John McVay

The Cornelius narratives in Acts 10:1–11:18; 15:7–11 challenge us with a strange riddle. God, a heart-knowing God (vv. 7–9), works through surface-reading people: “‘For the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance,…

I sense a growing, gnawing hunger. Not the physical, stomach-growling kind (that comes a bit later)—but a spiritual hunger, a cavernous opening of heart and mind that leaves one feeling a deep, almost painful, hunger for God. Such a hunger…

Because we participate in a movement that seeks to proclaim "the eternal gospel" to "every nation and tribe and language and people" (Rev. 14:6),¹ our church needs to develop leaders who can provide the…

I have a sovereignty problem. In the morning, I ponder God's Word, where I see clearly that God is the Lord of all things. I confess His sovereignty and bow the knee, ceding all my domain to Him (as if I really had…

As we proclaim the gospel, calls for relevance and contextualization are common and needed. But here, in the imposing challenge of our times, such calls must be balanced by decisive exhortations to bold witness. Perhaps…

One sermon introduction strategy that I enjoy is to imagine scenes implied but not described in detail in the biblical text. I find that such introductions can effectively catch the attention of the listeners and draw them into the passage.…

The rich array of print, electronic, and online resources to aid in New Testament study represents a treasure trove for the pastor. However, the mushrooming of these resources also presents challenges. Where does…