One night a couple of weeks ago I went with a fellow pastor to North Greenville University to hear Carl Trueman speak. I immediately felt smarter after listening to two hours of his British accent. More importantly I was edified by his careful thinking about the important issue of humanity being made in God's image.

I hope this article by Trueman on the crucifixion of Christ does the same for you. Speaking of the crucifixion, Trueman says, "Yet in that moment of horror, the beauty of God’s grace is revealed: There is nowhere so deep and so dark to which we can fall that God Himself will not reach down to us and draw us back to Himself."

Blessings to you this Good Friday.

There are sermons that stick out in your mind. Perhaps the best sermon I ever heard in person was Ligon Duncan (the Presbyterian no less!) at Together for the Gospel in 2018.

This is a short clip from that sermon that grabs me every time. You could have heard a pin drop as he made that application.

By the way - don't we all wish I had his voice?

I've been thinking about this for several years (really since the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017) - when did Jesus die?

Why so much thought to that? Because we are coming upon the 2,000 year anniversary since his death and resurrection. But when would we celebrate that? Some scholars think Jesus died in AD 29. Others say it is AD 30 and still others in AD 33.

Because of calendar differences between the Romans and the Jewish people I don't know if we will ever know the year with certainty. We know that he died and rose again, and that is enough.

BUT, I am going to celebrate that 2,000th anniversary at some point and it will likely be in 2033. This article is a bit technical, but interesting nonetheless. When do YOU think we should celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of the Lord's death and resurrection?

I LOVE THIS. Just read it. You'll be surprised.

This must be the "week of the conscience" since I found another helpful tool to help us think through Christian liberty. How does this relate to the conscience? It is because to exercise Christian liberty wisely and biblically, we will have to have a conscience that is calibrated to God's word AND that allows us to allow others to exercise their liberty according to their conscience so long as it doesn't not violate God's Word.

Think through these steps and see how this can be applied to questions of liberty in your life! (Credit to Pastor Matt Smethhurst for sharing this on Twitter).

This is a helpful article that helps us walk through how our conscience works and how we can calibrate it to God's Word. It is interesting to see in the scripture that our conscience can be desensitized to what is right even while we do religious things OR our conscience can be overly sensitive and condemn us for something that is not actually wrong to do. This can be especially true if you come from a very strict Christian background.

Whatever the case, I would encourage you to read this for a biblical perspective on having a healthy conscience that is in tune with God's Word.

Type your new text here.

During my sermon this past Sunday (March 22), I discussed how God graciously met Gideon where he was and answered Gideon's request to give him a sign with the fleece. This was after God had already promised Gideon that Israel would be delivered AND had given Gideon a sign that this was God making the promise.

Gideon's fleece approach is an approach that many Christians use in decision making. But we should not be like Gideon when it comes to this.

Laying out “fleeces”, that is,  setting up conditional signs to determine God’s will, often leads to subjective, shaky decision-making. It can sound spiritual (“If this happens, I’ll know God wants me to marry her” or “go to that school”), but in reality, it’s usually not miraculous. It’s interpretive. Even the fleeces we set out can be manipulated to lean toward the decision we want. And that’s where the trouble begins.

Gideon already had a clear promise from God. That should have been enough. And for us, there’s a better, more reliable path.

I mentioned a short discipleship resource I used with our college students on decision making and God's will. The link to that resource (you can listen to it, download it as a pdf, or read it online) is at the bottom of this post. The spiritual decision making grid I gave in the sermon comes, in part, from this. I have posted a summary of what I said in the sermon below.

A Better Foundation for Decision-Making

If we’re going to make wise decisions, we need to start with a few foundational truths:

• The Bible is sufficient for knowing, trusting, and obeying God.
• The Bible has authority over our impressions and feelings.
• God calls us to trust the wisdom He has already revealed.
• *It’s simply not possible to live life by constantly looking for signs.

