to a specific task/office in his church? This article offers ten important means God uses to compel those whom he calls. Are you perhaps called by God to a specific task?

Why is there so much evil in this world? Why is Satan given so much freedom to harm the world? Why does God tolerate Satan?

What does it mean to have a pilgrim lifestyle as a Christian?

This is a response to possible obstacles that may prevent people from being more actively involved in mission work.

Presented here is a discussion that took place at a meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society on relations between Christians and Muslims. Under discussion was the Yale Response to A Common Word.

Does Scripture attribute the condition of people that receive the wrath of God to God's doing? Does Scripture give the impression that God is responsible for the sin of people? This article on Romans 9:22 addresses these two questions.

We should learn to discern the purpose, and therefore the meaning, of words spoken against us, against God, or against the truth.

When Zacchaeus the tax collector was converted, he vowed to give back fourfold to anyone he had defrauded. Here is a fictitious conversation he might have had when returning the money. This story serves to show how God works to rid us of our individual idols.

This author presents a twofold method based on 1 John through which we can the genuinness of our belief and love. In this way we can increase our assurance of our salvation.

The sins of our loved ones can sometimes be very painful, but they must not be allowed to rob us of our joy in the Lord.

This article describes how we can show Christian love to our Muslim neighbour in today's context.

False expectations can turn a good relationship into a bad one. This is also true in our relationship with the Lord. When we hear Jesus say, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst”, one might jump to the conclusion that once you come to Jesus all your longings are satisfied then and there. As if there will be no more dissatisfaction of any sort. But in this article, John Piper emphasizes that Christians should expect some dissatisfaction in this life.

This article on Colossians 4:2-4 is an encouragement to pray and persevere in prayer.

Why do saved believers also have to be present at the last judgment? What does this final judgment mean for believers? This article discusses Revelation 20:12-15 in relation to this.

If God is for us, then all his sovereign power is exerted for our good and never against us. All other powers must bow before him.

Living a pure life to the glory of God includes spiritual warfare against very specific temptation. This article on Matthew 5:28-29 discusses resisting sexual temptation in particular.

It is a real danger that we sin so long and so grievously that the Lord will not grant repentance?

The importance of good theological training in shaping the faith and theology of churches, denominations and missionary enterprise cannot be overemphasized. Prayer for the seminary is necessary!

With the fall into sin, Adam and Eve became ashamed of their nudity (Genesis 3). Why did their nudity become a source of shame? 

What does it mean to be worldly? Has the Church become too dependent upon the world? This article on 1 Samuel 13:19-23 addresses these questions.

As the New Testament church emerged from Judaism, it patterned its life and structure with ruling elders which resembled the Old Testament elders.

Throughout the history of the church, heretics often protested against orthodox confessions on the ground of the so-called "non-scriptural language" of the orthodox creed. They pointed out that phrases such as “of one essence with the Father,” and “one substance with the Father” were not to be found in Scripture. Heretics often used the argument “no creed but the Bible” precisely so that they could use biblical language to evade biblical truth.

This article is a meditation on Psalm 2:11-12. The only place to be safe against the wrath of God is in God.

Jesus instructed His disciples to pray for workers in His kingdom. That instruction is then immediately followed up Him sending out the very ones who were praying (Matthew 9:38). This article discusses the task of praying for missionaries.

This author discusses two reasons why he believes in Jesus' resurrection.

People have more anger than they think. The reason is that anger disguises itself. The control of anger is imperative in all types of relationships.

There are levels of seeing in the Bible. We need God's grace to see His truth clearly. We need a renewal of our minds so that we are able to rightly see and understand.

This article is a very broad overview of the history of Christian mission work up to the 16th century.

True manhood and womanhood is beautiful. In this world which is so confused about gender, what should Christians confess about true manhood and womanhood?

Spiritual leaders know where God wants people to be and take initiative to get them there, relying on God's power and using God's methods.

