When I was learning to ride a bike, and then in my teen years learning to drive a car, my parents consistently reminded me that the direction I was looking was the direction I would go. This seems obvious, but to a distracted kid (or even more distracted teen driver), I needed the reminder that if I was staring at the tree while riding my bike, I was most likely going to hit the tree. If I was staring out the passenger window while driving a car, the car was naturally going to turn that direction. Worship is the direction our life is pointed. What we worship motivates us, becomes our goal, and ..read more

Malachi delivers a message of rebuke and judgment to the people of Israel, who have grown cold and apathetic in their relationship with the Lord in the years after the return from Babylon. The emphasis on God’s love for Israel in the last book of the Minor Prophets corresponds to the emphasis on the love relationship between God and Israel in Hosea, the first book in this collection. God’s love for His people remains constant. He has preserved them through judgment and promised them a blessed future, but the hearts of the people are far from the Lord. Who Was Malachi? The name Malachi means “m ..read more

I do not like conflict; especially conflict within the church. I never felt like I lost my salvation amid major heated church conflicts, but sometimes I did feel like quitting the Christian life altogether because of disagreements with other believers.  In Christ, God transforms relationships and makes His people a family that is called to live together with love and grace. Because we have been given limitless grace through Jesus Christ, we are to live as peacemakers who reflect the heart of our crucified Savior.  In Philemon, Paul explores the importance of living in grace even in c ..read more

The week of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection—Holy Week—is the most important in the entire New Testament. These seven days changed the world as Jesus completed the work he came into the world to accomplish. Throughout history, Christian teachers have paid careful attention to this week, dedicating themselves to helping the church understand its good news. Prepare to celebrate Easter by reading Scripture alongside the insights of some of the church’s most trusted voices.   Matthew Henry on Jesus’ triumphal entry (Mark 11:1–11) Christ’s coming into Jerusalem remarkably shows that he was ..read more

Humans are so naturally religious. We like ritual, sacredness, celebration. As followers of Jesus, we believe that most of the world is religious in ways that do not lead to salvation, because their religious activity has nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  But we need to be careful with our own religious commitments. Some things we are explicitly called to observe regularly, like baptism and the Lord’s Supper, meeting together for worship, and holding one another accountable. Other things have become religious institutions within Christianity that have no explicit command but ..read more

A recent headline on my social media timeline claimed that scientists found something almost incomprehensible—an ocean 400 miles below the crust of the earth and three times the volume of all the water on our planet’s surface combined. A monumental discovery if true. Granted, the water is stored within a certain type of rock— ringwoodite—but it’s the type of discovery that ought to stop you in your tracks. Deep beneath our feet, more water than we could ever see sits trapped in rock. This very headline was the subject of conversation on a drive to church recently. We all tried to imagine the d ..read more

The first part of Genesis focuses on the beginning and spread of sin in the world and culminates in the devastating flood in the days of Noah. The second part of the book focuses on God’s dealings with one man, Abraham, through whom God promises to bring salvation and blessing to the world. Genesis is a Greek word meaning “origin,” “source,” “generation,” or “beginning.” The original Hebrew title Bereshith means “In the beginning.” Who Wrote Genesis? Although Genesis does not directly name its author, and although Genesis ends some three centuries before Moses was born, the whole of Scrip ..read more

The New English Translation’s unique approach to transparency and accountability helps you appreciate every English translation.   What sets one translation apart from another? For many readers, the difference between translations depends on where they land on a spectrum between accuracy and readability. Some prefer a translation that closely follows the precise wording of the original languages. The more precisely word-for-word the translation is, the better, even if it’s harder to read. Others see the best translation as the one that can be most easily understood. The easier to read, th ..read more

When God “rested on the seventh day from all his work which He had done (Genesis 2:2), He was modeling for humanity His intention for a weekly day of rest. Clearly, He did this for the sake of Adam and Eve (and for us), because God Himself does not tire or need to rest, as people do. In what sense, then, did He “rest” from His labors, and in what sense should we “rest” from ours? What Does Sabbath Mean? The noun “shabbaton” has the abstract ending on it: “resting, ceasing.” The root word means “cease” from something, more than “to rest.” The Law would make it clear that they were to cease from ..read more

One of my favorite books is The Pilgrim’s Progress. It is the story of Christian leaving the city of destruction in search of salvation that is found only in the celestial city, which symbolizes heaven. This allegory depicts the Christian life all the way.   In one scene, Christian and Hopeful are on their journey and the ground becomes rough and hard under their feet. They notice a parallel path on the other side of the fence that seems more pleasant, grassier, and with fewer holes. They decide to jump over the fence and walk on that path because it appears to lead to the celes ..read more