Think about it: do we really try to “lay out fleeces” for everyday decisions? Of course not. And yet, some of the most significant moments in life come from small, ordinary choices:

• Sitting at the “wrong” table and meeting your future spouse.
• Going to a gathering where you meet someone who shapes your career.

God works through both the big and the small. And most of life is lived in the small.

A Practical Path Forward

Instead of chasing signs, consider a more grounded, biblical approach:

1. Start with what God has clearly revealed.
You never need guidance to disobey God. His moral will is already known in Scripture.

2. Consider your desires.
What do you *want* to do? As your heart is shaped by God, your desires matter.

3. Look at open and closed doors.
What opportunities are actually available to you? You can’t walk through a closed door. Often, God’s providence narrows your options in practical ways.

For example: if you’ve applied for many jobs but only have three real opportunities and you really need a job, those three are your “open doors” right now. Pray. Decide which one seems best and then move forward. Don't wait for a sign.

4. Pray and move forward.
Ask God for wisdom, then take a step. Trust Him to Providentially guide your path as you go.

5. Seek wise counsel.
Invite input from people who know you well and understand your situation.

6. Use biblical wisdom.
At some point, you make a decision. Even the Apostle Paul used language like, “it seems advisable,” “we thought it best,” and “I have decided.”

That’s instructive. Not every decision comes with a dramatic sense of certainty.

Own Your Decisions

One of the most important shifts we can make is this: stop saying, “God told me to…” unless it’s clearly rooted in Scripture.

A better, more honest approach is: “I’ve prayed, thought carefully, sought counsel, and this seems wise.”

That kind of language reflects humility and responsibility. It also avoids placing blame on God if things don’t go as planned.

This is a bit of a longer article that is a book review of Preston Sprinkle's latest book on women's roles in ministry. Sprinkle is a well-known apologist who has helped many in defending the faith.

I share the book review because it outlines the thinking of many in evangelical churches when it comes to the role of women as Pastors/Elders/Preachers in the church. Dr. Schreiner gives a careful review that outlines Sprinkle's thoughts while providing a thorough and biblical response that affirms the incredible value of women in God's eyes and as part of the body of Christ while not shying away from what the scripture teaches. I commend it to you to think through yourself as we consider what the scripture teaches on church leadership.

This is a great article by Trevin Wax on an instance when Harry Truman lost his cool in public - and the ensuing firestorm that ensued. It is short apologetic for the biblical virtue of self-control and how we have seemingly lost the ability to elect leaders who reflect this virtue.

This is helpful series designed to equip parents in helping disciple their children. This article focused on the question, "Why doesn't Jesus fix everything right now?" (A question many adults might ask). Use this short article for some basic truths to think through as you interact with the children in your life. I am putting a link to the entire series (twenty-one articles total) below the article link.

Tim Challies has some very practical and helpful approaches to help you build habits of healthy prayer into your life.

This is an interesting article considering the impact AI will have on art and literature. The author considers that sports might be one of the true unknowns with imperfections that remain that add texture and thrill to humanity's endeavors. It might be a little over-the-top, but makes a good point for us to consider in turning everything over to AI. Ben Sasse also discusses this some in the Hoover Institute video I posted.

Back in January I posted the text of former Senator Ben Sass's announcement that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It was a sobering yet joyful approach to how a believer can embrace death that is bearing down on them.

Since then he has done a couple of interviews that I found to be very encouraging and edifying.

The first interview is with Michael Horton from Whitehorse Inn (a solid theological podcast I listen to sometimes). This is really a raw look at death, gospel hope, and joy in the last months of life. I would encourage everyone to watch this.

The second interview has some of the same elements, but is also a look at American government and what ails us. It isn't partisan, but rather considers the Constitutional foundations of government and how they relate to man's sinfulness. There is also an extended discussion about the nature of death and preparing well for its sure approach. This interview is a little more blunt and contains some language that I would not use, but that I found very helpful on big picture thinking of our role in society as Christians.

