The Scriptures are endowed with God’s authority

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity. How does it appear that the Scriptures have a divine authority stamped upon them? Because the Old and New Testament are the foundation of all true religion. If their divinity […]

Sermon: God’s Revelation, Man’s Rejection, Part 2

“God’s Revelation; Man’s Rejection” Part 2 Romans 1:20-25 September 13, 2015 I believe it was about April of 1990 that I was first contacted by Grace Bible Church after I’d submitted my resume for consideration of the open pastoral position here. I responded to the nine questions they sent me and then waited for their […]

25 years ago today

Twenty-five years ago today, I was installed as pastor of my first church — the church I continue to serve as pastor, Grace Bible Church. At (almost) 28 years of age, I could hardly imagine then what it would be like to preach 25 sermons, let alone preach sermons for 25 years — in one […]

True repentance is sorrow for sin

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. Ingredient 2: Sorrow for Sin I will be sorry for my sin (Psalm 38.18) Ambrose calls sorrow the embittering of the soul. The Hebrew word ‘to be sorrowful’ signifies ‘to […]

What’s the difference between general and special revelation?

The two means by which God revealed Himself to mankind were through general and special revelation. General revelation is that which may be generally known and understood by all men, regardless of their relationship with God. It includes that which can be known about God through creation (Rom. 1:20), through an inner “testimony” or reason […]

Sermon: God’s Revelation, Man’s Rejection, Part 1

“God’s Revelation; Man’s Rejection” Part 1 Romans 1:20-25 September 6, 2015 The day after Christmas in 1944, Japanese soldier Hiroo Onoda was sent by his commander to Lubang Island in the Philippines with these orders: You are absolutely forbidden to die by your own hand. It may take three years, it may take five, but […]

True repentance is seeing sin

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. Repentance is a grace of God’s Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed. For a further amplification, know that repentance is a spiritual medicine made up of […]

Reading Titus

In our “Bible book of the month” reading plan, we are reading the book of Titus in September. As we begin reading the book this morning, perhaps some background might be helpful. Who was Titus? Titus a protegé of the apostle Paul and was installed by Paul as something like an interim pastor over the […]

Sermon: God’s Wrath Revealed

“God’s Wrath Revealed” Romans 1:18-19 August 30, 2015 It is clear that the world hates God. God’s morality is mocked. His truth is ignored. His commands are violated. Christ is scorned. What Jesus told his disciples in the first century is still true of both Him and us today — “If the world hates you, […]

Living in uncertain times

This morning I glanced at the headlines of the newspaper and commented to my wife, “The Lord must certainly be coming back soon.” It wasn’t just the headline about China’s financial troubles and the resulting uncertainties in our stock market that triggered that comment. It was also the moral chaos that we have seen unfolding […]

That we may at last come to enjoy God

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity. Let this be a spur to duty. How diligent and zealous should we be in glorifying God, that we may come at last to enjoy him! If Tully, Demosthenes, and […]

The biblical basis for God’s wrath

There are several common objections to the wrath of God: The wrath of God is inconsistent with God’s love The wrath of God is inconsistent with God’s forgiveness The wrath of God is unfair/unjust The wrath of God isn’t taught in the New Testament Yet Scripture consistently affirms that both the Old Testament and the […]

Sermon: The Wrath of God

“The Wrath of God” Romans 1:18 August 23, 2015 It was spring of my sophomore year in college (in Jacksonville, FL) and I had a bad case of spring fever. A group of friends was headed to the beach on one particular day, and I had a dilemma — “beach or class?” Sand and surf […]

Meditation is not memory or study

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 memory, a glorious faculty that Aristotle calls the soul’s scribe, sits and pens all things that are done. Whatever we read or hear, the memory registers. Therefore, God […]

Sermon: The Greatness of the Gospel (Pt. 2)

“The Greatness of the Gospel” (Part 2) Romans 1:16-17 August 16, 2015 A few years ago an investment company produced a commercial advocating using their services to accumulate enough wealth for retirement — the commercial showed a couple sitting on a couch being bounced up and down from behind by their hosts in an attempt […]