Prayer for those in the Christian ministry is indispensable. (1 Thessalonians 5:25)

The life of the apostolic church testifies to the reality that the church may flourish even (and sometimes especially) in a context of persecution.

What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18)? Paul says that those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5). And what are these things of the Spirit?

This article discusses four ways in which truth and love relate to each other.

This article highlights reasons why abortion is wrong.

Romans 3:25, 26 refers to the righteousness of God. This righteousness is most naturally understood as God's commitment to always act for His own names' sake. This article is a study of God's righteousness as it is referred to in this passage.

Questions about evil tend to be the same. Did God know it was going to happen? Where was God? Does God have knowledge about the future? Was God able to prevent it? Why should we pray to God when it seems as if He can't actually keep bad things from happening?

If we believe that God works all things according to His will (Ephesians 1:11), and if we believe that His knowledge of all things is perfect, then what is the point of prayer? Or: If God has determined some to be His sons and has chosen them before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4,5), is there then any point in praying for anyone's conversion?

Pure religion in God's sight is to care for orphans in their distress (James 1:27).

This letter about how to relate to a relative who is homosexual ​was written to a real person based on a real situation.

In this article, the author introduces six reasons why Scripture memorization is essential to the Christian life.

What is Jesus' role in our salvation? This article addresses this question and discusses how it relates to evangelism. Do people have to hear the Gospel in order to be saved?

When we seek the Lord, we seek him to be present with us, and for us to be living in his presence. In the Bible, God's presence is often referred to as his “face”. His presence, or face, can be found through prayer.

This article is about God-centered motivation for mission work and evangelism.

Hope plays such an important role in the believer's perseverance in the faith. Using a few well-chosen Biblical texts, this author provides four illustrations of how hope moves and sustains love.

Many Christians set their sights on retirement, which is the world's suggested substitute for heaven since they do not believe that there will be one beyond the grave. What a strange thing for a Christian to set his sights on: many years of play and idleness. Is there not another way of service? This article is about practicing evangelism in retirement.

There are Christians who feel that praying for peace is contrary to God's will. Jesus taught that in the last days there will be war and rumours of wars, but his disciples should not be alarmed, as this must take place (Mark 13:7). If war "must take place", should we still pray for peace?

God regretted, or repented, that he made Saul king (1 Samuel 15:11), for Saul had turned back from following the Lord. God's repentance was His reaction to Saul's disobedience.

We are sinners, and often fail to forgive others. How then can we ask forgiveness from God?

We are called to put sin to death (Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:5). This article offers practical ways to battle against sin in your life.

There is a price tag attached to all sin, and often, the bill is paid by people who never did the sin. This means that we must speak carefully about AIDS and guilt. Millions are affected by this disease as a result of someone else’s disobedience rather than their own.

The most important thing that can be said of Jesus' wisdom and knowledge is that he knows God perfectly. Our knowledge of the Father depends wholly on the wisdom found in Jesus.

Suffering in the service of Christ is a gift of God. It is part of our Christian calling. (Philippians 1:27-30)

We all ought to delight in God's tenderness to the lowly. God exalts his greatness by loving the orphan and widow and alien.

Listening to preaching during the worship service takes anticipation, expectation and preparation. Here are ten practical ways to prepare for hearing the Word of God.

Martin Luther warns that we must not be put off by the word 'theology'. In the way he understands it, theology is for everybody. We can learn true theology from king David in the Psalms. In the Psalms Luther finds three "rules" by which to become a true theologian: Oratio, meditatio, tentatio" (prayer, meditation, trials).

Taking what the Bible teaches about human depravity seriously functions as a great antidote to racism. Two illustrations are given in this article: one from the Great Awakening in the USA in the 18th century, and the other from the civil rights movement in the USA in the 1960's.

"It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power" (1 Corinthians 15:43). As Christians we are very much aware of the humiliation, degradation, and dishonor of our body at death. The contrast with our resurrection is sharp. 

The death of Christ was an intentional laying down of his life. We must recognize how utterly intentional it was in order to appreciate the intensity of his love.

