One of the most important things we can learn in marriage (and really in any relationship) is that different doesn’t necessarily mean wrong. When we live closely with another person, it is easy to evaluate our spouse according to our own habits and preferences. The way I think, communicate, make decisions, organize my life, or respond to problems can quietly become the standard by which I evaluate and (yes) judge the other person. But here's a potentially liberating truth — not every...

Every so often, someone asks me the thoughtful question: "Pastor John, I love worshiping here. I enjoy the preaching. Why do I need to become a member?" It's a good question. After all, we do not become Christians by becoming church members. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Church membership contributes nothing to our justification before God. So why membership? Because while the gospel saves us individually, it never leaves us by ourselves. Jesus does not...

This is a devotional designed for children around the age of 9-12, especially for parents to discern their children's readiness for confirmation. The goal of confirmation is not to see whether your child knows the right answers, but whether they are personally trusting in Jesus Christ as He is offered in the gospel. As parents, our role is not to pressure our child toward confirmation, but to prayerfully discern whether the Lord has given them a credible profession of faith. The following...