I've felt it the past few years as our church has grown - perhaps you have as well. How can I have meaningful relationships with everyone? It seems like every friendship or relationship would be shallow if that happened. And that's not a bad thing.

This article helps us think through the breadth of Christian friendships we might have within our congregation. I would encourage you to read it and be encouraged and edified.

This is a great article that considers what happens on Sunday morning: it is a weekly gathering of the saints for war against Satan and his lies. As the author notes:

Gathering with the church seems like a simple command to obey (Hebrews 10:24–25). But Satan strives to hinder us from doing it. Why? Because he knows that forsaking the assembly can lead to a failing faith. I’m not implying that if you miss church a time or two, you’re in danger of apostasy. However, small compromises, if unaddressed, always lead to larger ones. Just as David fell prey to Satan when he stayed back instead of going to war (2 Samuel 11:1–2), so we fall prey to his schemes when we stay back from corporate worship.

He goes on to give some practical considerations to help us understand Satan's schemes when it comes to gathering with God's people.

This is a first-person account of what happened at Cities Church in Minneapolis on January 18. I have previously posted on this, but thought this article by their lead pastor was so insightful and encouraging. Lord help us to respond to suffering for your name with this much grace and boldness!

Tim Challies shares wisdom from a friend who recently went to be with the Lord. This man was able to reflect on his life as he was dying in a way that brought purpose to that death and glory to God. I would encourage you to read this as it reminds us of our own mortality and what really matters in the life we live now.

A few weeks ago I read a deep dive article on Josephus the Jewish historian and how a disputed passage about Jesus has received greater clarity over time. This article is by the same author (who wrote a recent book on this subject) and it examines how the ancient world assumed the miracles of Jesus and wrestled with how to explain them. Josephus seemed to have faced the same conundrum.

This short read will encourage you further in the veracity of the gospel accounts of Jesus's miracles.

As many of you know by now, this past Sunday anti-ICE protestors infiltrated a Baptist Church's worship service in Minneapolis and shut it down in protest, yelling and screaming at worshippers, including children. The church members, especially the lead pastor, responded with grace and grit. We know that this is sadly more common in other places in the world. But it is illegal here and tears at the very fabric of what it means to live in a free society.

This was not an exercise of 1st Amendment rights (which do not extend to private property, do not allow you to infringe on others' 1st Amendment rights of worship, and only relates to government action to curtail speech). It was a criminal act that the State should vigorously prosecute to tamp down the idea that that is acceptable. And thankfully, even though the wicked leaders of Minnesota have seemingly turned a blind eye, Federal authorities are pursuing charges. As Christians we are a rule of law people, knowing that when that is eroded we end up in a Judges type situation. Even as we pray that those who are prosecuted come to repentance, we can be grateful that the State used its power to protect good and punish wrongdoing (see Romans 13).

Cities church is a church very much like ours in practice and beliefs. Living in South Carolina we are somewhat distant from the chaos that has emerged in Minnesota, but we would do well to pray for Cities Church and to watch how they and others respond in case we ever find ourselves in a similar situation. I am grateful for our safety team and I pray that I and you would respond with the same grace Cities Church did.

Below are some things the church posted to help us think through this event wisely.

Here is a statement from the leaders of Cities Church which is wonderfully biblical, firm, gracious, and balanced:

Jesus is real. When we gather on Sunday mornings to worship him, we are gladly giving ourselves to what is most central and sacred in our life together. "We worship Jesus" stretches as the main banner of our church, alongside two other pursuits that flow from it: loving one another and seeking the good of the Twin Cities. On Sunday, January 18, a group of agitators jarringly disrupted our worship gathering. They accosted members of our congregation, frightened children, and created a scene marked by intimidation and threat. Such conduct is shameful, unlawful, and will not be tolerated. Invading a church service to disrupt the worship of Jesus - or any other act of worship - is protected by neither the
Christian Scriptures nor the laws of this nation.

