The King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matt. 25:34-35) A woman visiting our church told me a worn sofa was the reason she entered the kingdom of God. An older woman in the church invited this visitor to her home. The house was not fancy, and the furnishings were plain. Still, the two enjoyed a lovely meal during which the guest noticed the worn couch. The godly woman ..read more

By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph. 2:8-9) Long-ago preacher, Phillips Brooks, defined grace as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. That’s not a bad definition, and it’s a good way to remember what grace is. We are saved through faith that what God has spent for us, rather than what we have done for ourselves, makes us right with him. Our salvation is a gift of his mercy, not something we gain by merit. As a result, no one may boast of their works before ..read more

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling…so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thess. 1:11-12) Entering the yellow-tiled hospital room, I had no idea how powerful my dying friend’s ministry would be to me. When I entered, his wife left the room briefly so that he would not be troubled by her tears. My friend still knew why his wife had exited. So, he said to me with a gentle whisper, “Please help my family not to hurt too much. I will see Jesus soon ..read more

Ned Bustard and Carey Bustard discuss Leslie Bustard’s life and legacy with Amy Knorr. A lamppost is an unexpected sight in the middle of a forest, as C.S. Lewis knew well. A glowing lamppost on a conference stage is also unexpected. But both the lamppost of Lewis fame and the lamppost on the stage of the Square Halo Conference have this in common: they both signal a return to Narnia. “Return to Narnia” was the theme of the 2024 Square Halo Conference, which took place March 8-9 at the Trust Performing Arts Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The event served a creative buffet of offerings from ..read more

Anyone who has hiked a trail that leads to a waterfall knows the rushing sound that signals their arrival. Depending on the size of the waterfall, it can be deafening in the most magnificent way, or it can sound soothing and calm. Either way, hearing the sound of a waterfall is a unique experience, just like participating in a time of Korean-style prayer.  While most of us are familiar with other types of prayer such as “popcorn prayer” where everyone takes turns praying about an individual need; unified or unison prayer, where everyone prays the same prayer aloud together; and call and r ..read more

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. (Prov. 31:30-31) The author of Proverbs 31 writes, “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies … her husband has full confidence in her … and she brings him good … not harm … all the days of her life.” These verses remind us that love and respect are inextricably linked. The women the Bible presents as most desirable are those who are most respected by their husbands. This is ..read more

To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves…we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. (Eph. 1:6-7 NIV) Would you like to know the best summer traveling tip my family has found? Waffle House cheese grits for 35 cents! Now, I’m not talking about just a dab of grits, but a whole heaping, huge bowl of delicious grits. That’s almost as good as free! But then I read the fine print: 35 cents with any full entrée. And that got me thinking. Isn’t that how many of us view God’s grace? Almost free ..read more

Photo by Rosie Sun on Unsplash. In every church, there are godly, mature women who are eager to strengthen the body of Christ. There are also women who need godly counsel and support in the face of physical, emotional, and spiritual struggles. A growing number of church sessions are empowering the mature women to come alongside the hurting women fp. To help more churches develop a vision for this type of ministry, PCA Discipleship Ministries (CDM) has published “Alongside Care: A Vision for Churches to Care for Women in Crisis.”  The book is a collection of essays written by ministry lead ..read more

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” . . . But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:11-13) “Guilty, as charged.” Those are words we never want to hear, especially when it comes to our role in the horrific death of our Savior. We don’t like to think we’re guilty of sending him to the cross. It’s easier to point the finger at other key players: Judas, Pila ..read more

Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Rom. 8:29) Perhaps the most cited proof for God’s persevering grace is where Paul says, “Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” The reason for citing this passage is how it continues. The apostle goes on to say, “Those whom he [God] predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorifie ..read more