Okay. It’s the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth, so that question may be somewhat irrelevant. Most will know that John Calvin was a theologian, pastor, and essential participant in the Reformation. But what about the details of his life? Without reading (or reciting) a biography, do you know who John Calvin is? I’ve been […]
Read More Who is John Calvin?Erwin Lutzer, Failure: the Backdoor to Success: What is failure? It is living with perverted values. It is being hooked on one or more of the three worldly motivations [the pride of life, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes]. What is success? It is learning to apply the grace of […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Success (Lutzer)He had all the trappings of 21st century, American success. He was a master builder — massive revitalization projects produced much income and resources for a struggling city. He was a motivating leader — thousands of men served underneath him and gladly followed him. He was a successful soldier — he led his nation out […]
Read More Too much successHoratius Bonar, The Everlasting Righteousness: Faith is rest, not toil. It is the giving up all the former weary efforts to do or feel something good, in order to induce God to love and pardon; and the calm reception of the truth so long rejected, that God is not waiting for any such inducements, but […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Faith (Bonar)We are saved by grace. We are undeserving of it, yet recipients of God’s benevolent love all the same. In Ephesians, Paul also includes the prepositional phrase, “by faith” as a component to the process of salvation. That is, faith is not the cause of our salvation — grace through the work of Christ is […]
Read More Saved by grace through – how much? – faithCharles H. Spurgeon, All of Grace: Trust is the lifeblood of faith; there is no saving faith without it. The Puritans were accustomed to explain faith by the word “recumbency.” It meant leaning upon a thing. Lean with all your weight upon Christ. It would be a better illustration still if I said, fall at […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Faith (Spurgeon)“How often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Mt. 18:21; NASB) One South African home owner might have paraphrased that question, “how often shall I rescue a man who sins against me?” It seems that the man come home one evening to find nine men robbing his […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers (8/9/09)John Piper, Battling Unbelief: The test of whether our kind of faith is the kind of faith that justified is whether it is the kind of faith that sanctifies. These are not two different kinds of faith. Both embrace Christ who bore our punishment, provided our righteousness, and promises to meet every need to the […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Faith (Piper)At the conclusion of his book, Into Thin Air, outdoorsman and author Jon Krakauer recounts a conversation he had with fellow climber Neal Beidleman after they both successfully made it down from Mount Everest in May, 1996 — the same month when 12 people died attempting to climb the world’s highest peak. Beidleman had led […]
Read More God the ShepherdJohn Piper, “Preaching as Worship:” Jesus described faith this way in John 6:35 — “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” Believing in Jesus means coming to him for the quenching of our soul’s thirst. Faith in Christ is […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Faith (Piper)A. W. Pink: The nature of Christ’s salvation is woefully misrepresented by the present-day evangelist. He announces a Savior from hell rather than a Savior from sin. And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire who have no desire to be delivered […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Salvation (Pink)Title: Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God Author: Bruce A. Ware Publisher: Crossway, 2009; 234 pp. $15.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): More than one parent has been stumped by the question, “what should I teach my child about God?” Perhaps having read through a basic Bible story book, the young […]
Read More Book Review: Big Truths for Young HeartsOne of my favorite verses is Ephesians 2:7 — so that in the ages to come, He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. God’s mercy, love, and grace that result in the salvation of sinners is for the purpose of demonstrating the magnitude of God’s grace […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers (8/2/09)Thabiti Anyabwile, What is a Healthy Church Member?: Conversion is the radical turn from an enslaved life of pursuing sin to a free life of pursuing and worshipping God. Conversion is a change of life, not merely a decision. This change is not a matter of moral rectitude, self help or merely behavior modification. It […]
Read More Today’s Quote – Salvation (Anyabwile)Here are the nine questions that John Patrick says every person must answer; I mentioned these in the sermon this morning: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? How do I come to terms with death? How do I make sense of suffering? How can I possibly believe in […]
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