Resources for battling temptation

Though we regularly face temptation and though we sometimes succumb to temptation does not mean we are not in Christ or that Christ is not working in us. John Piper illustrates: Suppose you are in a car race and your enemy, who doesn’t want you to finish the race, throws mud on your windshield. The […]

Moore on temptation

At the conclusion of his book, Tempted and Tried, Russell Moore offers this statement about the “benefits” of temptation: I hope you recognize the satanic offers that come to you for self-directed provision or protection or exaltation. I hope you see how our Lord Jesus can intercede for you, how the Spirit can fight through […]

Sunday Leftovers (7/24/11)

Sin is evil. And temptation is the tool Satan uses to draw individuals into sin so that they are destroyed by it. He seeks to deceive and delude unbelievers so that they are prevented from seeing the light of the gospel. And he seeks to devour believers as their adversary. There is nothing inherently good […]

Violence, again

More than a decade ago, there was a shooting in a Fort Worth church where a number of people were killed by a gunman. That same week, John MacArthur was speaking at a conference I was attending and when he was asked about the event he responded, “The deeper the world sinks into the abyss […]

Kindle book sale

Until July 27, Amazon is “The Big Deal” selling over 900 books at significantly reduced prices — $0.99, $1.99, $2.99, and $3.99. Here are a few deals I found yesterday: The list of Christian and “spiritual” books (watch out for that last category) can be found here. And a few more deals: Nancy Pearcey, Saving […]

God’s knowledge: a grace for sinners

Awareness of the knowledge of God is a preventative for sin. But God’s knowledge of us is also a grace to us, as Thomas Watson explains: The infiniteness of God’s knowledge is a comfort, in case the saints have not a clear knowledge of themselves. They find so much corruption, that they judge they have […]

God’s knowledge: a preventative for sin

Keeping out of sin sometimes sounds easier than it is. After a passionate sermon on Sunday morning, it might seem inconceivable that one would ever knowingly choose sin again. But after a series of offenses from a boss on Monday afternoon, sin might seem the only viable and rational response. How can we keep from […]

Humbled by grace

Followed relentlessly by police officer Javert, Jean Valjean finds himself with a unique opportunity: another man has been accused of his crimes and is about to be convicted. And if the innocent man is convicted, Valjean will be free. The dilemma is, can he allow another man to be unjustly accused and imprisoned for the […]

The spiritual value of sickness

After recently preaching on Romans 8:28-29 and then listening to Keith’s lesson on how to pray for those who are suffering (“Praying in Light of Job”) this past Sunday, I came across this related counsel from J. C. Ryle: Sickness is meant… To make us think—to remind us that we have a soul as well […]

Dreaming of faithfulness

Have you ever had a dream? I have… When I was five, I dreamed of being a garbage man. When I was ten, I dreamed of being fifteen. When I was fifteen, I dreamed of being a baseball player. When I was twenty, I day-dreamed. When I was twenty-five, I dreamed of finishing school. When […]

God is not like us

I’ve been thinking much lately about how God uses difficulties, trials, and even sin for the accomplishment of His purposes and even for good in the lives of the believers (think Romans 8:28-29). Our tendency is to react defensively and with significant resistance to a statement like that. We struggle to accept that God works […]

A word to parents

If you’ve been a parent for a while one of two things is likely true — either you are confident in your role, knowing exactly what you need to do, or you have become thoroughly confused and you feel clueless. You may be like the dad who said, “Before I had children I had three […]

Something for every person

You have been a Christian for years. Ministry seemed intimidating at first, but you’ve been involved in your church for a number of years, you’ve volunteered in some civic organizations, and you have a fairly clear perspective on your spiritual giftedness and effectiveness. Ministry is much more natural now. Yet, while the patterns of life […]

Mark Talbot preaching on suffering

I have not yet listened to these messages given by Mark Talbot on suffering at the B. B. Warfield Memorial Lectures, but if they are anything like the message he gave at the Desiring God conference several years ago, this will be well worth hearing. (His message “Redemptive Curveballs,” given at Wheaton College is also […]

Two thoughts while reading Chronicles

This morning I began reading the two books of the Chronicles again. When reading these books, it’s easy to have your eyes become glassy and your mind distracted as you read name after name of unknown people. How can I read these verses in fresh ways so that the Lord uses this morning in redemptive […]