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
Idolatry—in your life and more broadly in society—precedes immorality. If we would understand why immorality is tolerated or even promoted, we need to look behind the behavior to the worship—to the idol. Of course, the idols change; few people in the West bow down to golden images today. But the idols have no less a hold, and our reasons for bowing to them are no different—they look impressive, our peers are worshiping them, and our society threatens us with penalties if we do not join in.... continue reading
Refusing to eat the special diet assigned to them seems a strange place for Daniel and his fellow young Jewish exiles to draw a line. But in the Old Testament, one of the distinguishing features of God’s people was the rules they followed about what they would and would not eat and drink. Dietary choice for God’s people was not just an external manifestation of nothing much; rather, it was an external outworking of their deeply held convictions about what it meant to belong to God.... continue reading
Over the past year, we’ve become very accustomed to online church. Church on a screen hasn’t been ideal, but here’s the thing: at least there’s still been weekly ministry for me to receive. For all its drawbacks and limitations, I’ve been taught, fed, encouraged, and inspired by the ministry of my church during Covid. However frustrating this season has been on so many fronts, I can’t imagine how much worse it would have been without having at least this ministry available.... continue reading
In Luke 10, an expert in Jewish law asks Jesus how he can gain eternal life. It sounds like a good question, but the lawyer is testing Jesus. He knows he should love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength, and love his neighbour as himself—the problem is he doesn’t. So, to justify his lack of love, he asks, Who is my neighbour? Who is it I’m called to love as myself?... continue reading
The Bible calls all followers of Jesus to “practise hospitality”—and to do it “without grumbling” (Romans 12 v 13; 1 Peter 4 v 9). But it doesn’t link hospitality with expense, exhaustion—or even an extroverted personality. Rather, it reveals a God who overflows with generous, compassionate welcome to undeserving people. It invites us to accept his welcome—and then share it with others.... continue reading
Many of our circumstances hurt and cause us significant stress. It’s right that we lament. It’s good and proper that we take our burdens and our pain to the Lord and, like David in Psalm 86, tell him how weak we are feeling and how much we need his help. The Christian is not called to stoicism. We don’t need to pretend we’re OK.... continue reading
The Good Book Company exists to resource the church with timely books and resources that meet the needs of the moment with God’s timeless word. That’s why, with many small groups continuing to meet on Zoom for the foreseeable future due to Covid restrictions—and with others planning to embrace the platform long-term—we’re pleased to announce the launch of a selection of revised editions of our popular Good Book Guides, with special extra features to make them perfect for zoom.... continue reading
When you compare Old Testament figures like Sampson or David to Jesus, it’s hard to justify using the same terminology. No human being in the Bible compares to Christ. No Christian who has lived since does either. So is it right to look up to “heroes” discussed in the Bible? Is it helpful? And what about believers who lived long after the canon of Scripture was complete? Or those who live today? Is it right to have Christian heroes at all?... continue reading
