Links & Quotes

When the Holy Spirit shines His light on a biblical promise, and you turn that into a prayer, write it down! You may need to go back to this again and again. When God answers your prayer, write it down again! This can become a testimony journal that you and others can use to recall God’s provision. 

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“The pathway to maturity and to solid biblical food is not first becoming an intelligent person, but becoming an obedient person.” —John Piper 

“Somehow or other an extraordinary idea has arisen that the disbelievers in miracles consider them coldly and fairly, while believers in miracles accept them only in connection with some dogma. The fact is quite the other way. The believers in miracles accept them (rightly or wrongly) because they have evidence for them. The disbelievers in miracles deny them (rightly or wrongly) because they have a doctrine against them.” —G.K. Chesterton 

“At every moment, we always have a choice, even if it feels as if we don’t. Sometimes that choice may simply be to think a more positive thought.” —Tina Turner 

Every day should be a day of thanksgiving!

“We are strangers on Earth; our homeland is in Heaven. Our walk is here; our hearts are there.” —Dr. Henry Halley

Did Jesus “confess” He was God? J. Warner Wallace says He did, but not as some people define the word “confession.” 

I have already shared the first two posts in the latest archeological research on the biblical city of Jericho. Here is part three.

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” —Pelé 

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one who gets people to do the greatest things.” —Ronald Reagan 

Links & Quotes

If I want to present my best ideas, I need to be open to the helpful, sharpening critique that people close to me have to offer. My first idea sounds great, until others come along to make it better.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“In so far as I am Man I am the chief of creatures. In so far as I am a man I am the chief of sinners.” —G.K. Chesterton 

Cold case detective J. Warner Wallace applies the same scrutiny to examining the evidence of the New Testament as he does with a suspect. “There are four critical questions that must drive our examination of any eyewitness, ancient or modern: Were they actually present to see what they claim? Can their account be corroborated in some fashion, even indirectly? Have the key elements of their story shifted over time? And finally, do they possess ulterior motives or bias that would tempt them to lie or embellish? This is not a uniquely religious or anti-religious method; it is simply good investigative practice.”

“Few men, if any, step into responsible positions without preparation. Sometimes in our shortsightedness we seem to get the idea in regard to Bible characters that they come on the scene ready-made, fully prepared; here they are, God’s gift to the world! They take up the work, and that’s all there is to it. But if you will read more carefully, you will find that usually—I think we could even say always—there is a period of preparation behind them. God lays His plans well in advance.” —William Sanford LaSor 

Links & Quotes

When you are waiting for God to fulfill His promise, keep watching with a smile. Let your childlike trust become your testimony as you entrust yourself to your heavenly Father.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“The case for the reliability of the New Testament Gospel eyewitness accounts is dependent on the trustworthiness of its authors. In cold-case criminal trials, eyewitness accounts are typically evaluated through the lens four critical questions.” J. Warner Wallace then gives a succinct overview of each of these four questions and the evidence supporting them.

“One can sometimes do good by being the right person in the wrong place.” —G.K. Chesterton 

“A great leader never sets himself above his followers except in carrying responsibility.” —Jules Ormont 

“There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem.” —Harold Stephens

Links & Quotes

When leaders come into a new organization, they need to be aware that they have to overcome the expectations—good or bad—that others have from their former leader.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

Greg Morse has an intriguing question for preachers: “Lawyers, politicians, celebrities, actors, podcasters, YouTubers all train to improve their voices—why not those who speak the very oracles of God?” But he also concludes, “Yet the aim is to speak like you—not like Chrysostom, Whitefield, Spurgeon, or your favorite preacher, though we learn from them. God made you to sound like you.”

J. Warner Wallace makes the case for why we can trust the “chain of evidence” that speaks to the reliability of the Bible. 

Researchers discovered tree amber where it shouldn’t be: deep within the ocean! “These sedimentary rocks contain more than amber. The researchers found abundant plant debris, including pieces of large tree trunks, some longer than four feet, mixed into the layers. The tree trunks showed no sign of erosion from transport or borings from shallow marine organisms, indicating they moved fast out to the deep water and were quickly buried.” This is more evidence for the worldwide Flood described in the Bible.

