Communal, Familial Righteousness
Bock, commenting on Luke 17:3, states the following (bold mine): Two fundamental relational commitments are expressed in the exhortations to rebuke and …
“God disappears to lust-glazed eyes”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer made the observation that when lust takes control, “At this moment God…loses all reality… Satan does not fill us with …
Loving Jesus More Than Your Spouse
Jesus died not because we were lovely, but to make us lovely. He died, Paul says, to “make us holy.” Paradoxically, this …
Evangelical Piety According to Geerhardus Vos
May God by his Spirit maintain among us, and through our instrumentality revive around us, that truly evangelical type of piety which …
Prayer of Racial Reconciliation
Father in heaven, we praise and thank you for your wonderful gift of life, as we acknowledge you, the one Creator and …
Martin Luther on Young Men Who Disdain Marriage, Opting for a “web of fornication and secret sins”
Not much has changed, huh? The bold is mine. In order that we may not proceed as blindly, but rather conduct ourselves …
Are You Washed in the Blood? Then Act Like It!
The following excerpt is from John Calvin’s commentary on Titus 2:14, A peculiar people, zealous of good works; by which he means …
Insight into Spurgeon’s View of Foreign Policy, War, and Peace – According to His Various Prayers
Note in this following prayer excerpt how Spurgeon asks that his country would not “intermeddle” as one who “taketh a dog by …
Confessions of Ungrateful Gift-Loving
When I was a young boy I honestly looked forward to the tearing open of Christmas wrapped gifts more than spending time …
“no other integrating center apart from the first love”
From The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 35: 1, 2 & 3 John / Revelation: “Had the Ephesian Christians outgrown in their own …
What is the True Measure of Manhood – Sexual Restraint or Sexual Prowess?
Keller, Timothy (2011-11-01). The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 24). Penguin Group. Kindle …
Richard Gaffin on Election as Means to Holiness (not just Justification)
Appreciate these clarifying words from Dr. Richard Gaffin, who exhorts us all to better understand that the aim or telos of electing …
Children, the Bible, and Personal and Family Devotions
We make it a habit in our household to have personal devotions in the morning, each kid reading from their own Bibles. …
Klaus Issler asks, “How Did Business Shape Jesus’ Life?”
I just read the recent edition of the Biola Magazine (they are kind enough to send a free copy to to the …
Did the Sexual Revolution Liberate Women?
Pastor Bill Farley offers a very brief review and recommendation for Girls Uncovered, which cites the damage of the sexual revolution upon women as …
What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? – 5 Views from D.L. Bock
What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? At least five views have been put forward (Fitzmyer 1985: 964): 1. Some …
Was John Calvin a Christian Hedonist?
The following selection from Calvin’s Institutes suggests his preference for gratitude as a motivation for obedience – he also seems to ground …
Watering Artificial Plants = Hypocrisy
I used an illustration this morning that garnered a few laughs. I likened Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees’ meticulous concern about outward …
What Would You Do Differently if You Knew This Was Your Last Day? What Luther, Wesley, and Assisi Have in Common
Here are three responses to the question of what one would do if they knew all would end in a day: St. …
How to Prepare for Martyrdom
This excerpts comes from Dr. James Hamilton’s recently published commentary on Revelation (Crossway): Do you know how to prepare for martyrdom? Soak …
Thirty-One Things That Happen at Salvation
The following list come from the highly recommended book Disciple: Getting Your Identity from Jesus by Bill Clem: Thirty-One Things That Happen at …
Self-assertion Versus Dying to Self
The false Messianism craves public notice; it wants to create attention; it lives by self-assertion. The way of Christ was different. During …
Discipleship Redefined
From Justo Gonzalez’ commentary on Luke: Throughout the Gospel, Jesus has been teaching a different way and a different measure of success: …
Your Best Life Now?
From N.T. Wright’s commentary on Luke: If we have understood Luke’s story so far, with its strong hints of opposition from the …
What’s Your Life Worth?
