Preparing for tomorrow’s worship

How do you prepare yourself for worship? Do you prepare to hear the Word of God preached? Do you think about how you will listen to the sermon? Thomas Watson has some godly counsel for us: 2. The second duty of piety wherein we must provoke ourselves, is, in HEARING of the Word. We may […]

How to think about 9/11

This Sunday is the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks against America. Many are offering commentary on the topic. Here are two that I find particularly helpful and a couple more that I have penned in response to various tragedies. First, Al Mohler has republished the sermon he gave two days after the attack. His […]

What I wrote on 9/11/01

I wasn’t blogging in 2001. But I was writing an email devotional, and this is what I wrote the day after 9/11/01. “Enemy-occupied territory — that is what this world is.” So said C. S. Lewis nearly 50 years ago in Mere Christianity. Those words are haunting in their poignancy this morning, for as we […]

Heaven’s gain

When a believer dies, it is not unusual to hear a response something like, “Our loss is heaven’s gain.” I have always taken such a sentiment to subtly suggest that in some manner, heaven has been deficient until this person has arrived, and that now because of their inherent abilities and worth, heaven has “gotten […]

What your sin does for you

Here is one value of sin — redemption from it stimulates our heart to love Christ more deeply than those who are not redeemed: We are now capable of a joy which unfallen spirits could not have known: the bliss of pardoned sin, the heaven of deep conscious obligation to eternal mercy. The bonds which […]

Church is not that complicated

There are many ideas about how to do ministry (I receive new ideas on postcards and flyers virtually everyday in my mailbox and inbox). There have always been many diverse and divergent ideas about the priorities of ministry. The temptation is often to take a pragmatic approach to “make the church grow.” Now having dancing […]

Interpreting God

How will you perceive God when suffering? What will you think of God when life doesn’t work as well for you as you think it should? By what standard will you measure God when life is harsh? Joe Thorn offers some godly counsel: Do not attempt to base your interpretation of God on your circumstances, […]

The liberty of walking the narrow way

To follow Christ is to go down the narrow way. There is no broad pathway to Christ. Follow Christ and you will be constricted from many choices and desires. And there is liberty in that narrow way: So I will keep Your law continually, Forever and ever. And I will walk at liberty, […]

In My Seat

Here is an amazing story of God’s grace and sovereignty from 9/11/01, told by an American Airlines first office, who should have been on Flight 11 that day — the first flight that flew into one of the Twin Towers. (HT: Challies)

They said it better than me – the value of Scripture

A few quotes that were left on the cutting room floor from Sunday’s sermon about Scripture: “There is no substitute for submission to Scripture. Your spiritual health depends on placing the utmost value on the Word of God and obeying it with an eager heart.…Don’t relinquish the sweet, satisfying riches of God’s Word for the […]

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. […]

The Old Guys

Many years ago, another pastor challenged me to find a mentor: “You need someone ten or fifteen years older — someone who has been through the next phase of life — to build into you.” Sometimes it’s hard to find a man like that. That’s when “old guys” can step in. Those are men who […]

Sunday Leftovers (8/28/11)

Looking back her tennis career and all the fame that came with her 146 victories, Chris Evert Lloyd said one day, “We get into a rut. We play tennis, we go to a movie, we watch TV, but I keep saying [to my husband], ‘John, there has to be more…’” The good news is, there […]

An example of suffering

Pastor Keith has been teaching through the book of Job on Sunday mornings. This Sunday, he mentioned again the story of Brian Birdwell as an example of those who suffer. If you don’t have time to read his book, Refined by Fire, here is a brief summary of his story in his words: Brian currently […]

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 […]