We welcome respectful dialogue about present issues, and about how the realness of Jesus, as revealed in the Bible, provides the only final answers to the world's most
complex and intractable problems. Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, lived, died, and rose again for the rescue of all who put their faith in him. He offers a love that transcends cultures, borders, policies, and politics. As those who have been loved and rescued by him, we will not shrink from worshiping Jesus, nor will we stop "teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah" (Acts 5:42). Church buildings are meant to be places of peace and solace, where worshipers can hear and live out this message. We therefore call on local, state, and national leaders to protect this fundamental right. We
are evaluating next steps with our legal counsel.

Here is what they wrote on how they would address the event with their children who witnessed the vile language and harassment of the protestors:

Yesterday morning, I gathered my wife and children to hear from God. We opened to 1 Peter 4:12, and I read: Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. …
I told them all of this is a trial, and we are tempted to be surprised. But, what does God say in verse 13? But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

I asked my children if they were insulted on Sunday, and they said “Yes” — remembering too well the slurs hurled in our sanctuary, name-calling I will not repeat, especially not in print. But then I asked them if the Spirit of God rested upon us, and if that wonder alone is the blessing that helps us reinterpret the insults. They recalled, in an instant, our church’s response, the hugs and tears and palpable unity. Our love for one another truly shone through.

“If anyone suffers as a Christian,” the apostle Peter continues — not a murderer, thief, evildoer, or meddler, but a Christian — “let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (verse 16). “This is for God’s glory,” I told them, “in the way of Jesus.”
And then I took a small toy from the floor beside me. I held it up and asked, “What does it mean if I entrust this to Mom?” An older sibling spoke up, “It means to let her hold it.” My wife then stuck out her hand, and as I placed the toy in her palm, she closed her fingers into a grip. Firm. Secure.  

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. “God has our souls like that,” I said. He holds us while we keep doing good.
Jesus has given us a mission, and it is for the everlasting good of these Twin Cities. His word is the lamp to our feet and the light for our path, and anchored in its truth, I want to encourage you the same way I did them, for all of us and our children:
Rejoice in the trial. See God’s blessing. Keep doing good.

In my sermon last Sunday I read part of an open letter that former Senator Ben Sasse wrote around Christmas in the wake of learning he has advanced pancreatic cancer. I had tremendous respect for him as a leader in academia (even though he was the president of the University of Florida) and especially as a senator who consistently lived by convictions, even though at times it cost him dearly.

So when someone as public as Sasse runs into real suffering, I take note to see if their response matches the Christian persona that they conveyed in their public life. Sasse's Christian hope goes even deeper than what we knew from his public face (and it was pretty deep).

I would encourage you to read all of what he wrote. I pray it will encourage you when you eventually face the valley of the shadow of death.

Friends-

This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.

Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do.

I’m blessed with amazing siblings and half-a-dozen buddies that are genuinely brothers. As one of them put it, “Sure, you’re on the clock, but we’re all on the clock.” Death is a wicked thief, and the bastard pursues us all.

Still, I’ve got less time than I’d prefer. This is hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad. I can’t begin to describe how great my people are. During the past year, as we’d temporarily stepped back from public life and built new family rhythms, Melissa and I have grown even closer — and that on top of three decades of the best friend a man could ever have. Seven months ago, Corrie was commissioned into the Air Force and she’s off at instrument and multi-engine rounds of flight school. Last week, Alex kicked butt graduating from college a semester early even while teaching gen chem, organic, and physics (she’s a freak). This summer, 14-year-old Breck started learning to drive. (Okay, we’ve been driving off-book for six years — but now we’ve got paper to make it street-legal.) I couldn’t be more grateful to constantly get to bear-hug this motley crew of sinners and saints.

There’s not a good time to tell your peeps you’re now marching to the beat of a faster drummer — but the season of advent isn’t the worst. As a Christian, the weeks running up to Christmas are a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come.

