Sermon: The Gifts of the Spirit

The Gifts of the Spirit, Pt. 1 Romans 12:3-8 March 23, 2014 Gifts are funny things — sometimes what we think would be a nice gift for someone is hardly noticed or received well; other times something we think is insignificant or even inappropriate is the favorite gift of all. Many years ago — back […]

Sunday Leftovers: Distinguishing the works of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity, fully God, co-equal with the Father and the Son in essence, though differing in function. And the Spirit was sent by the Son to indwell believers after the Son ascended to Heaven after His resurrection (Jn. 16:7). Those truths are (generally) affirmed by all believers today. […]

Sermon: The Fruit of the Spirit

The Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:16-26 March 16, 2014 It’s about the size of a bowling ball, covered with sharp, stiff, spiny points, and grows on trees throughout southeast Asia, most predominantly in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The business end of a durian, which is the inside, is mucuslike in consistency, and the unique […]

Sermon: The Filling of the Holy Spirit

The Filling of the Holy Spirit Ephesians 5:18-21 March 2, 2014 One day last April, a couple in northern California that owns a few acres went for a walk on their property. It seemed innocuous enough. After walking for a while they stopped by a particular tree and noticed something that made them dig around […]

Sermon: What Does the Holy Spirit Do?

What Does the Holy Spirit Do? Selected Scriptures February 23, 2014 Once the calendar annually turns to December and the family Christmas tree is erected, there is generally a daily trek to that tree by the children in the family to determine what new gifts were placed under the tree. “Can we touch them?” they […]

Sermon: Who is the Holy Spirit?

Who is the Holy Spirit? Selected Scriptures February 16, 2014 It seems that we live in a time when theological error is particularly thriving. There have always been false teachers. They just seem to abound today: There is confusion about the church and unity — should we embrace every entity that calls itself a church […]

Sermon: The Spirit’s Protection

The Spirit’s Protection Against Spiritual Deception 1 John 2:26-27 September 29, 2013 It’s always good to have a little protection — that’s why we have health and life and disability and car and house insurance, among others. But we don’t always realize the things that are protecting us. Like the little sister of Patricia Opfel. […]

The HOLY Spirit

Sometimes in the simplicity of a statement or a situation we miss an obvious truth. “If it was a snake, it would have bit me,” we like to say. That happened to me as I read this familiar verse recently. Jesus, on the night of His betrayal, spent several hours instructing the disciples on the […]

The work of the Spirit

Kevin DeYoung, The Hole in Our Holiness: “The same Spirit who was present at creation and caused you to be born again is at work to empower your inner person (that is, your will or heart) so that you might resist sins you couldn’t resist before and do the good things which would otherwise be […]

Working with the Spirit of God

Jeremy Taylor: While the Spirit of God is doing this work [of regeneration] in man, man must also be ‘a fellowworker with God;’ he must entertain the Spirit, attend his inspirations, receive his whispers, obey all his motions, invite him farther, and truly renounce all confederacy with his enemy, sin; at no hand suffering any […]

Christ, our Advocate

A couple of years ago I sat in a courtroom as a member of a jury serving a criminal case. On that day there were two lawyers in that courtroom serving as advocates — one as a defender of the man accused of a crime, and the other serving as both defender of the victim […]

Who is the Holy Spirit?

This post is part of a series of posts on the basics of systematic theology. Why do we need theology, and what are the essential truths to know about each doctrine? All the posts are archived under the category “Theology 101.” Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is fully God. He is […]

Does the Spirit of God contradict Himself?

A 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 […]

What do we believe about the Holy Spirit?

I’ve posted this chart previously, but since we’ve read this morning about the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10-16), I thought it might be a helpful reminder to post a basic synthesis of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit:

Book blurbs

In the interest of “something is better than nothing,” here are a few blurbs and comments on some books I’ve recently completed reading: Title: Bringing the Gospel Home: Witnessing to Family Members, Close Friends, and Others Who Know You Well Author: Randy Newman Publisher: Crossway, 2011, 216 pp., $14.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): Summary: Newman not […]