It may be surprising to know that psalms of lament are the most common subcategory of passages in the book of Psalms. Laments give voice to the intensity of pain, confusion, doubts, and sorrow that are part of the human experience. It’s not a question of if we’ll experience pain in this life, but rather where do we turn to in our pain? How do we process our pain?
Have you ever heard the phrase, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” The psalms give us an honest look at David’s inconsistency. He wants God to enact justice but wants himself to be exempt from the justice he is due. This is the justice paradox: we want God to be fair, but also personally receive unfair treatment. How do we make sense of this?
The psalmist David writes, “My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.” When we look at the work of God’s hands, and when we reflect on His great salvific work in our lives, how can we do anything but praise His holy name for ever and ever? The people of God are people of praise!
Psalms, the ancient prayer book in the Bible, showcases the interactions of people with God. In these poems, the beauty of creation is highlighted, the dynamics of relationships are exposed, and the characteristics of God are on display. Psalm 19 highlights the Word of God and invites the reader to respond. Will we welcome wisdom or choose something else?
The psalmist in Psalm 73 finds himself fixated on the prosperity of the wicked in the world instead of on God. We can find ourselves in this same position, with questions and comparisons in our minds. As we challenge our grads to keep their eyes on God, let’s take a moment to reflect on where our eyes are focused in this season.
Jesus rebukes and reminds His disciples that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to those like children. Kids are small windows into a very big reality. The innocence, the blind faith, and the curious wonder of a child are signposts to experiencing God. Protect kids at all cost. How might God be calling our collective body to care for kids?
Today, we welcome David Brickner to NMC. David is the CEO and executive director of Jews for Jesus, the leading Jewish mission and evangelistic organization in the world. He has dedicated his career to sharing the hope of the gospel with Jewish people worldwide.
Jesus’ invitation is beautiful. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” What are you carrying?
To both the religious insiders and the moral outsiders, Jesus gives a goal—a better way to orient our lives. Some people pursue the correct church behaviors, while others are just living for what the weekend has to offer. But what if there’s a better way? What if we were created for more than the weekend? If we’re willing to learn it, Jesus has a life lesson for all of us.
Paul writes to young Timothy, encouraging and exhorting him to stay the course, keep sound doctrine, and steer the early church in Ephesus. This was a difficult task in a pagan city. The cultural pressures inside and outside the church were mounting. Paul gives Timothy three pictures (or three keys) to keep the faith.
Elijah experienced the epic mountain top victory on Mt. Carmel, defeating the prophets of Baal and revealing YAHWEH is the ultimate authority in heaven and on earth. However, immediately following this great victory, we see the great, faith-filled prophet plummet. Elijah hits an all-time low. Elijah’s story offers us perspective into how we should approach our own low valley moments.
It seems like nothing could be worse than nothingness. Seriously, what good could ever come out of being alone, being in the dark, being out of the loop, being the last one standing? How can something come out of nothing? In counterintuitive ways, God repeatedly teaches Elijah a valuable lesson—a lesson that gives him the perspective he needs to face what is in front of him.
Elijah is one of the most well-known Old Testament figures in the Bible. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Elijah shows up as the representative of all the prophets who came before. As prominent as he is, the Scriptures give us only a few snapshots of the events of his life. But one thing is for sure: Elijah knew how to pray untamed prayers. Do you?
If anyone has a reason to praise or to have a heart overwhelmed with gratitude, it is the follower of Jesus. Thank You, God, for loving us so much that You sent Your Son, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus, for dwelling among us, teaching us how to live, and ultimately for taking our sin and our shame to the cross. Thank You for the promise of Your Spirit and for future resurrection. We have a reason to praise. Thank You, Jesus!
It’s an (almost) impossible thing to imagine that the God of the universe is interested in people like us. And not only is He interested, but He extends an invitation to us to participate! What could we possibly offer that would please Him? The answer may surprise you, but it won’t disappoint you.
Common to each of us is the experience of comparison. And if you’ve ever disqualified yourself from something (either publicly or privately), your reasons likely stem from seeing yourself not as good as ______________. (You fill in the blank.) But we are invited to much more than the habit of personal/early disqualification. Today’s snapshot of Moses at Mount Sinai is filled with encouragement for those moments we want to back away from what is coming our way.
