Providence Bible Fellowship

Jehovah's Witnesses and the Deity of Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:25:00 +0000

Several in our congregation have recently interacted with Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW). It has been encouraging to hear how these members have lovingly, winsomely contended for the souls of these people by sharing the biblical gospel.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are very persistent and one of their main requirements is that all of their people do door-to-door proselytizing on a regular basis. It is quite likely that others in the congregation will be visited at some point. For that reason, I’d like to give you something of a reference sheet that you could use in conversing with them.

One of the telltale signs of any cult is that they do not exalt Christ as the Scriptures do. This is certainly the case with the JWs. They do not believe that Jesus is God. In their view, it demeans Jehovah to elevate Jesus to the level of deity. Therefore, they reject any idea that Jesus is divine in the same sense that Jehovah is divine. (The same goes for the Holy Spirit. In other words, they reject the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity.)

The problem is that the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is God:

In Matthew 1:21, the angel instructs Joseph to name the coming child Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus means, “Yahweh (or Jehovah) saves.”

In Matthew 1:23, Jesus is identified as Immanuel, which means “God with us.”

In Matthew 2:11, the magi worship the young Jesus.

In Matthew 3:3, John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, cries out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” John is quoting Isaiah 40:3, where “LORD” is the translation of Jehovah.

In John 1:1, Jesus is referred to as the Word: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In John 8:57ff, Jesus claimed that Abraham had seen His day, to which the Jews replied, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus answered, “Before Abraham was born, I am.” Jesus was repeating the exact words God used to identify Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14 – I AM. It was so obvious to the listening Jews that Jesus was claiming to be Jehovah that they immediately picked up stones to stone Him.

In John 10:30-33, Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” The Pharisees understand Him to be claiming that He is God.

In John 12:39-41, the writer identifies the unbelief of the Jews as being a fulfillment of Isaiah 6:10. He then writes, Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Isaiah 6 is the account of Isaiah seeing the glory of Jehovah in the temple being worshiped by the seraphim. Therefore, John is claiming that when Isaiah saw Jehovah and His glory, he was actually seeing Christ.

In John 20:26-28, Jesus invites Thomas to touch His wounds so that he might believe the Jesus was really resurrected. Thomas does so and exclaims, “My Lord and my God!”

Romans 10:13, 1 Corinthians 1:31, 2:16, 10:26, and 2 Corinthians 10:17 all show Paul quoting Old Testament passages about Jehovah and applying them to Christ.

Colossians 2:9 tells us that in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.

Hebrews 1:1-3 identifies Jesus as the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. The following verses quote Old Testament passages, showing that they refer to Christ. For example, Hebrews 1:8, But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.”

These references are just a portion of the New Testament witness to the deity of Christ. So how will Jehovah’s Witnesses deal with these clear references to Christ as God? They use their own translation, the New World Translation.

This is one key thing to keep in mind. The bible that the JWs use is not the Bible that you use. In many of the above references, they have changed the wording in order to accommodate their view. For example, John 1:1 in your Bible reads, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Their bible reads, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god."

In John 8:58, instead of “before Abraham was born, I AM,” their bible reads, “before Abraham came into existence, I have been.” So if you have a conversation with a JW, do not agree to use their bible. Get your own out and use it. Show them what your Bible says compared with theirs. And in each discrepancy, their version will be different than every other English translation, and will therefore favor their heretical doctrine of Christ. I can also tell you that in each case, their version diverges from the original Greek text.

Christ is the key. He must be God because the Scriptures tell us that He is. Speak the truth, speak with kindness, speak from the Word, knowing that the Holy Spirit is the only One who can open their eyes.

The divinity of Christ is only one area in which this cult diverges from sound doctrine. For a much more exhaustive treatment on the JWs beliefs and how to interact with them, check out CARM.org, a great resource for Christian apologetics.

The Immutability of God and Election Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Odel) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:55:50 +0000

Two weeks from today, an important voting responsibility arrives. Ohioans will head to the polls to select our next U.S. senator, governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. Voters will also weigh in on national and local matters. Many reading this post likely have growing concerns about our state's, our nation's, and even our world's trajectory. We likely sense more than ever the impact of living as sojourners and exiles, awaiting the day of our Lord’s return and our eternal home (1 Pet 2:11-12; 2 Pet 3:11-13). Some of us, with desperate hope, cry out daily, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20). Rightly so. Yet as we live in this world, we recognize and strive toward Jeremiah’s heartbeat: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jer 29:7). This posture of living protects us from despair, apathy, and any imbalance of heart that refuses the reality of God’s absolute sovereignty over absolutely all cosmic and earthly affairs. In the words of A.W. Tozer, “Chance and change are busy in our little world of nature and men, but in [God] we find no variables nor shadow of turning.”1 There is tension in our hearts as we navigate the temporal darkness of daily experience (1 John 5:19) and the time when the Lord Himself will forever be our light (Rev 22:5). But we should be grateful believers—abundantly, confidently, and joyfully grateful—knowing that the God who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ (Col 1:19-22) does not drift from His nature (Mal 3:6), nor does He deprive His people of His good promises (Num 23:19).

I want to accomplish two things in this post. First, I want to briefly remind us of our God's unchanging nature (immutability). Second, I want to show two ways God’s immutability impacts our hearts in light of the upcoming election.

A thorough treatment of God’s immutability would require a series of posts, so for those wanting a longer trek up that mountain, check out Stephen Charnock’s tome, The Existence and Attributes of God. It will suffice here to use Tozer’s words: “To say that God is immutable is to say that He never differs from Himself.”2 Beyond a simple definition, Tozer qualifies how God remains constant:

“For a moral being to change it would be necessary that the change be in one of three directions. He must go from better to worse or from worse to better; or, granted that the moral quality remain stable, He must change within Himself, as from immature to mature or from one order of being to another. It should be clear that God can move in none of these directions. His perfections rule out any such possibility.”3

Consider the words of these Psalms:

Lord, you have been our dwelling place

in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever you had formed the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:1-2)

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you will remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,

but you are the same, and your years have no end. (Ps 102:25-27)

You are good and do good. (Ps 119:68)

The LORD is righteous in all His ways

and kind in all his works. (Ps 145:17)

God’s unwavering nature anchors us when we face storms of various trials—even the trial of uncertainty about election outcomes. Just ask James the apostle (Jas 1:2-18). It is exactly because God is unchangeably steadfast that we can remain steadfast and mature through trials. Have we considered how God would have this election cycle produce Christlikeness in us? We ought not to waste such a time as this! God is not waiting to react to ballot results. He has already ordained and commanded all things to work for our ultimate good and His glory (Rom 8:28-30). His goodness is unchangeable. He is unchangeably trustworthy. He knows what is best as He sees His children through seasons of hardship and blessing. How will we live Coram Deo, before the face of God?

I’ve already tipped my hand concerning how God’s immutability impacts our hearts in light of the upcoming election: We can trust Him. Pointing again to Tozer: “In this world where men forget us, change their attitude toward us as their private interests dictate, and revise their opinion of us for the slightest cause, is it not a source of wondrous strength to know that the God with whom we have to do changes not?.. In coming to Him at any time we need not wonder whether we shall find Him in a receptive mood.”4 If our hope lies in a political party or how issues are handled, it is very likely that our idol is not God and that our true home is not beyond this earth. The good news, though, is that God's faithfulness and justice never change, and he forgives and cleanses us when we confess our sin (1 John 1:8-10). If we have given ourselves over to a political downpour of “what-ifs,” we must recalibrate our hearts to rightly understand that God’s character and promises never expire.

A second way God’s immutability affects us during election season is by shaping our heart posture toward all candidates, policy aside. Our thinking, our process of valuing, and our ultimate commitments should be shaped by God’s character and priorities. The contrast between God’s immutability and humanity’s lack of perfection should give us hope about humanity’s capacity for change. Tozer is once again helpful: “For human beings the whole possibility of redemption lies in their ability to change. To move across from one sort of person to another is the essence of repentance: the liar becomes truthful, the thief honest, the lewd pure, the proud humble. The whole moral texture of the life is altered. The thoughts, the desires, the affections are transformed, and the man is no longer what he had been before.” 5 Our greatest desire this election cycle should not be for candidates to be conformed to our will; rather, we should desire God to reconcile all unbelieving candidates to Himself. We are commanded to intercede for all who hold leadership positions. Consider 1 Timothy 2:1-6:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

As we consider the issues on the ballot, let us not forget God’s higher priority. If God desires that those holding or aspiring to high positions be saved, shouldn’t we? Media outlets are inundating us with reasons to despise candidates. They do not miss an opportunity to launch direct attacks on character, not just policy. Justified or not, let us lean Godward in how we process this election and away from fleshly impulses. Like you, I want a peaceful life for my family. But more than that, we should labor to see men's souls liberated from the domain of darkness and to sense the wonder of returning to right relationship with their Creator. We should want our political enemies to repent and become our fellow-worshippers in glory.

God’s immutability is a treasure. He does not change, though we constantly require change. He remains faithful even when we are faithless (2 Tim 2:13). His eternal priorities eclipse our earthly ones. This election season, let us approach the polls with joyful confidence in God’s good plans and eagerness for men everywhere to be saved.

__________________________________

1. A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (Harper One, 1961), 49.

2. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, 49.

3. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, 49.

4. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, 53.

5. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, 51-52.

The Love of Christ, Our Brother

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 19:19:15 +0000

Preparing for the sermon this week, I spent some time meditating on aspects of the love of Christ (Rom 8:35-39). These meditations will not make it into the message. However, a sampling may be encouraging and helpful to you.

Before I share one snippet…let me give a brief refresher on the Puritan method I have used in recent months to guide my biblical meditations. Upon choosing a truth for meditation, one can work through these prompts:

Definition. (What is it?) Begin by defining the truth clearly using Scripture.
Divisions. (What are its parts?) Dissect the truth into components, degrees, or types.
Causes. (Where does it come from?) Examine the origins or roots of this truth.
Effects and Fruits. (What does it produce?) Analyze the consequences, outcomes, and spiritual benefits.
Properties and adjuncts. (What are its marks?) Identify the distinquishing characteristics or traits associated with it.
Opposites and contrasts. (What is its contrary?) Hold the truth up against the opposite to make its value clearer.
Comparisons and similes. (What is it like?) Use biblical metaphors and natural illustrations to make the abstract concept concrete.
Scriptural Testimonies. (What else does God say about it?) Gather other biblical passages, promises, and historical examples.

I find it helpful to write as I meditate. It slows down my mind and keeps me engaged.

Below is one part of my meditation on the “divisions” of Christ’s love. I simply considered, “what different facets might I find of Christ’s love and how do the Scriptures help me understand it?” I meditated on Christ’s love as our brother.

Christ’s love for us is the love of a brother (Heb 2:10-18). Prior to the cross, Jesus regarded the disciples as servants and then friends (John 15:15). Upon His resurrection, Jesus said to Mary Magdalene, “…go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and to your Father…” (John 20:17). There is an intimacy and kinship unique to those who have the same parents. We share a Father with the Lord Jesus. Therefore, He regards us with the unique closeness, the kinship of a brother.

Yet, Christ is unlike most earthly brothers. We are conceived in rivalry and selfishness. Accordingly, even with our brothers and sisters we are loathe to share what is rightfully ours. Conversely, Jesus is eager to share with His brothers all that is His, up to and including His very own glory (John 17:22; cf 16:15). To those who conquer, He promises they will sit with Him on His throne (Rev 3:21). Astonishingly, He would share with them also His name (Rev 3:12).

He is eager to share even though He is clearly the older, superior brother. He is worshiped by angels (Heb 1:6). The best of us are not worthy even to untie His sandals (Matt 11:11; John 1:27). Yet, Jesus is the antithesis of the older son/brother in the parable of the prodigal (Luke 15:11-32). He does not begrudge the returning son anything that is His, but gladly shares all with him.

Jesus’ love is all the more striking because He is the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14; 3:16, 18). He is utterly unique, God’s only natural son, as it were. Any brothers and sisters Christ would have must be adopted. Therefore, anything and everything Christ’s siblings would enjoy from the Father is not by virtue of birth but grace (John 1:12-13). Further, all that they might enjoy was first rightly only Christ’s. All the blessings of sonship rightly belong only to Jesus. The love of the Father, the glory of heaven, the pleasures of holiness—these all and much more belong to the only begotten of God.

All of these, which could have remained His alone eternally, He shares with adopted sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.

