Identifying the fool

Say the word “fool” and the image of one who is easily duped comes to mind: Larry, Mo and Curly, Barney Fife, Laurel and Hardy. Yet they, and the characters they portrayed were not so much fools as simpletons who were essentially harmless, innocent, and amusing. Not so with the fool. Scripture is clear that […]

Sin in the believer

John Murray: “There must be a constant and increasing appreciation that though sin still remains it does not have the mastery. There is a total difference between surviving sin and reigning sin, the regenerate in conflict with sin and the unregenerate complacent to sin. It is one thing for sin to live in us: it […]

Propitiation and God’s wrath

John writes that Jesus Christ Himself is the propitiation for the sins of the believer (1 John 2:2a). There has been much debate about the meaning of the word propitiation. Some have suggested that it is synonymous with expiation, meaning that through Christ God has canceled the debt of sin. Others have said it is […]

Sunday Leftovers: Fighting against sin

In 1 John 2:1, the apostle declares, “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” He is telling his readers — believers in a group of churches in Asia Minor who had been taught by a group of heretics that sin was irrelevant and that one could be in good […]

How do you respond to Scripture?

You wake up in the morning, get your favorite cup of caffeine or a glass of orange juice, wander slowly to a comfortable chair, and pick up your Bible. You sit still for a few moments, trying to orchestrate a coherent thought or two about what you are about to do. You then offer a […]

Mental Illness, Psychiatric Drugs, and Counseling Education

Yesterday Heath Lambert wrote the first contribution to a series of articles on “Mental Illness, Psychiatric Drugs, and Counseling Education.” He made three observations and then drew three implications from those observations: God Made Human Beings Body and Soul Physical Treatments for the Body Are as Good as Spiritual Treatments for the Soul Psychiatric Medication […]

Weekly ebook specials from Crossway

Crossway regularly has very good prices on their ebooks. I discovered this morning that they have weekly specials that they make known through an email distribution on Tuesdays. This week the emphasis is on apologetic titles by K. Scott Oliphint, including a title one of my daughters is reading with me (slowly — but it’s […]

True repentance

Martin Luther: When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent,” He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. [#1 of his 95 Theses] Sinclair Ferguson: Biblical repentance…is not merely a sense of regret that leaves us where it found us. It is a radical reversal that takes us back […]

Sunday Leftovers: marks of repentance

The believer is to forgive anyone who comes to him for forgiveness — and whenever he comes to him for forgiveness (Lk. 17:3). Yet it is always easier to forgive someone who is repentant and broken for their sin. But what does repentance look like? The apostle Paul commends the Corinthians for their repentance and […]

Consider your own death

What would you do and how would you act if you considered your imminent death? Specifically, what kind of evangelist would you be if you were convinced of your soon physical demise? Such a consideration would likely stimulate you and me to greater boldness in evangelism, which was the point of Joseph Alleine, a Puritan […]

Free audio book by Wendell Berry

Last year I listened to Wendell Berry’s Hannah Coulter (available at Christian Audio for only $4.98). It was a delightful and wonderful book — one of my favorite non-theological books I’ve read in a long time. And this month, ChristianAudio is giving away Wendell Berry’s Jayber Crow. I’ve not read or listened to this book, […]

Theology deals for your Kindle

Several excellent theological resources are available for a short time for your Kindle — many of them published by Crossway. Consider these examples: A God Entranced Vision of All Things: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards ed. by John Piper & Justin Taylor ($1.99) Jonathan Edwards and Justification ed. by Josh Moody ($3.99) God’s Grand Design […]

Recent Sermons

The Recent Sermons page of my blog was recently updated. On that page you can listen to or download recent sermons. A much greater archive of sermons is kept on the church audio page and document page (for outlines).

Sunday Leftovers: more on confession and 1 John 1:9

In 1 John 1:9, the beloved disciple reminds believers that “If (when) we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Most believers are quite familiar with this verse, but what does it really mean to confess our sins? What is confession? What should […]

Preparing for a sermon on 1 John 1:9

This afternoon I’ve been thinking about tomorrow’s sermon on 1 John 1:9. This may be one of the most well-known verses in Scripture, behind perhaps John 3:16, Psalm 23, and Genesis 1:1. It’s easy to miss the importance of a passage because of our familiarity. How can we prepare to hear this familiar word in […]