Blog: January 2023 — December 2023

I don't know about you, but when it comes to prayer I have a tendency to gravitate toward petitions—as if asking were everything.  But the Bible teaches and shows that prayer is so much more than making requests to the Father. Not that there’s anything wrong with making an appeal to God—Jesus teaches us to “ask, seek, knock” (Matthew 7:7), and Paul urges the Philippians to “let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6).  So crying out to the Father and pleading for help and comfort and guidance and peace and healing and correction ...

If there’s anything I can emphasize to encourage you in your spiritual life as we all get our bearings to begin 2024, it would be to keep your Bible reading and prayer connected. The main way the Lord awakens in us an impulse to pray is through his Word.  If you intend to pray, you must be in Scripture.  Think of it:  prayer is talking to God, and the Bible is God talking to us—to people made in his image.  How presumptuous would it be if we tried to carry on a “conversation” with God in which we talk and talk and talk to him, but we fail ...

In 1741, George Frideric Handel famously composed his sacred oratorio, “Messiah,” in less than a month, locked away from all distractions, writing furiously from morning to night. The text of “Messiah” is made up entirely of Scripture—passages like Isaiah 40 (“Comfort my people… prepare the way of the Lord”), Matthew 1:23 (“Emmanuel, God with us”), Isaiah 9:6 (“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”), Luke 2:14 (“Glory to God in the highest”), John 1:29 (“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the ...

In a recent article on “Observing Advent Aright,” Jonathan Gibson notes how the Bible speaks of Jesus’ coming (or advent) in two ways:  his first appearing through his incarnation and birth; and his second coming—the final advent of Christ at the end of time. These two comings are very different from each other, and yet it’s important to keep them connected.  Jesus’ first appearing was, in several ways, obscure and quiet, but his second coming will be public and grand.  The tone of Christ’s first advent is captured by “O Little Town of ...

  31 Days of Prayer -- January 2024 Let’s begin 2024 on our knees!  Below are 31 verses from the Gospel of Matthew—one for each day of January.  Let God’s Word prompt you to pray (whether on your own, or together with family or friends). As you read, be alert to the Spirit’s leading about how to pray—whether praise or thanks or confession or requests.  And those requests may be for yourself, your family, friends/coworkers/classmates, our church, or other people/situations God brings to mind.  In prayer we speak to God, and it is fitting ...

Our two-year Bible reading plan recently took us to Paul’s Letter to the Colossians (that’s if you began this year—and speaking of Bible reading, the plan for 2024-2025 is ready for you to pick up at church, or you can download it near the bottom of this page:  decide now that you will read God’s Word daily in the new year; not planning to read is planning not to read!). In the closing verses of the letter, where Paul shares greetings from various spiritual companions, a verse I’ve zipped by count­less times grabbed my attention:  the ...

In the final chapter of Luke’s Gospel account, we receive insight into how Christ made His resurrection power known. The manner He chose to reveal His newly resurrected body teaches us how we can share and receive His gospel truths in the present day. Since Christians today represent the body of Christ in action, we serve as living, tangible proof of His resurrection power in the world. Just as the earliest followers sought to make His life, death, and resurrection known within their circles, we too must seek to share the gospel with the ...

In our Wednesday prayer gathering, while reading Bible passages and asking God to prompt us to pray in keeping with his Word, we recently took in Psalm 57—a song written by David “when he fled from Saul, in the cave.”  I don’t know about you, but if I were run­ning for my life and hiding in a cave (e.g., 1 Samuel 22:1), I don’t see myself writing poetry!  But God works wonders—including in our hearts amidst the most unexpected and trying circumstances. David cries out, “Be merciful to me, O God” (v 1); “My soul is in the midst of lions” (v ...

One of the most magnificent titles given to Christ is that of the complete and perfect King. Paul reflected on both the might and majesty of the risen Jesus as he detailed the immensity of the hope we find in His name. Though we are prone to falter and fail, Christ in His completeness remains the full, sovereign fixture of our faith. On what basis do we crown Jesus King? How do we see His kingship demonstrated to us and through us as His followers? It is through His sufficiency and might as righteous King that we find our strength and hope....

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his love endures forever!” (Psalm 136:1). As we move through this holiday weekend, I’m thinking back to the great day we had at Goshen last Sunday.  And I’m THANKFUL for the three disciples of Jesus who stood up to testify and be baptized (you can watch again—testimonies here, and baptisms here)! And I’m GRATEFUL as well for the visit from Shelby Abbott, our guest preacher, who serves with FamilyLife.  In case you missed our worship gathering, let me encourage you to listen to Shelby’s ...

