“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12, ESV) No one begins with the goal of being controlled. People often adopt new tools, apps, or platforms with a sense of freedom and excitement. They... Continue Reading →
The Slow Burn of Sin
Nobody just jumps straight into cheating on their spouse. Nobody snaps and murders someone without something building underneath. That kind of sin doesn’t explode out of nowhere. It starts way earlier, way smaller, and usually in ways we shrug off. A flirt here. A joke there. An outfit that’s just a little too revealing. A party we probably shouldn’t be at. A quiet grudge... Continue Reading →
Genesis and Promise
The book of Genesis opens with the story of God bringing order to disorder. This primes us to understand the picture of our future salvation through the redemptive work of the last Adam. While a first reading might reveal a series of loosely connected histories, an ongoing thread streams from the garden of creation through... Continue Reading →
Discerning Truth from Manipulation
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8, ESV) People rarely stop to ask who decides what fills their minds each day. In the digital... Continue Reading →
Is Love Enough?
As we process grief and struggle to understand, we often think that if someone knows they’re loved, that should be enough to keep them here. It’s as if love has a built-in safety net that keeps people from falling into despair as if it can reach into the darkest places and pull someone back just because it exists. That... Continue Reading →
Phillip W. Martin 