In His sharing all, Jesus expresses no sense of regret or loss to Himself, but only joy (Heb 12:2). Even that joy He would share with His brothers and sisters (John 15:11). As a brother who dearly loves His family, Jesus desires to be with us always (John 17:24). To that end, He has gone to prepare a place for us in the Father’s house; He will return Himself to deliver us there that we might always be together (John 14:2-3).

Christ’s brotherly love is shown in that He not only shares what belongs to Him, but He shares Himself. He does this in two senses.

First, His incarnation—His taking on human flesh, living perfectly, dying atoningly, rising triumphantly, and ascending to the Father—is the gift of Himself in bringing many sons to the Father (Eph 1:5; Phil 2:5-11). We might say the adoption fee that made us children of God and siblings of Christ was the life and death of Christ.

Second, His union with the saints—He shares all His blessings with His brothers and sisters by joining Himself to them. All the blessings in the heavenly places come not with Christ but in Christ (Eph 1:3). Indeed, to know Him is to have eternal life (John 17:3). He gives us what is His by giving Himself.

This is meditation is on but one aspect of the love of Christ. One could meditate similarly on other aspects: Christ’s love as a shepherd; Christ’s love as a friend; Christ’s love as a prophet, a priest, a king…

Such meditations are tremendously valuable in that they enflame our love for Him. What a miracle of miracles, what a blessing of blessings that nothing in heaven or on earth, no created things will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!

The Power of Hospitality in Evangelism

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 18:21:20 +0000

Hospitality has fallen on hard times in our culture. There was a day when it was normal for people to drop by unannounced, stay for hours, and be genuinely welcome the whole time! Clearly, those days have passed, but that only makes hospitality an even more powerful gesture now.

Have you considered the power of hospitality in your evangelism? Opening your home and enjoying a meal with unsaved acquaintances offers great advantages in your sharing the good news.

Hospitality expands your influence. Suppose you have a co-worker with whom you’ve had many conversations over a number of months. Perhaps a dozen times you have “woven a gospel thread” into a conversation. By inviting that co-worker and their immediate family members into your home, you expand any existing influence for the kingdom. No longer is there a one-on-one influence, but your family is now influencing a family. In other words, more souls are involved, both sharers and receivers. If the wives didn't previously know one another, maybe this gesture of hospitality will open up that secondary friendship. Maybe it's the husbands who are meeting for the first time and this connection will lead to their having coffee one-on-one in the future. Increasing the number of relationships and interactions involved means more opportunities to share the good news.

Hospitality deepens your relationship. Years ago prior to my being a pastor, I had a co-worker whom I would have considered my closest friend at work. He was unsaved. We had many conversations about Christianity and the gospel. We talked everyday about all kinds of things. However, our relationship took on a whole new dimension after our family invited him and his wife over for dinner. That simple gesture communicated care in a way that a hundred conversations at work couldn’t. Essentially, I was saying, “Come into my safe space. Eat my food. Get to know the people most precious to me. Let us get to know you and those precious to you.” Our conversations about the gospel thereafter were just different. Freer, deeper, better communicated and received…because the relationship was deepened by hospitality.

Hospitality normalizes gospel conversation. The climate of your home is very different than the climate of your office, your neighborhood, or Starbucks. Your home likely bears evidence that disciples of Jesus live there: Scripture murals, bibles laying about, Christian books on the shelves, Christian music playing. A prayer before sharing the meal—likely the habit of your home—certainly concretizes the faith present in your household. When you invite people into your home, the customs of the home become the norms for that engagement. That atmosphere makes spiritual conversation seem far more natural than it might standing next to the copier at the office. In a sense, it would be odd to your guests for the conversation not to turn toward the Lord.

Hospitality lengthens and varies your conversation. At work, in the gym, or wherever we interact with acquaintances, we’re forced to deftly insert short elements of the gospel into concise, surface-level conversations that mostly deal with the same subjects over and over. Not so when sharing a meal in your home. The meal offers the opportunity for lengthy, varied conversation which will provide far more natural openings to segue toward spiritual matters. In conversations outside my home, I have rarely gotten to the full gospel simply due to the limited nature of the encounter. Conversely, when my wife and I share a meal with unbelievers, only rarely are we unable to share the complete gospel…and in a way that flows well in the conversation.

Hospitality fosters further interaction. Hospitality only perpetuates a relationship. A simple, “We would love to do this again,” sets the stage for a follow-up invitation. Most guests are flattered to have been invited in the first place and will eagerly agree, "We'd love to do it again, too!" You may even find them reciprocating by inviting you into their home. At any rate, an initial act of hospitality can open a series of interactions that build on one another. If you are open about your faith from the beginning, they’ll know to expect that kind of conversation in the future. Hospitality not only makes it easier to talk about the gospel...it provides a natural way to keep talking about it by getting together again and again.

Have you ever had an unbeliever into your home for the purpose of building rapport and talking about Jesus? Whether yes or no, why not choose someone and reach out to them right now?

The Man Who Gave You the English Bible

noreply@blogger.com (John Botkin) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:35:16 +0000

I have several heroes from church history. Most are men, some are women; some accomplished great things for the kingdom of God while others were martyred for their faith. All were faithful. These men and women are "heroes" in the sense that their faithfulness and sacrifice inspire me to gaze more closely at Christ to find the same kind of spiritual fortitude in them so as to walk in their footsteps—living faithfully before God and his people.

One such hero is William Tyndale. I've written about him in the past on this blog. I would encourage you to check out that post for more information. If you don't remember, the short of it is this: Tyndale embraced the theological truths of the reformation in England. And in doing so, he saw the need for everyday Christians of his country to have the Bible in their native language—English. But the Catholic Church would not allow it, for they feared people would not be able to understand it! Undeterred, Tyndale left England for continental Europe (where it wasn't illegal to print a Bible in English) and labored for the first time to go from the original biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek to vernacular English. Much of what you have even in your modern ESV is owed to Tyndale's original labors.

I return to Tyndale this week because today—October 6—is the day he was put to death for this work in Bible translation. More importantly, this year marks the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of his New Testament in 1526. In this article, I want to give you an annotated list of resources to learn more about Tyndale and his work. My hope is that you will be motivated to cherish the English Bible that is so easily accessible to us today.

"Always Singing One Note—A Vernacular Bible (Why William Tyndale Lived and Died)" by John Piper

This is probably my favorite single talk on Tyndale's life. Piper does a wonderful job summarizing the excellent biography by David Daniell. Here, we learn of Tyndale's life of faith and commitment to discipling God's people with the Word of God, proclaiming the gospel of God. I listen to or watch Piper's talk at least once every few years. I always come away loving my Bible more. Watch it here.

Tyndale at 500 (Tyndale House, Cambridge)

Tyndale House is a place for people to stay and do scholarly research on the Bible. Located in Cambridge, England, scholars from around the world make use of its world-class libraries and on site accommodations. It's a wonderful ministry named after the reformer who labored in study over God's Word. They have put together a website full of resources from short videos on his life and ministry, to an interactive timeline. You can look over their resources here.

William Tyndale: A Biography by David Daniell

If you like reading biographies, this is the essential work on Tyndale. Daniell gives you a lively story of his life as well as incites to his translation process. We see his triumphs, setbacks, and skillful handling of the Scriptures. Get it here.

God's Outlaw: The Story Of William Tyndale by Vision Video

If you're interested din Tyndale but reading isn't your thing, I recommended this dramatic film about his life, labors, and martyrdom. Though not a Hollywood-level production, I think this film holds up well for the age and budget. There actor for Tyndale, Roger Rees, is excellent in the role. You can grab an inexpensive dvd or stream it here.

The Enduring Word by Crossway

Dropping in a few weeks, Crossway Books is releasing a "short film celebrating God’s providence throughout the history of English Bible translation—from William Tyndale’s 1526 New Testament to the English Standard Version Bible." The preview is short but gives you a sense of the quality of the work. While you wait, you can read this article which shares some of the same information.

"William Tyndale's Death is NOT What You've Been Told" by Gavin Ortlund

Some modern Catholic apologists want to distance their Church from Tyndale's execution over an English Bible. In this video, Ortlund address two counter-arguments: 1) That secular authorities put hum to death, and 2) his translation was heretical. Both arguments are debunked in this video.

The New Testament by William Tyndale

After debating a catholic priest who said it was better for the people to have the Pope's law than God's law (in a vernacular Bible), Tyndale famously replied that he would work to make sure a "ploughboy in the field" knew the Bible better than that priest. What he produced was a beautiful English rendition that helped shape the English language itself and proved to be the backbone for other English Bible translations like the Geneva, King James, and even the English Standard Version today. Maybe you'd like to read what he wrote? I'm committing to read Tyndale's NT this Fall. You can join me by grabbing a paperback copy from Amazon here. Or, you can get one of the historically faithful edition Crossway has produced for the anniversary. Both version use modern English spelling for ease of reading.

Sneak Peak at the New Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 17:40:10 +0000

Here is a teaser episode for the new podcast, Devotion & Discourse. If you would like to submit questions to be answered on the podcast, just send them to questions@devotionanddiscourse.com!

This is a "Sunday Morning Quarterback" episode, where we discuss finer points of the previous Sunday's message...

Watching and Praying as We Return To The Building

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:46:29 +0000

By God’s kindness, we’re about to worship for the first time in our newly renovated building. This project has been a much longer adventure than many of us are even aware. We are excited, thankful, and eager to get back to life at 7000 Summerhill Drive.

We vacated the building in watchfulness and prayer. In elders meetings, property team meetings, and members meetings, we discussed the spiritual ramifications of this time in the “wilderness.” All could see that a season of dislocation would pose challenges to us as a church. Temptations to seek self, to act with impatience, to exhibit inflexibility…these are typical temptations of church life. We expected these temptations to be amplified during a season where our normal rhythms were disrupted. Without watchfulness and prayer, our time away from our building could be spiritually draining at best, extremely costly at worst. So as a congregation, as elders, as individuals, we have prayed for unity, patience, and flexibility in order that we might not merely survive this period, but thrive in it.

We return to the building with great thanksgiving. Surely, we will thank God on our first Sunday. Additionally, we will devote a good portion of our October prayer gathering (10-7, 6:30p) to thanking the Lord for His many provisions over these months. I hope as many who are able will join together for this special occasion.

Let us also “return to normal” in watchfulness and prayer. In John Flavel’s “Keeping the Heart” he suggests various seasons in which believers must exercise extraordinary spiritual vigilance. The very first he mentions is “the time of prosperity.” PBF may appear to be entering a season of ease compared to recent months. Yet, consider that ease can breed complacency. Complacency is the handmaiden of spiritual vulnerability. What an tragic irony if we were to return to our building only to be sifted like wheat (Luke 22:31-32).

I’m reminded of Deuteronomy. The people of God were poised to cross the Jordan, leave the wilderness behind, and enter the promised land of Canaan. To prepare them, Moses gave warning after warning after warning to keep their eyes and minds on the Lord as they entered and settled into the land.

10 “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build,

11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full,

12 then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Deuteronomy 6:10–12

Let us not return from our time away only to forget how much we always need the Lord. We would do well maintain the watchfulness and prayer of the past few months. To that end let us…

Be all the more God-centered. It’s not about me, my wants, my preferences. Each of us have been bought with a price. Our minds, hearts, ambitions, and our very bodies belong to Him. He is the center of all things. We exist to reflect and enjoy His glory. To the extent that He is central to our life together, we will function as intended and enjoy life as He designed it. So we must watch against the temptation to make much of self, and pray for the desire to make much of Him.

Be all the more Bible-focused. It may appear that we have fewer crucial decisions to make. Perhaps. However, we must maintain the determination to follow biblical principles at every opportunity. With eyes directed prayerfully toward the Scriptures, let’s continue to ask, “What would the Lord have us do?” We must watch against the temptation to veer from the Word, and pray toward the direction that only the Word provides.

Be all the more gospel-driven. There is one name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved: Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). Salvation in Him—from regeneration to glorification—for the glory of the Father is the whole reason we meet anywhere, whether a parking lot or a newly renovated building. We are tasked with ministering the gospel to the saved and sharing the gospel with the lost. We gather for the former; we scatter for the latter. Let our entrance into the building remind us that the gospel is true and we are called to its propagation. So, we must watch against the allure of lesser tasks, and pray toward a passion for discipleship and mission.

The Lord has been kind to us in the watchful prayer of recent months. He has seen us through our time away. We have not merely survived, but we have thrived. All glory belongs to Him. Let’s not take a foot off the gas, but continue watching and praying until He comes.

