A small grab bag

Here, in no particular order, and with little comment, are a few articles and blogs that I’ve come across this week that were of varying kinds of interest to me. They all triggered thoughts that warranted more extended discussion, but I just haven’t had the time to think them all through yet… John Ensor, “Magnifying […]

A couple things I’m reading

Two books that have come across my desk this week: I am enjoying reading Thabiti Anyabwile’s (I know how to pronounce his name, but have no idea how to write it phonetically — sorry!) new book, What is a Healthy Church Member? He offers ten marks of a healthy church member: is an expositional listener […]

Today’s Quote (9/6/08)

John Piper, God is the Gospel: Gratitude that is pleasing to God is not first a delight in the benefits God gives (though that will be part of it). True gratitude must be rooted in something else that comes first — namely, a delight int he beauty and excellency of God’s character. If this is […]

What’s wrong with the (American) church?

What’s wrong with the American church? For all the good that God has seen fit to do through us, as I look at the landscape of churches around me, I tend to be more sad than glad. I guess I’m not the only one. In a recent blog post, John Piper interacts with an article […]

Why a study of God’s attributes is important

We are now three sermons into a series on the attributes of God. Why study about God? Why spend 45 minutes each Sunday just thinking about one aspect of God’s character? Is there really that much that is important that can be said about God? In the past week, I’ve come across two statements that […]

Trust in God’s sovereignty tested

In light of my post from earlier this morning, and the discussion at the Bible Institute class last night, this post from John Piper on patience and trust when tested by God’s sovereignty is more than appropriate. He tells the story of theologian B. B. Warfield — Benjamin B. Warfield was a world-renowned theologian who […]

Why we like the Psalms

In his most recent sermon, “Songs that Shape the Heart and Mind,” John Piper notes the variety of emotions that are contained in Psalms — one of the reasons that we are all drawn to them, whether glad or sad: One of the reasons the Psalms are deeply loved by so many Christians is that […]

Why I (and others) appreciate Piper’s preaching

Mark Dever wrote this about John Piper in the Introduction to Preaching the Cross (which C. J. Mahaney also quoted in his recent interview of Dever): What a gift John is to the church. While too many of us are saying a lot of things quickly and running on to the next, John stops. And […]

God cares

There are a variety of reasons we don’t speak the truth of God (sometimes we don’t speak the gospel truth to unbelievers, sometimes we don’t speak Biblical truth to believers — maybe even failing to pray with someone who obviously needs the comfort and encouragement of prayer). But one fundamental reason we don’t speak is […]

The cross and preaching

God did not ordain the cross of Christ or create the lake of fire in order to communicate the insignificance of belittling his glory. The death of the Son of God and the damnation of unrepentant human beings are the loudest shouts under heaven that God is infinitely holy, and sin is infinitely offensive, and […]

Book Review: Battling Unbelief

“I do believe; help my unbelief.” This cry from the father of the mute, demon-possessed boy is in some way the genuine condition of the hearts of all who believe in and follow Christ. There are areas in our lives in which we know the truth of God and believe that truth is sufficient and […]

Better (Teenage) Saints

How shall we parent and shepherd our teens so that they will walk faithfully with God? In his most recent “Taste and See” column, John Piper interacts with two recent books and draws the conclusion that “Good Doctrine Makes Better (Teenage) Saints.” A sample statement: “…even though growing a church by serious teaching of biblical […]

What John Piper thinks about television

What John Piper thinks about television is what believers needs to think and believe about television. The television itself (the plastic case and the electronics inside it) is amoral. Those who produce the products (both shows and commercials) that will be aired on that television are largely immoral. Which is why Piper says, There are […]

Amazing Grace, Newton and Wilberforce

My family and I rarely go to see movies in the theater; we may make an exception in the next week or two. Today “Amazing Grace,” the story of William Wilberforce is opening in theaters nationwide. If you are interested in knowing about the philosophy of the filmmaker, read the speech given by Michael Flaherty, […]

Sunday Leftovers (2/18/07)

People are clueless about Christ (if they are unbelievers) and the power of Christ in their daily activities (if they are believers) because they do not want Him to intrude on their lives. They want trivial happinesses and self-indulgent pleasures (and lack of pain) without the transforming work of Christ in their hearts. Jesus said […]