Is godly anxiety possible? How can we remain faithful, even in the midst of anxiety? In 2 Chronicles 20, we find an example of godly anxiety - turning to God in the midst of our anxiety....
My heart grieved as I watched the events unfold yesterday in our nation’s capital as a mob of protesters forced their way into the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. Regardless of political persuasion, as Christians, we must condemn the violence and hostile insurrection that led to the deaths of 4 individuals and displayed reckless disrespect of law enforcement and our governing authorities....
This fall, we start a new sermon series on the book of 2 Corinthians. Context is always helpful in preparing for a new book study, so we've compiled some resources to provide background....
A perennial favorite carol has been “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” My love for this song goes all the way back to childhood - watching Charlie Brown and the gang singing the carol, gathered around that magical scrawny little tree. (“I never thought it was such a bad little tree!”)...
It’s that time of year. Lights are going up, decorations are out, and Christmas movies are on TV. As we approach Christmas, the church enters into the celebration of Advent. But what is Advent? ...
Dads, look at your schedule, look at your pastimes, and ask yourselves how you can make God and his Word a more central part of your day and week. Lead your family to see God and how he is at work in the everyday moments....
When I discipline my children, the false gospel of self-righteousness comes out of my mouth in ways that I would cringe to display before others. I know that Jesus is the only righteous person who ever lived; that I am a sinner saved by grace alone; that breaking one part of the law is breaking the whole law. I would never say differently. But this is not the gospel I preach to my children through my reactions to their sins....
“Yet Not I, But Through Christ in Me” reminds us that we can overcome all uncertainty, we can endure all despair, and we can walk with joy in all things....
Does your family have a rhythm of worship? Do you set time aside to worship the Lord as a family on a day-by-day basis? Today's resources will help you get started, and sustain, a rhythm of family worship! ...
We want to help your marriage flourish with gospel fruit during the coronavirus pandemic! In our Forming Healthy Marriages in Hectic Times series, we will highlight four ways to leverage this season and cultivate a healthy marriage. Here's the first thing to consider: the importance of knowing your spouse!...
The Sermon on the Mount contains some of the most well-known, loved, and even challenging sections of the entire Bible. As we continue to walk through these chapters, here are some resources we recommend if you’d like to do further study....
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The fact that Jesus lists persecution as a beatitude and mentions it twice underscores the reality of persecution for every believer. This doesn’t mean that we should be persecuted for our faith at all times. But this does mean that persecution is inevitable and that it is a mark of being a Christian....
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When Josh asked the students during the debrief Sunday morning to raise their hands if they loved Jesus more than they did before the weekend started, I didn’t hesitate to raise my hand. God did some unbelievable things in my heart and the hearts of many other students during FOCUS 2017, and I was so blessed to be part of such an amazing weekend....
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I was barely 22 when I became pregnant by a guy that I wasn’t really dating at the time. I was scared, confused, lonely, and felt like I let everyone down. The world told me that marriage or abortion were the only solutions, and at least with abortion nobody would have to know....
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This past week we started our new sermon series walking through the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. I spent a considerable amount of time giving introductory remarks that I believe will help us as we navigate through Jesus’ most famous sermon....
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Making resolutions can be tough and keeping them past a few weeks can be even harder, but as Jonathan Edwards demonstrates, making resolutions can be a fruitful venture in seeking to be disciplined and self-controlled for the glory of God....
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Each year, our staff puts together a short list of our favorite books of the year. Not all of these books were released this year; in fact, many of them are a few years (or centuries) old, but we read them this year....
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My favorite Christmas song is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” I’ve heard a lot of versions of this song, but it’s hard to find a good one. You can sing the notes perfectly but miss all the emotion. This song expresses such deep longing for freedom that it’s almost impossible to sing without tears of joy and desperation. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” helps us explore l...
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This year, we’ve found several great resources we recommend to help you celebrate the season of Advent and the birth of Christ. Check them out!...
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Two short-term mission teams returned from South Asia just a few weeks ago. We are so grateful for everyone who prayed for these trips (much was needed, and much was given), for those who helped support the team members for both teams financially (again much needed and much given), and for your support of Advance that is helping the word go out in a dark area of the world....
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