“God Raised Him Up”Acts 10:34-43April 20, 2025 Every preacher, every week asks himself the same question, “what do you preach this week?” What do you preach to those who are suffering by walking through the valley of the shadow of death? (Six church members have had mothers die in the past 4-6 weeks.) What do […]
Read More “God Raised Him Up”Most of us are pretty ordinary people. Perhaps we have some influence in our particular circle of relationships, but the breadth and depth of influence for the majority of us is neither significantly deep or wide. And that is true of most individuals mentioned in Scripture as well. Sure, we know the stories of Abraham […]
Read More No ordinary manThe cross of Christ is repugnant to many. Polly Toynbee, one of the most well-known opinion columnists in Great Britain and leader of the British Humanist Association, reviewed the 2005 movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In an article subtly entitled, “Narnia Represents Everything That Is Most Hateful about […]
Read More Who killed Jesus?A believer in Christ might assume that anyone who truly understands the nature of the gospel would want the gospel. “Why wouldn’t they believe?” we might wonder. Yet they don’t all believe. Even when we assume that they will and should, they do not believe. A clear, but often overlooked illustration of this is in […]
Read More The nature of unbelief“…they were brought safely to land” (Acts 27:44). It sounds so tame and calm and serene. Sure, there had been a storm and a ship had broken up and people were forced to swim and hold on to scattered planks and other assorted flotation devices to make it to shore, but the understated declaration, “they […]
Read More They were brought safely to landA message. Every commercial has one. So does every television show, movie, book, and website. All sermons have them, and so does every conversation. Some messages are obviously better and more clear than others, but every form of communication is given to convey a message. This is true of gospel conversations as well. When we […]
Read More What’s your message?As Peter notes, when a believer sins and is accused of that sin and suffers for that sin, he is not to be considered patient for enduring that sin — he has suffered what is just (1 Pt. 2:20a). But what about when one suffers unjustly? What if accusations are made against us that are […]
Read More When unrighteously accusedEveryone has one, but not everyone uses it. Some are transformed by it, some ignore it, and some kill it. But everyone has it — a conscience. What is this thing that everyone knows, some acknowledge, some follow, and some pervert? Jerry White describes the conscience as “that part of every person which, willingly or […]
Read More Cultivating a clear conscienceLate in his ministry, the apostle Paul had been told by the Lord that he was to go to Jerusalem and that when he got there he would be imprisoned and suffer a variety of trials (cf. Acts 20:23). And Paul received confirmation of his impending suffering from others (cf. 21:4, 11). And while he […]
Read More Courage for the hard thingsJeremiah said that, “the heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (17:9). That statement affirms the doctrine of depravity — a man’s heart might desire sin far worse and far more than one can conceive. Depravity does not mean that a man sins as much as he […]
Read More The kinds of men God savesA cursory reading of the accounts of Paul’s intention to go to Jerusalem and the desires of others for him not to go to Jerusalem in Acts 21 might leave some readers thinking that the Holy Spirit has conflicted His own directions and work. But such is not the case, as John Stott explains: Thus […]
Read More Does the Spirit of God contradict Himself?You have likely heard it at a birthday gathering or around the Christmas tree: “I can’t wait for you to open my gift for you — I just love giving presents!” The speaker might even invoke the saying of Christ, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). And while that verse […]
Read More It is more blessed to give than receive…What happens when people believe the gospel? Many times I’ve prayed with people who expressed an interest in trusting in Christ and after the prayer, they look up and say something like, “I don’t feel any different.” Perhaps they are expecting a warm and happy feeling like seeing a cuddly puppy or cute baby. That […]
Read More Gospel consequencesWhen reading Scripture, it is possible to understand and interpret a passage correctly and apply it inappropriately. The result is that while we may be “encouraged,” we are encouraged by a wrong idea or by a right idea in a wrong way. For instance, one might read God’s words to Paul in the vision in […]
Read More God has many peopleWhen greeting people in the foyer after a sermon, it’s not unusual for a preacher to wonder, “Just what did they hear today?” when someone says, “I liked it when you said…” and they proceed to tell the preacher something he said that he is quite sure he did not say. That curious wondering might […]
Read More Do good Christians make bad citizens?
Words of Grace 