Shepherds’ Conference registration has begun

Registration for the 2011 Shepherds’ Conference has begun. Cost is still $300 and the general session speakers this year are the same as the past few years: John MacArthur, Al Mohler, Steve Lawson, Tom Pennington, Rick Holland, and Phil Johnson. It’s a great lineup of speakers and should be a great time of encouragement. You […]

The parable of the monkey grass

Today was a day to catch up on a few yard projects. We had a mature rose bush that had died that needed to be removed, and Raye Jeanne planned to transplant a crape myrtle sprout that had grown up elsewhere in the yard in its place. But to plant the fledgling tree in that […]

Reading Esther

The book of Esther is unique because of the fact that the name of God is not mentioned in the book. Yet the sovereignty of God and Mordecai and Esther’s trust in Him is on high display throughout the book. It is a book of intrigue, sinister plots, wise planning, justice, faithful trust, and God’s […]

Reading 1 Timothy

Ephesus was an important city in ancient Asia Minor. It was a port city and had several major highways emanating from it, making it important economically in its day. It was also the center of pagan worship with the temple of Diana. It also was a cultural center with a major theater, a library, and […]

Free Oswald Sanders audio book

Each month, Christian Audio makes available one book for a free download. This month the book is J. Oswald Sanders’ classic work, Spiritual Leadership. To download the book, follow the instructions found at Christian Audio. Add the download to your cart and use the coupon code SEP2010 when prompted to receive this month’s free download! […]

On vacation

A couple more thoughts about Christ’s atonement

The truth about Christ’s penal substitutionary atonement is the key component to understanding the gospel. And the Scriptures abound with images, references, and teaching about that atonement. The Old Testament sacrificial system anticipated the atoning work of Christ — it anticipated the punishment being administered by the wrath of God, it looked forward to Christ […]

Sunday Leftovers (8/29/10)

Count these among famous first words: “What hath God wrought?” Samuel F. B. Morse sent this message over the world’s first commercial telegraph line on May 24, 1844. “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.” This message of Aug. 16, 1858, was the first official communication sent over a […]

The anniversary of Augustine’s death

Today marks the 1680th anniversary of Augustine’s death. He died on this day on 430 A.D. Augustine was influential in articulating the gospel of justification by faith and was the godly inspiration of many who would follow more than a millennium later in the reformation. Thinking of Augustine’s death reminded me of one of my […]

Seeking happiness through sorrow

John Piper frequently quotes the French philosopher Pascal, who wrote in Pensees, “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. the cause of some going to war and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attending with different views. The will […]

Reflections on Twenty Years of Ministry: God’s Glory

This is the eleventh and final of a series of reflections of gratitude on 20 years of ministry at GBC. I hope you knew I would have to conclude my reflections with the truth of God’s glory. I don’t think I came to GBC with the priority of God’s glory as preeminently clear in my […]

Bring the Book!

This morning we read Nehemiah 8, which is the passage that was the basis for Steve Lawson’s sermon “Bring the Book!” at the Shepherds’ Conference a few years ago. It is a really outstanding sermon. You may download it here. (It really is worth the hour or so it will take you to listen to […]

Reflections on Twenty Years of Ministry: the Adequate Word

This is the tenth of a series of reflections of gratitude on 20 years of ministry at GBC. To say that the Scriptures are adequate is something like saying that a bazooka is adequate to kill a mosquito or that a Lamborghini is adequate to defeat a bicycle in a ten-mile race. When we say […]

Identifying idols

Kenny Stokes (who is filling in as the preaching pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church while John Piper is taking his leave of absence) preached on 1 Jn. 5:20-21 last Sunday and asked these “13 Questions to Diagnose Your Idolatries:” What do you most highly value? What do you think about by default? What is your […]

Reading Nehemiah

Nehemiah is closely related to the book of Ezra. In fact, the Hebrew Bible has them as one single book. Nehemiah follows the story of Ezra by nearly 100 years. When Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in the third wave of the return from exile in 445 B.C., the initial returnees had been in the land […]