“Questions to Unbelief”

Last Sunday I finished my message by reading a portion of a hymn by John Newton in which he addresses questions that arise in our hearts that tempt us to doubt — and the reminders we must give ourselves to fight those doubts.  Here is the full text of the hymn, “Questions to Unbelief.” If […]

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Praying Scripture

Prayer and scripture are vitally linked together.  More knowledge of Scripture produces more robustly God-dependent prayers. More praying feeds a greater hunger for Scripture.   If you love one, it will drive you to the other. Nineteenth century French pastor Adophe Monod said of the two disciplines, “Without the Word, prayer is nothing, having no source […]

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We Remember

Each month we come to the table of communion — the table of remembrance. You may have taken those elements hundreds of times, so that the practice may now seem ordinary and perfunctory.  It is not.  It is a time to remember some of the most powerful truths God has revealed to us.  We gather […]

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Christ’s Death and Joy

In a recent sermon I mentioned that I think about death regularly — daily. I think about my age and the reality that I am in the last third/quarter of life (at most). I think about my death because of the recent invitation that the Social Security Administration sent me to begin drawing funds from […]

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The Compassionate Son of Man

  “The Compassionate Son of Man”Luke 7:11-17August 17, 2025 Death is something that is often joked about (or not really taken seriously): Groucho Marx was frequently asked what he’d like people to be saying about him in a hundred years: “I know what I’d like them to say about me…I’d like them to say, ‘He […]

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A Faithful and Worthy Man

“A Faithful and Worthy Man”Luke 7:1-10August 10, 2025 Last Sunday was a special day for us — a humbling and gratifying day.  We are thankful.  Leading up to the day, and even during the dinner and recognition, I couldn’t help but think about one of my mentors, J. Dwight Pentecost, who participated in my installation […]

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On the heart

The Bible has hundreds of verses on the nature of the heart.  And when one includes other “inner man” topics like conscience, will, desires, motives, mind, and thoughts, there are hundreds more.  Consider this very small sampling of Scripture’s instruction on our hearts: The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,” They […]

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Useless? No. Useful.

A couple of weeks ago I went through some rarely opened cabinets and drawers in my office.  I knew they were full, but I was a little surprised by some of the items I found in them.  I repeatedly found myself saying something like, “I forgot that was there…I’ve not used that or thought of […]

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Jesus Teaches

“Jesus Teaches”Luke 6:20-49July 27, 2025 Jesus Christ is the Son of Man.  That is a title that denotes His position as both God and Man.  He is the fulfillment of the promise in Daniel 7:13-14 — the One who is given authority over all things by God the Father (the Ancient of Days).  As the […]

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Jesus Teaches: On Obedience

“Jesus Teaches:  On Obedience”Luke 6:46-49July 20, 2025 Last Sunday afternoon we became aware that John MacArthur was ill, in the hospital, and not expected to survive past a few more hours.  Indeed, Monday evening he entered his heavenly reward.  Faith was made sight.   Tuesday morning the elders gathered to pray, as we do each week, […]

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Questions for the Heart

The heart is one of the great themes of the Bible.  It first shows up near the first page of the Bible in the story of the flood — “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only […]

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