Sanctification

Four Ways to Start the Semester Spiritually Strong

If you’ve taken Personal Spiritual Disciplines with me, you can probably guess much of what you are about to read here—or at least I hope you can. But even if you have taken the class, I hope you’ll find these brief reminders helpful.

Episode 54: Guarding Against Pornography

In this episode, Hershael York talks about individuals recovering from porn addiction and the dangers of allowing it to grow.

Episode 53: What Types of Books Should I be Reading?

In this episode, Hershael York talks about how reading books broadens your mind and your heart.

Episode 39: Preaching Secondary and Tertiary Issues

In this episode, Hershael York explains how a pastor should approach second and third tier theological issues from the pulpit.

You’re a Pastor, Not a Therapist

A pastor’s job is not to dismiss personal experience, but rather to help people see it differently—specifically, to see it according to who God is and the chief purpose of his design for human life.

Humility Is the Main Ingredient of Prayer, Repentance, and Thanksgiving

Prayer is humble because when we pray, we are saying that God is merciful and mighty, that He is wise and sovereign, and that He knows far better than us what is best for us.

Our Groaning Joy

The people of God are living “in this hope”—the time between the advents of Christ when our joy is mingled with the countless “groanings” associated with a fallen world.

How God Helps Us Pray According to His Will

The Spirit of God will use the word of God to help the people of God pray increasingly according to the will of God.

10 Things You Should Know about Prayer

Our Father loves to hear our voices. Nothing is too small to bring to him.

Galatians Is the Antidote to Legalism and Antinomianism

I haven’t grown past my need to walk on a path paved with the grace-saturated words of this letter. I suspect I’m not alone, so here are six reasons I’ll never be able to leave Galatians behind.

A Theology of Disappointment

When you’re living in a broken world, sometimes believing and wanting the right things means you’ll be disappointed.

We Need Old Hymns: God Moves in a Mysterious Way

The world is groaning, we are groaning, but God is protecting us, forging our faith on the anvil of affliction because of his love for us and because of a passion for his own glory.

Perfectionism Will Only Make You Miserable

Perfectionism is the tendency to expect flawless performance from self and others, resulting in frustration at any sign of failure.

Three Reasons Pastors Must Pursue Holiness

The battle against sin is lost when the pastor thinks he is in a separate class, impervious from the spiritual warfare faced by all believers. First and foremost, he must see himself as a Christian who must endure to the end.

Why Every Theologian Should Be a Good Historian

With one foot in systematic theology and the other in church history, historical theology can be the bridge to take our study of God to the past or our study of the past to God.

What Should We Make of Unanswered Prayers?

It’s a privilege to pray to someone who is infinitely wiser than we are, who knows us better than we know ourselves, and who loves us more than any human father ever could.

Brother Pastor, Take Up and Read

God communicated to us through a book, through the written word, and, therefore, he expects us to read.

Why I Left Ministry (Temporarily) to Learn More about It

During my time at SBTS, I’ve realized that I needed to leave ministry temporarily and give myself to studying the things of God full-time