Church members are prone to forget that their pastor is one of them. Here is a reminder about how to minister to your pastor and what you can hope for as a result.

How do we express respect for the supremacy of God in a pluralistic world? In our pluralistic world, most people do not recognize God as a real presence or part of their lives, let alone an important part of government or education or business or industry or art or recreation or entertainment. How do we express passion for God's supremecy in this context?

This article is a reflection on why Christians suffer losses. Jesus called those who remain steadfast under trials blessed. Those who have stood the test will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.

The believer's liberation from sin is not yet final or perfect. Although liberation is decisive and irrevocable, sin still dwells within us.

Churches need to be much more aware of their missionary calling. What is the task of those believers who are not on the mission field? This article is an exhortation for believers to find ways to be involved in this work.

God demonstrates his patience towards unbelievers. His long-suffering gives expression to his kindness, and has the purpose of leading men to repentance.

This article is about the unique and primary goal of mission work.

Those that fill leadership positions in the church need to ring the bell of warning when there is danger ahead. This article is about imminent dangers that pastors must be on the lookout for.

What is the proper way to react when we realize our life as a disciple of Christ does not match the nature of our calling? This article is about sanctification.

This is a meditation on God's incredible mercy in contrast to what we deserve.

Let the Lord's Day be a delight. It should be a day of rest and joy. (Isaiah 58:13-14)

God is not ashamed to be called our God (Hebrews 11:16). Why should He be, in light of the abundance He has provided for his children?

This author highlights some areas of church government that need to be considered and examined carefully.

No one—not even our own mother—should come between us and our love for Jesus Christ. This article discusses how Christians should view motherhood in light of the kingdom of God.

What are the key aspects of worshipping God?

Christians should be zealous to do good (1 Peter 3:13-16). If you can do something good for someone, then do it! Do it with zeal!

The twelve apostles were chosen by Christ for a unique, unrepeatable role in the history of redemption. Missionaries and church planters today are authorized by the risen Christ to carry out their task, but they have a different level of authority from that which the apostles had.

When we practice evangelism, we often experience danger and even persecution. This article on Matthew 10:16 discusses how we can evangelize in this context to God's glory.

What exactly is the kingdom of God? In his book The Kingdom of God, John Bright emphasizes the unity between the Old and New Testaments by looking at the biblical theme of the kingdom of God. This is a review of this book.

This article provides eight foundational statements concerning race.

Is the phrase "worthy of" an indication of our ability to earn God's favor? There are different uses for the word, but it's important to note that "worthy" refers to what God is worthy of - his worth is in view, not ours.

This is a meditation on Colossians 1:21–22. By nature we are hostile to God. Therefore, there is no better news in all the world than that our alienation from God is ended, and that we have reconciliation with God.

How can I truly experience and feel God's love for me?

The Christian life is a battle, in battle you must be armed. This reflection on 1 Peter 4:1 encourages us to arm ourselves with the thought that we hvae died to sin.

From time to time your prayer life falls into a rut. We use the same phrases over and over in mindless repetition. Here the author highlights some things that the early church prayed for. You may want to print this out and use it to guide you in your prayers.

All our work should be done as work for Christ (Ephesians 6:8). We don't do it to please men. The result is that our first thought in all our work will be: How can I honor God in what I am doing?

Social injustice is never far away from any of us. How should we confront injustices that are often culturally and historically pervasive? Paul took a radical approach against slavery in his letter to Philemon.

Can we seek change in our spouse? While forgiving and forbearing in marriage is important, sinful traits within this relationship must also be addressed. It is a grace of God not only to forgive and forbear, but also to change.

This article provides three short examples of useful meal time prayers.

We must be careful not to make our gratitude towards God the ground for our life of obedience. We don't obey because we feel obliged to express thankfulness. However, gratitude does motivate obedience.

Here is some wisdom for how to support those struggling with depression, doubt, skepticism, confusion or anger.

