4 Questions to Ask When Counting the Cost of Following Jesus
Addressing the large crowds that followed Him, Jesus said, “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Jesus reveals an important truth: Not everyone interested in Jesus has counted the cost of following Him. One must love Jesus above everything else in this life—including their […]
Why We Resent Other People’s Success
The Invitation of Envy The Bible is not naïve about the brokenness of the world around us. It doesn’t describe life according to our wishful thinking. No, it describes and matches life as it truly is. Proverbs 1:10–19 is a clear example of this. The passage is blunt, realistic, and disturbing because it shows how […]
FTC Mailbag
It’s a new installment of the FTC Mailbag, in which Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz respond to your submitted questions and topics. On this episode, the guys speak to: applying to be a lay elder, cultivating the soul, keeping your mind from wandering during spiritual disciplines, preaching’s importance in a church, responding to a Catholic […]
What Are You Reaching For?
Recently I’ve been asking myself a simple question: What am I reaching for? My phone the moment I wake up. An energy drink before I’ve even fully opened my eyes. My wallet when I think buying one more thing might make life just a little better. These things aren’t inherently bad. They may not even […]
Discipled By the Internet
A podcast you’re going to listen to or watch via the Internet warns about voices on the Internet. Not all cultural and theological pundits are helpful to your growth in Christ. Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz discuss the strange phenomenon of being “discipled by the Internet.” What does it look like? Why can it be […]
Quiet Labor in the Lord’s Vineyard
The Danish word “hygge” became an internet sensation in the late 2010s. Some translate it as “comfort,”[1] while others describe it as a focused delight in quieter pleasures.[2] The dictionary defines it as a cozy quality that promotes contentment and comfort in life’s ordinary moments.[3] As hygge became popularized, many people—including me—misinterpreted it as a kind […]
How Do You Know Repentance is Real?
They’ve apologized and said they won’t do it again? Doesn’t grace require we just accept that and move on? Well, maybe. But maybe repentance is a little deeper than just saying “sorry.” In this episode, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz talk about the signs of genuine repentance — how to genuinely by grace turn from […]
What Is Christian Formation? Conformed By Scripture, Transformed by Grace
As we study the seven virtues in this book, we will seek Christian formation that is conformed to divine revelation and transformed by divine grace. Apart from divine revelation, we are in danger of sinful rationalization and satanic deception. Our loves are disordered: We do not esteem God rightly or honor his design.[1] Instead, we […]
Grab Bag!
In the latest installment of our occasional Grab Bag feature, Jared Wilson and Ronni Kurtz ask each other surprise questions. We’d tell you what they are, but we want you to be surprised too.
The Gospel and Your New Neighborhood
As my wife and I felt the Lord calling us to move, the daydreaming began. We imagined our new dream home, new amenities, new décor. Once the Lord opened the door for us and we packed up the moving truck, we imagined another “new” in our lives: new neighbors. I reflected on the myriad of […]