Explore
Articles, Bible studies, questions and reflections to help you explore the Christian faith.
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The Devil Hates New Beginnings
New life is fragile—and the devil hates it. (Author: Jacek Rzymek) In verses 1–6 of the 12th chapter of the Book of Revelation, we see the image of a pregnant woman—an expectant mother—whose life and pregnancy (that is, the life of her child) are in mortal danger. The enemy here is the dragon: a monster—an…
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Thus Far and No Further
In the first two years of Manchester Lutheran Church, all five members of my immediate family had a cancer scare. Four of us had to do multiple hospital trips. Three were investigated for a possible brain tumour. Two stayed in a hospital bed. And one had surgery. It was only recently that it struck me…
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The Lord Will Act
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.— Psalm 37:5 Over this week, I’ve spoken with numerous people who seem to be in impossible situations: they can’t get a satisfying job or advance their career; they’re not seeing growth in the things they’re working on; they’re facing opposition or lies…
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God Is Good Even as Life is Bad
This week a father and church pastor was tragically killed at a large Christian festival. (Image: Pastor Robert Guanco, 1985–2026, GoFundMe) By nature, we can’t help but ask “Why?” But Jesus explicitly refuses to let us read God’s judgment of a person from the tragedies that happen to them: Or those eighteen on whom the…
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God Is in a Good Mood with You
Whoever you are reading this today. Whatever you’ve done. Whatever your beliefs: God is in a good mood with you. Not because you’ve done something to deserve it. Not because you’ve figured out the right philosophy or belief system. Not because there’s something in you that obligates God to feel that way. He’s positive toward…
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Other People Don’t Decide Your Value
There are few pains more personal than rejection. It hurts when strangers reject you.It hurts when family and friends reject you.It hurts when people who share your confession, your language, and your history reject you. And when that happens, the temptation is obvious. You begin to wonder whether their rejection says something final about you.…
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Is God Really Good?
We often imagine God as a harsh, distant, or easily disappointed dictator. But that picture doesn’t come from God himself. It’s not how his Word reveals him. In fact, that picture comes from our sin. In the Garden, Satan introduced the idea that God has bad intentions towards us. In the form of a serpent…
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God Is Not A Bully
One of the most striking differences I have observed between people who have faith and those who don’t is the different ways they view God’s power. Yes, God is powerful. My atheist friends find this idea offensive, antagonistic, and morally repugnant. If God is powerful, then evil must be his fault, suffering must be his…
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How to Listen to the Bible When Christians Disagree
When Christians disagree about doctrine, it is very easy to begin with the passages that seem to support our own position. That is understandable. We all do it. We notice a verse, a phrase, an image, or a promise, and we begin to ask whether it proves the point we already find compelling. But that…
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How to Stop Worrying: Trusting the God Who Cares for You
You’re anxious, because you think it hangs on you. You look at the future, the money, the diagnosis, the conflict, the people who might hurt you, the problems you cannot fix, and you feel as though you are the one who has to deal with it. And if you don’t deal with it, who will?…