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2 weeks ago | 
thegospelcoalition.org | Erik Raymond
More By Erik How Your Church Can Grow in Evangelistic Effectiveness The Secret to Finding Contentment How to Create a Culture of Evangelism in Your Church This month marks my 20th year in full-time pastoral ministry. In some ways, the time has flown by; in others, it feels much longer. The milestone prompted some personal reflection. With the hope that these thoughts might encourage others, I’m sharing 20 lessons on 20 years in ministry. I hope to expand on many of them in the coming months,...
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1 month ago | 
crossway.org | Erik Raymond
Once Enemies“Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table, Jesus, thank You.”1 These words punctuate the chorus of a familiar hymn sung in many churches. As you read these words, which part is more difficult to believe? The fact that you were once an enemy or that in Christ, you are welcome, like family, at God’s table? It depends on how you see yourself and how you think God sees you. Were we really enemies of God?
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1 month ago | 
thegospelcoalition.org | Erik Raymond
More By Erik True Greatness and Astonishing Love Good News! God Hates Sin.
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1 month ago | 
theaquilareport.com | Erik Raymond
The Kingdom of God advances as believers invest in one another–primarily in the context of their own local church–encouraging faith, strengthening understanding, and sharpening one another in love. Jesus told his disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matt. 28:19–20). His words are clear. Jesus commands his followers to make and train disciples.
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1 month ago | 
theaquilareport.com | Erik Raymond
If you feel spiritually dry, distant from God, or weighed down by sin, Psalm 51 is the place to start. Run to God, own and hate your sin, seek his cleansing, and walk forward in obedience. David teaches us that there is no sin too big. Sin is something that’s easy to get into but often hard to get out of. This is partly because we neglect what’s essential in responding to our sin. The proper response to every sin is repentance. What is repentance?
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2 months ago | 
crossway.org | Mitchell L. Chase |Erik Raymond
Our Spiritual ConditionWe cannot fully comprehend the horror of our spiritual condition, and our spiritual condition is the reason why. Our sin prevents us from seeing the scope and depth of our sin. But as the nature of our condition becomes clearer, we might recoil at what we do see. Think of the prophet Isaiah when he had a vision of the Lord. He saw the glorious presence of God, which was hailed by angelic voices.
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2 months ago | 
thegospelcoalition.org | Erik Raymond
Sin is something that’s easy to get into but often hard to get out of. This is partly because we neglect what’s essential in responding to our sin. The proper response to every sin is repentance. What is repentance? At its core, repentance means a change of mind that leads to a change of heart and results in a change of life. It is not merely feeling bad about sin but turning away from it and toward God in faith.
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2 months ago | 
thegospelcoalition.org | Erik Raymond
More By Erik When You’re in a “Hot Mess” Beware “Hot Stew” Mystic at Heart: John Eldredge’s Remedy for the Digital Age Two Questions Meant to Be Pondered All the Time One of my favorite disciplines is regularly engaging with good books that sharpen my thinking and stir my affections for Christ. Here are a few books I’ve recently finished and some reflections on how they challenged, encouraged, or entertained me. Who doesn’t like a story about rebirth? Virgil Wander is a novel about a fresh...
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2 months ago | 
thegospelcoalition.org | Erik Raymond
Jesus told his disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matt. 28:19–20). His words are clear. Jesus commands his followers to make and train disciples. We are to reach people with his gospel and teach them what it means to follow Jesus faithfully. Jesus command isn’t difficult to understand, but, it remains a challenge for us to follow.
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Feb 9, 2025 | 
thegospelcoalition.org | Erik Raymond
Some books come with the near-universal endorsement, “You have to read this.” The Count of Monte Cristo is one of them. After finally reading it, I wholeheartedly agree. While not explicitly Christian, The Count of Monte Cristo wrestles with themes that echo the biblical story—justice, vengeance, suffering, and redemption. Here are six key lessons that resonate with a Christian worldview. 1. Revenge Is a Double-Edged SwordDantès’ quest for revenge dominates much of the novel.
