We need the Bible

We need the Bible if we are to be competent Christians. The Bible will build us up so that we can endure suffering. It will give us discernment for difficult choices. It will make us strong enough to be patient with others and patient enough to respond with kindness when others hurt us. The Bible […]

Sunday Leftovers: 1 John and assurance

This morning we concluded our study of the book of 1 John. After 36 sermons, we’ve had a clear look at what John has to say about salvation, spiritual life and obedience, and eternal life and assurance. This morning’s final sermon is designed to help us remember the big picture and essential truths of the […]

Sermon: Are You Sure You’re Secure?

Are You Sure You’re Secure? A Summary of 1 John August 31, 2014 There are many reasons why people might not be sure of their salvation — Spiritual laziness Satanic attacks Trials or harsh circumstances (even having several young children at home so that the affection the mother had prior to children is replaced by […]

God is calling

When I was a child, shopping was not one of my most favoritist things to do. [Actually, it still isn’t — unless it’s a bookstore.] So I had a tendency to kind of wander away on my own, in search of a good book or another pack of baseball cards. But when it came time […]

A benediction to worship and a prayer for the week

I wrote the benediction below for the conclusion of our worship service this morning; it also serves as a fitting prayer for the beginning of a new week. The content of this prayer is taken from 1 Peter 1:2-9. May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. May you know the power of the […]

Sunday Leftovers: Our place in the world

One of my favorite commentaries as I have studied the book of 1 John has been David Jackman’s The Message of John’s Letters. Repeatedly, Jackman has synthesized a passage and drawn out its relevance for today’s church. This was true again this week as he related the truth about the world, its ruler Satan, and […]

Sermon: We Know

We Know… 1 John 5:18-21 August 24, 2014 We don’t often like to admit it, but most of us are pretty ignorant most of the time about most things. We don’t know nearly as much as we’d like to convince people we do know. Our children ask us questions about the way things operate — […]

Sunday Leftovers: Unrighteousness is sin…all unrighteousness

In his first letter, several times John makes the statement that sin is unrighteousness. No where does he say it more clearly than in 5:17 — “all unrighteousness is sin.” Our tendency is to read that statement, reflect on it for a moment, devise a list of sins in our heads (some of which may […]

Sermon: Sin and Death…and Grace

Sin and Death…and Grace 1 John 5:16-17 August 17, 2014 I was listening to a couple of interviews of some pastors and counselors recently and the interviewer asked two different panels a question that I have asked others a great many times: “what do you think is the greatest need or problem in the church […]

Reading Lamentations

The book of Lamentations is very closely associated with the book of Jeremiah, as they both deal with the destruction of Jerusalem: Jeremiah as a prophetical warning, Lamentations as a lament after the fall. The poetry is important in interpreting the book as it highly corresponds to the message, which is that although the people […]

Sunday Leftovers: You can pray

Because the believer in Christ is secure in his salvation, he can be sure that God has saved and will save Him through eternity (1 Jn. 5:13). But that’s not the only benefit of salvation; because the believer is saved, he also can be confident in going to God in prayer, not withholding anything from […]

Sermon: Pray with Confidence

Pray with Confidence 1 John 5:14-15 August 10, 2014 When a new college graduate takes his first job, one of his concerns will be, “what kind of benefit package do you have?” He wants to know what added privileges there are for working in this job — is there health care and a retirement package […]

Watch your heart

[Keeping the heart] is the hardest work; heart-work is hard work indeed: to shuffle over religious duties with a loose and heedless spirit, will cost no great pains; but to set thyself before the Lord, and tie up thy loose and vain thoughts to a constant and serious attendance upon him; this will cost thee […]

Is God alive?

“They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can […]

Sunday Leftovers: Be sure you’re secure

Many people struggle with assurance that they are secure in Christ’s salvation. There are many reasons why that may be (Don Whitney has an excellent chapter detailing some of those reasons in How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian?). But as we near the end of our study of 1 John, there is one […]