Something for every person

You have been a Christian for years. Ministry seemed intimidating at first, but you’ve been involved in your church for a number of years, you’ve volunteered in some civic organizations, and you have a fairly clear perspective on your spiritual giftedness and effectiveness. Ministry is much more natural now. Yet, while the patterns of life […]

God: worthy (alone) of glory

A few of years ago, popular author John Gray (Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus) released a new book: How to Get What You Want and Want What You Have. His thesis? “When you do your best, God does the rest.” In one place he reportedly writes, “Regardless of your particular orientation [of […]

“Cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me”

Zac Smith died of cancer at 33. He left behind a wife and three children. Yet he said before he died: “Cancer is the best thing that has ever happened to me.” After his death, his wife continued to walk in similar faith in God — “God doesn’t just throw stuff to us and then […]

The work of God’s fingers

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? (Ps. 8:3-4) All this God created with His fingers (Ps. 8:3) — He cast these spheres and […]

John Piper honored with a new book

At the Desiring God National Conference last weekend, John Piper was honored with a festschrift. The volume, appropriately entitled For the Fame of God’s Name, is edited by Justin Taylor and Sam Storms and includes articles by colleagues at his church and Desiring God, and long-time friends and co-laborers — men like D. A. Carson, […]

Reflections on Twenty Years of Ministry: God’s Glory

This is the eleventh and final of a series of reflections of gratitude on 20 years of ministry at GBC. I hope you knew I would have to conclude my reflections with the truth of God’s glory. I don’t think I came to GBC with the priority of God’s glory as preeminently clear in my […]

God is a delicious good

While thinking about yesterday’s comment from M’Cheyne about trials and the preciousness of Christ, I came across this extended statement by Thomas Watson in his classic work, A Body of Divinity. It comes near the end of his answer to the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, “what is the chief end of man?” […]

Made to glorify God

Thomas Watson applies the truth of the glory of God and meditates on what it means that we are made for His glory: There is no one here present but God has put in some capacity of glorifying him; the health he has given you, the parts, estate, seasons of grace, all are opportunities put […]

Why should we glorify God?

Why should we glorify God? Glorifying Him does not add to His character or worth — our glorying in Him does nothing to increase His preeminence. So why glorify Him? Why should we glory in His name? Because God has made all things for his own glory.…especially has he made the godly for his glory; […]

Sunday Leftovers (1/17/10)

John Piper has written much, often, and well on the topic of the glory of God. In his tribute to Jonathan Edwards, God’s Passion for His Glory, Piper notes that “The exhibition of God’s glory and the deepest joy of human souls are one thing. The implications of this are breathtaking.” Among those implications are […]

The glory of God and prayer

In anticipation of tomorrow morning’s sermon (on Paul’s doxology in Eph. 3), I was reading again in A. W. Pink’s work, Gleanings from Paul: the Prayers of the Apostle. He makes several helpful statements about the glory of God and its implications for prayer: …we should be deeply concerned with the glory of God, that […]

What God will not give you

God can and will do for His own, “far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20). But there are some things that He will not do for us or give us. He will not lead us into temptation. And He will not share with us His glory. Thomas Watson says it […]

Is Christ before all in my life?

Jonathan Edwards makes a statement that begs the question, “Is Christ before all things in my life?” Which is simply another way of asking, “Do I live for God’s glory?” Or, “Do I worship God above all else, or is there some form of idolatry that is usurping the right position of God in my […]

Today’s Quote – Sin (Piper)

John Piper, Preaching the Cross: Every sin flows from the failure to treasure the glory of God above all things.

Today’s Quote – Redemption (Edwards)

Jonathan Edwards (The End for Which God Created the World; in God’s Passion for His Glory): …the glory of God is the ultimate end of the work of redemption, which is the chief work of providence towards the moral world, as is abundantly manifest from Scripture. For the whole universe is put in subjection to […]