We may approach God's throne of grace in prayer with boldness and the sure hope that we will receive mercy and find grace for help at the right time (Hebrews 4:16).

Do we take worship seriously? This article discusses how people coming late to church can serve those who are already seated by waiting.

This is an exegesis of Exodus 33:19. The author also explains how this passage helps us to understand Romans 9:14-15.

The word "hope" (elpis) occurs in Hebrews in five places. This confidence that our future is secure is so important to our life of freedom in God's household.

What does God think about pride? This article discusses the nature of pride and its remedy.

Not all believe when the gospel is preached. Since we all by nature have hardened hearts, why do some believe? This article on Acts 16:14 states that the Holy Spirit opens our hearts to give us new life.

What does it mean to worship God with our body?

God's visitation of the fathers' sins on the children is never a simple punishment of innocent children for what the fathers did. The children are always guilty themselves of a sinful and rebellious life as the fathers' sins bear fruit in the lives of their children. (Exodus 20:5-6; Deuteronomy 5:9-10)

Jesus prayed for our deliverance from the evil of the present age (Galatians 1:4). This "evil age" is the age when Satan is given freedom to deceive and destroy.

The primary purpose of Christ's death on the cross was not to deliver mankind from Satan. Rather, it was to deliver mankind from the wrath of God, which results from His justice. In dealing with God's wrath, the work of Satan is overcome. 

From Scripture we know that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Five aspects of humility are discussed in this article.

Why do you value God’s forgiveness? Or why do you value eternal life? Have you ever considered asking why a person would want to have eternal life? Why would people want to live forever? Does God feature in how we think about these things? This article looks at John 17:3 and how this text should shape our perspective on forgiveness and eternal life.

In John 21:18-22, Jesus reminds Peter to not compare himself to other believers, but to simply follow Him. This command is for us today as well. We are not judged based on how we compare to others. Instead, we should focus on following Jesus as his disciple according to our calling.

What can parents with unbelieving children do to help them?

This is a statement drawn up by the Baptist General Conference concerning homosexuality and ministering to homosexual persons.

This article discusses God's providence, grace, and restraining hand which holds back sin in this world.

The work of Christian mission is dangerous. However, the greatest danger in mission work is distrust in the mercy of God. Avoiding that danger takes the sting out of all other possible dangers.

Here John Piper reminds the reader of what God has done in raising Jesus from the grave. He provides a short commentary on a selection of biblical passages concerning Jesus' resurrection.

Courage is the willingness to say and do the right thing in service of the kingdom of Christ, regardless of the cost.

This short article is an excerpt from John Piper's book The Future of Justification. It gives an exposition of our only great hope as Christians - that God is for us now and forever. This hope is founded on the obedience of Christ.

What is it about His children that God delights in? And why does He inform us that He delights in us?

Should we care what other people think of us?

Not all kinds of shame are reason to be ashamed. The apostles sometimes rejoiced that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.

The Bible teaches that Christians will face a divine judgment. Is there a place for our good works in this divine judgment?

An “all or nothing” mentality is one of the chief reasons our prayers stagnate, and why we stop expecting God to answer our prayers. We quickly become despondent and give up on prayer if we don't immediately see a full answer to our prayer. This author teaches us one way to pray with hope.

This article discusses how we can pray for the soul - our own and others'.

"Abhor what is evil" (Romans 12:9b). When someone loves deeply, hatred will be passionate. God's hatred of evil is nothing but the reverse of His unmeasurable love for all that is good.

Abraham Heschel, an orthodox Jew, held the view that "Christians must abandon the idea that the Jews must be converted". Is the preaching of the love of God for sinners in Jesus Christ "one of the greatest scandals in history" when the sinner is a Jew? Is it a scandal to practice evangelism towards Jews?

Demonstrating kindness to the poor is like lending to the Lord. And God promises to repay! (Proverbs 19:17)

The best education for our children is our living example. When we trust in the Lord, we encourage our children to not lose faith in the Lord.