This excerpt comes from Robert Gundry’s commentary on Luke: Self-interest for the present means avoiding discipleship because of unwillingness to endure persecution. …
Valentine’s Meditation: Incarnational Love versus Gnostic Love
Well, it’s that day again. It shows up every year and beckons us towards good will and mandatory gifts for the ones …
The Power of a Bad Conscience
J.C. Ryle, commenting on Herod’s anxiety in Luke 9:7-9: Let us mark, in this passage, the power of a bad conscience. We …
For Complaining Self-Loathing Folks Constantly Filled with Angst Towards those “Legalistic” and “Unloving” Folks who Call a Spade a Spade
How’s that for a blog title? In keeping with the tradition of the Puritans, whose book titles would often resemble a book …
The Necessity for Communal Witness to the Gospel
Pastor Brad House, from Mars Hill, discusses the sorry state of community in our country and in our churches in this brief …
J.I. Packer’s Concerns with Brief “A-B-C” Presentations of the Gospel
I concur with Packer’s concerns. I can’t even begin to count the number of self-professing Christians I have met that are not …
The Mercies of God that Beat Us to the Day
I’m gladly reminded every morning by God’s waiting mercies that I have not arrived and that He still loves me. He loves …
Book Review of Jon Walker’s, “Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship”
Book Review of Jon Walker’s “Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship” I am working on making …
Question and Answer (in a page or less): "Where and When did the Church Begin?"
Question and Answer (in a page or less) Where and When did the Church Begin? The Church began in the eternal counsel …
Free Ebooklet from Mary Mohler on Modesty
Here it is: http://www.sbts.edu/resources/files/2010/09/modeling_modesty.pdf
The Pauline Necessity of the Spirit in Sanctification and Christian Ethics
The following quote is from Scot McKnight’s commentary on Galatians in The NIV Application Commentary series: McKnight (1995:272): I know of no …
The New Birth in a Wicked World: Cyprian’s “Letter to Donatus”
I recently read Justin Taylor’s brief interview with Michael Haykin from Southern Seminary. Haykin, whose book on the Church Fathers is forthcoming, …
Porn Kills…
Ed Stetzer offers 6 problems with Porn based on a recent study conducted by Patrick Faban (link). Some of the findings are …
Interview with Pastor/Author Bill Farley on "Gospel-Powered Parenting"
I had the most pleasant time interviewing Bill Farley about his conversion, family life, and his book, “Gospel-Powered Parenting”. I conducted the …
The Beautifying Effects of the Gospel…or Brush Your Teeth and Chew With Your Mouth Closed
“One of the consequences of our culture’s slide away from the true faith has been a marked rise in Christians making their …
Missional Lessons from Mr. Miyagi and Karate Kid
I recently watched Karate Kid after having not seen it in many years. It was one of my favs when a kid. …
Parents, Don't Raise "Fake" or "Mutated" Christian Children (even CNN is telling us what's wrong with Christianity…and they are, gulp, right!!!)
A recent piece from CNN, titled “More Teens becoming ‘fake’ Christians”, is yet another confirmation from “secular” media about what’s wrong with …
Great Practical Advice on the Oft-Neglected (and rarely properly done) Ministry of Rebuke
Kevin DeYoung has done a 3 part series on the ministry of rebuke and I couldn’t commend it more highly to all …
Kevin De Young's Suggestions for Transformation in the Church…easier than you thought, but probably too demanding for you to actually do (please prove me wrong!!!)
C.J. Mahaney blogged a recap of Kevin De Young’s recent conference message on the Church. Here is the blog and here is …
More Teens "Dropping Out" From Church
Fresh off my post challenging parents to embrace a “whole” Gospel for their children, which includes the mission of Jesus for sinners, …
Fear-Based "Christian" American Parenting that Bows to the Idols of Safety and Seclusion
Francis Chan is a cool Asian brother from another mother. Some may label him overly pietistic, however I think he grasps the …
Righteousness in the Sermon on the Mount
The radical righteousness that Christ explains in the Sermon on the M0unt is tough to understand and just as hard to apply. …
David Platt's "Secret Church"
A Christianity Today article from the May issue described how Birmingham pastor David Platt inaugurated a 6-hour (!) special service based on …
Rick Hogaboam's Review of James Davison Hunter's "To Change the World" (Chp. 6 "The Cultural Economy of American Christianity")
James Davison Hunter’s “To Change the World”, Chp. 6 “The Cultural Economy of American Christianity” Hunter notes that Christians tend to be …
Youth Ministry: Parents, Community, Peers, and More
This is a very rough outline I used in a lecture some years back on the role of youth ministry within the …