At-One-Ment with God

noreply@blogger.com (John Botkin) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Sometimes Christians throw out the phrase, “God loves the sinner but hates the sin.” At best, there is some truth to this, but it's easy to be misunderstood. This statement didn’t even come from a Christian. The first person to say that was a modified Hindu named Ghandi. Why did he say that? Because he didn’t understand Christianity.

You see the Bible doesn’t teach that God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Yes, it’s true that God has nothing but hate for sin. But it is not true to say that God has nothing but love for the sinner. Just in the first fifty Psalms, we are told that God hates sinners no less than fourteen times (e.g., Ps 5:5; 11:5)!

God hates sin, but what are people but sinners? Since the fall of man in Adam, sin is wrapped up in the very essence of what it means to be human. Since then, all humanity has been alienated from God. More than that, we are his enemies. If God is the sovereign King over all things, then we are the insurrectionists. We refuse to submit to his leadership and provision. We renounce him as Lord and actively seek to live in rebellion against him. That’s what sin is all about.

Nevertheless, because God is God and not like us, he can do what we cannot do. He can both hate the sinner and love the sinner at the same time. And in fact, this is what he does. In Romans 5, Paul says, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:8).

God hates sinners, but in his love for them, he has also worked to redeem them from their sin. In the cross of Christ, God has sought to save sinners from his wrath against their sin and give them eternal life. In this great work of salvation, Christ has been our propitiation. He was our sacrifice that fully satisfied God’s wrath against our sin. Christ also secured our redemption. Christ paid our ransom to free us from our slavery to sin. We are no longer bound to sin but have been freed from its guilt and power. More than that, through his death on the cross Christ enabled our justification. In Christ we have a right legal standing before God; we are declared righteous in Christ.

We rejoice in these wondrous gifts from God! But, perhaps, less often we think about, sing about, and are thankful for our reconciliation to God in Christ. Paul emphasizes this in 2 Corinthians 5. In part he says,

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:18–21).

The Oxford English Dictionary explains that the phrase “at one” was used as early as the year 1300 to describe two people who had been brought into a state of peaceful agreement after a time of estrangement. After being alienated, they are now “at one accord.”

This expression of at-one-ness appeared in many of the early English translations of the Bible. Eventually, Tyndale combined the phrase ‘at one’ into as one word: atone. In 1527, he translated verse 20 as “We praye you in Christes stede, that ye be atone with God.” And over time, it began to be used as a verb and gave rise to other related words like atonemaker—one who makes peace between two groups. Thus, to make atonement was “the action of making ‘at one’ after discord or strife.”

Thus, at the very heart of what Christians means when we speak of the atonement of Christ is the making of peace between God and sinners through the work of Christ. To be at one with God is to be reconciled to God. We need this work of reconciliation because apart from it we stand as enemies of God.

Usually as God’s enemies, as the one who rebelled against him, it would be our place to seek the reconciliation. When there is a problem in human relationships—whether it’s between friends or large corporations—the one who has offended always makes the first move in seeking reconciliation. He is the one who offers the apology or offers some other act of contrition that serves as a call for the restoration of the friendship or partnership.

But that isn’t the case with our reconciliation to God. Though he is the offended party, he is also the one who begins the work of reconciliation! Paul says, “All this is from God” (5:18). This includes what was said before this as well as what he goes on to say in the following verses. Paul says that all of it is from God. Everything involved in our reconciliation not only comes from him but begins with him. God is the one who takes the initiative in our reconciliation.

This is evident just by looking at the grammar of the passage. Paul says, “God reconciled us to himself” (5:18). Eight verbs in this text all have God as the subject, as the one doing the action. God reconciles, God gives, God does not count sin, God entrusts his message, God is making his appeal, God made him who knew no sin to be sin. So, it’s with good reason that the New English Bible translates verse 18 by saying “From first to last, this has been the work of God.”

This is what we see this all throughout the Bible: that God is the originator of our salvation. He is the one who makes the first move and provides everything that we need to be saved; everything we could never provide for ourselves. And when we understand the reality of God’s mercy and grace in initiating our reconciliation we are left believing what William Temple once wrote that all we contribute to our redemption is the need to be redeemed.

It is not uncommon today to hear of even Christian marriage threatened by infidelity. But I am always amazed when I hear that it was not the adulterer who begged forgiveness and reconciliation, but rather the innocent spouse who seeks reconciliation. Here is one whose very soul has been injured. And yet they are first to restore the broken relationship. Yet how much more amazing is it for God—the supreme, all-glorious creator and Lord of all who things—who finds himself the recipient sinful rebellion. How amazing that he should begin seeking reconciliation, even when we are not! How amazing that he should work to restore his relationship with humanity while we are still in rebellion against him!

And how amazing the great cost with which God achieves that reconciliation! It is only through the death and resurrection of God’s own Son that he can reconcile his people to himself. “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself . . . in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” It was in Christ that God brought about reconciliation for sinners. Specifically, Paul says it was through the cross that God did this: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (5:21).

This verse gives us a description of the work of Christ on the cross distilled to its very essence. Here we have the great exchange which brings us peace with God. Paul says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin.” Before we get to what this means exactly, let’s think about what it does not mean. First, it does not mean that Christ himself became sinful. The Bible maintains over and over again that Jesus never sinned; that he was always holy and righteous because he was God in the flesh. Peter says we were ransomed by his blood, blood that was “the precious like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet 1:19). Christ wasn’t just holy as he went to the cross, he remained holy even as he hung on the cross.

So, what does it mean that Christ became sin? It means that God considered him to be sin. God imputed sin to him. Both in a figurative and in a real, judicial sense, on the cross, Christ became the very embodiment and symbol of our wickedness. We famously see this anticipated in Isaiah 53: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all . . . . Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows . . . . [he] was numbered with the transgressors . . . . he bore the sin of many” (53:6, 4, 12).

On the cross, God poured out the fullness of his righteous wrath on sin. This was the high cost of our peace with God. This is what it took for us to be reconciled to God. But God wasn’t done. What we see here is a double-imputation. Our sin imputed to Christ, and his righteousness imputed to us. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Just as God imputed to all that was sinfulness in us, so he imputed to us all that was righteous in him. Again, God does make sinners righteous. But that’s not in view here. Before he begins making them righteous, he declares them to be righteous. This is what Paul is speaking of here. Just as Christ was not sinful, so we are not righteous in our reconciliation. Instead, God’s righteousness is counted as our own.

Though deserving of righteous wrath for our rebellion against God, he does all of the work to reconcile us to be himself! To turn enemies who work against his ways to friends who labor for his glory. The greatest relationship we will ever know was won for us by Christ. Meditating on these things will not only stoke the fires of joy in our hearts as we worship the Lord and draw near to him in faith, but motivate us to share the good news of this wondrous work that others might be reconciled as well (5:20).

Artificial Intelligence: Thinking Hard About Whether and When We Use it

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 20:09:25 +0000

Artificial Intelligence. The subject is seemingly as vast as its capability. This is not a doomsday post nor an article to argue broadly for or against the use of A.I. I simply contend that Christians would do well to consider whether and for what tasks they will use it. To that end, I'll share some of my own thoughts as I’ve tried to navigate its use for myself.

Stewardship is the main factor driving my decisions regarding A.I. Surely, the stewardship of time should be a priority for us (Eph 5:15-16; Col 4:5; Psa 90:12). If time were the only factor, the answer would like always be, “use A.I.” It will always be faster at a given task than we are. However, we are stewards of more than our time.

The Bible has many exhortations indicating that we are to be faithful caretakers of our minds. For example, in Matthew 22:37 Jesus said that the first and greatest commandment is to love God “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This places intellectual engagement at the heart of loving God. Surely, the content of our thinking is a major topic in the NT (Col 3:2; Phil 4:8). Each of these commands to think certain things assumes the ability to think. 1 Peter 1:13, which calls us to “prepare [our] minds for action,” requires the ability to think well and logically. All this is to say that stewarding the mind will involve the skillful exercise of the mind.

Stewardship of the mind is a factor in the use of A.I. because we tend to lose abilities that we don’t use. The more cognitive tasks I assign to A.I. the duller my own mental faculties will become. There may be some cognitive skills I don’t find worth retaining. However, differentiating between essential and non-essential mental abilities may not be straightforward. Some less important mental skills may serve as the “stabilizing muscles” of more obviously essential mental skills; therefore, losing some less important mental skills may make me duller in my more essential tasks. For example, can I delegate outlining an article to A.I. (a less essential skill?) and retain my ability to be a good, logical writer? I’m not so sure.

Before I use A.I. for a task, I want to know, “what is the cognitive ‘opportunity cost’ of using A.I. for this?” In other words, is there a mental benefit that I would gain from just doing the task myself, a benefit that will make me a better thinker, a better steward of my mind? This may not be an easy question to answer in each case, but it’s worth considering in my opinion.

Similarly, the Bible commands stewardship of our souls. Proverbs 4:23 reads, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” This command assumes that we are caretakers of our souls. Additional commands in the NT assume that there are activities detrimental to our spiritual well-being and others that are beneficial (1 Pet 2:11; 1 Cor 9:27; 1 Tim 4:16). We must make deliberate choices based upon what is good for our souls.

Stewardship of the soul is a factor in the use of A.I. in that I derive spiritual benefit from doing some tasks myself. In many cases, “the work is the reward.” A.I. could outline a prayer meeting far more quickly than I can, but it’s good for my soul for me to think deeply about the needs of the congregation, pray for the Lord’s leading, and discern the best course for our corporate prayer. There are many tasks about which this is true. Planning worship for my family, developing discussion questions for a reading group, and discerning the meaning of this morning's devotional reading, just to name a few.

How does stewardship come into play in my decisions regarding A.I.? I’ll just give you a couple of personal instances, one where I chose to use A.I. and one where I didn’t. Hopefully, these will help to illustrate how I’m applying stewardship principles to the decision.

An example where I’ve chosen to use A.I.:

A number of months ago, I realized that using an app to manage my prayer list might be helpful. After looking at the available options, I found that nothing out there had the features that would address my reasons for using an app. I could have spent months learning a programming language in order to create an app myself. This did not seem to be the best use of my time, given my responsibilities and calling. I could have spent money to pay someone else to do it. Frankly, I didn’t want to spend the money…not when I was uncertain of the net benefit an app would bring to my prayer life.

A.I. was a great option in my mind. I could not think of a downside in terms of the stewardship of my mind. That is, I have no coding skills that would be lost by having A.I. write the code. Similarly, I could think of no spiritual benefit forfeited by having A.I. write the program. So, that’s what I did. In a matter of hours, I used A.I. to create a tool that has been a great help to me in my prayer life. Again, as far as I can tell, there was nothing lost to me by using A.I. for this task. Only gain.

An example where I’ve chosen not to use A.I.:

There is a task that I do anytime I study the Bible for any reason: I diagram the passage. That concept may not be familiar to everyone. Essentially, I reformat the passage in such a way as to show the relationships between words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. It’s time-consuming and tedious, but it's helpful to be able to see these relationships at a glance.

A.I. could diagram the whole Bible for me in a matter of seconds. Yet, never in a million years would I use A.I. for this. Handing that one task to A.I. would save me tons of time, but cost me inordinately more in terms of intimate familiarity with the text. The benefit of the diagram is not just seeing the relationships. The benefit is in reasoning through the relationships in order to create the diagram. I can’t afford to lose the spiritual benefit of that slow, careful reasoning through the text. I also can’t afford to lose the cognitive sharpness afforded by such attention to detail. This is true for my other normal Bible study tasks.

I am sufficiently convinced that we need criteria for making these decisions. I have suggested stewardship as one criteria. If I don’t have criteria to guide my decisions regarding A.I., I’ll use it in ways that end up being costly for me. No matter what your station and calling, I encourage you to consider: what are the factors by which you will decide whether and for what tasks you’ll use A.I.?