Axis’ Culture Translator shared this important note especially for parents: “In his book Achilles in Vietnam, Veterans Affairs psychologist Jonathan Shay unpacks the psychological devastation of war and the causes of PTSD. He makes the argument that PTSD isn’t just caused by witnessing trauma, but by seeing people in authority choose not to act against evil—what he calls a ‘moral injury.’ War correspondent Sebastian Junger takes this research a step further. In his book Tribe, he concludes that being exposed to a traumatic event without any resilience training, and without a strong, cohesive community to help us process violence, are two strong risk factors for PTSD—stronger even than experiencing prolonged, bloody, hand-to-hand conflict. We see evidence for this theory in emerging research about drone operators and intelligence officers, who appear to experience PTSD at higher rates than other veterans. When our kids open their social media feeds, they encounter a war zone, and they haven’t even had basic training. They are looking to those in authority to help them understand what they just saw. But instead, they often get a cacophony of competing voices and no clear answer. They get a moral injury. Our broken society makes cult heroes of deeply disturbed individuals who are controlled by evil forces and motivated by their own pain. But Proverbs 3:31 is absolutely clear that we are never to envy those who do violence, and not to choose any of their ways. His private counsel, His intimacy, His secret—lies with the upright, and we can have it. But only if we dare to make distinctions, refuse to celebrate wrongdoing no matter the circumstances, and unapologetically stand up for human life.”

Links & Quotes

If you want your heart to be able to perform better, you are going to have to stress it a bit—that’s called exercise. The same thing is true for the heart of leadership—we have to exercise our leadership so that it can rise to the challenge later.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

J. Warner Wallace wrote, “Everyone, whether they realize it or not, is engaged in worship. We all adore something, elevating it above the rest, sometimes so much that we overlook its flaws.” Check out this post about being careful about what we worship.

“Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.” —Charles Spurgeon 

“We should avoid end-time hysteria and ‘not grow weary in doing good’ (2 Thessalonians 3:13). There will be good work to do (vocationally and socially and personally) right up to the Lord’s coming. Our normal earthly duties will not end until the Lord appears. The rule then, until he comes, is, ‘Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men’ (Colossians 3:23).” —John Piper 

Greg Morse has a fascinating post connecting the fable of Chicken Little with the historical account of Noah and the imminent return of Jesus. “I hope an acorn falls afresh on our heads as we observe an Old Testament saint who was the Chicken Little of his day. A man who remained awake and faithful with his back against the end of the world: a man named Noah.”

Links & Quotes

Christian parents often experience both a weight and a wait as they pray for their children. Biblical waiting is always active, calling us to continue to pray for our kids—not matter how old they are!

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

The Institute for Creation Research reported: “Perhaps one of the top evidences for creation are the subcellular and incredibly efficient molecular protein machines that clearly function by known engineering principles. They are hardly simple. Determining just a part of their function requires the best science has in twenty-first-century technology: ‘While belonging to the nanoscale, protein machines are so complex that tracing even a small fraction of their cycle requires weeks of calculations on supercomputers.’”

Dr. Thaddeus Williams said, “What do you think is the most repeated phrase in the entire Bible? It’s, ‘Thus says the Lord…’ which clocks in at over 400 occurrences. The God of the Bible is not the stone-cold silent god of the ancient Greeks. Nor is He the stone-cold silent god of the ancient Stoics or Epicureans, too busy enjoying the amenities of divine bliss to bother with humanity. No. The God who exists is a God who speaks.” What does this mean for us? Dr. Williams talks about what happens to people who make time to regularly hear what God has to say to them through His Word.

“Work is the outcome of effort; fruit, of life. A bad man may do good work, but a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” —Hudson Taylor 

I love studying my Bible, and I also enjoy passing along things that encourage others to begin studying their own Bibles. This is a really cool infographic from Wesley Huff, giving a great overview of the Bible.

Dr. Steve Nichols has an interesting mini-biography of King Louis IX, whom some have called “the greatest king of the Middle Ages.”

