Category: Christian Living

Coronavirus Reflections (Part 1): The Plans We Make

April 11, 2020 / Sam

Note to the reader: This is the first of what will be an ongoing series on how Christians should be thinking and living in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike previous series that have had a defined plan and trajectory, this series will cover a wide variety of topics related to the current situation.

All of us are constantly making plans for our lives, even if we’re not doing anything extraordinary. We plan to get up every day to go to work and then come home to our family.… Read more

Thanksgiving 2019: Remember the Salvation of God

November 27, 2019 / Sam

Thanksgiving is one of America’s favorite holidays. A time to spend with those you love, eat too much food, watch football, and battle all the holiday traffic if you’re unlucky enough to have to travel to someone. Although appropriated by the wider culture at large, Thanksgiving is a uniquely Christian holiday. After all, why give thanks if you have no one to thank?

Many of us have had a good year, and many things come to mind for which we are grateful.… Read more

How Can I Know If I’m Truly Saved?

July 28, 2019 / Sam

Last weekend, Joshua Harris shocked evangelicals with his announcement that he had left the Christian faith. Harris’ faulty theology that led to his spiritual downfall has been discussed previously, but many questions are raised when someone who seemed to be a believer for so long falls away.

Harris’ walk played out much like Paul’s companion Demas. Demas was a fruitful helper of Paul, but later in his second letter to Timothy, Paul writes, “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10).… Read more

The Burden of the Law: Joshua Harris and God’s Free Grace

July 27, 2019 / Sam

“This is the foundation of a freely bestowed righteousness, when we are stripped of a righteousness of our own.”
John Calvin

Last week, many Christians reacted in shock at popular pastor and author Joshua Harris’ announcement that he and his wife of over 20 years were separating, then, at his subsequent announcement a week later that he had left the Christian faith.

Harris is known for his popular book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, which led to the popularization of courtship and what has been called “purity culture” amongst evangelical Christians.… Read more

Suffering and the Fortunes of Job

May 16, 2019 / Sam

The Christian life is often filled with inexplicable suffering. The death of a loved one. A devastating diagnosis. Betrayal by friends. The loss of a relationship. The people of God are not immune to hardship. Our churches are filled with people in pain, even though we may not see it and they may not tell us. But it is there nonetheless. Being a Christian can, in a way, exacerbate the effects of our suffering. We know that God is sovereign over our circumstances, yet he has chosen to inflict pain on us for reasons we cannot understand.… Read more

From a Prison to a Kingdom: Encouragement for the Lonely on Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2019 / Sam

Valentine’s Day. This is a day that produces a wide range of emotions from people rivaled by few others. For some, it is a day to celebrate the love you share with your significant other or spouse. For others, it is a day filled with expectations (real or imagined) to prove yourself to the person you care about. Still others, it’s just another day on the calendar, and it comes and goes without a second thought.… Read more