September 19, 2023
by Eric Stillman
How do you know that you are saved, right with God, going to heaven, born again, or whatever other phrase you want to use to describe this most crucial question of life? Paul writes to the Corinthians to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Okay, Paul – if we need to test ourselves, what questions should we be asking? Let me share what I believe are the three most important questions we should ask in order to investigate the genuineness of our faith:...Keep Reading
Posted in: Salvation Tags: Salvation, Heaven, eternal life, Gospel
September 12, 2023
by Michael Bird
One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Hebrews 11, which shows the great people of God clinging to their faith in him despite troubling circumstances. I have some “unsung heroes” I think of when I read this passage.
From the Old Testament, the example of Jonathan comes to mind....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Hebrews 11
September 5, 2023
by Eric Stillman
If you are anything like me, your life can quickly become pretty undisciplined if you’re not vigilant. All of my best intentions and carefully chosen habits can suddenly get flattened by the tidal wave of life when I lose focus. My diet turns into chips and ice cream, my bed time careens past midnight, and life begins to feel like a chaotic mess....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Be still and know that I am God
August 29, 2023
by Eric Stillman
A few years ago, I read a lengthy article on the Financial Times website about Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church, and the prosperity gospel (https://www.ft.com/content/3990ce66-60a6-11e9-b285-3acd5d43599e). In case you’re unaware, Lakewood Church is the largest church in America, and millions more watch Joel Osteen every week on TV or online. Early on in the article is a paragraph that sums up very well Lakewood’s approach to the Christian faith:...Keep Reading
Posted in: Sin Tags: Sin, Salvation, good news
August 22, 2023
by Eric Stillman
I am a Chicago Cubs fan, and last week, there was a wonderful moment for those of us who still enjoy watching baseball. One of the Cubs rookies, Christopher Morel, hit a game-winning home run and, abandoning all decorum, sprinted joyfully around the bases, tearing off his shirt for the final 90 feet and leaping on to home plate and the embrace of his teammates (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS5C8fgkG34). It wasn’t the fact that the Cubs won that brought tears to my eyes; it was the unbridled exuberance that young man showed as he lived out a moment that he had undoubtedly dreamed about growing up in the Dominican Republic....Keep Reading
Posted in: Joy Tags: Salvation, David, Joy
August 15, 2023
by Eric Stillman
This coming Sunday, we will be baptizing four people at NewLife at Mill Woods Park after the worship service. Baptism is the sign of the new covenant, which is a fancy way of saying that the act of baptism points like a sign to the gospel of Jesus. As the individual goes under the water and then is brought back out, they are identifying with the death and resurrection of Jesus, proclaiming that they have died to their old self and have been raised to new life with Christ, as the water symbolically washes away their sins. While many churches baptize infants into the community of faith, our understanding of the Bible is that because baptism is a sign of the new covenant, it is something that should be entered into when an individual is old enough to profess faith in Jesus....Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Discipleship, Sin, Baptism
August 9, 2023
by Eric Stillman
Near the end of Revelation, John, the author of the book, records God speaking about the new heavens and the new earth, the final destination for all who have trusted in Jesus for salvation. In verse 8 of chapter 21, God shifts his focus to the lake of fire, the final destination for all who have not trusted in Jesus. Among the types of people He lists are some of the usual suspects: the unbelieving, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the idolaters. But the first kind of people listed are surprising: the cowardly. Why would that be on the list, let alone listed first?...Keep Reading
Posted in: Culture Tags: Discipleship, Courage, Cowardice
August 3, 2023
by Joe Barone
On day 3 of a 10 day group tour of Israel, we entered Tel Dan Nature Reserve in Northern Israel, near the Lebanon border. This spectacular area is the site of the ancient city of Dan, nearly 5000 years old. According to the Bible (1 Samuel 3:20), Dan is the northernmost point of ancient Israel. It sits at the southern base of Mount Hermon in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights. Snow melt and rain waters from Mount Hermon, whose summit sits on the borders of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, feed the Dan Stream, one of the 3 sources of the Jordon River. Along the multiple hiking trails are fresh water springs, streams, waterfalls, well preserved remnants of settlement pits, ritual compounds, a flour mill, and gate complexes....Keep Reading
Posted in: Jesus Tags: Jesus, Gates, Israel
July 18, 2023
by Eric Stillman
Expectations are a tricky thing. On the one hand, they can help us live life with purpose, goals, and hope for the future. But when we stop and reflect, we often find that much of our bitterness and disillusionment in life has come because of expectations we placed on others – spouses, parents, friends, pastors – that they did not meet. And this is just as true of our relationship with God. If we’re not careful, we can end up bitter at God because of expectations that we put on Him to do something that He has never promised....Keep Reading
Posted in: God's character Tags: God's love, God's goodness, disillusionment
July 11, 2023
by Eric Stillman
Quick question: what do you think the chances are that you will be able to read this article from the first line to the last line without getting distracted by your phone, your wandering thoughts, or something else?
Still with me?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes this incredible promise: ...Keep Reading
Posted in: Discipleship Tags: Purity of heart, distractions
