So you might believe…

Yesterday I preached on the story of the father with the demon possessed son in Mark 9:14ff — “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (v. 24). Today I read a similar account of the death of Lazarus (Jn. 11) — a story that on the surface seems to be “faith crushing.” Yet our wise Savior […]

Grab bag

I came across these articles a while ago (some a few years ago) but they are still helpful: “I Know a Place…” is a good reminder about an essential place (and Person). Jeremiah 17:9 is often misused and misapplied leading to discouragement and even despair. John Piper helpful asks and answers, “Is the Christian’s Heart […]

Grab bag

Some helpful articles I’ve bookmarked recently (or not so recently): “I’ll See You in Court” (Jesse Johnson, The Cripplegate) — a helpful explanation of 1 Corinthians 6 and its application in lawsuits and insurance dilemmas. “Unmarried Sex Is Worse Than You Think” (TGC, Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra and Collin Hansen ) “The Conversation About Sex You […]

The danger of affirmation

We all like and long for approval. We desire affirmation. We want to be liked. We want the thumbs up of approval and the back slap of affirmation. We want to hear “good job” after a presentation, an “I’m impressed” after a house project, and a “you’re a great parent” from our parents when they […]

Sermon: Why People Don’t Believe in Christ

Why People Don’t Believe in Christ (And the Shocking Grace of God) Romans 10:16-21 December 1, 2019 The turkey is (probably) finished. There might still be a little leftover cranberry sauce. I know the pecan pie has been gone for at least two days. Thanksgiving is over. I hope it was an encouraging and reflective […]

Sermon: What Unbelievers Need

What Unbelievers Need to be Saved Romans 10:1-4 October 13, 2019 Unbelief is not unusual. Unbelief is — and always has been — far too typical and too common. Accounts of unbelief are well-known: French philosopher Voltaire is reputed to have said, “If a miracle occurred in the market place of Paris and in the […]

God and Exodus

A few theological thoughts about while doing today’s Bible reading (Exodus 5-8): Pharaoh’s initial response to Moses’ request to release the Israelites was similar to and a precursor to the way many unbeliever’s today reject God — “why should I do that? Who is God and why should I obey Him?” (Ex. 5:2) God actively […]

Why are there apostates?

The apostle John makes it clear that there are some in the church who claim faith in Christ who are not really believers in Christ. And when they leave the church they also leave the faith — they are apostate (1 Jn. 2:18-19). How does that happen? How do people become apostate? Why do people […]

Sunday Leftovers: When people leave the church

The apostle Paul spoke for all pastors when he reminded the Corinthians of the difficulty and burden of his ministry — imprisonments, beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, long journeys, robbers, and hard work. Yet the greatest source of his concern was “the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my […]

Eternity for the unredeemed

It has become somewhat popular in certain spheres of Christendom to be apologetic about Hell. Not only do unbelievers ignore or even scoff at the realities of Hell, but even believers are prone to minimize what awaits those who reject Christ. But the Bible is unapologetically clear about the eternal future of the unredeemed (see especially […]

When others leave the faith

I heard it again Sunday morning. While visiting another church (a “kindred spirit” church that I frequent as often as I can when I am on vacation on a Sunday), I heard of two more men who are in the process of leaving the faith. They are turning their backs on what they know is […]

The nature of unbelief

A believer in Christ might assume that anyone who truly understands the nature of the gospel would want the gospel. “Why wouldn’t they believe?” we might wonder. Yet they don’t all believe. Even when we assume that they will and should, they do not believe. A clear, but often overlooked illustration of this is in […]

Why are we surprised?

Why are we surprised when unbelievers reject the gospel? Why are we surprised when unbelievers reject the gospel emphatically? Stephen’s sermon in Acts 7 serves as a demonstration of the history of the rejection of God by the nation of Israel. “And he [Moses] supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance […]

You can reject Christ

Paul tells Timothy to “remember Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:8). Specifically, Timothy is told to remember the resurrection of Christ and the Messianic fulfillment of Christ. In keeping with that command, this week is the great remembrance of Christ and His work. There is nothing that Jesus did or does that surpasses what was accomplished […]

Amazed by unbelief

It is not for lack of evidence that belief that people don’t believe in Christ. They do not believe in spite of the evidence that they are given. As one writer has noted, “What a man does not want to believe, he can find a way to deny.” Unbelief has always been a common response […]