God uses nobodies to accomplish much

Chuck Swindoll in The Grace Awakening, affirms the reality that God uses “nobodies” to accomplish His eternal purposes: Grace means God uses nobodies. Grace also means He makes nobodies into somebodies. The problem is this: Our shame screams so loudly and our guilt is so huge, we convince ourselves we’re not useful and we think […]

Sunday Leftovers (8/15/10)

While I came to GBC with no intention of leaving, I never thought 20 years would come so quickly and I would still be here! What happy and satisfying years these have been for me, Raye Jeanne, and our daughters, Elizabeth and Emily. The Lord has been gracious to mature us in our marriage and […]

Fighting against lust

Many years ago, John Piper gave this brief exhortation to help in the battle against lust — look at something greater than the puny desires of sinful, sexual indulgence: “The sky is a great power against lust. Pure, lovely, wholesome, beautiful, powerful, large-hearted things cannot abide the soul of a sexual fantasy at the same […]

Stimulants to gratitude

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about gratitude this week. Mostly I’ve considered things for which I am grateful as I consider the work of God in the ministry at GBC (more on that Sunday). But in my contemplation, I’ve also come across two thoughts that should stimulate gratitude in all of us. The first […]

Thinking about angels and sin

Go into virtually any Christian bookstore and you will find them gracing the fronts of greeting cards, serving as ornamental fixtures for shelves, and maybe even offering help as holders of candles or potpourri. They are chunky cherubs — sweet and innocent and harmlessly-winged little helpers. Yet Scripture views them as anything but that. It […]

He will not change

That we live in different times than the generation(s) that preceded us seems self-evident. But the case of a certain John Fisher and Lizzie Clark, two strangers on a train near Atlantic City near the beginning of the 20th century reveals just how much change has taken place. This, according to the New York Times, […]

Sunday Leftovers (8/8/10)

A couple decades ago, Yogi Berra had opportunity to attend a White House dinner. After the event he was asked about the experience, and he replied: “It was hard to have a conversation, there were so many people talking.” Indeed. Yet he was right — for where there is an abundance of words, there is […]

Sins of the flesh

Galatians 5:19-21 tells us the kinds of sins that when practiced habitually without repentance will preclude one from entering into the kingdom of God and eternal fellowship with Him. These are not only in contrast to the fruit and work of the Spirit of God, but they also relate to virtually every aspect of life, […]

A simple definition of work

Don’t confuse work with a place of employment. John Stott has provided a clear distinction between work and employment: According to God’s intention,…work might be defined as “the expenditure of manual or mental energy in service, which brings fulfillment to the worker, benefit to the community, and glory to God.”…Though all employment is work, not […]

What about polygamy in the OT?

This morning in our daily Bible reading, we read again of a number of polygamists among the kings of Israel and Judah. It seems so incongruous — God’s leaders in clear violation of God’s Word. So what is the view of Scripture toward polygamy? How can men who were involved in polygamy seem to be […]

OT prophecies of Christ

The OT provides many prophecies of Christ. Here are some of the key passages:

Be on the alert

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Cor. 16:13; NASB) It was a simple task. Two bushes. One set of hedge clippers. One hour. No problem. I dove into the job with vigor. I really do enjoy trimming bushes and trees — I enjoy seeing the speedy […]

Do you contemplate your dependance on Christ?

Do you contemplate daily your dependence on Christ? Do the words of Paul resonate in your heart? Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God (2 Cor. 3:5) Are John the Baptist’s words sensible to you? “He must increase, but I must decrease.” […]

The power of God and His care of you

It is possible to consider the attributes of God (possible, but not wise) and to think that while God is great and supreme, that He is also disconnected from us. “So what if He is all-powerful,” we might irrationally reason, “of what use is that to me?” In his sermon, “God’s Uniqueness, Our Assurance,” Ray […]

Two new books of particular interest

In the coming months, two books of particular interest to me will be released. They are new books written by my father. The first is entitled Living the New Testament. It is a daily devotional (365 one-page readings) that will take the reader through the key passages in the New Testament providing not only explanation […]