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Recent articles on holiness, discipleship, and knowing God.
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Articles and devotionals from Pastor Brian’s blog.
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I live on the 20th floor of a high rise in downtown Chicago, and our building is surrounded by one-way streets. I regularly see drivers accidentally turn onto a one-way street going the wrong direction. The nature of gui
It is interesting what people say when I ask about their faith. Last week on the sidewalk I asked a 30-something man who paused and took a pamphlet from me, “Do you believe in God?” He responded, “Half the time.” That me
Recently I heard a man1 tell a story of how he as a kid in fourth grade had wronged his grandfather. Let’s give this man the name Bob. A friend came over to Bob’s house, and Bob invited him to join him on his daily erran
19-year-old Grant Williams lived in New York and owned a pet reptile, a 44-pound python. He was preparing to feed the 13-foot snake as he had done many times before. He had brought home a live chicken in a box. He remove
How do rocket scientists get a one-million-pound rocket off the launch pad and into earth orbit? They give that rocket engines with a greater thrust than its weight. “If a rocket weighs one million pounds on the pad, it
God’s holiness acts like the Continental Divide, sending people in opposite spiritual directions. Those who love the fallen world recoil from holiness, while those transformed by Christ hunger for purity and righteousnes
The disciples saw the risen Jesus and were transformed. What does that same resurrection mean for us living in Chicago in 2026?
I had just parked my car on a Chicago side street and had not yet gotten out. It was late afternoon on a cold winter day. Across the street a man wearing one-piece, dark-yellow, thermal overalls, the kind worn by constru
Many professing Christians feel the quiet tension between what they know is right and what they continue to pursue. Whether it’s endless scrolling, the lure of financial gain, or entertainment that stirs sinful desires,
In this post we conclude our ChatGPT-generated survey of how prominent theologians have defined “the world,” as used in the Scripture “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love
In the last post we saw how four prominent, historical theologians—Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin—defined “the world,” as mentioned in 1 John 2:15–17. We continue in this post with summary definitions from four m
In the three previous posts we have drilled down into the meaning of three primary aspects of the love of the world according to 1 John 2:15–17. We are now ready to summarize the meaning of “the world” by summarizing and
What is the “pride of life” in 1 John 2:16? The “pride of life” in 1 John 2:16 refers to arrogant confidence in one’s achievements, possessions, or status apart from God. It is the boastful self-exaltation that trusts in
What does “the desires of the eyes” mean? The desires of the eyes are sinful cravings that arise when a person sees something and begins to desire it in a way that leads to lust, greed, envy, or idolatry. In 1 John 2:16
In 1 John 2:16, “the desires of the flesh” refer to sinful cravings rooted in fallen human nature—such as sexual immorality, drunkenness, gluttony, and other bodily passions that oppose the will of God. In my previous po
What is God’s posture toward the world? According to the Bible, the fallen world stands in enmity toward God—but God, in mercy, calls his enemies to repentance through Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches that friendship with
Why Is the World So Broken Why is the world so broken? According to the Bible, the world is broken because of sin and rebellion against God. Satan, demons, and sinful humans make real moral choices that produce evil and
What does 1 John 5:19 actually say? In my last post, we explored the subject of Satan and demons and showed from Holy Scripture that they are real. In the previous posts in this series (1st post. 2nd post) we also have s
The whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19) The Bible warns that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). This does not mean that the physical world God created is evil, but
What does the Bible mean by ‘the world’? In my previous post I compared a convenience store with its shelves lined with candy to our world and its temptations toward evil. I quoted an important Scripture that raises many
When I was a kid, I lived two blocks from a small, independent grocery store. It was one of my favorite places to go. I did not pedal my bike there several times a week to buy groceries, though. My interest centered on t
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Seven scriptures on the power and practice of prayer.