One of the reasons we are reticent to communicate the gospel to unbelievers is that we are uncertain of what we should say. What is the essence of the gospel? What is its most basic elements? Many years ago, I learned a half-dozen words and some Scriptures that align with each truth that comprise the […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers: gospel basicsSome helpful articles I’ve seen recently: There’s an elephant in the room, except everyone is talking about this one. James MacDonald recently hosted his “Elephant Room 2” dialog, and invited T. D. Jakes (who has been understood to hold to the heretical view of modalism, regarding the Trinity, not to mention being in the camp […]
Read More Grab bagIn Matthew 9, the writer records five healings or miracles of Jesus: the healing of the paralytic man the healing of the hemorrhaging woman the raising of the official’s daughter from the dead the healing of the two blind men the casting out of the demon from the mute man Additionally, Matthew notes that “Jesus […]
Read More The miracles are not about the miraclesJohn 3:16 — From R. Kent Hughes, John: That You May Believe.
Read More The greatest verse?During the holiday season, many of us have more opportunities to be with non-believers than at other times of the year. Office parties, family get-togethers and neighborhood socials all provide times for us to see more unbelievers than we usually might. And very often, we desire to turn those visits into gospel opportunities — chances […]
Read More Starting gospel conversations at ChristmasFrom Monergism Books: FREE eBook — especially to help you engage skeptics in your family during Christmas: “Bringing the Gospel Home: Witnessing to Family, Close Friends, and Others Who Know You Well”. in ePub, .mobi and .pdf formats. This is a book that’s been sitting on my bookshelf for several months and now in my […]
Read More Free eBook — Bringing the Gospel HomeSome helpful articles seen recently: John Newton, writing his troubled friend William Cowper, notes the hardness of the Christian life — and the grace of Christ: “For every day shows us some new thing in the heart, or some new turn in the management of the war against us which we were not aware of; […]
Read More Grab bagToday my Dad and I talked about the nature of the gospel and the reality that it must and will produce transformation in those who believe. There is no salvation without some form of transformation. William Mounce addresses the same issue in his recent blog post, “Is there a difference between ‘certainly’ and ‘never’?” As […]
Read More Implications of believingBeing able to articulate the gospel with accuracy is one thing; having its truth captivate your soul is quite another. The gospel is not just supposed to be our ticket into heaven; it is to be an entirely new basis for how we relate to God, ourselves, and others. It is to be the source […]
Read More The goal of the gospelSome helpful articles recently spotted on the internet: Douglas Groothuis offers wise counsel on listening to sermons in “A short theology of listening.” An excerpt: Listen . . . with all your might; hear the living and active word. The teaching and preaching of God’s imperishable word is truly a sacred event whereby the Truth […]
Read More Grab bagSome helpful articles from the last week: Lately I’ve been preaching and writing quite a bit about the gospel for believers. Here is a prayer from Scotty Smith to preach the gospel to ourselves. Alan Jacobs is an excellent essayist. I have read one of his collections of writings and another awaits reading on my […]
Read More Grab bagWhen communicating the gospel to unbelievers, it is tempting to make conversion the end of the conversation. That is, it is possible to be so concerned about the salvation of the individual that we ignore what happens to the convert after his salvation decision. But God cares about what happens to us after our salvation. […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers (8/7/11) – SanctificationThis morning, Byron Yawn offered a compelling meditation on the gospel, complementing what I wrote yesterday about the gospel and sanctification. Here he asks, how will the gospel influence “good” people? Obviously, conversion brings a change, but salvation is not about the adjustment of one’s behavior from bad to good. Ultimately, Christianity is not about […]
Read More Preaching the gospel to good peopleIn his book Licensed to Kill (a book about the mortification of sin), author Brian Hedges notes: One of the reasons some people fail to benefit from their study of Scripture is that they interpret it in gospel-ignoring, Christ-neglecting ways. Too many never overcome sin because they never benefit from the Bible because they have […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers (7/31/11)I recently picked up and began reading Joe Thorn’s book, Note to Self. The book is about the discipline of meditation and especially the art of meditating on the gospel so that the gospel increasingly guides our thinking and actions. Justin Taylor did an interview with Joe Thorn in which they discussed the purpose and […]
Read More Preaching to yourself
Words of Grace 