The Marketing of Anger
Anger is big business. Every social media site has provocateurs who create posts that are meant to elicit strong reactions. Outrage fuels the entire brand of political commentators. Influencers understand that engagement leads to revenue, and controversy leads to engagement. It is rewarded by the algorithms, which give emotional content precedence over academic discourse. Every angry comment, every share, every click feeds the machine and pays the content creator for it. This practice has penetrated even the Christian community, where some justify a sharp tongue as a “serrated edge.”
False Teachers and the Pursuit of True Contentment
In 1 Timothy 6:2b-10, the Apostle Paul delivers a timeless warning to Timothy and believers everywhere about the dangers of false teachers and the seductive lure of materialism. His words call us to discernment and to anchor our hearts in the true wealth of godliness with contentment. For Christians today, this passage is a vital reminder to guard our faith and find satisfaction in Christ alone.
The Root of Discontentment
It’s hard to be content.
Why is this?
Well, maybe it’s because we are constantly fed that nothing is ever enough. You’re single? You want to be married. Your friends have kids? You want kids. Your friend has that job? You want that job.
Gnosticism and New Age Practices_ Ancient Heresy in Modern Dress
The rise of New Age spirituality in contemporary Western culture presents unique challenges for Christians seeking to understand and respond to these radically belief systems. While New Age practices may appear ‘new’ and ‘inventive’, many of the New Age’s core tenets bear striking resemblances to ancient religious movements that the early Church confronted and rejected.
Caring for Widows: A Call to Compassion and Service in the Church
In 1 Timothy 5:9-16, the Apostle Paul provides a blueprint for the early church’s care of widows, a group God consistently prioritizes throughout Scripture. This passage not only underscores God’s heart for the vulnerable but also challenges the modern church to reflect on its responsibility toward widows and the elderly.
God’s Heart for Widows: A Call to Compassionate Care
In ancient Hebrew society, widows were among the most vulnerable. Without inheritance rights, they often faced poverty, exploitation, and even societal disgrace. Some viewed widowhood as a mark of shame, as if the early death of a spouse signaled divine judgment.
From Damaged Goods to Treasured Possession
Have you ever felt like those dented cans in the grocery store's clearance section? The ones that broadcast their brokenness to everyone who sees them with the large "DAMAGED GOODS" sticker. You try your best to look presentable, hoping others will notice that, despite the visible scars on the outside, the inside is still good. The harsh reality is that you're often more damaged internally than you realize.
Farewell For Now
We are told in the Scriptures to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). I know several people who have lost loved ones recently. In times like this, we are given the opportunity for both weeping and rejoicing. Yet, there is a day coming when there will be no more sorrow for those who are in Christ. Jesus assured his disciples in saying: “you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22). He did, indeed, leave John with a sorrowful farewell from the cross (see John 19:26-27), but John would soon learn that this was only a ‘farewell for now.’
Christians and Bad Bosses: Trusting God in Unjust Workplaces
What do you do when you’ve got a bad boss? A scoundrel, a nitwit, a downright jerk? As Christians, how should we act—or even think—in that situation? I’ll be honest: my natural self doesn’t like the answer. As an American, with rugged individualism baked into my bones, I want to shout, “You can’t tell me what to do! I’m my own boss!”
Joy That Sticks: Lessons from Philippians Part 2
Whether you’re juggling toddlers, facing a medical diagnosis, going through marriage difficulties, financial struggles, or simply walking through an ordinary mundane Monday, the message of Philippians still speaks: Joy isn’t tied to what’s happening around you. It’s rooted in the unshakable truth of the gospel and the presence of Christ. Our Prince of Peace, our humble, gentle, and meek Savior.
Evangelism as Spiritual Warfare_ The Church's Advance Against the Kingdom of Darkness
As ambassadors of Christ's kingdom, we carry the message of reconciliation into enemy territory, armed with the sword of God's Word and empowered by his Spirit. Though the battle is fierce and the opposition real, we advance with confidence, knowing that Christ has already secured the victory and will complete his conquest through the faithful proclamation of his church.
How to Read Revelation: An Acrostic Guide
Revelation is not given to confuse us, but to bless us. If we remember its original audience, seek its encouragement, read it through the Old Testament, and keep our eyes on Christ’s victory, we will find hope instead of fear.
The last word is not the beast’s roar but the Lamb’s song: Jesus has won, Jesus is winning, and Jesus will win.
Joy That Sticks:Lessons from Philippians Part 1
When my children were little, I used to tell them, “Joy is like jam—the more you spread it, the more it sticks to you.”
The apostle Paul understood this kind of sticky joy. Writing from a dark prison cell, he mentioned joy or rejoicing more than sixteen times in his short letter to the Philippians. How could he rejoice while chained and awaiting possible execution?
The Digital Tree of Knowledge: Internet and the Illusion of Omniscience
The ancient lie of the serpent reverberates through fiber optic cables. The internet does more than just provide information; algorithms whisper the same lie that started in Eden every time you unlock your phone: "You will be like God, knowing good and evil." Omniscience is promised. AI chatbots pose as all-knowing advisors, social media feeds mimic divine perspective, and search engines turn into oracles. Each whispering that finite creatures can transcend their created limits through digital connections to infinite data, we carry around pocket-sized towers of Babel.
The Church as The People of the Triune God: To the Praise of the Spirit
Have you ever stopped to think about how many songs we have about the Father and the Son and how few we have about the Spirit? As an illustration of this fact, I looked at the “Hymns of Grace” hymnbook. There I found nearly 100 hymns devoted to the person of God the Father, close to 200 devoted to the person of Jesus the Son, and 5 devoted to the person of the Holy Spirit… Why is that? Is this an oversight or an imbalance?
Why Our Church Moved to Weekly Communion
Many churches observe the Lord’s Supper at varying frequencies. Many observe the Lord’s Supper on a monthly or quarterly basis. However, many faithful churches also observe it on a weekly basis. Northwest Baptist Church, the church where I serve as pastor, is moving to a regular part of our gathered worship. This has been something that has been on my heart for the last two to three years. When I first began as pastor here, they were observing it once a quarter. We eventually increased that frequency to once a month and then eventually to once every three weeks. However, recently I became convinced that the best pathway forward for our church was weekly.
Unshaken in a Shattered World
On September 10, 2025, our nation was rocked again by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a bold voice for biblical values and a cultural influencer, particularly among Gen Z. Such tragedies don’t just wound us; they challenge our beliefs, our security, and our calling as Christians.
Kirk’s Advice
Here is some advice he gave on X shortly before his death: “Get married. Have children. Build a legacy. Pass down your values. Pursue the eternal. Seek true joy.”
If this statement has you nodding in agreement while simultaneously throwing your hands up in a sort of jaded frustration, I can relate.
Christians and Civil Authority: Living Under God’s Design
In 1 Peter 2:13-17, Peter calls us to “be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution.” This isn’t blind obedience but a theological stance rooted in God’s design. Let’s unpack what that means for us as Christians.
The Church as The People of the Triune God: To the Praise of the Son—Part 2
Who is Jesus? Still the most important question! In the last article we began by considering the contribution of Chalcedon to the history of Christian thought ion the question and the importance of looking back to documents like these as foundational to our heritage in how we work out the meaning of the all-sufficient Word. Unlike Scripture, these statements are not beyond scrutiny, but Chalcedon is one that has stood against many accusations for over a millennium and remains important for us today.