What I Wish I'd Said in Sunday School

noreply@blogger.com (John Botkin) — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:20:37 +0000

Last Sunday we jumped into the topics we are going to cover in our class on Christian Ethics. The topic was race, ethnicity, and Kingdom diversity. We had a good conversation in class. But, on the whole, I think many people still have a hard time having open and honest discussions about these things. Most often, this is because our culture pushes one way of speaking/thinking about them. And if you step outside of that one way, you are often portrayed as racist, uneducated, backward, or worse. Some have even been "cancelled" and are unable to show their face on social media for apparently saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

But I hope Sunday was a good starting point to be able to talk about these issues, humbly and respectfully. The Scriptures give us all of the truth we need for a worldview that allows us to address any topic or situation. Sometimes this comes through direct commands or prohibitions. Other times, there are clear implications. Still yet, it speaks through principles that can be applied on various levels to complicated situations. Rather than avoiding controversial topics in fear of saying something wrong or speaking in unhelpful ways about controversy, offending other with great abandon; we should lean into the Bible's teaching and wisely, calmly, and clearly speak to what is most important and essential with love (Eph 4:15).

Like many of our Sunday classes, there always seems to be much more that could be said on any given topic. Sunday was no different. Usually you know that the topic will come up again and you can say more. But after Sunday, I realized that there was something I really wanted to say and just ran out of time to say. Specifically, I wanted to speak about the prevalence of racism in our culture at this moment. One takeaway from Sunday may have been to think that our nation is riddled with racist thinking. And while I do think there are racist and prejudiced people in our country, I also believe they are in the vast minority.

So much of increased conversation in recent years is the result of news media. Comments and actions are often claimed to be racist in an effort to stir up indignation by viewers or readers. There has been a long track record of headlines claiming concerns that are shown to be completely unfounded once more information or clearly context is given. And this makes sense because the media wants attention. Attention brings views and clicks which become ratings and revenue. Getting people mad about something causes people to be more likely to tune in and login. The BBC news service—who is just as guilty as anyone for reporting this way—actually reported on this phenomenon.

So, what did I want to say? Namely this: that we should be very cautious in accepting at face value what the news, a social post, or an individual says about people and events when racists motivations are attributed to people without clear cause. Likewise, be cautious when someone claims that to believe or not believe, to do or not do some actions reveals in you a racist heart. J.C. Ryle is right in that the seeds of every sin lie in the heart of every person, ready to spring up with the right watering. But that doesn't mean that, by necessity, everyone will struggle with every sin. This includes the sin of racism. By all means, we should examine our hearts if we find our conscience pricked. But we need not scrape the depths of our soul looking for non-existent sin so we can repent—even the sin of racism. Ask the Lord for wisdom (Jas 1:5) and discernment of your own heart (Ps 19:23–13). And let no one bind your conscience when it comes to attributions of your motives or accuses you of sin apart from Scripture.

Weighing God's Self-Sufficiency Against Present Sufferings

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:48:49 +0000

In the message Sunday, we considered weighing present suffering against future glory. One way to do this is to meditate on God Himself since He is the great prize of glory. I suggested Isaiah 40-48 that a great place to start. In this article, we’ll take a brief look at one divine attribute showcased in the opening passage of that section: God’s self-sufficiency.

One theologian, Bruce Ware, has defined self-sufficiency this way: “God possesses within Himself intrinsically and eternally every excellent quality in infinite measure.” Man can glorify God and bring Him joy (Isa 43:7; Eph 1:11-12), but we must be careful not to think of God as needing anything from us. This is contrary to our impulse to make much of ourselves. However, God’s self-sufficiency is a precious truth and one that should cause us to long for glory.

Isaiah 40:1 reveals that what follows—a depiction of God’s self-sufficiency—is intended to comfort God’s people in exile.

10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. 12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand…

Verses 10-11 foretell the care of God in gathering His people to Himself. In the context of that ministry, the text then begins to show what kind of God this is. The God who will save you is a self-sufficient God.

The depiction of this divine attribute begins in verse 12. Consider: how much water can you hold in the hollow of your hand? Barely enough to wet your tongue. Almost none. The waters measures in the hollow of God’s hand are THE waters. All the water in existence. He’s saying, who is like God who can measure all the water there is the hollow of His hand. Here and in the next few verses it may seem that the point is God’s immensity. Certainly, that concept is present, but He’s building toward the truth that the creation offers nothing the God needs.

…and marked off the heavens with a span…

What’s a span? The distance from one’s thumb to their little finger when the hand is spread wide. Who has marked off the heavens with a span like God? Nobody. The heavens, space, seemingly infinite to us, is nothing to God.

…enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

Here again, he takes things that are immense to us and shows them to be tiny to God.

13 Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? 14 Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

These questions imply that just as the all the waters and mountains are as nothing to God so also the counsel of man is nothing to God. He needs no one to give Him understanding.

15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket…

Think about that. What do you do with a drop from a bucket? Nothing. It’s so small and unnecessary that it stays in the bucket. You leave it there. This is where it becomes clear that the point is not the immensity of God, but that the creation offers nothing needful to God. The nations – all of them – all the inhabitants of the earth are so minuscule to God that you wouldn’t even measure them.

…and are accounted as the dust on the scales…

The nations are like the dust on the scales. Imagine you’re buying meat at the deli, and the worker piling the slices on the scale to calculate the price. How would the worker respond if you said, “excuse me, there’s a speck of dust on the scale. Would you mind getting that off? I don’t want to pay for that?” No deli scale is going pick up a speck of dust. That’s the point. The NATIONS are a speck of dust on the scale to God.

To be clear, the nations are a speck of dust to God, but not in terms of how much He cares about them. The point of this chapter is that God cares greatly for His people. Rather, the nations are less than nothing in terms of what they have to offer Him. He needs nothing. They need everything.

…behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. 16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

Lebanon was known for its grand supply of mighty cedars. However, if God required a sacrifice equal to what He deserves all the forests of Lebanon would not have enough wood.

17 All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

18 To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?

The text then goes on to contrast Yahweh with an idol who needs a man to create him. The idol has needs; Yahweh doesn’t. The next ten or so verses continue this kind of language showing the greatness of Yahweh. In verse 28, we finally get to the main point:

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

He has no needs. He existed long before there was any creation to offer any benefit to him; in all that eternity, He survived just fine. No one needs to fill Him up.

Verse 29 reveals what all this means for His people:

29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

He doesn’t faint; He is the help of those who do. He is an endless supply of strength. He is the source of all things. He strengthens the faint. It is man who needs God and not the other way around.

The bottom line is that God has no needs. He possesses within Himself intrinsically and eternally every excellent quality in infinite measure. There is nothing that can be added to Him. God has no itch that man must scratch for Him. He is completely self-sufficient.

Indeed, what a comfort now that the God to whom we look for all things has no need for anything, but is the very source of all good things. And what a wonder to consider that He is the God with whom we will spend all eternity.

Again, I encourage you to work through the rest of Isaiah 40-48, thinking deeply about the glory of the God with whom we have to do. Put all that in the scale opposite present sufferings.

Isaac Watts' Inimitable Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Odel) — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:21:25 +0000

Singing is vital to healthy church life. If this were not so, significant portions of Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 would have to be tampered with. Through singing, we guard gospel centrality corporately. We agree that it is good to be filled with the Spirit, to communicate truth to one another through the means of melody, to strengthen each other away from error, and to urge one another to send thanksgivings heavenward. When the Spirit moved the apostle Paul to address our singing, He would have nothing but hearts arrested in wonder at our triune God.

Apart from Paul, no one has been as influential in directing my attention to these requirements as Isaac Watts. A recent perusal of some of Watts' lesser-known hymns left me struck by his use of the term inimitable. Everyday vernacular doesn't have room for such a word—at least not where most people call home. But it's a good word, an important word. Consider these synonyms, and you'll see how fitting such a word is for describing the Lord Jesus Christ: incomparable, matchless, beautiful, extraordinary, exceptional, unique, excellent, unparalleled, unrivaled, wonderful, awesome, lovely, great, superior, better... The author of Hebrews helps us understand the Son's supremacy:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Hebrews 1:1-4, ESV

With these things in mind, let's have our hearts stirred to worship the risen Christ with greater intensity and intentionality. Let's wipe off Watts' dusty papers and be reminded of how inimitable our Lord is!

"Christ's Humiliation, Exaltation, and Triumph"

The mighty frame of glorious grace

That brightest monument of praise

That e'er the God of love designed

Employs and fills my lab'ring mind

Begin, my soul, the heavenly song

A burden for an angel's tongue

When Gabriel sounds these awful things

He tunes and summons all his stungs (that is, a short musical phrase)

Proclaim INIMITABLE love

Jesus, the Lord of worlds above

Puts off the beams of bright array

And veils the God in mortal clay

What black reproach defiled his name

When with our sins he took our shame

He whom adoring angels blessed

Is made the impious rebel's jest

He that distributes crowns and thrones

Hangs on a tree, and bleeds, and groans

The Prince of Life resigns his breath

The King of Glory bows to death

But see the wonders of his power

He triumphs in his dying hour

And while by Satan's rage he fell

He dashed the rising hopes of hell

Thus were the hosts of death subdued

And sin was drowned in Jesus' blood

Thus he arose and reigns above

And conquers sinners by his love

Who shall fulfill this boundless song?

The theme surmounts an angel's tongue

How low, how vain are mortal airs

When Gabriel's nobler harp despairs

"The Inward Witness to Christianity"

Questions and doubts be heard no more

Let Christ and joy be all our theme

His Spirit seals his gospel sure

To every soul that trusts in him

Jesus, thy witness speaks within

Thy mercy which thy words reveal

Refines the heart from sense and sin

And stamps its own celestial seal

'Tis God's INIMITABLE hand

That molds and forms the heart anew

Blasphemers can no more withstand

But bow and own thy doctrine true

The guilty wretch that trusts thy blood

Finds peace and pardon at the cross

The sinful soul, averse to God

Believes and loves his Maker's laws

Learning and wit may cease their strife

When miracles with glory shine

The voice that calls the dead to life

Must be almighty and divine

Want more? Click HERE and HERE.

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Hebrews 3:12-14

Spiritual-Mindedness

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:26:32 +0000

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6

In our Sunday sermons, we’ve just completed a slow walk through the first half of Romans 8. A prominent theme was the influence of the Spirit in transforming the way we think and live.

Some of us may desire to meditate a bit more on the concept of the mind set on the Spirit. A great resource is available for deeper consideration of Romans 8:6: Spiritual-mindedness by John Owen.

This edition’s prefatory note explains Owen’s reason for writing the book:

“He wrote it because he was concerned at the great efforts the world makes to draw the mind and hearts of men away from God and spiritual things…

Another reason for writing this treatise was Owen’s concern with the low spiritual and worldly condition of many professing Christians. This treatise calls Christians away from the love of the world and from conformity to it by uncovering the sin and danger of such worldliness.”

“No thanks, I can’t read Owen.” Anyone familiar with the Puritans will regard John Owen as difficult to read. Like, really difficult to read. However, the version I’m recommending is not your mama’s John Owen. Scholars and pastors have done much helpful work in recent years to modernize many Puritan writings so that they are far easier to read. In this case, Anglican Pastor R. J. K. Law has done a masterful job updating Owen’s language so that it reads like a modern work while retaining the sage wisdom and insight of the original. As I read it, I found myself re-reading sentences…but not because I had no idea what they meant! Rather, I re-read sentences because of their profoundly helpful thoughts. This is a version that has successfully removed the “Puritan language barrier.” Thou shalt not fear Owen!

An excerpt for proof:

“When the mind thinks, it thinks of some thing. It has some object in mind. A worldly minded man thinks of worldly matters and objects. A spiritually minded man thinks of spiritual matters and objects.

Now what we need to know is, what are those special spiritual matters or objects which prove us to be spiritually minded? What does a truly spiritually minded person fix his thoughts on when meditating on spiritual things?” [p39]

Maybe I’m crazy, but I think that’s readable, and it truly excites me that this particular work of Owen’s has been made so understandable.

In typical Puritan fashion, Owen wrings out Romans 8:6 for its meaning and application. He helpfully works through not only the objects that the spiritually minded person ought to focus on, but also shows:

the qualitative difference between the “spiritual” thoughts of the regenerate and unregenerate (how one can be assured that his or her spiritual mindedness springs from true salvation);
the relationship between the thoughts and the affections (how to use the direction of the thoughts to influence the heart);
spiritual mindedness is both a grace (a gift generated by the Holy Spirit) and a duty (an active habit of setting the mind on spiritual things);
what is the product of spiritual mindedness: internal stability, resilience during suffering, and freedom from anxiety.

Now is a great time to read this book because of your very recent familiarity with its subject matter. Owen is concerned to bring broad, detailed, penetrating application to the truths of Romans 8:6. These verses have recently been your mind. And not only that, but the whole flow of thought in which these verses reside is now familiar to you. This will make Owen’s writings all the more accessible to you. So I encourage you, strike while the iron is hot and read it now.

