When the world hates you, it’s for your good

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Christian’s Charter. The hatred of the world is for your good. Wicked men are instruments in God’s hand for good—albeit they do not intend this. They are flails to thresh off our husks, […]

The grand reason why all things work for good

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from All Things for Good, chapter 3: “Why All Things Work for Good.” 1. The grand reason why all things work for good, is the near and dear interest which God has in His people. […]

Why was it useful that Jesus Christ was made flesh?

This is a bonus edition of Wednesdays with Watson — a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity, Part IV: “The Covenant of Grace and Its Mediator;” it follows this morning’s post, “Why was Jesus Christ made flesh?” Use one: Of instruction. (1.) […]

Why was Jesus Christ made flesh?

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity, Part IV: “The Covenant of Grace and Its Mediator.” (1.) The causa prima, and impulsive cause, was free grace. It was love in God the Father to send Christ, and love […]

Rest in the wisdom of God

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity, chapter 7: “The Wisdom of God.” Adore the wisdom of God. It is an infinite deep; the angels cannot search into it. ‘His ways are past finding out’ (Rom. 11:33). As […]

One thing God does in our suffering

Suffering is not embraced by most believers. The flesh compels us to avoid suffering, to call suffering “bad,” and to assume, like Job’s friends, that something has gone terribly wrong spiritually if we or our friends suffer or are persecuted. But the consistent testimony of Scripture is that suffering is normal and to be expected […]

Sermon: What Believers Do When Suffering

What Believers Do When Suffering 1 Peter 4:12-19 December 7, 2014 Over the past couple of months Keith and I have been preaching about some basics of church ministry — church membership, corrective discipleship (church discipline), the roles of elders, deacons, and members, and then last Sunday the nature of marriage and gender. There are […]

How affliction works for our good (continued)

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is a continuation from last week’s selection from A Divine Cordial (currently in print under the title, All Things for Good), chapter 2: “The Worst Things Work for Good to the Godly.” (5). Afflictions work for good, as […]

How affliction works for our good

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Divine Cordial (currently in print under the title, All Things for Good), chapter 2: “The Worst Things Work for Good to the Godly.” As the hard frosts in winter bring on the flowers in […]

Grab bag

Some helpful articles from around the web recently: Heath Lambert answers the question often asked of biblical counselors, “Who says medicine is important?” There have been several recent helpful posts for students, and particularly college students. David Mathis offers a brief and helpful video in, “You’re Not a Student First,” Marshall Segal provides “Five Back-to-School […]

Ian & Larissa: Eight Twenty Eight

I haven’t read this book (obviously), but like many of you, I’ve known of this story. This looks to be a very encouraging and helpful book. “Eight Twenty Eight” holds a wealth of meaning for Ian and Larissa Murphy. Ian’s father, who died of brain cancer, was born on August 28. Romans 8:28 is the […]

Don’t waste your pain

On Saturday, Rocky Wyatt spoke to our men on the topic, “Don’t Waste Your Pain.” If you weren’t there, you need to listen to this message. If you were there, you probably (like me) need to listen to it again. Download it here. Or stream it below: Rocky’s message focused on three benefits of trials […]

Sermon: “If Jesus Had Been Here…”

“If Jesus Had Been Here…” John 11:17-46 April 6, 2014 I was 15 the first time I remember looking into a casket and standing at a graveside. It was my grandfather and he died suddenly and without warning and I didn’t understand the implications then of what happened. It was my first funeral and I […]

“Why did I not die at birth?”

A job interview that didn’t go the way you expected. A dinner that came out the oven smoky and flat instead of light and fluffy. A checkbook that appears to be inflicted with the black plague. A friend that suffers from a chronic illness. A favorite shirt that gets lost by the dry cleaner. An […]

When suffering

While most know the story of John Newton as the author of the hymn, “Amazing Grace,” most are unaware of all the variety of struggles he endured in his life. For instance, after believing God had called him to vocational ministry as a pastor, it was seven years before he was able to be ordained. […]