Everyone has phrases he tends to use repeatedly. Sometimes the words are “filler” when we don’t know what to say, other times they are affirmations that we tend to make in the same way. For instance, I tend to use the word “absolutely” and “precisely” when giving positive affirmation of a statement. Or when seeing […]
Read More As it is Written“By Faith Alone” Romans 4:17-22 July 9, 2017 On October 31 this year, we will mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses (topics for debate) on the door of the Wittenberg (Castle) Church. Historians typically interpret that event as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. And the Reformation is vital to […]
Read More Sermon: By Faith Alone“How is One Justified?” Romans 4:13-16 July 2, 2017 I’m a curious person. I always have been. Do you know how young children ask “why?” and “how” incessantly? That’s me. Raye Jeanne didn’t fully comprehend that when we got married. Then in our first year or two of marriage, there was a massive power outage […]
Read More Sermon: How is One Justified?We understand that the Lord often uses suffering as a means of sanctifying us — our trials are designed to conform us to Christ. We don’t necessarily “like” the process, but we understand that this is what God does. Paul makes that clear in several places: “And not only this, but we also exult in […]
Read More Suffering as a ministry“What to Pray When You’re Afflicted” Psalm 119:73-80 June 25, 2017 Scripture is filled with exhortations and examples of suffering: For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. (2 Cor. 1:5) For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to […]
Read More Sermon: What to Pray When You’re AfflictedOur church is thrilled to announce the inauguration of a new biblical counseling resource site: Center for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship. This website is the result of months of planning and design and is another aspect of our desire to equip and train individuals to use the Scriptures well in counseling and discipling others. We […]
Read More New Biblical Counseling Resource Site“The First Thing on Your Second Wedding Day” Revelation 19:6-9 May 28, 2017 Weddings were always exciting in our home. So many things made weddings attractive and desirable: the wedding dress, the bridesmaid’s dresses, the flowers, the music, the food and friends after the wedding, the music and dancing, and (most of all?) the cake! […]
Read More Sermon: The First Thing on Your Second Wedding Day“The First Thing in Your Marriage” Selected Scriptures May 21, 2017 I’ve been thinking about marriage quite a bit lately. I’ve been thinking about marriage because I’ve been working on my notes for the trip to Russia to teach biblical counseling, where I will be teaching several times on various aspects of marriage. And I’ve […]
Read More Sermon: The First Thing in Your Marriage“Who Can Be Justified?” Romans 4:9-12 April 30, 2017 Put this in the category of unexpected blessings. When Kushikatsu Tanaka was a young girl, her father developed a particular recipe for deep-fried fried meat on a stick. Though he was a real estate agent, he spent many of his leisure hours perfecting the craft of […]
Read More Sermon: Who Can Be Justified?Guilt might be the most notorious five-letter word in our culture. Declarations of guilt are minimized — he’s not “guilty,” he’s just “struggling” or he “made a mistake.” And feelings of guilt are suppressed and denied. A New York Times article I found this week captures the cultural attitude towards guilt perfectly: A friend of […]
Read More The guilt is goneWednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is from The Christian on the Mount. Grace is precious in itself; 2 Peter 1:1 speaks of precious faith. Grace is precious in its origin; it comes from above (James 3:17). Grace is precious in its nature; […]
Read More Meditate upon Your Spiritual StateDo you know a teenager who has some form of addiction (alcohol, illegal drugs, food, video and gaming, or sex are some common examples)? Do you know a parent who has a teenager struggling with an addiction? Do you live in or near Granbury, Texas? If so, then our church has help for you. On […]
Read More Addictions and Your TeenagerThere are several different approaches to counseling people from a Christian perspective. One form that is gaining influence among Christians is the Christian Psychology movement. What is the background to that movement, what is its theology, and how can we biblically evaluate it? These are some of the questions our associate pastor, Keith Palmer, recently […]
Read More Understanding Christian Psyschology“The Old, Old Story” Pt. 2 Romans 4:1-8 April 23, 2017 When I was in seminary, the church Raye Jeanne and I were part of trained its members in evangelism with the Evangelism Explosion materials. I went through the program and eventually also became a trainer for EE. One semester, one of my trainees was […]
Read More Sermon: The Old, Old Story, Pt. 2A few days ago I backed my car out of my driveway. As is too often the case, I had tried to do too much before I left the house and hadn’t left myself enough time to get where I was going. So as I put the car in reverse and simultaneously buckled my seat […]
Read More What does the Scripture say?
Words of Grace 