Godly repentance is ingenuous

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Doctrine of Repentance. [Godly repentance] is a sorrow for the offense rather than for the punishment. God’s law has been infringed, his love abused. This melts the soul in tears. A man may […]

Sermon: Is God Fair?

“Is God Fair?” Pt. 1 Romans 2:12-16 April 10, 2016 We love children and we love the things children say and do. Let’s face it — they’re cute and the things they do are cute. Like the little girl, who when she was told by her parents, “I love you,” regularly responded, “I love me, […]

Meditate on the attributes of God

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Christian on the Mount. The attributes of God are the various beams by which the divine nature shines forth to us; and there are six special attributes that we should fix our meditations […]

Sermon: A Day of Reckoning, Pt. 2

“A Day of Reckoning” Pt. 2 Romans 2:8-9, 11 April 3, 2016 There are many misconceptions about God, Christ, the Bible, the cross, the resurrection, and many other biblical doctrines. But perhaps the most dangerous truth to misunderstand is the truth about Hell and God’s coming judgment. Inaccuracies and vagueness about Hell are prolific. Consider […]

Union with Christ

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Sermons of Thomas Watson. …our being with Christ is not only local, but conjugal: we shall so behold him, as to be made one with him. What nearer than union? what sweeter? Union […]

The crucified Christ — forsaken and loved

Several years ago, after participating in and observing a great many miscommunications, I began saying, “Communication is a beautiful thing — when it happens.” Too often, for all our desperate attempts to be clear and concise, we misspeak, or speak incoherently enough that our intended meaning is misunderstood. And people are puzzled by our speech, […]

Sermon: The Victorious, Resurrected Christ

“The Victorious, Resurrected Christ” John 16:25-33 March 27, 2016 Author Sidney Sheldon and Groucho Marx were close friends and neighbors for a number of years. As Groucho got well into his 80s, he started a daily habit of visiting Sidney’s house each afternoon for a snack of an apple and a piece of cheese. “It […]

Near the cross – and far from it

“The two malefactors were crucified together. They were equally near to Christ. Both of them saw and heard all that transpired during those fateful six hours. Both were notoriously wicked; both were suffering acutely; both were dying, and both urgently needed forgiveness. Yet one of them died in his sins, died as he had lived […]

“Today You Will be with Me in Paradise”

“Today You Will be with Me in Paradise” Luke 23:39-43 March 25, 2016 — Good Friday For reasons that are pragmatic and biblical and theological, I have never gambled or participated in the lottery. And because of that, Raye Jeanne and I taught our daughters not to gamble. And that makes a situation that Emily […]

Let us prize Christ

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Godly Man’s Picture. As we would prove to the world that we have the impress of godliness on us, let us be prizers of Jesus Christ; he is elect, precious. Christ is the […]

God’s judgments

Say the words “judgment of God,” or “wrath of God,” and people’s minds inevitably go to the final judgment of God against sin. It is certainly true that God’s judgment will culminate against all sinners at the Great White Throne judgment that will come at the end of the age (Rev. 20:11-15). But that is […]

Sermon: A Day of Reckoning

“A Day of Reckoning” Pt. 1 Romans 2:6-7, 10 March 20, 2016 Annie Dillard, in her book, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, writes: “A couple summers ago I was walking along the edge of the island to see what I could see in the water, and mainly to scare frogs.…At the end of the island I […]

Shepherds’ Conference 2017

The Shepherds’ Conference was just held last week. And this week registration is open for next year’s conference (February 28 – March 3, 2017). Because next year is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther posting his theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenburg, Germany, the Shepherds’ Conference is commemorating that event with […]

Do we esteem Christ highly?

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Godly Man’s Picture. Is it the sign of a godly person to be a Christ-prizer? Then let us test our godliness by this: Do we set a high estimation on Christ? Question: How […]

Shepherds’ Conference notes

Last week, along with five other men from our church, I attended the Shepherds’ Conference. While the conference is designed for pastors, any man would find encouragement in his spiritual life and exhortation for his leadership responsibilities. And that was certainly true of the conference this year, which was a great time of instruction from […]