The Fatal Flaw of Other WorldviewsAs we finish this series on the problem of pain, we must look at where these different ideas lead us. Every human worldview offers an explanation for why suffering exists. However, simple explanations cannot heal a broken heart.Atheism explains pain as an unavoidable, meaningless accident of nature. Eastern Mysticism tells you that your grief is just an illusion t...  Read More

The Reality of Common GraceOne of the most common questions skeptics ask is: If God is all-powerful, why doesn't He simply step in and stop every single bad thing before it happens? When we ask this, we must first recognize that, generally speaking, that is exactly what God is doing every single day. The Bible teaches an important idea called common grace. This means that God actively restrains, o...  Read More

The Truth About Moral EvilWhen we see the massive amount of suffering in our world, it is easy to think of evil as something outside of us. We imagine evil as a dark, invisible force hiding in the shadows of the world. But the Bible forces us to look inside ourselves. Evil is not just "out there"—it is a human capacity. It is the strong desire in humans to act against the character and plans of a ...  Read More

How the World Answers the Problem of EvilEvery system of thought has a way to explain the tension between a powerful creator and the reality of human suffering. To understand why the Christian view is unique, it helps to see how other common worldviews try to answer this question:Atheism takes a purely physical approach. It simplifies the problem by saying that God does not exist. To an atheist, e...  Read More

The Single Greatest ChallengeEvery believer, at some point in their journey of faith, struggles with the reality of human suffering. When we experience personal tragedy or see terrible things happening in the world, we always ask the same question: If God is so good, why do I feel so bad?A famous Christian teacher named Dr. John Stott once wrote:“The fact of suffering undoubtedly constitutes the s...  Read More

The Most Unpopular Thing Jesus Ever SaidThere are many things people admire about Jesus.They admire His compassion. His concern for the poor. His willingness to forgive. His teaching about loving your neighbor.Even people who are unsure about Christianity often have kind things to say about Jesus.Then they reach John 14:6.“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except ...  Read More

A Different Kind of ApologeticsA teenager asks, “If God is good, why did my mother die?”A university student asks, “Who made God?”A coworker quietly says, “I tried church once. It didn’t help.”Questions like these make many Christians nervous. Not because the questions are foolish, but because they are deeply human. Behind many hard questions is not simply curiosity. There is often pain, disappoin...  Read More

Thoughts on the Life of EzekielThere are some jobs you should think carefully about before accepting.If there were ever an advertisement recruiting Old Testament prophets, you would want to read the fine print very carefully.Because God was not embarrassed to ask a great deal from His prophets.Sometimes He asked them to speak words no one wanted to hear. Sometimes He asked them to stand alone. Som...  Read More

Thoughts on the Book of Ruth There are seasons in life when everything important seems to fall apart at once.Not slowly. Not in stages. All at once.A loss you did not expect. A future that suddenly narrows. A quiet sense that what once felt stable is now uncertain. And in those moments, a question rises—sometimes quietly, sometimes with force:Where is God in this?Not in theory. In this.The book of...  Read More

More Thoughts on Luke 16:1-13Jesus tells a strange story in Luke 16. And something about feels wrong, at least at first — the kind that gives Sunday School teachers a mild migraine. It is about a dishonest manager who, despite being a scoundrel, ends up being commended.Let’s look at the story.There was once a rich man who discovered his manager had been playing fast and loose with the books. The n...  Read More

Luke 16:1-13 (a retelling)There was once a rich man.This is not exactly a plot twist. There is always a rich man or two around.This particular rich man had a manager, whose job was to keep an eye on oil, wheat, and, most importantly, numbers. Numbers, when left unsupervised, are notorious for wandering off and shrinking.And then the rumors began. Not formal accusations at first. Something quieter....  Read More

Reflections on Luke 10:25-37The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was not the kind of place you walked without thinking.It was narrow. It was exposed. And it had a reputation.On this particular day, it also had a man lying in the dust—beaten, robbed, and left with just enough life to know he might not keep it.He needed help.That part was not complicated.The Ones Who Saw—and Passed ByThe first to come...  Read More

