It takes no great insight to see that the Church in America has been operating in crisis mode for most of this year. The trigger, of course, was the lockdowns early in the year that almost immediately created a crisis of unity. And all sorts of questions have been forced into our consciousness. Is the …
Sam Hardman This past week I had to spend a few days in the hospital. My daughter, who deeply appreciates the writings of C.H. Spurgeon, kindly and insightfully made sure that I had a copy of his classic devotional Morning and Evening with me in my room. When I opened to the morning’s reading on the first …
Sam Hardman Are you ever tempted to think that joy in the heart of a Christian just happens naturally, and that it grows inevitably as the years go on? Or have you come to see that the Christian’s joy is something that must be continually and consciously sought and pursued and fought for and won? …
Sam Hardman It was a beautiful late summer day yesterday and I took the opportunity to be out in the sun and mow my lawn. I try to keep it looking respectable, but because I don’t use chemicals on it, it has its share of weeds. A horticulturalist once told me that a weed is …
Sam Hardman What comes to mind when you think of the great commands of the Bible? No doubt the greatest command, to love God with heart and soul and mind and strength, and the second, which is “like” it, to love our neighbors as ourselves, top the list. And well they should. But did you …
Sam Hardman With a title like that, this post could go a number of different directions, the most obvious of which would have something to do with the virtue of humility. But my subject is rather different from that, and I want to engage you just long enough to plant the seed of a thought …
Sam Hardman When I wrote an article about a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision a few weeks ago, I didn’t expect to be writing about another one so soon. But the outcome of Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Steve Sisolak touches a nerve, I suppose, for many of us. For those who are not aware …
Kevin Steyer Before anything else, we must establish the fact that we as Christians ought to be content. This is easy enough to do. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Be content.” Having established that, we have to know exactly what is contentment. Rather than pull together various Bible verses and re-invent the wheel, I will rely on …
Sam Hardman If you’re interested in a film that brings deep spiritual issues into sharp relief, Terrence Malik’s A Hidden Life is a worthy choice. My wife and I watched it last week with friends who had recommended it, and I have been rolling its themes around in my mind every since. I am no film critic, …
Sam Hardman What does it mean to be blessed by the Lord? I suspect that many – perhaps most – thoughtful Christians struggle with this question at some level. We are naturally inclined to think of God’s blessing as being demonstrated toward us when we get more of the things we want. If we want …