Today’s passage: 1 John 2:3–6 Focus verse: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6) Today’s passage talks about knowing God and keeping his commands. If we claim to know God and don’t do what he says, we’re only deluding ourselves from the truth, and our claim is false. But when […]
Embrace Annual Cycles of Worship to Provide a Regular Rhythm to Our Faith Journey Some churches follow a church calendar throughout the year to guide them into seasons of worship. This provides an annual rhythm to their embrace of God. Other churches are less structured in their approach, focusing on two major biblical holidays: Christmas […]
New Option Now Available The large print edition of 52 Churches is now available. 52 Churches, one of Peter DeHaan’s most popular books, is now available in large print. “Readers have clamored for a large print version of 52 Churches, and I am pleased to now offer it for the first time,” said its author, […]
Breathing Life into Old Practices The three churches nearest to us—The Closest Church, The Traditional Denominational Church, and The Church with the Fundamental Vibe—all have traditional-sounding names, meet in traditional-looking buildings, and have traditional-style services. I want a church with a fresh spin. A Denominational Connection This church, only 1.8 miles away and just past […]
Daniel Foretells the Future Daniel 7:13–14 “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14) The prophet Daniel lived some five centuries before Mary. You may know the story of Daniel in the lions’ den, where God protected him overnight after […]
Are You a Wise Guy? Do you possess wisdom? Are you wise? A wise guy? According to the dictionary, wisdom is “The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight; common sense; good judgment.” Now consider what James writes about wisdom. He writes “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first […]
Today’s passage: 1 John 2:1–2 Focus verse: But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (1 John 2:1) John’s desire for us is that we do not sin. That’s one of the reasons he writes his letter. Yet if anyone does sin, he reminds us that we have an […]
Three Easy Ideas If the Word Evangelism Scares You In the post Are You Reluctant to Invite Friends to Church? we looked at the New Testament church and saw that people first invited others to follow Jesus. Then they went to church. Therefore, we shouldn’t invite people to go to church with us until after […]
Daily Scripture Reading Guides Now Available Every year I intentionally explore the Bible, reading a few chapters each day. Some years I focus on the New Testament and other years, the Old Testament, but usually I read the entire Bible in a year. Will you join me? Will you commit to read the entire Bible […]
Life Groups versus Sunday School Early this morning we make our annual switch to Daylight Saving Time, a transition full of folly and one I wish we’d skip. I wake up tired. I don’t want to roll out of bed and so want to skip church, but I know Candy won’t stand for it. “What […]