What Peter SawThere is something easy to miss when reading about Peter.It is not just what he says.It is not just what he does.It is what he sees.At certain moments, the Gospels slow down and tell us exactly that. Peter saw something. And when he did, something shifted.Not around him.Within him.And that shift, more often than not, led him off course.When Peter Saw HimselfIt begins with a miracle.T...  Read More

When Failure Is Not FinalReflections on John 21What Jesus Did for PeterPeter failed.Not in a small, tidy way that can be explained later with a shrug and a better plan. Not the sort of failure that politely keeps itself in the background.No—Peter failed at the exact moment when courage was required, loyalty was expected, and silence would have been far safer.He had spoken boldly. Promised loudly. ...  Read More

Reflections on John 20Many people think that if something is true, it should be obvious.If the evidence is clear, we expect to understand it and respond the right way.But people do not always work that way.We do not just see reality; we interpret it through our expectations. If our expectations are off, our understanding will be too.John 20 makes this clear.The resurrection has already happened. J...  Read More

A Bible Story About ResurrectionThe Problem: Death Enters the WorldIn the beginning, God made the world.God made the sky.God made the land.God made the animals.And God made people.God made people in His image.This means people were special.They could know God.They could walk with God.They could live with God.At the beginning, everything was good.There was no death.There was no pain.There was no fe...  Read More

A reflection on 1 Corinthians 15:3The death and resurrection of Jesus is the center of the Christian message. It is not one truth among many. It is the truth that holds everything else together.So, when we think about the death of Christ, we must think about it in the ways that the scriptures speak of it. The cross was not an accident. It was not merely an example of love. It was a deliberate act ...  Read More

A reflection on John 18John chapter 18 takes place in one of the most riveting moments in the gospel story. That quiet opening, “When he had finished praying, Jesus... crossed the Kidron Valley”, sets the stage for a dramatic sequence of events.It is dark.Soldiers arrive with weapons and torches.Religious leaders maneuver behind the scenes.A Roman Governor must make a political decision.Crowds wil...  Read More

Reading John 18–19 with new clarityWhen we read the Gospel of John 18–19, it can feel like everything is unraveling.Jesus is arrested.He is questioned, mocked, and handed over to be crucified.At first glance, it looks like a tragic collapse.But when you pay attention to how John structures these two chapters, you begin to see that he is doing something far more deliberate.He structures the trial b...  Read More

Reflections on John 17Imagine hearing the private prayer of someone you love just before they leave for good. Not a public prayer. Not something polished or formal. Just an honest conversation with God.In moments like that, people reveal what matters most.That’s what makes John 17 so remarkable. It records the longest prayer of Jesus in the Gospels, spoken just before His arrest. The cross is only...  Read More

When a pastor is preparing a message (if he’s serious about what he’s doing), he does a significant amount of work that does not always show up in his sermon.This week at The Well, we continue our “survey” series on the Gospel of John.This Sunday, chapter 17. So, I have decided to “show my work.” and write a few of my preliminary observations (literary, theological, logical, structural) on John 17...  Read More

(A reflection on John 16)Most of us carry a quiet assumption about faith.If we follow Jesus…If we obey…If we trust God…Life should get easier.But what happens when it doesn’t?What happens when following Jesus actually makes life more complicated?When obedience creates tension?When our faith leads to confusion?When doing what Jesus asked puts you at odds with people you respect?John 16 is written f...  Read More

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What Does Abiding Look Like in Ordinary Life?There it is. Clear as day, right there in Red Letters. “Abide in me.” Sounds like it should be simple. But if you ask most Christians how to “abide,” something tightens inside them. We know it is important, but it sounds a bit intense — like long hours of prayer, constant spiritual focus, a life where our attention never drifts from Jesus. And because o...  Read More