A benefit of suffering: it exposes sin

Thomas Boston [The Crook in the Lot] writes of a number of benefits of our suffering and afflictions — the crooks (or bent, difficult pathways) in our lots (the circumstances of our lives that have been allotted to us. One of those is the exposure of sin in our hearts: There are some corruptions in […]

Day and night meditation

I am neither a farmer nor a rancher. Yet for at least two weeks during a couple of summers in my youth, I became a “temp” farmer, working on my uncle’s dairy farm. It was a time not only for a “city-slicker” to be exposed to some life realities, but also a fun time with […]

When we don’t feel like praying

R. A. Torrey: Oftentimes when we come to God in prayer, we do not feel like praying. What shall one do in such a case? cease praying until he does feel like it? Not at all. When we feel least like praying is the time when we most need to pray. We should wait quietly […]

Weakness is the Way — a new book from J. I. Packer

Crossway has just released a new book by J. I. Packer entitled, Weakness is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength. Here Packer talks about the premise behind the book. This looks helpful! Publisher’s Description: For Christians, weakness should be a way of life. Yet most of us try desperately to be sufficient on […]

Sunday Leftovers: Fellowship with God

The term “fellowship” is used regularly in the context of the church (do non-believers use the word?). Often the word is used synonymously for “food” or “feast,” as in, “be sure to bring enough food to the fellowship (feast)…” or “come Wednesday evening as we enjoy fellowship (a meal) together…” While fellowship can take place […]

“What is your position on Lordship Salvation?”

After my sermon from two weeks ago (“What Do You Know About Salvation — an Introduction to 1 John”), someone in another city listened to the audio and emailed me the question, “What is your position on Lordship Salvation?” Here is how I answered him. There is a short and a long answer to your […]

Alive to Wonder — Free ebook about C. S. Lewis

From Desiring God: Alive to Wonder: Celebrating the Influence of C. S. Lewis is a collection of extended excerpts from John Piper’s corpus where Lewis’s fingerprints are most vividly seen, including a significant introduction from Piper specially written for this project. The book is available for a free download in PDF, EPUB (iBooks, Nook), or […]

Kindle Spanish Book Deals

Here are some excellent ebook deals for Spanish speakers: Teologia Sistematica, Wayne Grudem: Kindle Price: $.99 Manual Biblico, Henry Halley: Kindle Price: $.99 Nuevo Comentario Ilustrado de la Biblia, Earl D. Radmacher: Kindle Price: $.99 Concordia de la Biblia Strong Concisa, James Strong: Kindle Price: $.99 Diccionario Expositivo de Palabras del Antiguo y Nuevo Testamento […]

The goal of marital counseling (and marriage)

David Murray: The main question most people ask in marriage relationships today is, “What can I get out of it?” Especially, “What sex can I get out of it?” And when the investment of time, money, emotion, and sexual energy does not pay off as expected? Separation. And the search for a better return from […]

Messed Up Family?

From Jon Bloom: Have you ever noticed how hard it is to find an example of what we would call a “healthy family” in the Bible? It’s a lot easier to find families with a lot of sin and a lot of pain than to find families with a lot of harmony. For example, here’s […]

Free Sproul ebooks

Amazon currently has almost a dozen of R. C. Sproul’s booklets available for free. I’m not sure how long this deal will last, so act quickly to get them! Amazon.com: R. C. Sproul.

If you’d like to help…

Below is the substance of an email I sent to our church body this morning after the storm in Granbury last night: Dear beloved Church Body, The Lord last night demonstrated His power and authority, along with His grace. During the storm, the words of Psalm 8 were going through my mind: When I consider […]

Sunday Leftovers: First John and sanctification

Reading 1 John has often created questions for believers about the security of their eternal life, because of what John seems to be saying about sin — e.g., “No one who abides in Him [Christ] sins…” (3:6). Yet every believer still knows the reality of sin in his life, so too often people think something […]

MacArthur Study Bibles on sale for Kindle — and more

Thomas Nelson has several excellent deals on books by John MacArthur — and one or two other authors — through Monday evening (10 p.m., CDT). Among the sales are the MacArthur Study Bible for both NKJV and NASB. Take advantage of these quickly: The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV ($4.99) DOWNLOAD The MacArthur Study Bible, NASB […]

What Is a Christian?

A Christian is one who recognizes Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, as God manifested in the flesh, loving us and dying for our redemption; and who is so affected by a sense of the love of this incarnate God as to be constrained to make the will of Christ the […]