What we do with our minds is of great consequence to the Christian life. This book is a timeless resource for helping us to direct our thoughts and affections toward the Lord. I highly recommend it.

Living Under the Wings of Refuge

noreply@blogger.com (John Botkin) — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

One of my favorite books of the Bible (if I’m allowed to have favorites!) is the book of Ruth. Short but powerful, it tells us so much about God and should encourage an ever-deepening faith in him and his promises.

Do you remember the story? The book begins with Naomi. Through the decision of her husband Elimelech, we are introduced to her and the suffering she undergoes through the death of her husband and two sons (1:1–4). And it is through that hard providence, that Naomi reveals the sinfulness of her heart. She sees her circumstances, not as an opportunity for greater faith in God, but as an opportunity to grow bitter in her outlook on life and cold in her love towards God (1:13).

Though her daughter-in-law Ruth pledges alliance to her and her God (Ruth 1:15–18), Naomi returns to Israel dejected and resentful. When the ladies of her hometown, Bethlehem, gather round her and see the unpleasant change in her heart, they ask, “can this be Naomi?” To this, she responds, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” (1:19–21).

Bitter and empty. As far as Naomi could see, this was the fruit of God’s providence in her life. But by the end of the book, Naomi can see with new eyes. Then she could see through the eyes of faith. It was made clear to her that even in the midst of terrible calamity, God had not forsaken his people. As we get to the end the book, we see that God has proved that his loving-kindness never fails. What we see in Naomi is not a bitter, empty providence, but a God who extends his hand upon his people to reveal a sweet and satisfying providence.

God did this through Ruth and Boaz. Both were individuals who trusted the Lord and lived in light of his gracious salvation. Ruth labored to provide food for Naomi (2:1–3). Boaz was generous beyond the law to provide and protect Ruth, even becoming her kinsmen-redeemer. Imitating the Lord himself, Boaz extended his wings to provide refuge for Ruth and Naomi (2:12; 3:9–13). Ruth and Boaz seem to the be focus. But then come the end of the book:

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi” (4:13–17).

Amazingly, Boaz and Ruth fade from the picture and only Naomi and the child are left on stage in this drama! More than anyone else in this story, Naomi is the recipient of God’s gracious blessing. She’s been given new life through the steadfast love of Ruth and the lovingkindness of Boaz who preserves Elimelech’s line (4:14–15). And all know who deserve the glory such a reversal—the Lord himself (4:14)!

When we recall the opening chapters of this book, we clearly see that Naomi did not come back to Israel looking for God. She came back looking for food. While she still held to some degree to right understanding about God—that he was sovereign over all of life, she did not love him—she wasn’t seeking God. In that regard, she was like most of us before coming to Christ. There was no fear of God before our eyes (Rom 3:18).

Yet, God sought after her just as he sought after us! God takes the initiative and begins to call sinners to himself. He sends his Spirit to make the spiritual dead alive so that they may see the work of Christ on their behalf and believe; that they may turn from their sinful rebellion and find their all-satisfying treasure in God himself. What a blessing from God!

But why are we surprised? This was the Lord who showed kindness to Naomi. That is, Yahweh, the God who covenants with his people, Israel. The God who promises to never leave or forsake them (Heb 13:5). It was like God couldn’t get Naomi off his mind! Though bitter and faithless, God worked in the lives of the others to bring her to joyful faith through a redeemer. It’s clear that the Lord is a God who, even in the midst of painful lives, guides us by a sweet and satisfying providence.

And all the more for us today, he continues to do this through our Redeemer, Jesus. By providing for Namoi, God also provide for us—establishing the line that would produce and his greater Son (4:17–22)! So, when we are tempted to endure difficulty, even suffering, in this life, let us never forget the Lord’s kindness and mercy to us. Both in saving us and in sustaining us to the end. Let us take heart and find comfort under his wings of refuge, knowing that, in Christ, there is safety for our soul.

Satisfied

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Odel) — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 21:10:02 +0000

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:14, ESV

[The LORD] satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Psalm 107:9

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

Augustine, Confessions

"Nothing but Christ can give man satisfaction."

John Flavel, The Method of Grace in Gospel Redemption

_______________________

What satisfies you, believer? Scratch that. What in life attempts to dethrone the Lord in your heart, confidently asserting there is greater satisfaction apart from Him? Is it not daily warfare to resist loving the world and the things within it (1 John 2:15-17)? Is it not difficult at times to maintain that the Lord is and does good (Psalm 119:68)? Let me invite you to return to the Psalms for a moment. They are replete with language of satisfaction and hope. A quick retreat to reunite what is divided in your heart may be just the thing to help you grow, flourish, and endure in your faith until you see your Maker face to face (1 John 3:2).

English translations of the Psalms typically use the words "abundance" and "fullness" to conceptualize satisfaction. There are also many instances of shooting straight and using "satisfied" itself to get the point across. Whatever the term, most uses emphasize God as the source of satisfaction. Some Psalms depict all of creation as satisfied with God's handiwork, thereby attesting to the greatness of his power (Ps 104:13, 16, 28). There are also Psalms that prove the greatness of God's mercy in keeping covenant with his own (Ps 105:40)-a foundational tenet of their satisfaction. God also satisfies by supplying provisions-especially among the afflicted (Ps 22:26, 37:19; 132:15; 145:16; 147:14).

There are a handful of passages that I believe will directly infuse life into a weary heart. Take time to read them slowly, even considering the surrounding contexts. Above all, be sure to read them contemplatively.

Psalm 16:11 - You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 17:15 - As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Psalm 63:5 - My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.

Psalm 65:4 - Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

Psalm 90:14 - Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 91:16 - With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.

Psalm 103:5 - who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 107:9 - For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Collectively, these passages emphasize at least four devotional truths:

1. Timing. Satisfaction in God will be fully realized in His presence (Ps 16:11; 17:15). Until then, we can expect tribulation (Mt 16:33) as we anticipate glory (2 Cor 4:17).

When are you expecting full satisfaction? What does the Bible guarantee?

2. Teaching. In the flavor of Psalm 42 (speaking to one's soul), Psalm 63:5 is a declaration of confident reception of satisfaction.

What are you saying to your soul about satisfaction?

3. Thanksgiving. We are those who have been brought near by Christ's blood (Eph 2:19). We must be satisfied with holiness, not broken cisterns (Ps 65:4; Jer 2:12-13).

We have the affectionate gaze of Almighty God (Ps 90:14)!

We have eternal life ("long life" or "length of days") and the surety of full deliverance from indwelling sin and a corrupt world (Ps 91:16).

We have abundant provisions to endure hardship (Ps 103:5).

How are you laboring to express gratitude to God for these things?

4. Trusting. Who satisfies the longing soul? God does! God alone does! He is the answer. It's not just that we have glorious resources in our glorious God; it's a matter of having the glorious God of all glorious things!

In what or whom is your trust placed? Is God himself your satisfaction? Is He enough?

"Jesus, I am Resting, Resting" is a hymn written by Jean Sophia Piggot in 1876. (Her brother, William Federick Piggott, was a missionary to China. His work with Hudson Taylor and martyrdom during the Boxer Rebellion is certainly worth studying.) Let her lyrics remind you of the truth of God's Word and fortify your heart's resolve to only be satisfied in God and His Christ-bought, Spirit-applied provisions.

Jesus, I am Resting, Resting

Jesus, I am resting, resting

in the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

of Thy loving heart.

Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,

as Thy beauty fills my soul,

for by Thy transforming power,

Thou hast made me whole.

O, how great Thy lovingkindness,

vaster, broader than the sea!

O, how marvelous Thy goodness,

lavished all on me!

Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,

know what wealth of grace is Thine,

know Thy certainty of promise,

and have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,

I behold Thee as Thou art,

and Thy love, so pure, so changeless,

satisfies my heart.

Satisfies its deepest longings,

Meets, supplies its ev'ry need,

compasseth me round with blessings;

Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me

as I work and wait for Thee;

Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,

earth's dark shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father's glory,

sunshine of my Father's face,

keep me ever trusting, resting,

fill me with Thy grace.

Parenting with Integrity: What Are Our Lives Teaching Our Children?

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:33:20 +0000

Proverbs 20:7 reads, “The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him!” That is, the person who lives a life consistent with what he claims to be true will be a blessing to his children. Rather than merely telling his children the way they should go, he shows them by his own life.

Training our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord certainly includes formal instruction in the truth. At least as crucial is what we teach them with our lives. To the extent that our lives are consistent with our formal instruction, we are a blessing to our children. To the extent that our lives contradict, the formal instruction will likely be drowned out.

Our example and daily rhythm of life is a key part of our parental influence. It ought not be set against formal instruction, but set in concert with it. This serves not only to plot a course for them, but to model the trustworthiness of that course.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 seems to picture this kind of spoken and lived instruction:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

This can’t be merely formal instruction. Rather, the Lord intends for love for God and the keeping of His commandments to be the rhythm of life in the home—what we do, what we talk about, what we direct our minds and lives toward. It is not a five-minute lesson, once per day separated by hours of functional godlessness. Rather, knowing and loving God is to be the air we breathe.

Clearly, the Scriptures would have parents to set the tone in this. To raise children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord is to fortify formal instruction with the practical invitation, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1).

With that in mind, it is worth considering occasionally…what is my life teaching my kids?

What is my life teaching my kids…about relationships? We’ve likely instructed our children from passages like Hebrews 10:24-25 regarding the importance of church in the life of the believer. Have we modeled that reality by prioritizing discipleship personally? Are we committed to Home Fellowship Groups? Does our own calendar reveal the conviction that we need other people and they need us? Does Mom meet with women? Does Dad meet with men?

Similarly, we teach our children to reconcile relationships, confessing sin, seeking and extending forgiveness (Jas 5:16; Matt 6:14-15). Have we shown them by our own example what it looks like to persevere through conflict? Have our children heard us express repentance and seek forgiveness? Have they heard us graciously receive a confession and extend forgiveness? In the aftermath of a conflict, have they known us to press into renewed fellowship?

What is my life teaching my kids…about devotion? Many families are quite conscientious about family devotions, reading, praying, and singing together. We’ve instructed our children about the value of walking with the Lord and the universal need for fellowship with Him. But have we modeled devotion outside of family devotions or church attendance? Does our morning routine indicate to them that we truly believe we need the Lord? If we’re pressed for time, what is the first thing that get’s sacrificed—prayer?

What is my life teaching my kids…about service? The natural self-centeredness of childhood provides every parent with ample opportunities to give instruction about serving others. But what do they see us doing? Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Are we the chief servants in our homes? Do we model meaningful church membership for them? When they grow up and leave, will they believe it is the norm to invest time in serving the church, the neighborhood, the family?

What is my life teaching my kids…about worship? Certainly, we’ve told our children there is only one God. But have they seen that to be true in our lives? Or have we modeled a kind of polytheism—formally worshiping the God of the Bible while functionally worshiping lesser created things? In other words, what are our affections, desires, priorities, and choices teaching them about worship?

Based solely on our example, would our children have any concept of informal worship—doing all things to the glory of God? (Col 3:17) Or would they assume there must be a hard boundary between “worship” and “everyday life”?

What is my life teaching my kids…about stewardship? We’ve likely taught our children that God created everything, therefore owns everything, therefore, has the right to do what He will with all things (Psa 24:1-2). But what would our children believe about who ultimately owns all things…simply by watching how we steward what has been entrusted to us?

Do Mom and Dad live as if God owns their bodies, time, money, talents, and careers? Do we take care of our bodies in such a way that it’s clear God owns them? Do we steward our finances in ways indicating that all belongs to Him, not just the offering we give on Sunday? Do we burn time on frivolities, suggesting that the Lord is perhaps not Lord of the hours?

May we be careful to instruct our children in the faith. May we also be careful to live it in front of them. Let us walk in our integrity and so be a blessing to our children (Prov 20:7).

Reflections on a Summer Full of Mission Trips

noreply@blogger.com (John Botkin) — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:34:08 +0000

This summer was the busiest I've ever been when it comes to short-term missions. Two trips to Ghana, with a trip to Central Asia and Baltimore in between. Neither the elders nor I originally planned the summer like this, but the opportunities worked out that way. Still, those trips took their toll on me—missed family time, missed work time, missed sleep, and other health issues (one that still lingers as I write this post). So, one may ask, "Why go that much?" Or, maybe even better, "Is it really worth it?"