J. Warner Wallace leads us all along “the fuse” that led up to the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah, the One to whom the Old Testament prophets predicted.

Links & Quotes

I’ve got a great Christmas gift idea for you to give to your favorite pastor: a copy of my book When Sheep Bite. I promise you that your pastor has been bitten and that there will be more bites in the future. This book will bring about the healing and restoration that your pastor needs.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that’s no reason not to give it.” —Agatha Christie 

Skeptics of the Bible will often point to incidents in the Scripture that they would consider genocide. How are Christians to respond to these claims? J. Warner Wallace helps us respond thoughtfully and biblically. 

Our Creator crafted a perfect environment for life to flourish on Earth. This isn’t random chance, but intelligent precision. Check out this short clip that outlines the devastation that would occur with even the smallest of changes.

“Let us remember, dear friends, that as we meet at our tables today with our sisters and brothers from distant parts, we are also invited by our elder Brother, our divine Friend, to join with Him in a higher feast, the way there sprinkled with His own blood. Let us not forget, as we are blessed with the providential bounties for the nourishment of these frail bodies that Christ the Lord summons us to a spiritual feast.” —Rev. James Cruickshanks, November 21, 1861 

“The apostle Paul explained that the power of God at work within us, the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, is exceedingly abundantly greater than all we could ever ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Greater for what? For a clearer vision of Christ and more intimate communion with Him (Colossians 3:1-3; 2 Corinthians 3:12-18). More continuous and abundant yields of spiritual fruit (Galatians 5.22-23). Greater consistency and effectiveness in the exercise of spiritual gifts for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). More power to bear witness for Christ, to love God and our neighbors, and to advance His rule of righteousness, peace, and joy on earth as it is in heaven (Acts 1:8; Matthew 22:34-40; Romans 14:17-18).” —T.M. Moore [check out all of the Scripture here

Links & Quotes

Psalm 133 tells us that in order for us to sharpen others—and for us to be sharpened by them—we have to be around other them. Christian saints put a high priority on spending time with others.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

From Desiring God’s Here We Stand series comes this great snippet from the history of the Reformation: “[John] Calvin intended to go to Strasbourg for a life of peaceful literary production. But while Calvin was staying the night in Geneva, William Farel, the fiery leader of the Reformation in that city, found out he was there and sought him out. It was a meeting that changed the course of history, not just for Geneva, but for the world. Calvin remembers, ‘Farel, who burned with an extraordinary zeal to advance the gospel, immediately learned that my heart was set upon devoting myself to private studies . . . and finding that he gained nothing by entreaties, he proceeded to utter an imprecation that God would curse my retirement, and the tranquillity of the studies which I sought, if I should withdraw and refuse to give assistance, when the necessity was so urgent. By this imprecation I was so stricken with terror, that I desisted from the journey which I had undertaken.’”

I am always fascinated by the way archeology affirms the historicity of the Bible! Here is an archeological biography of King Artaxerxes I.

Have you ever heard people claim that celebrity deaths seem to come in threes? It does seem that many times the major cataclysmic events happen in bunches. Dr. Roy Spencer has an interesting post (with corresponding data) in which he outlines the role of randomness in these events.

“In Hebrews 12:2 the writer uses a participle—‘fixing your eyes’—to describe what should be the characteristic orientation of our every waking moment. True and full faith wants to say with David, ‘I have set the Lord always before me’ (Psalm 16:8). … If we are living full faith, having the eye of our heart fixed on the world of unseen things, the reality of that world and all its beauty, goodness, and truth will begin to be evident in our daily lives, filling our lives with the overflowing Presence of Jesus Christ (John 7:37-39).” —T.M. Moore 

“There are three kinds of people in the world; those who have sought God and found Him and now serve Him, those who are seeking Him, but have not yet found Him, and those who neither seek Him nor find Him. The first are reasonable and happy, the second reasonable and unhappy, and the third unreasonable and unhappy.” —Blaise Pascal 

Evolutionists are now using language that sounds like words Creationists use: “Flowers like hibiscus use an invisible blueprint established very early in petal formation that dictates the size of their bullseyes—a crucial pre-pattern that can significantly impact their ability to attract pollinating bees.” Check out this article from the Institute for Creation Research.

