What Is Will Never Always Be
It was 5:30pm at the end of a very normal mid-week workday. I was just about to leave my office when I got a call from my brother, Tedd. Tedd is a very level person. If plan A doesn’t work, he is always able to conceive plan B and C all the way to triple Z. He seldom seems distressed or out of sorts…
Strangers at Christmas Dinner
It was Christmas Day in the Tripp household. I wish I could say it was Christmas of last year, or even five years ago, but it must have been 20 years in the past now. We had just finished our wonderful Christmas Day feast, consuming more food than any one family should eat in a single sitting (though we tried)…
My Favorite Word in the Bible
If you have read any of my writing, it won’t come as a surprise to you that the word “grace” is my favorite and most frequently used in the Christian vocabulary. Other than the word (and names of) God, I would argue there is nothing more important…
Common, Restraining Grace
I was sitting in a frustrating traffic jam the other day, where construction had closed off most of the lanes on the highway, and everyone had to merge into a single file of cars. People were actually submitting to the traffic laws and signs around them!…
Double Grace
I spent a year in my personal devotions in the Pentateuch. It was a rich experience that deepened both my understanding and thankfulness for the justifying work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To fully comprehend the doctrine of justification, we must…
Five Life-Changing Words
James 4 paints one of the most honest portraits of life in a fallen world. We are guaranteed to experience conflict and disappointment in our relationships: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?” (v.1)…
Honey, I Shrunk My Glory Focus
What does it mean, practically, to live for the glory of God? It’s tempting to think that a God-glorifying decision means taking some massive leap of faith or making a drastic change in vocation or location. Sometimes that might be what…
Groundhog Designs and Penguin Olympics
I love sports. I enjoy watching as a way to relax, but I am also captivated by the excitement, drama, and tension. Why do slam dunks, penalty kicks, buzzer beaters, hole-in-ones, and grand slams produce such a reaction in us? As a Philadelphian, I probably get too…
Beauty Queens and World Peace
Maybe you have seen the video clip from a beauty pageant many years ago. One of the contestants was asked a question, and she attempted to cast a vision for better education. Unfortunately, her answer didn’t come across as very educated!…