Blog Day Monday

From around the blogosphere . . . An encouraging gospel reminder on Who Cares? Bonhoeffer on living together, pastor and local church, in grateful community. On Confession By Works, that is, having the fruit of lips and life united in displaying Christ. On the source of a tragedy and the surety of Scripture as the [...]

I Need to Hear This Again and Again

The sins I had most sense of were pride and wandering thoughts, whereby I mocked God.  The former of these cursed iniquities excited me to think of writing, or preaching, or converting heathen, or performing some other great work, that my name might live when I should be dead.  My soul was in anguish and [...]

All Our Excellencies are Borrowed Excellencies

As no creature (in respect of external abilities) comes under more natural weakness into the world than man, naked, empty, and more shiftless and helpless than any other creature; so it is with his soul, yea, much more than so: all our excellencies are borrowed excellencies, no reason therefore to be proud of any of [...]

On Twitter

I recently joined the tweeting world.  I have heard arguments on both sides — “it’s a waste of time” and “it is helpful for this reason and seven other reasons.”  While I love the brothers on both sides, my two day experience with it has caused me to lean in the latter, more positive direction. [...]

Churches Today Do Not Have This Effect

Jesus’s teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day.  However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect.  The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones.  We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people.  The licentious and [...]

“If You Abide In My Word, You Are Truly My Disciples”

A characteristically helpful sermon by John Piper on John 8.31. Go here.

The Importance of Being Humble in Mind

When the mind of the hearer is good and gracious, it easily assents to the speeches of truth. Chrysostom, Hom. 26. in Mat., quoted in John Flavel, The Method of Grace, 6, vol. 2 of 6. Flavel’s words in accord with this allusion, I know the agreeableness of such discourses to the pious dispositions of [...]

The Implications of the Edwardsian Principle for Corporate Worship (Part III in a Series)

What is the Edwardsian principle, that is, the keystone rule of Jonathan Edwards?  If you have paid any attention to John Piper’s ministry over the last thirty years, you know it.  And I would argue that the principle itself is not original to Edwards or Piper, but is in fact derivative.  It is derivative from [...]

“How Can You Tell the Difference Between Legitimate Contextualization and Unbiblical Compromise?”

The best rule of thumb in determining what’s biblical contextualization and what’s unbiblical compromise is the question: Does this make the offense of the gospel clearer? If so, it’s biblical contextualization. If not, it’s unbiblical compromise. At first blush, cultural practices like taking off your shoes indoors or not eating with your left hand may [...]