By Shawn Lazar Paul’s letter to the Galatians contrasts law-religion and grace-religion. The contrast applies not only to how you are justified before God, but also to how you live the Christian life. One of the differences between law-religion and grace-religion shows itself in the pressures to have a “successful” ministry. What usually counts as

By Ken Yates In Mark 4:26-29, we find a parable of the Lord unique to Mark’s Gospel. It doesn’t get much attention. I think the attention it does receive is often superficial. A major reason for this neglect is that this parable is often treated more or less as a repetition of the Parable of

By Marcia Hornok A 46-year-old believer, whose husband died after a debilitating illness, felt like she could not go on. She said, “I don’t know if it was self-pity, if I was seeking negative attention, or if grief made me feel like I would self-destruct. My gut-wrenching sadness at times seemed unpreventable and untreatable. Often

By Bob Wilkin [Chapter 12 from the forthcoming book: Faith Alone in 100 Verses] “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you have life” (John 5:39-40). Law Keeping Won’t Result in

By Ken Yates [Chapter 1 of the forthcoming commentary on Hebrews] Christ Is the King The first four verses of Hebrews are often called the prologue. In it, the author introduces the readers to the two offices of Jesus Christ discussed in detail in the book: King and High Priest. Jesus is both. This sets

By Charlie McCall Endure your suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? (Heb 12:7). A summer staff worker whom I was disciplining made two statements to me. The first was in anger, and I expected it: “You don’t have any right to

By Bob Wilkin Kept for Jesus: What the New Testament Really Teaches about Assurance of Salvation and Eternal Security. By Sam Storms. Wheaton, IL:Crossway, 2015. 203 pp. Paper, $15.99. Sam Storms graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1977, the year before I began. While we did not overlap, I have long known of him. He

By David Bechtel On Thursday, August 16th, 2018, the world lost one of its great voices, the “Queen of Soul”—Aretha Franklin. She was perhaps best known for her recording of the song “Respect.” But, perhaps few know that the song was originally written by a man—Otis Redding. Redding wrote and released the hit song “Respect”

By Shawn Lazar Do you know how to pray? Are you making progress in your prayer life? Do you find that your prayers have become repetitive, dry, and boring? I find I need help to pray. Do you? Martin Luther’s barber once asked for advice on how to pray to God. So Luther wrote him

By Shawn Lazar Do you know how to pray? Are you making progress in your prayer life? Do you find that your prayers have become repetitive, dry, and boring? I find I need help to pray. Do you? Martin Luther’s barber once asked for advice on how to pray to God. So Luther wrote him