Grab bag

Al Mohler, “The Pill Turns 50” “Has God Predetermined Everything? Even Sin?“ “Why fight sin if God uses it for good anyway?” Together for the Gospel panel discussions are now available A new book by John Piper, Jesus, the Only Way to God (July, 2010) Practical suggestions for how to encourage missionaries — and without […]

There are Canaanites in the land!

The story of Israel in the book of Joshua is triumphal and victorious. It is filled with obedience, worship, and delight in God. The story of Israel in the book of Judges is sorrow and defeat. Judges is everything that Joshua isn’t. It is a book of disobedience, idolatrous worship, and rejection of God. And […]

Thinking about our thoughts

David longed for words and meditations that were acceptable to God — words both inward and outward that reflected a heart conformed to the character of God. Solomon notes that the inward thoughts of a man reveal the very character of a man — it is not what he does but what he thinks that […]

Sunday Leftovers (4/25/10)

Ministry is often perceived to be for “ministers” only — for pastors. Individuals in the church might “help” or “serve,” but real ministry is for the paid “professionals,” the thinking goes. Yet as Ephesians 4 demonstrates, ministry is for everyone. At GBC, one of the core values that we affirm and encourage is “every member […]

What should we feel at communion?

Many years ago we had occasion, because of when Easter occurred in the month, to have communion twice in close proximity — about only a week apart. I suppose it was just too much for someone who lamented to me, “it feels like we’re having communion all the time…” It was more a complaint than […]

An effective church

In my lifetime, I have moved more than 1000 miles seven times, and numerous more times locally. There are many benefits as well as detractions to such a nomadic existence. When we moved prior to my sophomore year in High School, I became aware of a new difficulty — how do you choose a new […]

Tozer on spiritual maturity

For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been thinking on Sunday morning about spiritual maturity as both the goal and result of ministry. All our efforts in the church and in our relationships are to see spiritual maturity produced in others, and when we make that our goal, God will accomplish that very thing! This […]

Together for the Gospel audio

Much of the audio from last week’s Together for the Gospel Conference is now posted. All the general sessions except Matt Chandler’s are now posted (the video of Chandler’s session is available). Yet to be posted are the break-out sessions and the panel discussions (always a highlight). I’m just starting to listen to the audio, […]

Sunday Leftovers (4/18/10)

My first semester of seminary, I took a church history course that was taught by a gentle-looking, long-tenured, dry-speaking professor who appeared to be on the cusp of retirement. The required text was as plain, unassuming and dry as the professor. It wasn’t long before I was lost in an avalanche of dates, names, and […]

On knowing Christ

Paul wanted to know Christ — even to the point of knowing the fellowship with Him that comes from suffering (Phil. 3:10). And Paul wanted his spiritual children to know Christ — that they would know the full confidence that is associated with the hope of His calling them to salvation (Eph. 1:19), and that […]

Book Review: Give Me This Mountain

Title: Give Me This Mountain Author: Helen Roseveare Publisher: Christian Focus, 2006; 159 pp. $12.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): A good biography doesn’t just tell a story. A good biography will stimulate and encourage the believer in Christ to a closer walk with Christ. “I want to live like that…” will be a common response to […]

God, the promise keeper

Being a truth teller is fundamental to godly character (Ps. 15:2b). Where truthfulness is absent, godliness is absent. That’s one reason why it is so important to keep promises. A promise-keeper is a God emulator. For God keeps His word. He always has. He always will. And this passage is one demonstration of that truth. […]

Sunday Leftovers (4/11/10)

This morning, concluding a message on Ephesians 4:13 — a consideration of how we might work to see spiritual maturity developed in all our relationships — I offered a number of implications of that text. They are as follows — This is going to influence the way we structure ministry — we will always value […]

The best inheritance

They may not have been adopted by any legislature, but the “Toddler Property Laws” are just as real, nonetheless. If I like it, it’s mine. If it’s in my hand, it’s mine. If I can take it from you, it’s mine. If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine. If it is mine, […]

Spiritual gifts and unanswered prayer

In studying our way through Ephesians 4, we’ve seen the importance of spiritual gifts and how God uses them to accomplish His purposes in His people. We seem to understand that, at least cognitively, if not also experientially. But the use of our gifts and our receiving the practice of the gifts of other believers […]