Another very helpful apologetic video from J. Warner Wallace. This video explains how the origin of DNA is best explained not by scientific theories but by the existence of God. 

Using passages from Pilgrim’s Progress and weaving them with Scripture, Greg Morse shares five powerful steps for those struggling with depression or even suicidal thoughts. 

Just as the smallest enzyme is invaluable to the human body, the gift God has given you is invaluable to the Body of Christ. Check out the full sermon called Let’s grow together.

Links & Quotes

My book Shepherd Leadership has five chapters dedicated to the health and wellbeing of pastoral leaders. One important principle: Only healthy shepherds can help their sheep get healthy.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

Clinton Manley has a great post on the way the Holy Spirit empowers a Christian’s life. He tells of this work in terms of an adventure: “We were made to go to God, the Home for our souls, made to enjoy God more and more forever, to really live. And the only way to get there is by following the Way crossing the only Bridge that brings us to God (John 14:6; 1 Peter 3:18). And we can only walk that Way when God’s own breath fills our lungs and animates our steps, when His Spirit sets us walking in a new direction as new creations on new adventures.”

“In a February 1, 1871, letter to his best friend, botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker, Charles Darwin suggested a warm little pond was the site where primitive life first arose.” All these year later, evolutionists are still trying to discover this “little pond,” but all of their attempts end in frustration as even fellow naturalistic scientists poke holes in their theories.

Even among the reformers, Conrad Grebel was consider something of a radical. “Grebel was convinced that the city councilmen should have no authority over the church and its practice — more so, they should have no authority over the word of God itself. On the flip side, he didn’t think the church should have authority over the state either, and he opposed compulsory tithing and the like. The seeds of a separation between church and state were germinating. To us, this separation is as familiar as the air we breathe; to them, it was revolutionary.” Read more about both Grebel and other reformers here.

“If we would rise into that region of light and power plainly beckoning us through the Scriptures of truth, we must break the evil habit of ignoring the spiritual. We must shift our interest from the seen to the unseen.” —A.W. Tozer

“Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others.” —Pablo Picasso

Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace has a great strategy for responding to skeptics who claim that the Bible contradicts itself.

Links & Quotes

A.W. Tozer said, “There’s an awesomeness about God which is missing in our day altogether; there’s little sense of admiring awe in the Church of Christ these days.” May we repent of little prayers and boldly pray to an awesome God who wants to do awesome things that will bring Him glory!

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

I always smile at the archeological discoveries which confirm the historicity of the Bible! Discovery after discovery keeps reinforcing that the Bible is a reliable historical document—which is exactly what one would expect from the inspired Word of God. Here are two recent article: (1) An archeological biography of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, and (2) The excavation of a rare Roman prison in Corinth that “likely gives us a picture of those that held the apostles as recorded in the New Testament (e.g. Acts 5:18, 12:5, 16:23).”

This is a very informative Q&A session with cold case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace. But I especially like his answer to the first question: Do Christians have to investigate every other religion to be convinced that the Bible is true?

“Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. … No flowers wear so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of the frozen glacier; no stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky; no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand; and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. … Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too.” —Charles Spurgeon 

“Mature Christians can be recognized by a variety of indicators. They feast on the Word of God (Hebrews 5:14), persevere in love and good works (Hebrews 6:9-10), bear the fruit of the Spirit rather than the marks of the flesh (Galatians 6:16-23), use their gifts to help build the church (1 Corinthians 12:7-11; Ephesians 4:12-16), teach the things of Jesus to others (Hebrews 5:12: Acts 1:8), and more. This, the New Testament insists, is the condition toward which every Christian strives.” —T.M. Moore (check out all of the Scriptures T.M. references here

“Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done.” —W.E.B. Du Bois 

Jesus shows us that only secure people can serve others. Insecure people won’t ever make themselves vulnerable, and so they miss out on God’s blessing. I address this in more depth in my book Shepherd Leadership.