The ministry of small talk

Yesterday, in talking about how to love others, I mentioned that it is possible to use small talk either to love others as a demonstration of your care and interest in them and their desires, or as a means of withholding love by keeping things superficial and non-intimate so that you neither have to share […]

Sunday Leftovers (3/20/11)

David Sharp was 34 when he died five years ago. And depending upon whom you ask, his death was either unavoidable or preventable. The British citizen was attempting a climb up Mt. Everest in May of 2006 when he died in a shallow snow cave from a lack of oxygen. That he died, in one […]

The curse of God and the grace of Christ

The release of one book has produced a massive (and needed) output of words in the blogosphere on the topic of hell. I’ve been planning to write something myself (perhaps tomorrow morning). For now, this 8-minute excerpt from a message by R. C. Sproul is a sober reminder of the profound work Christ accomplished by […]

Signs of grace

How can you tell if you are growing in the grace of Christ (2 Pt. 3:18)? Scotty Smith regularly offers insights on Twitter (follow him @ScottyWardSmith) about manifestations of the growth of grace in a believer’s life. Here are some of my favorite over the past couple of weeks. A sign you are growing in […]

Shepherds’ Conference summary

The audio for last week’s Shepherds’ Conference is now available. All sessions can be downloaded for free — a great gift from Grace Church! As I have done the past couple of years, I’ve scanned through my notes and pulled some of the statements from each session/preacher that were significant, helpful, encouraging and beneficial to […]

How a Japanese believer responded to the tsunami

In a somewhat extended article that is definitely worth reading, a Japanese believer talks about the spiritual needs in Japan, the goodness of God in the past week, the death of believers the tsunami, and the opportunity to demonstrate the transforming work of Christ in this circumstance: In a nation with such a small Christian […]

The biggest problem in your marriage

While talking with my NANC supervisor yesterday about a couple with marital problems that I am counseling, he said I should remind them, “you think the biggest problem in your marriage is your spouse and you; the biggest problem in your marriage is you and God.” And isn’t that always one of the root issues […]

Pursuing Joy

How are you doing in your fight for joy in Christ? Most of us need daily reminders of the goodness and grace of Christ so that we might walk in joy victory and not sorrow and defeat (insert comment here about the need for daily feeding from God’s Word to fulfill that need). In a […]

Regeneration camp

The Regeneration camp for high school-aged students will be held at Glorietta, NM on the week of July 25-29. A preview of and purpose for the week:

Session 9 – John MacArthur

The last session of the Shepherds’ Conference was John MacArthur. The only authority we have is when we speak that which God has spoken. And that makes it a horrendous thing when evangelicals come along and make it a virtue to be “humble,” and to obscure the meaning of the text. 9-MacArthur General Session.pdf

Session 8 – Steve Lawson

Wherever a spiritual famine exists, there can be no spiritual fruit. Pulpits dry up. Preachers become droughts without rain. Churches become dust bowls. People begin to die on the vine. This is precisely what the prophet Amos said in his day. It was the best of times politically and culturally. Jeroboam II was the King […]

Seminar 4 – Jim Pile

There are spiritual highs and lows in ministry — Ps. 23 echoes both themes. Cf. also Ps. 55:13, 20, 21; 56:1-2, 5-6. Sometimes this is the result of struggling with the lust of the flesh or the lust of the yes and the boastful pride of life. And others are struggling with the betrayal of […]

Session 7 – Nathan Busenitz

For many this verse is trivialized — a personal motto or motivation. It has become a declaration of personal empowerment — winning a football game, losing weight, or gaining a job. Out of context, it is a boost of personal self-confidence. But in context, it has a very specific and different meaning. In context it […]

Session 6 – Al Mohler

It’s a mystery why Apollos is so neglected. In the NT, there are only 10 verses that refer to Apollos, but in these verses, we learn much about Apollos and why he should be a model for us. 6-Mohler General Session.pdf

Seminar 3 – Jesse Johnson

The church has been given a mission: evangelism; and this is unique in the history of the world. A soup kitchen without the gospel is ineffectual and misses the point of the mission of the church. The church’s goal is not to eliminate hunger and poverty. Johnson, Missional Madness.pdf