Boots on the Ground

Back in 2012, through my previous church and a partnership with workers in Niger, we had some security concerns that delayed our trip. One of the biggest factors in taking the trip was that our ministry on the field could not have been done out of the country. Prayer, encouragement, and financial resources can all be leveraged for global partners from anywhere in the world. And praise God for that! But sometimes partnership can only be done by being on the field. In order to assist them in their ministry, we need boots on the ground getting things done. And such was the case with our trips this summer.

In Ghana, we invested in local church leaders through teaching and fellowship. Relationships have been established, trust has been earned, and influenced gained in just two trips that would not be possible if we were not there with them. In Central Asia, our time on the field meant freedom for multiple global partner families to plan, pray, and prepare for long-term mission work. Childcare seems like a non-essential, but it's hard to get things done with a room full of kids who need care and attention. We also got to encourage our partner family face-to-face across the week! In Baltimore, the kids we worked with who had seen us last year were excited for our return. It was a sign that they were more than a project for our church—we love them and want them to experience the love of God in Christ! In that context, teaching is more than conveying information; it is providing truth through clear word and a tangible, lived-out examples. We can explain the life-transforming power of the gospel and put it on display during the long, hot days and patience toward rascally kids.

First World Problems

To be sure, there some "problems" along the way. Lost luggage, an upset stomach, merciless heat, a nationwide power outage, no hot water for a few days, and scorpion by my bed saying "Good morning" with a menacing stinger all greeted me in Ghana. Central Asia was easier for sure. But there was still the hot planes, long flights and bus-rides, and odd foods to deal with (yeah, we ate horse at least once...). Baltimore was probably the easiest, but there's a wariness you carry with you while walking around the city.

Yet, in all of this, we're really just experiencing the everyday things of life for people in those places! Though they may be real struggles for us to overcome, they are at best "first-world problems" that affect our ease of life, not our long-term circumstances. Biblically, we can think of these small trials as means of learning contentment and joy as God grows our faith (Jas 1:2–5). Like Paul, we are striving to learn to be content in all circumstances, knowing that in the strength we have in Christ, we can endure all things (Phil 4:10–13). Unlike Paul who likely travelled between 10,000 and 15,000 miles by foot and ship, taking days or weeks to get somewhere, we can literally be anywhere in the world within 24 hours. How blessed we are while we engage in missions today, and we should not forget it!

Worth It Every Time

All things considered, this summer was absolutely worth it. I have never come home from a trip and thought, "That was a waste of my time." Certainly, the elders pick trips that are worthwhile. But more than that, the Lord chooses to bless and bear fruit—often in unexpected ways—when his people obey his call to engage in his mission the world (Matt 28:18–20). But why should that surprise us? Even the gates of hell cannot stop the advancing of Christ's kingdom through the local church (Matt 16:18)!

Even in Ghana, we saw this. To be sure, there is still much work to be done. But I was almost brought to tears toward the end of the week when I asked the leaders to make a prayer list for the greatest needs of churches in Ghana. We've only taught two modules, walking through each book of the Old and New Testaments, while offering biblical critiques of commons false teaching among the churches (e.g., prosperity gospel, word-faith theology, syncretism with tribal spiritual beliefs, and more). Yet, here was their list of needs to pray for:

Truly born again churches
Disciple believers—to grow and serve
Leaders with wisdom, patience, humility, dedication, and holiness
Resources for mission (more workers)
Unity in the gospel
Exposure of false prophetic and teachers
Boldness in truth of God’s word
Commitment to love God and obey his commands

Yep. Totally worth it.

"Daddy God"?

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 18:24:25 +0000

Several times in recent years, I’ve been in public settings where someone prayed, addressing God as “Daddy” or “Daddy God.” The looks on people’s faces after the “amen” indicated that many didn’t know what to make of it. Since then I've come across Christian songs with the same thing. I suspect the practice arises from a misunderstanding of one word in our most recent sermon stomping grounds…Romans 8.

Romans 8:15 reads:

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

(See also Galatians 4:6 and Mark 14:36.)

It’s quite likely that a number of us have heard that abba is an original language word that a small child would have used as a term of intimate affection for a father. Unlike the more formal “father”, it conveys familiarity, like our modern word, “daddy.” If so, it’s no exegetical leap to understand Paul to be teaching in Romans 8:15 that the Holy Spirit moves us to relate to God in a very intimate fashion. Perhaps, even referring to God in prayer as “Daddy God”?

We should champion the desire to apply the Bible in practical ways…when that application is based on sound interpretation. So, is “daddy” the best way to understand abba? No.

The “daddy” understanding of abba originated from the work of the German New Testament scholar Joachim Jeremias. In the 1960’s, he published a number of works, including The Prayers of Jesus, in which he suggested that the ancient Aramaic word abba (for “father”) and imma (for “mother”) were among the first babbling words a child would learn. He argues that the words were then equivalent to daddy and mommy. Preachers and bible teachers picked this up—it certainly preaches well!—and the idea proliferates in many circles today.

What preachers and bible teachers did not pick up is the virtual tidal wave of scholarship in the following years that overwhelmed Jeremias’ assertion.1 These works collectively present a host of arguments against Jeremias. The most exhaustive of these responses came from Georg Schelbert.2 Schelbert conducted an extensive survey of abba in all known ancient texts. He proved that in no stage of Aramaic literature was abba an exclusive “baby-talk” word or the equivalent of “daddy.” He and other scholars have shown through historical documentation that mature adults used the word abba regularly to address their fathers, meaning the word carried no inherent childlike intimacy with a father. In fact, Aramaic has only the one word for “father”…abba. It communicates neither formality nor familiarity.3 It’s just the word for “father.”

I could find no modern scholars who hold to Jeremias’ view. In fact, the evidence against the view was so overwhelming that Jeremias himself later explicitly rejected the use of “daddy” to translate abba.4 Even still, the theory lives on like something of a hermeneutical urban legend.

But who cares? Why does it matter? Well, as some of these scholars have noted, “daddy” imports a level of familiarity into the text that the word abba doesn’t warrant. Surely, God is our Father, which itself communicates intimacy; but He is at the same time our God. There is room for familiarity, while worship requires also reverence. The understandable objection to the word “daddy” is that it undercuts an appropriate sense of reverence for our God and Father.

This concern is perhaps more easily grasped if we relate it to our relationship with Christ. Jesus is both our King (1 Tim 6:14-15) and our brother (Heb 2:11-12). We can and should hold both simultaneously. Yet, an overemphasis on the familiarity associated with brotherhood will likely diminish the honor deserved by the King. Can you imagine on the last day addressing our King as “bubby Jesus”? No? If that seems inappropriate, I suggest so also is “Daddy God.”

Some may still wonder…if abba doesn’t communicate familiarity or intimacy, why is it used? Well, we don’t know for certain, but we can speculate.5 The word under “father” in each of these texts is Greek. Greek does have the terminology to distinguish between the ideas of “daddy” and “father.” In other words, using Greek alone the NT authors could have conveyed familiarity or formality in the relationship with the Father. On the other hand, you’ll remember that Aramaic has just the one word, abba. Perhaps “Abba Father” communicates that we ought not choose one or the other—familiarity or formality. God is our intimate Father who deserves our worshipful reverence. We ought not regard Him one way at the expense of the other.

For this reason, some have suggested that the best way to render in English the sense of “Abba Father” is to say, “Dear Father.” I agree.

____________________________

1 Such works include: James Barr. “Abba Isn’t Daddy,” Journal of Theological Studies (39) 1988. Geza Vermes. Jesus and the World of Judaism, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 1983. Mary Rose D’Angelo. “Abba and ‘Father’ in Context,” Harvard Theological Review (85) 1992. Willem A. VanGemeren. “Abba In The Old Testament?” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 31/4, December 1988.

2 Georg Schelbert. Abba Vater. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2011.

3 Paul Y. Hoskisson. “Why is ABBA in the New Testament?” Religious Educator 6/1, 2005.

4 Joachim Jeremias. New Testament Theology. SCM Press, 2012.

5 This is the suggestion promoted by Hoskisson in “Why is Abba in the NT?”

The Engine Room: Why We Value Corporate Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 18:41:39 +0000

When visitors asked Charles Spurgeon for the secret behind the vibrant growth of his church, he didn’t point to the preaching, the music, or the building. Rather, he would lead them down a flight of stairs to the basement of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. In that basement, hundreds—occasionally, thousands—gathered every Monday evening to pray. Spurgeon would say to the visitors: “Here is the engine room that keeps the whole machinery going.”1

Spurgeon and the Metropolitan Tabernacle understood a truth that is every bit as foundational today: sermons don’t save people, programs can’t change hearts, and human effort alone won’t expand the kingdom. God does these things. And He does so when His people pray.

Two striking features of the Spurgeon’s prayer meetings were the breadth of member participation and the specificity of the requests. Members would submit handwritten slips of paper with urgent, deeply personal requests:

“A mother asks prayer for her wayward son.”

“A wife requests prayer for her unsaved husband.”

“A clerk asks us to pray for a colleague who mocks the faith.”

Spurgeon would stand in front, read these slips aloud, and invite someone in the room to intercede. These were not rambling, vague prayers, but fervent pleadings for real people with real names and real needs. Such member-submitted requests weren’t a small component of the prayer meetings, but more like a centerpiece. In light of what the Bible says about the efficacy of prayer (Jas 5:16; Rev 8:1-6), it is no wonder that so many souls found respite in Christ through the ministry that one local church.

The Engine at PBF

At every elders meeting, your pastors pray for a growing culture of prayer at Providence. We are encouraged by what we see in this regard. Small groups of people are meeting to pray. People pray spontaneously together at our worship gatherings. Reveille continues to be a staple of our men’s culture. And we are seeing encouraging things at our monthly prayer gathering...

Our July prayer gathering was very similar to the one described above in that we prayed almost exclusively for lost friends, family, and acquaintances whose names were submitted by our own members. We prayed for over 120 lost souls that night. It was a most unique and special prayer gathering. What a blessing it would be to see such meetings become utterly commonplace…

Filling the Engine Room

Our prayer gathering attendance has grown over the years and last month’s gathering was one of the best attended in our history. We praise God for this. There is still room for you! Over the years, we’ve asked our members to prioritize three things regarding the church schedule: both hours on Sunday, Home Fellowship Groups, and the monthly prayer gathering. That short list should indicate how important corporate prayer is to us.

Some people have extenuating circumstances (i.e., second-shift jobs) that prevent this last priority. The rest of us may be inspired by considering again the metaphor of the engine room: “If you visit a factory, you will find it’s the engine room that keeps the factory running! If you stop that engine, every wheel will stand still. It is only prayer meetings we are having? Just so. It is only the engine, but that is everything.”2

Numeric growth at PBF over the years has come overwhelmingly through transfer rather than conversion. This is not for lacking of our sharing the gospel! I hear testimonies publicly and privately on a regular basis indicating that much evangelism has happened and is happening. Perhaps the Lord desires us to tirelessly pray for a harvest from all these sown seeds!

God works through prayer (1 John 5:14-15). We’ve covenanted together to do it. Let’s fill our prayer gatherings! The next one is scheduled for Wednesday, August 5 at 6:30 at Summerhill Drive.

Fueling the Intercession

We solicit kingdom-centered prayer requests regularly. (Don’t know what a "kingdom-centered request" is? Click here.) Last month’s prayer gathering demonstrated we have no lack of such requests…we just need to submit them. Your family members, your friends, your neighbors…send in their names by the end of the Tuesday before the prayer gathering (this time, that’s Tuesday, August 4) and we’ll pray for them. We’re happy to pray for your encouragement, sin struggles, and praises as well. We will always devote as much time to these requests as needed.

Requests can be submitted all month long through the “Prayer Petitions” portal on the church app. You can also email them directly to me (email address is in the directory).

I agree wholeheartedly with the Prince of Preachers, “We shall never see much change for the better in our churches till the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians.”3 The Lord has blessed PBF greatly in our eighteen-plus years together. I do believe this has largely been due to prayer! At the same time, our capacity for prayer as a church can only grow, and I look forward to seeing how the Lord will work through it.

We’re saving you a seat in the Engine Room on August 5!

_________________________________

1 C. H. Spurgeon: A Biography. W. Y. Fullerton

2 Only A Prayer Meeting, “Fighting and Praying”. C. H. Spurgeon

3 Only A Prayer Meeting, “Only a Prayer-Meeting!”. C. H. Spurgeon

Parents, Don't Forget to Schedule This...

