Articles

Whatever framework we may put around it, whatever skills we may bring to it, the great need of our time, and any time, is for ordinary men and women to share with other ordinary men and women the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. The key to the expansion of the church lies in the active witness of the whole church. People with human fears and human failings—but filled with the Holy Spirit!—should go gossiping the Gospel wherever they are.

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Helping children understand big truths about God doesn’t have to be complicated—and it doesn’t have to wait until they’re older. How to Teach Kids Theology: Deep Truths for Growing Faith is a thoughtful and practical guidebook designed to equip parents, grandparents, ministry leaders, and teachers with a framework for introducing rich biblical doctrine in ways children can truly grasp. Rather than avoiding “deep” topics, this book embraces them, showing how to explore who God is with young children all the way up to college students.

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There’s an old Sunday school chorus that goes like this:

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When Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in the fifth century BC to help rebuild the then-ruined city, he exhorted the people, “Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision” (Neh. 2:17). Whatever discussion may have ensued isn’t recorded for us, but the people’s conclusion is plain and clear: “They said, ‘Let us rise up and build,’” and “they strengthened their hands for the good work” (v. 18). Chapter 3 of Nehemiah then goes on to catalogue the names of those who answered the call and the places where they served side by side along the whole wall of Jerusalem, from the priests at the Sheep Gate (v. 1) to Hallohesh and his daughters beside the Tower of Ovens (vv. 11–12) all the way around to the goldsmiths and the merchants beside the Sheep Gate again (v. 32).

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Parenting is one of life’s greatest joys—but it can also feel overwhelming, exhausting, and, at times, discouraging.

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The story’s told of a wintry Sunday evening in a village (we might easily imagine it being in Scotland) when the river that ran alongside both the minister’s house and the church was completely frozen. To the great surprise of the congregation, the minister arrived clutching his skates, flushed from the exercise but otherwise ready to conduct the evening worship.

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In 1966, British rocker Ray Davies penned these lyrics to the Kinks’ song “Dead End Street”:

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In 1876, the hymn writer Edgar Stites composed a poem that caught the eye of none other than Dwight L. Moody, who asked his friend Ira Sankey to put it to music. Thus we remember it today:

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Among the most misquoted passages of Scripture is 1 Timothy 6:10, which some may remember as reading, “Money is the root of all evil.”

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Memorably, and perhaps perplexingly, the account of the Last Supper in Luke 22 begins with a whole lot of rigmarole regarding where the Passover meal is to happen and how the disciples are to discover it. The circumstances are reminiscent of a Cold War spy novel, with signs, code phrases, and secret locations: “A man carrying a jar of water will meet you. … Tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says ….’” (vv. 10–11). We might wonder: Why all the subterfuge? Was Jesus acting out of fear?

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