Hymn Story — Just As I Am

The backgrounds to many of our hymns and songs provide additional testimony of God’s goodness and grace, expanding the effect of the words we sing. The hymn, “Just As I Am,” is another work that grows in significance when we learn the story of its author, Charlotte Elliott: Just as I am, without one plea, […]

Grab bag

Some helpful articles from the last week or two: Ten “Wives Speak Out” about their role in marriage and their practice of submission in their marriages. I find myself gravitating more to biographies these days — and here are two new ones on theologian Charles Hodge that appear interesting. Kevin DeYoung takes a closer look […]

Some good words about thankfulness

On this Thanksgiving Day, here are five encouragements to God-honoring gratitude: “A gracious soul is thankful and rejoices that he is drawn nearer to God, though it may be by the cords of affliction.…When God has a rod in his hand, a godly man will have a psalm in his mouth.” [Thomas Watson, A Godly […]

Looking for a truth to stimulate gratitude?

Here is a truth to encourage gratitude this Thanksgiving Day: “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” [Richard Sibbes] HT: Of First Importance.

Giving thanks for what?

Many years ago a seminary professor recounted the story of his first Thanksgiving sermon in his first pastorate. Thrilled and excited over God’s grace in his life, he structured his sermon around the theme of gratitude for wives, children, job, financial provision, and general happiness. As the congregation filed out, a woman whose husband had […]

Now thank we all our God

It seems an odd response, but on the week of Thanksgiving, some search vainly for reasons for expressing gratitude. Some are generally just discontent. They have fed the monster of covetousness and greed to the point that they are rarely happy and rarely content and thankful. And on the occasions that they are thankful, it […]

How God used cancer in a 14-year-old

The story of Victor Watters is a story of God’s grace in using cancer for His glory and the good of the cancer-ridden: Undoubtedly, Victor was on a mission to share the gospel with unbelievers — to spread the fragrance of Jesus everywhere. He did so with articulation and wisdom beyond his years. With his […]

When a Christian is married to a non-Christian

Ed Welch offers encouraging words about how a Christian married to a non-Christian should view their relationship, and what kinds of things can be communicated graciously about his or her faith: “You should be thankful everyday that you’re married to a Christian.” She was smiling when she said it to her husband – not angry […]

Grab bag

Some helpful articles seen recently: John Newton, writing his troubled friend William Cowper, notes the hardness of the Christian life — and the grace of Christ: “For every day shows us some new thing in the heart, or some new turn in the management of the war against us which we were not aware of; […]

Biblical counseling conference completed

This weekend was the final weekend of our three weekend, three-month Biblical Counseling Training Conference. The event again proved to be beneficial to many as people came from around the area to receive training towards becoming certified counselors with NANC (GBC is currently the only certified training center for NANC in the state of Texas). […]

Combating worldliness

There are multiple helpful resources available to help us think in godly ways about the world and how we should live in relation to it. Here are five that I have found particularly helpful as I have thought about this topic: Tim Challies, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment R. Kent Hughes, Set Apart: Calling a Worldly […]

Sunday Leftovers — Combating worldliness

Commenting on this morning’s sermon, someone said, “You have to live life with your head up.” That is, you have to live life always aware that there may be an incoming attack to entice you to move away from Christ. The philosophy of the world is always attempting to delude the believer so that he […]

“I am the Lord”

It has been often noted that at the base of all sin is some form of pride. A man pridefully deems that the protection of his finances is more important than the government’s right to tax, so he is deceitful on his 1040 form. A child yearns for a toy and is billigerent in his […]

“It Is Well with My Soul”

The hymn “It is Well with My Soul,” has been well-loved and sung for many generations, not only for its words, but also for the story behind the song. Here is that story, and more of the story than you perhaps already know, and a photo of the original manuscript of the song: HT: Justin […]

May I Go In There?

From Jared Wilson’s blog: This is taken from an illustration in John Phillips’ Exploring Hebrews commentary that has always moved me. Imagine with me a Moabite of old gazing down upon the Tabernacle of Israel from some lofty hillside. This Moabite is attracted to what he sees so he descends the hill and makes his […]