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Odel) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:24:59 +0000

"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children-how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.'

Deuteronomy 4:9-10, ESV

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

Proverbs 1:8-9

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4

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According to TV ads and in-store shelving arrangements, we're in back-to-school mode. Yes, this means you can purchase about ten boxes of markers for a dollar. Glue sticks? About fifty for a dollar. Whatever you're looking for, go ahead and stock up. We both know they'll get lost in a box somewhere, only to be found during spring cleaning!

All kidding aside, this is a crucial time for all of us back-to-school planners. If you're like me, you tend to get hyper-focused on school and sports schedules, along with a host of other social schedules. Don't get me wrong: it's great that our kids have wonderful opportunities in life. God has been very gracious to our families at PBF. It's good to have these things in focus — appropriately so. But what I have found in my own life (really, in my own heart-that place of processing life) is that I have underplayed the value of scheduling more important opportunities for my kids. (Scheduling is a key word! Let's face it: for most of us, if it's not set as a reminder on our phones, it's not happening.) So my brief and loving exhortation in this blog is to ensure that parents at PBF give thought and priority to spiritual outings with their kids this school year. This may include larger, church-wide outings, but if I could narrow the scope to just parents and their children, I am advocating for regular meetings with your kids. Even more narrowly, my focus is on fathers and time spent individually with each child discussing spiritual matters. Keep in mind, this would be an additional effort beyond family worship rhythms.

I'm operating in the realm of wisdom here. None of the passages listed above mandate "Testament Tuesdays" or "Thirst for Righteousness Thursdays." There is flexibility in the "how," but rigidity in accomplishing the task: knowing Christ and maturing in Christ.

To help some of you get started and gain traction, can I share with you what I hope to accomplish with my kids between August and October? You may have rhythms and ideas that better suit your kiddos. I just want to offer something to get us thinking. More importantly, I want to offer something that gets us moving.

Pastor Jay's Weekly Discipleship Plan for Easton (age 9) and Bentley (age 6)

Focus: The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7

Timeframe: August - October, 2026

Meeting Times:

Easton, Mondays, noon at a local restaurant
Bentley, Mondays, 3pm at a local snack shop
Weekly alternation of who gets a meal and who gets a snack

Length of Meetings:

Easton, approximately one hour
Bentley, no more than thirty minutes

Method for Engagement:

Easton, COMA Questions
Bentley, defining terms, sharing truths about Jesus' character, reciting the gospel
Both, sharing and praying about life issues

Notes:

Easton is a growing believer
Bentley is learning about Jesus

Weekly Breakdown:

August 3

Both - Read Matthew 5:1-6
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 6

August 10

Both - Read Matthew 5:7-16
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 20

August 17

Both - Read Matthew 5:17-48
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 48

August 24

Both - Read Matthew 6:1-15
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 9

August 31

Both - Read Matthew 6:16-24
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 24

September 7

Both - Read Matthew 6:25-34
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 33

September 14

Both - Read Matthew 7:1-6
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 3

September 21

Both - Read Matthew 7:7-11
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 7

September 28

Both - Read Matthew 7:12-14
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 14

October 5

Both - Read Matthew 7:15-20
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 17

October 12

Both - Read Matthew 7:21-23
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 21

October 19

Both - Read Matthew 7:24-27
Easton - COMA Questions
Bentley - Focus on Verse 24

October 26

Both - Read Matthew 7:28-29
Easton - Sermon on the Mount Reflection
Bentley - Focus on Jesus' authority

By all means, please improve what I've offered. The emphasis is intentionality. The Lord demands it, and our kids need it. As we gear up for another busy school year, let us be sure not to miss opportunities for the word of Christ to dwell richly in us (Col 3:16).

Why Older Couples and Younger Couples Should Spend Time Together

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:11:13 +0000

My wife and I married young. Our first consideration when looking for our first church together was, “Are there any couples here our age?” As we visited churches week after week, it was more and more obvious just how young we were! We finally found a church with one couple our age. We joined and quickly became good friends with them.

To this day, we’re thankful for those friends. At the same time, in hindsight it is clear that we and our church missed a great opportunity: everyone could have benefited from intentional fellowship among couples in different phases of life.

It is typical to gravitate toward those with whom we have the most in common. We inadvertently segregate into demographically-based sub-communities within the church. While the camaraderie that can be afforded by peers is great, a marriage fed only by peers is missing a vital nutrient: wisdom.

Here are four reasons a healthy church will see its older couples spending time with younger couples…

God designed the church to function as an extended family passing life lessons down through the generations. He doesn’t intend for us to figure out life—including marriage—in segregated mini-churches.

2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,

4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,

5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. (Titus 2:2–6)

Do I smell a chiasm? I think I do! To simplify…

Older men

Older women

Train

Younger women

Younger men

We tend only to recognize the component of older women training younger women because that is what is explicitly stated in vv3-5. However, the structure of the verses, with the verb for training at the very center…older and younger women on either side, and older and younger men still further out in the structure…Paul indicates this kind of intergenerational training is not just for ladies.

Shouldn’t surprise us…this model is found elsewhere in the NT (1 Cor 11:1; Phil 4:9; 1 Thess 1:5-6; 2:7-12; 2 Tim 2:2; Heb 13:7). More mature believers help less mature believers to progress in the faith. If that is the broad principle, why wouldn’t it apply to older married couples and younger married couples? Certainly, such mentoring can happen just between men and just between women. However, older couples interacting in front of younger couples can serve as a living playbook for day-to-day obedience in marriage. The older helping the younger is simply God’s design for discipleship.

God intends to use our troubles to make us useful to others who are similarly troubled. What the twenty-something couple is facing right now, the forty-something couple weathered long ago. Those trials are not intended to benefit only self.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 2 Corinthians 1:3–6

We each have many kinds of troubles in the Christian life. Paul teaches through his own example that God allows these troubles and comforts us in them…so that we can later help others who suffer in the same ways.

Let’s face it: marriage is a blessing, but it can be difficult. We’re confronted with our own selfishness in ways that simply do not show up in other human relationships. There is much to learn about ourselves and the Lord in the process. What a tragedy to learn all that, grow from it, come out better on the other side…and then hide it under a bushel.

Marriage books can be helpful. They are not as helpful as two living, breathing humans sitting in front of you talking about lessons learned and how those lessons might coincide with your own circumstances.

Shelby and I learned a lot of things the hard way in our early years, and the Lord was very kind to us in all of it. Still, we would have benefited greatly had we sought or been sought by an older couple who had already learned those things. In our older years, we don’t want to be the ones just watching others bumble around in the dark. Rather, we want to help.

If you are older, what have you learned about yourselves and the Lord that would be of benefit to a younger couple? If you are younger, imagine how great it would be to have a map to help you navigate this early difficult terrain!

God uses those who have gone ahead as examples to encourage perseverance in those further behind. For many Christian couples, when the honeymoon ends and hearts start to be exposed, “til death do us part” sounds a lot longer than it did on the wedding day. Crossing the finish line together can seem like an insurmountable task.

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1–2

The great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12 are the saints of old catalogued in Hebrews 11. They are testifiers to the blessedness of persevering in the faith. Their lives call to us, as it were, championing our endurance in the difficulty ahead of us, encouraging us to find our strength in Christ.

Similarly, it can be tremendously encouraging for younger couples to spend time with older couples who persevered over many years of “sickness and health, joy and sorrow, prosperity and need” and found Christ to be faithful. Young couples can then see with their own eyes that not only should their marriage be a lifelong picture of Christ and the church, but by God’s grace it can be.

God intends for wisdom to be contagious. We all make choices about the human influences in our lives. Not all voices are the same…

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20

While Christian peers are a great blessing and joy, they may not provide the context and perspective that an older couple can. Those in your phase of life are limited to the same field of vision, and therefore, are only able to give counsel based on that limited perspective. Older couples have already been around the corner and know what you’re not seeing. They have picked up the Biblical principles that are obvious in hindsight, but hazy in the onset. They no longer make the mistakes that you’re about to make. Having made those mistakes themselves, they grew in wisdom and found a better way.

Their wisdom is available to you, if you spend time with them. Surely, God gives wisdom (Jas 1:5; Pro 2:6), but the Scriptures indicate He uses means (2 Tim 3:15; Psa 119:98-100), including the influence of the wise (Col 3:16; Pro 13:20). It seems that a way to choose wisdom over harm in marriage, according to Proverbs 13:20, is to choose our company carefully.

So…

To the younger couples: Don’t wait for an older couple to notice you. Recognize the value of older saints’ wisdom and experience, and ask a couple you respect out for coffee, dessert, or dinner.

To the older couples: You don't need a counseling certification. Your history with the Lord is what qualifies you to be helpful to someone else. Recognize how God’s faithfulness has moved you from “Point A” many years ago to “Point B” today, and purpose to share that honestly with others who are just getting started. Don’t wait for an invitation; do the inviting.

How does election work together with evangelism?

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:28:05 +0000

For the last several weeks in our Sunday sermon series, we have touched on truths related to God’s sovereignty over the salvation of sinners. We have seen that all people are ultimately dependent upon God’s power to be brought from death to life. We have also heard strong exhortations to proclaim the gospel to the lost. Whether we are new to these things or have studied them for a long time, we may be susceptible either to misunderstanding or misapplying the interplay between election and evangelism. Conversations I had both before and after the most recent message underscored that danger:

“We don’t need to worry about evangelism…God will save His elect.”

“What about the chosen who never hear the gospel?”

I’ve heard these things and others like them many times. I’d like to provide—in the simplest terms I can—a way to understand how election works together with evangelism.

Election is the act of God from eternity past in which He chooses whom to save, not on account of any foreseen merit, but only because of His own gracious pleasure.* I won’t take time to defend this doctrine here. We’ve seen it many times over the years and we’ll get a generous helping in the rest of Romans. My point here is simply that election refers to God’s gracious choice. Election says nothing about the process—how or when people will be saved. God has simply chosen to save them. Surely, no purpose of God’s can be thwarted (Num 23:19; Isa 55:11), so there is every reason to believe that the elect will be saved. But election alone does not tell us how He will do that.

The gospel is the power of God for salvation. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). When one hears the gospel and responds in repentance from sin and trust in Christ, the blessings of salvation in Christ are applied to the believer. “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved,” (Rom 10:10). “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ,” (Rom 10:17). God has chosen to save certain sinners (election). The gospel is the how. So, how will all who are saved be saved? By hearing and believing the gospel.

God has entrusted the proclamation of the gospel to His church.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:17–20.

This passage is quite clear if we take the time to follow it. God saves sinners by reconciling them to Himself through the atonement of Christ. That reconciliation is a message—the gospel—entrusted to the church. Therefore, God makes His appeal to sinners through us as we share the gospel. This means that in the salvation of sinners neither the gospel nor evangelism are expendable elements. The gospel is the how; evangelism is the delivery mechanism.

There is no biblical way to say, “Evangelism doesn’t matter; God will save His elect.” We ought rather say, “Evangelism is of paramount importance…it is precisely how God appeals to all sinners, including His elect.”

Will God save His elect outside of their hearing the gospel? Romans 10:14-15 seems to rule that out, as Paul writes, “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” I am aware of no passage in the Bible suggesting that God has an alternate way of saving outside of gospel proclamation.

God has predestined His elect. This may sound like a redundancy. We tend to use the concepts of predestination and election synonymously. However, they are distinct. If election is the who and the gospel is the how, predestination is the what. Predestination is concerned with “what is the guaranteed ultimate outcome for the elect?” The NT gives us several specifics. Believers are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29). They are predestined to become His inheritance (Eph 1:11). They are predestined to adoption by God (Eph 1:5). In other words, election is God’s determining who will be on the ship; predestination is His mapping out the coordinates beforehand so that the ship safely arrives at its destination.

Romans 8:30 teaches that this predestination is then brought to fruition by God’s calling the sinner, justifying them, and glorifying them. That is, this sovereign God who saves through the proclamation of the gospel accomplishes His predestination by bringing the gospel to bear on His elect.

Therefore, there are no elect people who do not hear the gospel. If they are elect, God has predestined them to salvation. He only brings about salvation through gospel proclamation.

A glorious depiction of these truths comes together in Acts 18. Paul came to Corinth to preach the good news. He was met with opposition and reviling, but “the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people,’” (Acts 18:9–10). The context clarifies that the many belonging to God in the city were as yet unconverted. They had not yet believed, and yet God said, “I have many in this city.” That is election language. “Go on speaking and do not be silent,” said the Lord. Why? God saves through gospel proclamation. Election alone doesn’t save. One must hear and believe the good news.

