The accounts of the resurrection are very familiar to us. And because of that, it’s easy to miss the reason for the account — like every other Gospel passage, the resurrection is given to provide us information about the Savior so that we will worship Him. The advantage of the shortest of the resurrection accounts […]
Read More The resurrected SaviorOne of the qualifications of an elder is that he is not to be “addicted to wine.” The intent of that phrase is that an elder should be fully in control of his alcoholic consumption and that he should not be controlled by alcohol (Eph. 5:18). But does that the elder, or any other believer, […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers — the Bible and wineIt was in the 1960’s, during the time when the Green Bay Packers were the National Football League’s perennial champions that on one particular week they suffered a humiliating loss. It was the contention of Vince Lombardi, the coach, that the Packers never lost a game, but some weeks the clock just ran out on […]
Read More The great commissionThe story of Brian Hesse is one of my all-time favorites. One account of it is as follows: Brian Hesse had more than his share of luck in July (1981), and most of it was bad. When his apartment in Provo, Utah became flooded from a broken pipe in the upstairs apartment, the manager told […]
Read More Cast your burden on the LordSome helpful articles from around the internet: Tim Challies offers “Seven Ways to Pray for Your Prayer Life.” This is helpful. A new book coming June 1 (ebook) and June 15 (paperback) from my dad: Everything Happens for a Reason?: God’s Purposes in a World Gone Bad. Paul Tautges offers “36 Purposes of God in […]
Read More Grab bagTim Challies writes this morning about pride: “…the key to pride is the desire to elevate myself so I can have God’s position and status for myself. It effectively lowers God as it elevates self. Humility, on the other hand, is simply a right assessment of myself that takes into account the infinitely vast gulf […]
Read More Pride and e-BoastingJesus was not only resolute in His intention to go to the cross, but God intentionally planned the death of Christ. Consider, for example, the number of Old Testament prophecies that John alone says were fulfilled at the crucifixion of Christ (other Gospel writers offer even more prophetic fulfillments in their crucifixion accounts): Jesus’ tunic […]
Read More Prophecy and the crucifixionAt the trials and crucifixion of Christ, there were many accusations made against Him. Yet these accusations and declarations were far closer to the truth about Christ than those who uttered them realized. A few examples: Caiaphas — “Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to […]
Read More They didn’t know what they were sayingKevin DeYoung quotes John Calvin: If there is no more effective remedy for anger and impatience, he has surely benefited greatly who has so learned to meditate upon God’s providence that he can always recall his mind to this point: the Lord has willed it; therefore it must be borne, not only because one may […]
Read More Impatient?The words of the crucifixion are simple: “And they crucified Him” (Mk. 15:24). Yet there is a horror behind this kind of death, as one doctor has told: Simon is ordered to place the patibulum on the ground and Jesus is quickly thrown backwards with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the […]
Read More “They crucified Him”Whenever I read the account of the crucifixion of Christ, I am always amazed at the simplicity of the account of the actual crucifixion (for instance, Matthew almost regards it as an afterthought — “and when they had crucified Him…,” Mt. 27:35) and the ironic and paradoxical activities surrounding the events of the crucifixion. Consider […]
Read More Paradoxes of the crucifixionThe New Testament provides a clear picture of the kinds of men who are to lead the church as elders. Both Titus (1:5-9) and Timothy (3:1-7) are given numerous qualifications for these men, as the following chart summarizes (download the PDF): There is close overlap in topics between the two lists, though not many repeated […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers — elder qualificationsWe have been reading the Gospels for almost four months in our Bible reading program. For four months we have been consumed with Christ. For four months, each day we have had a new or increasing view of the nature of Christ. Perhaps the temptation has been to think, “there must be something more that […]
Read More The cup that the Father gave ChristReading Psalm 51 this morning is a reminder of the power and pervasiveness of sin. And of the grace of forgiveness. We do well to meditate on both, as Thomas Watson exhorted in The Christian on the Mount: Meditate upon the FILTH of sin. Not only is the guilt of Adam’s sin imputed, but the […]
Read More Meditate on sin…and forgivenessAll the audio, including main sessions, breakout session, and panel discussions from the recent Together for the Gospel conference now appear to now be available on the T4G website. Use the menu on the right side of the page to choose which sessions you’d like to watch or download.
Read More Together for the Gospel audio
Words of Grace 