Last week we wrapped up our Sunday Seminar on “First Things First:  Distinguishing Biblical Majors and Minors in Relation to Current Issues.”  And the issue before us was Christian Faith and Politics (recordings of these sessions are on our website).  I put a major emphasis on the believer’s identity:  we’re only well posi­tioned to engage with politics when we’re grounded, rock-solid, in our self-understanding as God’s people.  First and fore­most, that’s who we are:  subjects of Christ the King. In his article, “Bigger Fish to Fry:  ...

“What’s On Your Mind?” A sermon series addressing the questions we’re thinking about Goshen Baptist Church - Winter 2024   In January and February 2024, my goal is to go to God’s Word and develop messages for our church based on questions you’re asking. Is there a Bible passage you struggle with, or a theme in Scripture that perplexes you?  Are there aspects of Christian belief that are hard to understand?  And are there facets of the Christian life that you find confusing?  And are there issues related to following Jesus in a ...

Join us as we gather in the season of Advent--as we commemorate and celebrate the coming of God the Son to be among us, to be Emmanuel, "God with us"! (Matthew 1:23).  May the Lord pour out his love upon you this Christmas season! By the way, if all of the holiday festivity rings hollow for you, and you're wondering if there really is a deeper meaning and a basis for hope behind it all, take time and listen to (and pray over) this summary of Jesus' message! December 3, First Sunday of Advent:  “He Came to Our Rescue” (1 Timothy 1 ...

Amidst the darkness of the crucifixion story, the promise of new life in Jesus sprang forth. Here in these passages, the truth of Christ’s victory became known first to His closest followers and then was spread throughout the rest of the world. With what power was Jesus raised from the grave? How did these events tie into the story of the gospel or into our own lives? Every word of the Scriptures works in harmony to point to the reality of Christ’s death and resurrection. Through His victory over sin and death, those who believe in His name ...

In last week’s Sunday Seminar, I said the Bible presents marriage as a metaphor of the gospel:  “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church…” (Ephesians 5:25).  And I noted that several authors point this out and draw out its significance.  For example: Trevin Wax, The Thrill of Orthodoxy, “Marriage is not a one-off doctrine disconnected from the rest of Christian teaching.  The Bible begins and ends with a marriage ceremony, the first in a garden between a man and a woman, and the last in a garden city when the church is united ...

Here in the New Testament crucifixion accounts, we read of Christ taking to the cross on our behalf. In this place where Jesus was stripped of His dignity, we find ourselves clothed in His righteousness by faith. Why did the omnipotent Jesus choose the cross? How did the suffering of Jesus lead to life everlasting for us? It was through the undeserved disgrace He endured that we would receive God’s unwarranted grace and the gift of new life. In the events leading up to His crucifixion, the King of glory faced criminal charges based on His ...

Christian maturity involves “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).  We do speak up; the Lord calls us always to be ready to give an account of the hope we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15).  As Jesus’ ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), we have been sent into his world with a message to share—the word of Life. But the manner of our speech is crucial; how we say what we say makes a huge difference. Love is the greatest command (Matthew 22:37-40)—loving God and neighbor.  So, even if others hate us, we are called to love our enemies in word ...

All four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ trial revealed the innocence of the Son of Man amid the injustice of the court’s proceedings. From the plotting of the chief priests to the scoffing of those in the crowd, each detail revealed the reality of the Savior’s choice to step forward as the substitute for our sins. Why did this court case unfold in the manner that it did, with the religious leaders taking their troubles to the Roman courts? How do we see God at work amid Christ’s suffering? The answers to this lay in the Old Testament prophecies ...

Every Christian is “called into the ministry”:  to love neighbors, build up the church, and give an account of our eternal hope.  Every follower of Jesus receives his charge:  “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).  We’re all on mission. But even if all Christians on the planet were to share the gospel with every human with whom they can communicate, over 3 billion people would remain completely in the dark—unreached, unengaged, lost.  (See joshuaproject.net.) That’s because over 3 billion souls are within people groups ...

As we begin our Fall Focus on Missions, listen to the heart of these mission leaders.  Can you feel their pulse of love for Christ? “Expect great things from God.  Attempt great things for God” (William Carey). “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered but a command to be obeyed” (J. Hudson Taylor). “I never made a sacrifice” (David Livingstone). “I have a firm conviction that I am immortal until my work is done” (Lottie Moon). “If God has called you to be a missionary, don’t stoop to be a king” (Jordon Groom). “Some ...