"Far more important than who is standing with us when all this is over, is where we are standing now, and will be standing, when all this is over."

If I downplay hell and talk as if it is not really in the Bible and I convince you - well you might be happy for a while, but then if you read your Bible regularly, and read through all of the Bible (which is very wise to do), then you will keep coming across judgment and hell texts.

You have to be careful that you do not let the bad use of a good thing stop you from pursuing the good use of a good thing. There is nothing wrong with metaphors. It is next to impossible to speak without using a metaphor.

Does the Bible have anything to say about face masks? Should Christians be content to wear them for months and maybe even for years to come?

In Canada today, you are probably more familiar with churches being so "open" and "broad" that it is not clear that they are Christian, but you can also lose touch with the gospel and the Body of Christ by being too narrow.

It often seems as if we go through long seasons of history where Christians are not very creative, whether in music, painting, sculpture or the other arts. Given that there are probably always Christians who are very creative, maybe it is better to say that we go through long seasons where Christians are at best indifferent to the arts and creativity, and at worst, hostile.

It is one thing to agree to a temporary suspension of rights and freedom for a health crisis, it is another thing to agree that the state should be able to suspend freedom of religion (and other freedoms) into the future.

It is the middle of the summer and it almost feels wrong to even talk about September to December. So please forgive me for turning your mind away from holidays and summer time in Ottawa.

It is tempting for me as a preacher and writer to think that I have somehow come up with wisdom, and that it is by my work that people are changed and moved. But this is a lie, and if I allow it into my heart I am only deceiving myself.

Last week we began a ten week sermon series called "Knowing God." I promised in my sermon last week that I would write a blog suggesting some good books to read on this series. In this blog, I am keeping my promise.

This Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of us not owning a church building. The ten years have not unfolded as many of us thought they would, but the Lord has been faithful.

Each of the previous two exhortations were meant to "stir you up" to participate in Holy Communion. This exhortation is for everyone who has now come to the Lord's Supper. It addresses important matters on how to receive Holy Communion in a worthy manner.

Many Christians function as if the Lord's Supper is not important. Many people find Communion boring and uninspiring. The problem is that you do not understand "the means of grace."

The Communion service in its "official" form contains three different exhortations concerning the importance of partaking of the Lord's Supper in a worthy, and regular manner. These three exhortations are not normally included in the service that people actually attend. As a result, many people are completely unaware of their existence.

Not everyone is an extrovert, but all of us can pray. In fact, prayer needs to undergird and cover all that we try to do for the good of people and the glory of God.

I think Bible memorization is a great good, one that all Christians, regardless of age, should practice.

In some parts of the world, what I will say would be seen as highly partisan and political. Some would counsel me not to speak as I will.

People mistakenly talk as if evangelism is persuasion. If evangelism is mere persuasion, then you will learn from Canadian culture how to persuade.

Depending on the Bible translation that you use, James 5:12 says that you should not swear. What does that mean?

If you are at all well instructed in the Christian faith, you know that God hears and answers every one of your prayers. He either says, "No," "Not yet," or "Yes." However, most of us talk about prayer in a very different way, and our unreflective speech reveals what we actually believe.