And did God leave it to chance that those belonging to Him in Corinth would hear the gospel? No, He appeared to Paul in a vision and commanded him to continue preaching there. In other words, God saw to it that His elect heard the gospel that would save them.

God elects. He saves through gospel proclamation. He commands us to evangelize. He accomplishes His predestined work by making sure His own hear His good news.

So what should we do? Share the good news far and wide, expecting that He will bring His own to Himself!

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*Grudem, Wayne. 2020. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Second Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.

Resources That Shaped My Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Odel) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 20:57:17 +0000

Despite neglectful habits, I believe car maintenance matters. I'm sure I'm not the only one who treats changing the oil every three thousand miles as a suggestion. Don't get me started on wiper blades. As long as I can see through a few cracks in the smudge lines, I'm golden. But I guarantee my car would get better gas mileage and run more smoothly if I kept up with the manufacturer's recommendations.

Far more important than harping on my sputtering Honda Accord, though, is tending to my marriage. Nineteen years ago to the date, I exchanged lifetime vows with my wife, Tabitha. We've weathered many seasons of "for better or for worse," "for richer or for poorer." God has kindly given us a host of circumstances to see how much our marriage depends on His Lordship—every moment of every day. On our scheduled date nights, we often reflect on how unhealthy our marriage would be without God's superabounding grace. We would never claim perfection (Between you and me, my wife is so much closer to the mark!), but we both agree the Lord has used a number of resources to help shape our marriage into what He expects (ref. Eph 5:22-33; cf. Col 3:18). It would be more accurate to say the Lord is still using these resources to help shape our marriage into a relationship pleasing to Him.

In hopes of being helpful to your own marriage maintenance, here are five resources that may serve as a "fuel stabilizer" for your marriage:

1. The Local Church

You thought this blog was all about books, didn't you?

I would argue that, apart from intentional study and application of God's Word, spending time with God's people—especially the seasoned couples at Providence Bible Fellowship (PBF)—has been more valuable than reading any book on marriage. If your marriage needs a tune-up, schedule a dinner with a mature Christ-exalting, Christ-pursuing couple and ask questions such as:

What has the Lord taught y'all about godly communication over the years?

How has the Lord moved y'all through seasons of strong disagreement?

What situations has the Lord used over the years to strengthen your marriage?

What about your spouse motivates you to pursue Christ with greater vigor?

How has your spouse helped you become a better parent?

In the coming years, what do you hope to work on to strengthen your marriage?

2. The Meaning of Marriage: A Vision for Married and Single People Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video

Sometimes one spouse just isn't into reading books together. This resource eases the tension. Based on Tim Keller's book, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, this video series distills the book's content into a series of videos without cutting corners on biblical insight. For busy evenings or to make the most of time with other couples, this study by Tim and Kathy Keller (and Spence Shelton) is well worth your time and money.

3. Held in Honor: Wisdom for Your Marriage from Voices of the Past

This resource is a book, but it's short. Robert Plummer and Matthew Haste have mined two thousand years of church history to compile fifty gospel-saturated devotionals. It's truly refreshing to see how sufficient the gospel has been for marriages navigating the cultural chaos of the past two millennia. This book may sound a little nerdy, but it will fill your heart with gratitude as you consider God's never-weakening faithfulness.

4. Marriage: 6 Gospel Commitments Every Couple Needs to Make

Add this book to the long list of helpful books by Paul David Tripp! It's readable. It's enjoyable. It's challenging. It's helpful. It's hopeful. Instead of reading a chapter at a time, this book is best digested in sections. This provides months of daily devotional material. Better yet, it fosters months of Christ-centered dialogue. This book has challenged me over the years to strive to be a godly husband, but even more, to become a more gospel-saturated human being. Of all the premarital books I assign, couples tell me this is the one they return to most once the knot is tied.

5. Singing The Song of Songs: How to Love Your Spouse Like Jesus Loves His

Some folks reading this blog may be newer to PBF. If that's you, you may not know that Pastor Greg wrote this marriage book based on a sermon series he preached years ago. Whether you check out the book or the sermons, your heart will be gently prompted to evaluate whether you are looking to your marriage for ultimate fulfillment. In my mind, it's a must-read—it's an obvious choice. By the way, save the date: March 19, 2027. That's all I'll say for now!

Holiness as Usefulness: What kind of vessel does the Lord desire?

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:17:41 +0000

How many of us have heard or said, “I want to do big things for God” OR “I just want to be used”? From the heart of a person who loves the Lord and wants to make much of Him, this is a wonderful desire. An appropriate thing to consider is, what will make us most useful to the Lord? If we want to be vessels for kingdom work, to what should we devote ourselves?

Should we concentrate on being as busy about the Lord’s business as we can? Certainly, some would run in this direction and it does make logical sense. If we want to maximize our time on this earth for the Lord, perhaps the best way to do that is to cram as much service into every day as possible. While we obviously don’t want to go in the opposite direction of wasting our time on frivolous things, busyness does not necessary equate to effectiveness. It is possible to be quite busy and yet very ineffective in the work.

So perhaps we should we give ourselves to the honing of a particular skill or gift? This also might make a great deal of sense. If we want to be as effective as possible in the use of our time it would be wise to devote ourselves to one or two endeavors that we will be able to do well, rather than spreading ourselves across a dozen areas where we may be marginal. Additionally, it is just good stewardship to develop what God has graciously given us. However, even in this it is possible to be ineffective and even counterproductive in our work for the Lord. The most gifted and talented among us spending all of their time on the things of the Lord can actually deny Him in all of it if they are missing one critical thing.

Holiness.

Paul explains in 2 Timothy 2:20-22: Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

We might have expected the apostle to write, “If anyone hones his skill in ____________, he will be a vessel for honorable use.” Or, “Get better at what you do and you’ll be more valuable to kingdom work.” Rather, Paul’s focus is not functional expertise, but personal Christlikeness: “if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable...” These verses come in a section of the letter in which Paul exhorts Timothy to be a good steward of his calling. Surely, ministerial skill is useful, but of paramount importance is godliness.

Our work is both proclaiming and living the gospel of the grace of God, which “has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14). When we proclaim this gospel, but have not practical holiness, we speak a gospel with words that we deny with our works (Titus 1:16). The opposite is also true. When we live a life of holiness, the gospel we speak with our mouths cannot be denied.

This is exactly why Robert Murray McCheyne wrote the following words to Dan Edwards upon his ordination as a missionary to the Jews:

“I trust you will have a pleasant and profitable time in Germany. I know you will apply hard to German; but do not forget the culture of the inner man,—I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword,—His instrument,—I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”*

Paul is kind to give instruction regarding how to progress in holiness. For many, his words are nothing new, but reminders are always good…

Flee youthful passions…

Put off those worldly, fleshly desires that wage war against your soul (1 Peter 2:11). What are those desires that lead you toward self and sin even as you engage in ministry? Flee from them. Cut off access to whatever feeds those desires. Make no provision for the flesh in regard to its desires (Rom 13:14).

Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace…

This is simply to say, pursue Christlikeness. Read the Scriptures, focusing on the character of God in Christ. Search the Gospel accounts of Christ’s demonstrated righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Read the epistles’ exposition of Christ’s person and work. Make them your meditation and prayer, morning and evening. Whatever time and resources you were devoting to your sinful passions, dedicate them to learning Christ.

…along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Notice the specificity here. Pursue Christlikeness specifically with those calling on the Lord from a pure heart. “Pure” is the adjective form of the verb “cleanse” one verse earlier. In other words, find fellowship with people who have done what v21 calls for…who have cleansed themselves from what is dishonorable. Want to grow in godliness? Hang out with those godlier than you. Do your heart cleansing in the company of those with clean hearts.

Making ourselves busy about the Lord’s business and honing the skills He has entrusted to us are worthwhile uses of our time and attention. In the long run, they will only be as useful as we are holy. While we give ourselves to these things, may our love for Jesus find expression first and foremost in the pursuit of His likeness, knowing that holiness will make our time and gifts far more effective tools in His hands.

__________

* John R. W. Stott, The Preacher’s Portrait, Some New Testament Word Studies (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1961), p. 120

"Does that really follow?" Common Non-Sequiturs in the Rejection of Christianity

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Birdwell) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 18:33:26 +0000

At coffee with a fellow believer this week, we discussed some of the common arguments used to reject Christianity. As I pondered this later, it occurred to me that these arguments tend to be non-sequiturs.

In formal logic, a non-sequitur is when a conclusion is drawn that does not logically flow from the preceding premises. Non-sequitur is Latin for “it does not follow.”

As we become familiar with the concept of the non-sequitur, we find that they are quite common. Most people make such logical leaps without recognizing them. In the rejection of Christianity, they are quite common. Pointing them out doesn’t prove the truth of Christianity, but does show that such arguments fail to prove it false.

Below are several examples. It’s helpful to be able to recognize and respond to them. Of course, we always want to do so with humility and kindness.

1. “There are a ton of religions and all of them claim to be true.” This is the premise. The conclusion is that Christianity is just one of many religions that are wrong.

This is a non-sequitur because the existence of many contradictory answers to a question does not mean that a correct answer does not exist. How many wrong answers could be given to the math problem, 4 + 4 = ? Let’s just say, a lot. The many possible wrong answers does not jeopardize the existence of the right one, 8.

Imagine we’re doing more complex math, advanced calculus, and no one in the class gets the right answer. That doesn’t suggest there isn’t a right answer or that math itself is a fiction. The right answer exists even if no one knows it.

Again, recognizing this as a non-sequitur doesn’t prove that Christianity is true. It simply removes this argument as a viable reason for rejecting Christianity. The number of religions in existence is irrelevant; one must evaluate Christianity on its own terms in order to determine its truth.

2. “Christians are hypocrites.” The conclusion drawn from this premise is that Christian theology, including the gospel, isn’t true.

This is a non-sequitur because the truth of a worldview rises or falls on the validity of its core claims, not the moral perfection of those who claim to follow it. Further, the Bible teaches that humans are flawed, weak, and prone to hypocrisy (Matt 26:41; Jas 3:2; 1 John 1:8-10). Certainly, the Scriptures indicate that the gospel is transformative, but perfection comes only in the eschaton (Eph 2:8-10; 1 John 3:2). Christian imperfection, while not desirable, coincides with Christianity’s teaching.

3. “Horrible atrocities have been done in the name of Christianity.”* From this premise, the argument concludes that the teachings of Christianity are evil or false.

This is a non-sequitur in that a truth is true no matter how it may have been misconstrued or misapplied. The abuse of a Biblical precept by any human institution does not invalidate the objective truth at its core. This is especially the case when such historical atrocities directly violated the Bible’s explicit commands/teachings.

For example, Jesus commanded us to respond to persecution with love and prayer (Matt 5:44). Similarly, we have been taught that the church grows through the preaching of the gospel (Rom 10:17). The use of force/violence in the name of Christianity for the spread or protection of Christianity is itself a rejection of Christian teaching. Such violence cannot therefore be used as evidence that Christianity itself is evil.

4. “Christianity gives comfort, provides a sense of purpose, and removes fear of death for otherwise hopeless, weak people.” (Amen to that!) Skeptics conclude from this premise that Christianity is a human invention and delusion.

This is a non-sequitur because the psychological benefit of a belief has no bearing at all on its objective truth. One may derive a sense of security from the thought that their bank account is in the black. That feeling alone certainly doesn’t suggest an unlikelihood that their account is full, nor does it suggest a delusional posture. At the same time, the feeling alone is not proof that the account is in fact full. The state of the account is the state of the account regardless of how the person feels.

Non-sequiturs don’t actually deal with the truth of Christianity. To logically reject any worldview, it must be evaluated on its own terms according to its core claims. As we talk to the lost, we should ask ourselves, “does their conclusion follow from the premise they have made?”

At the end of the day, man doesn’t reject God on the basis of logic, but against it. Illogical reasoning, like non-sequiturs, cover up what is really going on at the heart level—rebellion against a known Creator (Rom 1:18-23). As we engage with unbelievers, we should seek to winsomely point out non-sequiturs, so that we can address the central issue—rebellious estrangement from God—and bring the gospel to bear.

*This argument also features an appeal to objective moral standards that cannot be explained by an atheistic worldview. The reference "horrible atrocities" assumes objective right and wrong. How is an unbeliever able to account for this?