A powerful answer to this question can be found in the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was martyred for his faith. He begins his book, The Cost of Discipleship, with a chapter entitled “Costly Grace”. Costly grace is to be understood in part by contrasting it with what he called “cheap grace”. But what can this mean, since God’s grace is supposed to be free?... continue reading
The Bible encourages and reminds God’s people about who he is and why we can trust him. It helps us to have confidence when we are feeling uncertain about our circumstances or anxious about the future.
As we celebrate 30 years of opening up the Bible, we asked some of our staff to share an unchanging truth from God's word that is particularly precious to them, which they come back to again and again for encouragement.... continue reading
They’re few and far between, aren’t they, those days of transcendent joy? You’ve probably experienced a few of them in your life—when the guy you liked finally noticed you; when you got accepted to the college you’d been dreaming of; when you slept well, woke up late and knew the vacation was just beginning. But a life can’t all be highlights, and I’m sure you’ve had more than one moment of wondering, “How do I keep a feeling of contentment on the ordinary days, let alone the difficult days?”... continue reading
I can relate to exiled Israel, who quickly forget about God’s command to keep the Sabbath. Maybe you can, too. It’s so easy to let go of the rhythm of rest, forget all that rest is meant to help us remember, let loose a flood of issues, and by that stage be so far into forgetfulness that we wonder where all these issues came from and how on earth we might turn the tide.... continue reading
Anxiety is a lonely place. A cursory glance at our social-media feeds and everyone else appears to have it all. Even when we remind ourselves that social media isn’t an accurate representation of how life is, that sense of being alone with our pain can remain.... continue reading
Why is belonging to a church such a challenge? As Christians, we need to overcome at least four obstacles to live out the biblical vision of a gospel-centered, Spirit-filled community in the church... continue reading
I have the privilege of talking with pastors from around the world on a weekly basis. Every context is dealing with Covid differently, but very many pastors have described to me the need to “re-launch” or “re-boot” their churches. After so many months of restrictions on church gatherings, they want to call people to re-engage. In my own context, too, we’re preparing to do a sermon series on the local church which will explore what the church really is—and emphasize its glory.... continue reading
If you’re an adult child, chances are that your parents may be among those who are feeling the ache of loneliness right now. There are lots of ways to come alongside them and help them feel less lonely—calling them regularly, sending a note, and dropping off a meal can be tangible expressions of love for sure. But there are times when even our kindest gestures can’t fill the void of loneliness, and the best thing we can do for our parents is to turn to the only one who can.... continue reading
This is an extract from 5 Things to Pray for Your Parents by Chelsea Stanley to help you pray for your parents, that they would find their joy in our everlasting God rather than the temporary things of this world. Below are five prayer prompts based on Psalm 16 v 8-11.... continue reading
Ok, so maybe with a headline like that we need to back up and ask: Why does a Christian man need to know anything about periods? Well, like it or not, they’re coming for you. There’s a growing number of voices in our culture seeking to bust the taboos and bring periods into the mainstream. But there’s another, more compelling reason Christian men should know something about periods: your sisters in Christ have them.... continue reading
