The Gospel Coalition

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. - Ephesians 3:1-13

As a parent of kids in sports, and someone who spent years in youth ministry see it tear families a part, I understand the challenge of balancing family activities with church commitments. This article/podcast from The Gospel Coalition offers insightful ways to navigate that tension without sacrificing what matters most. It’s a great read for parents like me who are passionate about both their children’s development and spiritual growth. How do you prioritize your family’s schedule around church life?

Whenever God says “no” to one of his children's requests, it is always because he has a better “yes” planned (cf. Heb. 11:40). Grateful to write again for The Gospel Coalition.

In 1964, Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart defined obscenity, or hardcore pornography, by simply stating, “I know it when I see it.” Perhaps this was true for Stewart, or even the average American before the sexual revolution. Yet after decades of increasing promiscuity in media, fashion, and other cultural activities, we’re deeply desensitized to sexual immorality. We see it. But we don’t know it. The normalization of pornography, “sex work” (e.g., OnlyFans), and LGBT ideology has dulled our moral sensibilities—and sins like polygamy, pedophilia, and incest are only a pair of binoculars away. This may seem to some like fear-mongering alarmism or a version of the slippery-slope fallacy so common in public dialogue today. But if you analyze United States laws, polling data, and media—along with a theological understanding of anthropology and sin—such a trajectory becomes arguable, even obvious. Each of these sins can be argued directly from natural law, yet there are no squabbles between general and special revelation. Christians must be able to defend the sanctity of monogamous, male-female marriage and the beauty of chastity against the pagan practices of the modern age, so what follows is a biblical and theological response to polygamy, pedophilia, and incest.

What if believers had hundreds of Scriptures committed to memory—in melodies the Holy Spirit could call to mind at any moment? This question has animated songwriter Randall Goodgame for almost two decades. “Every time we engage with Scripture, it’s an opportunity to encounter Jesus,” he says. After writing four Sing the Bible albums with Slugs & Bugs—songs that work on multiple levels to edify kids and parents—Goodgame felt called to write for congregational singing. His new Scripture Hymnal, which releases October 21, contains 106 word-for-word Scripture songs. “God’s Word is our light, our food, and our weapon for battle against the enemy,” he writes in his introduction to the hymnal. “We need it close, and when we sing Scripture, it can get no closer. It joins our breath and vibrates inside our bodies with that mysterious engine of hidden powers: Music.” Unlike most hymnals, this one contains a QR code that’ll link directly to recordings of all the songs. An EP of five of these songs released in September, and the first full album released October 4. Full recordings of all 106 songs are coming. More resources, including downloadable four-part sheet music and choral recordings, are planned for the Scripture Hymnal website. I sat down with Goodgame to talk about this extensive project, how the Lord prepared him for this season, and the special team that came alongside him.

Do you know the entire history of redemption, in a sense, is one gigantic cosmic act of friendship? - Tim Keller

For the past three years—with deep and often painful longings—I’ve pleaded with God to grant one particular request. My request seems consistent with God’s revealed will. I’ve fasted, practiced solitude, repented regularly, recruited prayer warriors, and approached God with genuine faith, humility (as far as I can tell), and no shortage of tears. He’s provided one consistent answer: “No.” In God’s kindness, he has used my countless hours in prayer to reveal himself to me and increase my love for him. But I can’t help but ask, “Why, God? Why would you say no to a good thing?”

On the morning of October 7, 2023, Meirav Gonen spent four hours on the phone with her daughter, 23-year-old Romi, who was at the Nova music festival in southern Israel. Meirav tried to calm Romi as rockets from Gaza struck the festival. She stayed on the phone while Romi hid with her friend, Galli, in some bushes; while a man tried to rescue Romi and Galli by driving them away from the festival; and while bullets hammered into the car, killing everyone inside except for Romi. As Hamas terrorists dragged Romi out of the car to take her hostage, all Meirav could do was say over and over again into the phone, “We love you; you are strong. We love you; you are strong.” Romi has been held as a hostage ever since. Romi was one of more than 250 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7. Galli was one of more than 1,300 people killed. Hamas’s surprise attack plunged Israel into a period of traumatized grief. Sometimes termed “Israel’s 9/11,” October 7 was the worst day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. As we come up on the one-year anniversary of this event, here are five ways we can pray together.

Learning to read is the first and most important step in a child’s education, the principal doorway to learning about everything else. Reading both informs and forms, which is why children of God down through the ages have sought to figure out what the Bible means, why it matters, and how they should respond to or participate in the Bible’s story. Figuring this out is an art and a science, and it’s called hermeneutics.

No matter what form your sexual brokenness takes, Jesus came to save you from it. . . . No matter where you have been, what you have done, or what has been done to you, the grace of God can wash you clean, consecrate you as his child, and restore what sin has stolen. - Garrett Kell