Bad theology undermines our comfort, assurance, peace, and joy in Christ. Bad theology leads to dark places. Wrong thinking and wrongdoing alike can destroy our lives or at least diminish our intimacy with God and our faithfulness. God intends our thinking to align with His Word, and from it our feeling and doing as well. Obedience to God is the fruit of the Spirit through faith, so it is very important what we believe. Some professing Christians think, “The Bible alone is my theology,” and...
Author - Jonathan Shirk
Mother’s Day is this Sunday. It is a day to remember our mothers and their many sacrifices with much gratitude. Though everyone should be grateful for their mother, godly mothers are a particular blessing. Godly mothers give their children something ungodly mothers sadly fail to give their children – a Biblical and theological view of everything. It is important that mothers recognize the unique opportunity they have. They are uniquely positioned to nurture the next generation of...
At the end of the appointment, the doctor said, “Well, Sophia, I recommend you go on isotretinoin. It’s potent, but it will clear up your severe acne.” Sophia was startled. She turned her head and gazed into the mirror and admired her flawless skin. She thought, “Why would she put me on isotretinoin? My skin is flawless.” As Sophia left the parking lot slightly offended, she knew she’d never return. She preferred a more realistic doctor. But what if Sophia lived in self-deluded...
They called him the “King of Cool,” and it was a fitting title. He had the look. Bright blue eyes. Tough-guy persona. Style. His image communicated confidence. He had a troubled childhood and rose to the apex of fame in Hollywood staring in major motion pictures and becoming the highest paid actor of his time. It is said that he “exhibited a cool demeanor and style that made him a cultural icon, admired by men, loved by famous and beautiful women, and captured for eternity by the...
I saw a comic by Randy Glasbergen of two businesspeople conferring in an office, and the managerial-looking man holding a pen and paper says to the businesswoman, “We need to form a conflict-resolution team to settle the dispute over who should be chosen for our conflict-resolution team.” I think we’d all agree that conflict with others is the norm. But there is also conflict happening inside us. As Christians, there really is a battle within us. Our sanctification isn’t complete, so...
“I hate you.” Just like that, I said it. My mother quickly and firmly addressed it. I can’t think of another time after that that I told my sister I hated her. I was a little kid, but I have a faint recollection of my nasty performance. I cannot recount the number of insensitive, angry, spiteful, disgruntled, bitter, malicious, vile, vulgar, profane, blasphemous, deceitful, false, and hurtful words that I have said in my lifetime. I’m an excitable, extroverted, and expressive person...
Many things just aren’t made like they used to be. Many manufacturers have cheapened products by substandard design and quality control. We recently purchased a tiny remote control car for our youngest son for his birthday, and within a day or two, it malfunctioned. We returned it and purchased a different car, an upgrade, for a few more dollars. What a fun little car. It worked great until the boys launched it off our basement steps and the shocks broke. When I examined the now broken fun...
Kristina and I own a house together on a plot of land in the small town of Manheim. We also have four children who live in the house with us. Our house and land need to be maintained. There’s dusting, vacuuming, washing, sweeping, straightening, paying, filing, painting, building, repairing, replacing, trashing, tightening, mowing, watering, clipping, hauling, raking, blowing, shoveling, and on it goes. And this is just with our house and land. And we don’t even live on a farm which would...
The world is confused about many things, not the least of which is marriage and sexuality. Why? The world does not know or submit to God. Romans 8:7 says, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” Many people set their minds on the flesh, often on several specific sections of the flesh, and their obsession with the flesh proves their hostility against God. They desperately need heart-transforming grace as we all...
Thankfulness is central to your Christian life. When you received Christ by grace alone through faith alone, the Holy Spirit was also given to you to produce the fruit of thankfulness in you and from you. Thankfulness is evidence of true faith. The thankfulness that the Spirit is producing in you will help you see and experience your marriage and sex differently. Discontent and criticism toward your spouse is cancer in marriage and the bedroom and the effective treatment is God’s grace and...