How to love your enemy

Do you ever wonder how to love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you (Mt. 5:44)? John Piper, contemplating that command of Christ, relates it to the familiar pattern for prayer that follows in Mt. 6 — It would be unwarranted to think that the loving prayer for our enemy should ask for […]

Catching up on some blogs

Here are some blogs of interest from the past few days — In the past two days, Al Mohler has written two articles that all parents ought to read. Yesterday he wrote, “The Death Culture Strikes Again,” addressing the role of the internet in increasing suicide rates among teens, concluding with yet another admonition to […]

Book Review: Spirit-Empowered Preaching

In the last year or so, I became aware of the ministry of Art Azurdia, and the treasure of sermons available from his ministry as a pastor for some 20 years. Having heard a number of his sermons, I purchased his book, Spirit Empowered Preaching. After hearing a broad variety of other preachers and kinds […]

Solus Christus Audio

The audio from the Solus Christus conference held at Countryside Bible Church last weekend is now online. Here are the links to the various sermons: Christ: Our Only Mediator (Al Mohler) Christ: Our Only Righteousness (Tom Pennington) Christ: Our Only Advocate (Phil Johnson) A Tale of Two Covenants (Phil Johnson) Christ Alone: The Heart of […]

Book Review: The Truth War

I finished reading John MacArthur’s book, The Truth War this morning — on the same day that the main headline in my newspaper (referring to the question of Roger Clemens’ supposed steroid usage) was, “Testimony hits no closer to the truth.” The headline is a revelation of the time in which we live. We tear […]

Mohler on the new atheism

Last week, Al Mohler presented the W. H. Griffith Thomas lectureship at Dallas Theological Seminary, speaking on the new atheism. If you are wondering what men like Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and Richard Dawkins are saying and writing (and millions of people have purchased their books, so someone is wondering), then you will find these […]

Need more time?

Rare is the day when someone doesn’t say something to me like, “I just need a little more time…” I say it too. Near the end of his biography on Whitfield, Arnold Dallimore offers this personal observation that is both an encouragement and exhortation: When the present author is stirring at 7 in the morning, […]

Book Review: George Whitfield

Arnold Dallimore has written numerous biographies, including ones on Spurgeon, several on the Wesley family, and the definitive two–volume work on George Whitfield, which he latter summarized into a more manageable, one-volume, 200-page book: George Whitfield: God’s Annointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century. (This latter book also may be accessed through […]

Book Review: The Cross He Bore

I regularly look for and purchase and read books about Jesus Christ — and particularly Christ and the cross. The cross is of first importance for the believer. We cannot think about it too much. We often think about it too little. So when I read an encouragement by Tim Challies to purchase The Cross […]

What makes a good home?

In his sermon, “The Pastor as Son of an Earthly Father,” D. A. Carson says this: “The worst kind of home to be brought up in is the one with many pretensions and low performance.The best kind of home to be brought up in is the one with few pretensions and high performance.” The entire […]

Why I (and others) appreciate Piper’s preaching

Mark Dever wrote this about John Piper in the Introduction to Preaching the Cross (which C. J. Mahaney also quoted in his recent interview of Dever): What a gift John is to the church. While too many of us are saying a lot of things quickly and running on to the next, John stops. And […]

What are you giving up for Lent?

As today is Ash Wednesday, this is a common question — “what are you giving up for Lent?” I’ve heard a variety of answers — from the sublime to the ridiculous (but mostly ridiculous) — cole slaw, eye-liner, premarital sex with a fiancé, running yellow lights among them. Even giving up Lent. Hmmm. I am […]

The sacrifice of Christ

I was introduced to the poetry of George Herbert 25 years ago in a college literature class. In fact, I had to purchase a textbook comprised almost entirely of his poetry. I didn’t have an appreciation for his writing at the time — even after reading a significant amount from that book. Now I do. […]

Book Review: Through the Looking Glass

I stumbled onto Kris Lundgaard’s first book, The Enemy Within, at a second-hand book store. I was unfamiliar with the book, but knew the reputation of the publisher, and seeing the commendation from J. I. Packer on the back, I ventured the few dollars for the book on the hope they would be worthwhile. They […]

Overloaded?

I first saw the link to this web article on another blog, somewhere, sometime in the last week. Don’t know who, don’t know when. I just remember seeing it, and then seeing it referenced again by Desiring God today. I don’t have 157 books to read like Phil Ryken, but I do have over 100 […]