The evil of affliction works for good to the godly

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from All Things for Good. It is one heart-quieting consideration in all the afflictions that befall us, that God has a special hand in them: ‘The Almighty hath afflicted me’ (Ruth 1.21). Instruments can no […]

What makes a good testimony?

When individuals at GBC want to be baptized or join the church, we ask them to publicly share a brief testimony of their life with Christ and how they came to know Christ. This is actually just a shortened version of what we ask them to do when they meet with the elders prior to […]

If we are lovers of God, we love what God loves

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from All Things for Good. If we are lovers of God, we love what God loves. (1) We love God’s Word. David esteemed the Word, for the sweetness of it, above honey (Psalm 119.103), and […]

Sermon: A Life of Service

“Caring for One Another: A Life of Service” (Part 1) Romans 1:11-15 July 19, 2015 It’s hard to be a servant. To serve others is to do something that is contrary to our natural inclinations and to fight against the flesh. That’s why we just read the story of Epaphroditus. We don’t know much about […]

Influencing others

Every day we influence others in one of two directions: (1) toward faith in Christ and eternal glory, or (2) toward rejection of Christ and eternal judgment. ‘It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with […]

How can it be?

One classic hymn ponders the provision of salvation through Christ by asking the question, “And can it be…” And can it be that I should gain An interest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain— For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, […]

The first privilege of being with Christ

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Sermons of Thomas Watson. Here we enjoy Christ by letters, and that is sweet; but what will it be to enjoy his presence in glory? Here is that which may amaze us, we […]

An Open Letter from John MacArthur

From John MacArthur: The highest court in the land has passed its judgment. The headlines proclaim that a slim majority of Supreme Court justices considers freedom of sexual orientation a right for all Americans. This exchange of one set of values in favor of another does not come as a surprise to us who already […]

Free John Calvin eBooks

From Ligonier: John Calvin was born on this day in 1509. In honor of his birthday, Reformation Trust and Ligonier Ministries are making two John Calvin ebooks available free for 24 hours. The Expository Genius of John Calvin by Steven Lawson John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology edited by Burk Parsons “John […]

Best books of the year (so far)

This has been a good book reading year for me; so far I am significantly ahead of my goal for the number of books I would read this year (and I’ve already read more than I did all last year), so I thought that at the mid-year point, it might be good to reflect on […]

A few thoughts about the Bible, homosexuality, and SCOTUS

We are now about 10 days past the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States preventing states from denying marriage licenses for homosexuals. The decision may be final, but the discussion about it is not. Because this topic includes both politics and faith, virtually everyone has an opinion on the topic. And because […]

What should we think about the Supreme Court ruling?

The ruling by the Supreme Court last week about same sex marriage has produced much conversation both in the secular press and among believers. Because of the variety of viewpoints, you may be confused about all the things you should be thinking about in relation to that ruling. So below are a list of a […]

Enjoy the chief good of Heaven

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity. Let it be the chief end of our living to enjoy this chief good hereafter [in Heaven]. Augustine reckons up 288 opinions among philosophers about happiness, but all were short […]

If I’m not praying

What do you do if you aren’t praying? How do you stimulate yourself to pray when you are disinclined to pray and don’t pray? Everyone battles the temptation not to pray. The flesh resists prayer, no matter how much we say we want to pray (which is why Jesus told the disciples to keep watching […]