Meditation is a duty

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. Meditation is a duty lying upon every Christian, and there is no disputing our duty. Meditation is an imposed duty and an opposed duty. 1. Meditation is an imposed […]

The saving gospel

The gospel is powerful to save. Both the Old and New Testaments provide ample illustrations of the saving power of God. While the Old Testament often stresses the temporal salvation of God’s people (e.g., Ex. 14:13; 15:2), there are other demonstrations also of God’s power to spiritually save sinners (e.g., Ps. 77:14-15; Is. 12:2; 52:7, […]

Sermon: The Greatness of the Gospel (Pt. 1)

“The Greatness of the Gospel” (Part 1) Romans 1:16-17 August 9, 2015 I have in my closet some important letters — Raye Jeanne wrote them to me when we were dating and not yet married. Over the 13 months that we dated before marriage I suppose I have 100 or more letters (hard copies — […]

The nature of meditation

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. If it be inquired what meditation is, I answer—Meditation is the soul’s retiring of itself, that by a serious and solemn thinking upon God, the heart may be raised […]

Reading Habakkuk (redux)

This is a repost of a blog from last year; since our Bible book of the month is Habakkuk, I thought it would be helpful to post this again. One of the most repeated sentences by young children is, “it’s not fair…” As in, It’s not fair that my brother can stay up later than […]

Sermon: A Life of Service (Pt. 2)

“Caring for One Another: A Life of Service” (Part 2) Romans 1:11-15 August 2, 2015 A number of years ago, London resident Simon Thompson was trying to push his stalled BMW off a road in a London suburb when another driver called out, “Do you want a hand?” And then the car’s back doors flew […]

The evil of affliction works for good to the godly

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from All Things for Good. It is one heart-quieting consideration in all the afflictions that befall us, that God has a special hand in them: ‘The Almighty hath afflicted me’ (Ruth 1.21). Instruments can no […]

What makes a good testimony?

When individuals at GBC want to be baptized or join the church, we ask them to publicly share a brief testimony of their life with Christ and how they came to know Christ. This is actually just a shortened version of what we ask them to do when they meet with the elders prior to […]

If we are lovers of God, we love what God loves

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from All Things for Good. If we are lovers of God, we love what God loves. (1) We love God’s Word. David esteemed the Word, for the sweetness of it, above honey (Psalm 119.103), and […]

Sermon: A Life of Service

“Caring for One Another: A Life of Service” (Part 1) Romans 1:11-15 July 19, 2015 It’s hard to be a servant. To serve others is to do something that is contrary to our natural inclinations and to fight against the flesh. That’s why we just read the story of Epaphroditus. We don’t know much about […]

Influencing others

Every day we influence others in one of two directions: (1) toward faith in Christ and eternal glory, or (2) toward rejection of Christ and eternal judgment. ‘It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with […]

How can it be?

One classic hymn ponders the provision of salvation through Christ by asking the question, “And can it be…” And can it be that I should gain An interest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain— For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, […]

The first privilege of being 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. Here we enjoy Christ by letters, and that is sweet; but what will it be to enjoy his presence in glory? Here is that which may amaze us, we […]

An Open Letter from John MacArthur

From John MacArthur: The highest court in the land has passed its judgment. The headlines proclaim that a slim majority of Supreme Court justices considers freedom of sexual orientation a right for all Americans. This exchange of one set of values in favor of another does not come as a surprise to us who already […]

Free John Calvin eBooks

From Ligonier: John Calvin was born on this day in 1509. In honor of his birthday, Reformation Trust and Ligonier Ministries are making two John Calvin ebooks available free for 24 hours. The Expository Genius of John Calvin by Steven Lawson John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology edited by Burk Parsons “John […]