Not an abstract hope in fanciful human goodness; not hope in vague hallmark-sappy spirituality; not a bootstrapped hope in our own strength (what foolishness is the evaporating-muscle I once prided myself in). Nope — often we lazily say “hope” when what we mean is “optimism.” To be clear, optimism is great, and it’s absolutely necessary, but it’s insufficient. It’s not the kinda thing that holds up when you tell your daughters you’re not going to walk them down the aisle. Nor telling your mom and pops they’re gonna bury their son.

A well-lived life demands more reality — stiffer stuff. That’s why, during advent, even while still walking in darkness, we shout our hope — often properly with a gravelly voice soldiering through tears.

Such is the calling of the pilgrim. Those who know ourselves to need a Physician should dang well look forward to enduring beauty and eventual fulfillment. That is, we hope in a real Deliverer — a rescuing God, born at a real time, in a real place. But the eternal city — with foundations and without cancer — is not yet.

Remembering Isaiah’s prophecies of what’s to come doesn’t dull the pain of current sufferings. But it does put it in eternity’s perspective:
“When we've been there 10,000 years…We've no less days to sing God's praise.”

I’ll have more to say. I’m not going down without a fight. One sub-part of God’s grace is found in the jawdropping advances science has made the past few years in immunotherapy and more. Death and dying aren’t the same — the process of dying is still something to be lived. We’re zealously embracing a lot of gallows humor in our house, and I’ve pledged to do my part to run through the irreverent tape.

But for now, as our family faces the reality of treatments, but more importantly as we celebrate Christmas, we wish you peace: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned….For to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9).

With great gratitude, and with gravelly-but-hopeful voices,
Ben — and the Sasses

Insecurity is often backed by unbelief in what God has promised his children. This is a helpful article in thinking through a mindset that affects most believers in some way. I love the way it concludes:

As securely attached children jump into the arms of their fathers when fears arise, so also we lean into the arms of God Most High, whose Spirit assures us of His presence and reminds us not just of who we are, but of whose we are: “That’s okay, my son. I’ve still got you.”

Amen.

Back from a break for Christmas and the start of the year, The Front Porch kicks off with a helpful summary of what it means to be the member of a church. I see so many of you practicing this already - let this be an encouragement for continued faithfulness in 2026!

This Sunday we kick off an in-depth study of the book of Judges. Early on in the book we run into an issue that has been the subject of much discussion and even angst - the conquering of Canaan and the destruction and driving out of the people who lived there.

As I mentioned in the sermon this morning, there are important issues to wrestle through here. Many have done so and in their wisdom found God wanting. But is that true? Is this a big hole in Christian belief that God would do this? As an overview, I gave three things to consider as we think about the conquest of Canaan:

1. The depravity of the Canaanites was notorious
2. Sin is really serious and deserves destruction
3. There is mercy from wrath

I also mentioned a couple of resources that I think you will find helpful if you want to do a deeper dive. These are by Gavin Ortlund, a thoughtful and biblical apologist who speaks well on this issue. The first video is a six minute summary of the main issues to consider and the second video is a long-form deep dive into the material. I hope you find these helpful!

About a year ago, I saw a social media post from a pastor and national church leader who was (I think) trying to stir the pot of division by saying that the ONLY reason people raise their hands in the church now is because of charismatic influence and that it isn't something we should consider doing because of that. I honestly think he was trolling people and trying to get attention, but his premise didn't sit well with me based on my knowledge of both the Old and New Testaments.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I came across this article written by Sean DeMars, a pastor that  I have come to appreciate for his wisdom and solid teaching on what happens in the life of the church. I saved the article to share later, but also listened to the sermon he preached to his church on this subject. I commend both of them to you for your consideration.

In our Sunday gathering this week I gave a quote from Athanasius, an early church father who fought heresies against the nature of Jesus being fully God and fully man. Athanasius paid dearly for his contention for the faith (for instance, he was exiled 5 times in his lifetime for contending for these truths).

This is a good article to acquaint you with this important figure in church history.