In 1864, having served as a slave for 32 years, Jourdan Anderson escaped with his wife Amanda from their master, Colonel P.H. Anderson. They went to Ohio where Jourdan found work as a free man, finally able to support his family. A year later, Jourdan received a letter from P. H., asking him to return […]
Read More Set freeSanctification is a long (life-long) process that is hampered by painful battles against the flesh, temptation, and sin as well as the hard task of enduring in doing what is right. It’s hard. But it’s not complicated. The pathway to sanctification is also the road to Christ. That is, if you want to be sanctified […]
Read More Enjoying Christ and His giftsSubmission isn’t easy. It isn’t easy for children to submit to parents. Or students to teachers. Or slaves to masters (or employees to employers). Or wives to husbands. Or church members to elders. And it’s not easy for citizens to submit to governing authorities. In 2021, it seems especially true that it is hard for […]
Read More Five reasons to submit to governmentLast week, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled, “Finding Hope When Everything Feels Hopeless.” The thesis of the post was that people today feel hopeless and need hope. But hope “feels increasingly elusive,” with COVID, the election, winter, and more weighing on people’s minds. Author Elizabeth Bernstein suggests that hope “guards against anxiety […]
Read More Think hopefully, not wishfullyYou are aware of the saying, “You can be anything you want to be; you can do anything you want to do, if you just try hard enough.” I am intentionally working to burst bubbles and change thinking when I say, “Bologna.” That saying is just wrong. Completely wrong. And foolish. And deceiving. And hopeless […]
Read More God’s merciful use of sinWe are used to people breaking promises. We assume politicians — Presidents, Senators, Representatives, State legislators, city councilmen and more — will break their promises. We know that some marriage vows being given in earnest this year will be broken in years to come. Promises to children for vacations and days away (“Six Flags!” and […]
Read More Promises, PromisesThe most popular cultural conception of God is that He is loving. The idea is that He is a God of all (and only) grace, overlooking the foibles, peccadilloes, and even most severe sins because He is too nice to be mean. He is so loving that He could never be angry. This perception is […]
Read More Have you considered God’s kindness — and severity?In Romans 10:20, as Paul recounts the revelation of the gospel to the Israelites, he notes that Isaiah is “very bold” when he writes what he does in Isaiah 65:1ff. The word “very bold” has the sense of words that are daring, astounding, and even shocking. What God says through Isaiah is unanticipated and unexpected. […]
Read More God’s shocking grace“It’s Not Fair!” — A Question of God’s Righteousness (Part 3) Romans 9:27-29 September 15, 2019 The question of the day is whether God is fair and whether He is faithful to His promises. Know therefore that the Lord, your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to […]
Read More Sermon: “It’s Not Fair!” A Question of God’s Righteousness (Pt 3)The Apostle Paul is fond of quoting from the Old Testament — particularly in the book of Romans. In that theological treatise, the apostle quotes the Old Testament directly over 60 times. And over half those quotations appear in three chapters — Romans 9-11. As Paul lays the foundation for God’s sovereignty in salvation in […]
Read More When Scripture speaksRomans 9 is the beginning of an extended section in Romans about the sovereignty of God in salvation — how does God bring about salvation in those who were hated by Him and who hated Him? That God is not only the author of salvation in that He accomplishes it, but He is also the […]
Read More How God chooses men for salvationGod’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt. 3 Romans 9:6-13 June 30, 2019 Starting at the end of July, we are going to spend a few weeks reflecting on God’s glory and grace to us as a church body, as we think about 40 years of ministry at GBC. We will think about a variety of ways that […]
Read More Sermon: God’s Sovereign Mercy, Pt 3Gospel Longings Romans 9:1-5 May 26, 2019 What makes you sad? What makes your heart ache? What are your greatest sorrows? We likely have similar kinds of lists of sad things: Illness of a loved family member Cancer and terminal diseases in children (I was often profoundly sad walking halls of Cooks Hosp) Broken and […]
Read More Sermon: Gospel LongingsWe are quick to attribute to too many things that really aren’t great. A home run while perhaps being timely for your favorite baseball team, is not really great. A snow cone on an August afternoon in Texas will be refreshing, but given its short lifespan, should not be put in the category of great. […]
Read More God’s salvation is great because…God’s Great Gospel Romans 1-8 May 19, 2019 Today we close the book on Romans 8. That means we are halfway through this great letter. It means that we are transitioning to the fourth major section in the book — the sovereignty of God (chs. 9-11). It means that we are leaving one of the […]
Read More Sermon: God’s Great Gospel
Words of Grace 