The email came from my friend Doug (not his real name) asking if I could meet with him and his wife to help them iron out some issues in their marriage. “I mentioned to you briefly at church that I am leaving my job. Although the reasons are numerous, part of it is to work on our marriage. I thought we had some minor cracks but Lauren feels differently. She sees some deep flaws and problems...
You’ve likely heard, “Most people who abandon their faith do so because of personal pain, not theological confusion.” When someone questions, “Do I really want to be a Christian? Is the Bible true? Would life be better if I let go of my faith?” it’s usually not because they are stumped by the complexity of the Trinity. We ask faith-shaking questions when life is overwhelmingly hard: our child...
The editors at New Growth Press carefully and thoughtfully listened to the sermons, lectures, conference talks, and interviews of David Powlison and combed through his books and articles as they compiled 366 days of devotions that speak to the heart of every Christian. Take Heart: Daily Devotions to Deepen Your Faith is a yearlong devotional journey into the process of biblical change, where...
“Where do babies come from?” At some point, you can count on being asked this question by your child. Preparing ahead of time can help make conversations more casual, more natural, and consequently, more effective. Children ask: “Where do babies come from?” because they are curious. Their question is not about sex. They want to know where they came from before they were born. The question is a...
Pastor Dan sat alone in the office feeling a bit overwhelmed by anxious thoughts and an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had just finished reading an article on his favorite news site describing the attempts of some state legislators to codify requirements for all counselors in his state, which, he presumed, included his counseling ministry as a pastor. The writer mentioned...
