The Light of Christ in a World of Darkness

In this post, Alastair Begg notes, “The Christmas message ought to be hopeful. But if it is to be hopeful, it must be more than sentimental. Hope turns on the fulcrum of truth. If we would hold on to hope as we look into the darkness of the coming year, then our own purposes for our lives will do us little good. We can make nothing true by believing it, and we can make nothing right by wanting it.”

To Be Free, You Need Self Control

Fight or flight responses help in emergencies, but they are the exception. What about the day-to-day dangers? “Our fight-or-flight responses are built for extreme circumstances. But our waking hours are filled with the ordinary. Where do we find strength for the infinite temptations that abound in life’s daily rhythms? For these, we need more than adrenaline. We need the steady strength of self-control. We must know this need, know the reason for our need (our deceitful hearts), and embrace the kind of nonurgent life that’s necessary to cultivate this virtue.”

Fight for Your Pastor

Here, Tim Challies offers a challenge, “Sometimes a preposition makes all the difference. We do not need to look far to find examples of Christians who fight withtheir pastor. If you speak to just about any one of them I expect he will be able to tell you of people who have fought him tooth and nail over some peeve, some cause, some perceived slight. But much rarer are those who fight for their pastor, those who honor him and his position by battling for his success, for his joy, for his encouragement.”