John Norman, “Bringing in the Outcast” (Discipleship Journal): We all have “lepers” in our lives—people we don’t want to touch because we’re repelled by their personalities, social skills, or emotional problems. Too often, we exclude certain people even from the Body of Christ because they don’t seem to fit in—another church would be better for […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/11/08)John Piper, Desiring God: Love is the overflow of joy in God that meets the needs of others. The overflow is experienced consciously as the pursuit of our joy in the joy of another. We double our delight in God as we expand it in the lives of others. If our ultimate goal were anything […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/10/08)Probably my favorite statement about Biblical manhood comes from John Piper’s classic book, Desiring God: A famous cigarette billboard pictures a curly-headed, bronze-faced, muscular macho with a cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth. The sign says, “Where a man belongs.” That is a lie. Where a man belongs is at the bedside of […]
Read More Why we go to the Shepherds’ ConferenceJerry Bridges, Trusting God: We usually find within ourselves reasons why we think God should not love us. Such searching is…unbiblical. The Bible is quite clear that God does not look within us for a reason to love us. He loves us because we are in Christ Jesus. When He looks at us, He does […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/9/08)I saw it in a headline a few days ago: “Scary economic times teach hard lessons about fiscal responsibility.” I’ve heard and overheard it in multiple ways since then, and even two or three different times today, “I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m afraid of (fill in the blank:) the economy, the presidential race, […]
Read More Are you scared?Jerry Bridges, Trusting God: God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He always knows what is best, and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about.
Read More Today’s Quote (10/8/08)I’ve always been a reader. In my elementary years, I was caught more than one time by my parents reading in bed by the light of a nearby security light that would provide just-barely adequate reading light if I held my book and the window blind just so. At dinner time I would invariably tote […]
Read More Book Review: The ReformationCharles Spurgeon, “Herein is Love:” “Herein is love!” If ever I have coveted powers of speech such as God has committed to some men, powers of thrilling the soul and moving the heart, I covet them to-night, for how can I speak of the wondrous tragedy of the cross? How can I set forth the […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/7/08)Steve Lawson, Made in Our Image: The fact that God loves undeserving sinners like you and me is the mystery of all mysteries. Certainly, it is not inconceivable that we should love Him, given the fact that He is so great and glorious. But that He, the great God of heaven and earth, should love […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/6/08)In 1859, Anna Warner published a little-known book entitled Say and Seal in which one of the characters in the story comforted a dying child by singing a song which had been penned by Anna just for that book. Three years later, William Bradbury came across the book and the song and wrote a tune […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers (10/5/08)John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied: Truly God is love. Love is not something adventitious; it is not something that God may choose to be or choose not to be. He is love, and that necessarily, inherently, and eternally. As God is spirit, as he is light, so he is love. Yet it belongs to […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/5/08)May I ask a straight-forward question? Why do you do what you do? That is, what is the motive for your actions? What drives you and compels you? Specifically, when you think about how you serve God, can you also determine why you serve God? Some serve God from a sense of “holy ought.” He […]
Read More Controlled by God’s loveChristianity Today recently published a brief article debunking a number of myths about missions and missionaries — “Missionary Myths.” Among the myths the article countered were: “There are pressing needs right here.” “Short-termers can do it.” “Let the nationals do it.” “The task has been completed.” “Maybe there are other ways to God.” “Missionaries have […]
Read More Missionary MythsAl Mohler, “Preaching With the Culture in View” in Preaching the Cross: “Most Americans believe that their major problem is something that has happened to them, and that their solution is to be found within. In other words, they believe that they have an alien problem that is to be resolved with an inner solution. […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/4/08)Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students: “It is our duty and our privilege to exhaust our lives for Jesus. We are not to be living specimens of men in fine preservation, but living sacrifices, whose lot is to be consumed; we are to spend and to be spent, not to lay ourselves up in lavender, […]
Read More Today’s Quote (10/3/08)