Life is full of highs, lows, and everything in between. Moses, one of the key figures of the Old Testament, gives us access to his story, both the highs and the lows. Do you see your story in his story? Stuck between different worlds, Moses is faced with a decision. To what or whom will he identify himself with and how will that affect every part of his life?
In Romans 12, God gives us a clear picture of what Christians should look like at the root level. If you’re ready to move from “in” to “all in,” then you’re ready to become a Romans 12 Christian. God is willing to go deeper and grow you into a real disciple. Are you ready? --- Chip Ingram is the teaching pastor and CEO of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry. A pastor for over thirty years, Chip is the author of many books, including "Holy Ambition," "Discover ...
An in-depth look at Psalm 16 and how David’s own words mirror our Christian experience today. --- Garrett is the Prayer and Teaching Pastor at Asbury Church in Madison, AL. With a background in itinerant speaking and college campus ministry, Garrett is passionate about multi-generational spiritual awakening through prayer. Outside of ministry, his hobbies include reading fiction, eating Mexican food, exercising, and watching the MCU.
God desires for us to move towards holiness and closeness to Jesus. How do we feel empowered to continue chasing after Jesus, especially when it seems difficult or He feels far away? What sin may be slowing down our momentum? Hebrews 12 gives us practical steps to follow Jesus more closely every single day. --- Rodney was elected President of the Missionary Church in 2023. He has been a credentialed minister in the denomination since 2009 when he planted OneLife Church in Knoxville, TN. Rodney i...
Jesus has come, not only to set us free from the guilt of sin, but to save us from the shame of sin. Chris Bounds preaches on the debilitating problem of shame and how Christ has come to set us free from it. --- Chris is a Professor of Theology at Asbury Theological Seminary. Before teaching at Asbury, he taught for more than a decade in the School of Theology and Ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University. He’s an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, where he served as an associate and s...
Who am I? This is one of the greatest questions that we will ask in this life. Where do you draw your identity from? We have many different forms of identifying who we are based on relationships, occupation, education, race, religion, interests and so on and so forth. But at your very core, who are you?
Love is a fashionable word. We hear it repeatedly in music, in poetry, in the Scriptures, and even when eating our favorite pizza. If repetition helps get a point across, John is definitely trying to get our attention and educate us about love—true love. God is love, but what about us?
The wise sage, John, abruptly ends his letter to the church. His final words are short and to the point. He tells the beloved disciples of Jesus to keep themselves from idols. That’s it. Why would John choose to finish his letter that is full of assurances in such a way?
It’s a great learning moment when an old, wise sage sits down in his chair and shares seasoned wisdom with the children. That’s exactly what John does in 1 John. As he comes closer to the end of his life, he wants those new in the faith to experience God’s perfect love flowing through them. He wants them to experience incredible joy. Most importantly, he desires for them to know freedom from the tyranny and pain of sin.
Who doesn’t want to be loved? There is an innate desire in all of us to be seen and known in an intimate way. Our souls crave the love of God, but there is also a need to be loved in communion with our brothers and sisters. That loving communion with brothers and sisters is what John describes as evidence that we have relationship with God. So why do we often get it so wrong?
John describes in stark contrast the present circumstances of a group of believers in Jesus. His words accentuate the pressure they face, he reminds them time is ticking away, and he encourages them to apply the truth they have accepted to their everyday life. But a choice remains. The hours of our days are not unlike theirs, and we too have the same choice—Option A or Option BE.
Abide. Remain. Dwell. Live in. Stay. Over twenty times, John writes of this idea in his short letter to the church. This state of being or concept of remaining directly connects to John 15, where Jesus also encourages his followers to stay connected to him. So, Church, what does it look like to abide, remain, dwell, live in and stay with Christ?
The book of 1 John is a challenge and encouragement to the Church. John is reminding the Church of the sufficient work of Christ on the cross and the implications for holy living. John is encouraging the faithful followers of Christ to hold steady in the face of opposition and false teaching. We are people of light and love.
