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: Atheism Remix Author: R. Albert Mohler, Jr. Publisher: Crossway, 2008, 108 pp., $15.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): Summary: This book is based on a series of four messages that Mohler gave at […]

Sunday Leftovers (9/4/11)

It won’t substitute for a trip to the doctor’s office. And it usually isn’t adequate for an employee review. And a building inspector certainly won’t allow it. But for the believer, self-examination is not only allowed, but it is commanded. A believer is called to examine his salvation — is he genuinely saved (2 Cor. […]

Do I believe this?

The Psalms repeatedly affirm the goodness and lovingkindness of God. He is merciful. He is trustworthy. Reading Psalm 118 this morning, I wondered, “Do I believe this?” So I turned the statements of the psalmist into a series of questions to test the condition of my heart — Do I believe that God is lovingly […]

Pleasing men — not such a good idea

This Sunday I am preaching on work that glorifies God (Eph. 6:5-8). As I made my way through that passage this afternoon, I was meditating on the phrase “not…as men-pleasers” (6:6) and the numerous other similar phrases in the NT and the example of Samuel who looked far too quickly at external qualities and ignored […]

What do you think of sin?

It is a temptation to think lightly of sin — to ignore it, overlook it, and dismiss it. The temptation is to consider its consequences as insignificant and unimportant. Those who are broken, penitent, contrite, and grieved are considered to be over-reacting and morose. “It’s just not that bad,” too many think. Yet there is […]

How to see yourself with clarity

It is true that we need to be careful how we live. We need to have eyes of discernment. We need to see ourselves clearly, to have the cloudiness of cataracts and the murkiness of sleepiness removed. But how? In his book, Speaking the Truth in Love, David Powlison offers some insight on this very […]

Be careful how you live

“The unexamined life is not worth living,” wrote the ancient secular philosopher. That is true for believers as well. The practice of self-examination is wise and profitable for every believer. It is important to “try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Eph. 5:10) so that we might cultivate discernment in the daily choices […]

Encouraged by self-examination and confession

“If you are truly trusting in Christ, you can’t confess a sin for which God has not provided forgiveness in Jesus.Indeed, if you work at the discipline of confessing your sin, it should not lead to despair at all, but rather to rejoicing over the extent of God’s love to you in Christ.” — Mark […]

When change is slow

Why is it that we sometimes remain unchanged in our walk with Christ? Or why does change sometimes seem to come slowly? Here are at least three reasons why transformation may degrade into stagnancy: We substitute rationalization for repentance (Acts 8:14-24, esp. vv. 20-24). We substitute our desires (i.e., sins) for God’s desires (i.e., righteousness; […]

Sin and the new man

The life of the believer is unique in many ways. One is the manner in which he must consider his sin. The follower of Christ is a new man — a new creature possessing a new life in Christ. And yet he still battles the flesh and sin on a daily basis — his only […]

Today’s Quote – Self-Examination (Alexander)

J. W. Alexander, Remember Him: The greatest care is necessary in an affair so important as the examination of your state before God. You will naturally be reluctant to come to an unfavourable conclusion about this and so self-love combined with self-ignorance will expose you to the danger of self-deception. Earnestly endeavour to exercise a […]

Leadership questions

What makes a good leader? What makes a good leader in a home? In his outstanding and classic book, Spiritual Leadership (purchase the original edition, if you can find it), Oswald Sanders asks a series of questions that reveal the character of a natural leader. They are good questions for all leaders — whether they […]

Today’s Quote – Self-Examination (Harvey)

Dave Harvey, When Sinners Say “I Do”: To be suspicious of my own heart is to acknowledge two things: that my heart has a central role in my behavior, and that my heart has a permanent tendency to oppose God and his ways.

Self-examination and boasting

Self-examination will lead to boasting. At least that’s what Paul says. And he says such self-examination and boasting is good and beneficial: But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. Two truths dominate this verse: the […]

After a conference

I typically attend two or more conferences each year. I usually travel to at least one — sometimes two — and usually attend to one or more locally. The benefit of attending conferences is being focused for a particular time on a given topic and interacting on those topics with like-minded people without the distraction […]