How R.C. Sproul Blessed the Church by Preaching the Curse
This was a passionate plea to consider the horrors of the cross and thus the splendor of God’s grace
“In this sermon, we see exactly what made Sproul’s teaching ministry so powerful for so many years. He reminded us of who we are. Even more importantly he reminded us of who God is. Let’s give it a closer look.” It was the 2008 Together for the Gospel Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. This was... Continue Reading
10 Things You Should Know about Jehovah’s Witnesses
A solid majority of adult Jehovah’s Witnesses (63 percent) have no more than a high school diploma
“The JWs deny the doctrine of the Trinity. They insist it is an invention of Satan that originated in ancient Babylon, sometime around 2200 b.c. JWs are, strictly speaking, unitarian in their view of the Godhead. They also believe that the Holy Spirit is not a person but a force of God.” I read... Continue Reading
Just Stop It: Instructions On How To Repent
Changing your behavior is not the goal; pleasing your Savior is the goal
“Disclaimer: You cannot stop sinning on your own. It’s theologically and practically and experientially impossible. You must have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you to free you from your bondage to sin, renewing your mind, convicting you of evil, granting you the fruit of self-control, and leading you into righteousness.” Instructions printed on products... Continue Reading
The Greatest Joy
Jesus warned his disciples against having a misplaced basis for their joy.
In all probability, they went out fearful and apprehensive, but they came back with exceedingly great joy. Why were they so happy? It was because they had been successful—God had used them and they had seen the manifestation of the power of Christ in their ministry. Also, they declared that they were happy because the... Continue Reading
The Hope of Forgiveness
Many who have trusted in Christ struggle deeply in their consciences over their post-conversion sins.
How do we reconcile the fact that the Apostle John says “whoever is born of God does not sin” (1 John 3:9) with the fact that the Apostle James says, “We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2)? These and a myriad of other questions are bound up with the issue of the subjective assurance... Continue Reading
Do You Fear a Day of Rest?
Rest is not weakness. It is an irreducible ingredient for the life that enjoys God.
I’d fallen into the busy trap. I’m an achiever. Some might say an overachiever. In my immature bent toward achieving, I didn’t stop. Ever. Stopping was a missed opportunity for accomplishment. “Rest is for the weak or the dead,” I would say to myself. Not surprisingly, when your heart is saying things like that, your hands... Continue Reading
Your Best Years Are Not Behind You
God needs willing workers, not necessarily young ones.
I never wrestled much over stages and ages of life. That’s because I’ve always worked. And work is curious and holy, no matter our age or season, our calling or color. I used to think our best years were based on timing and talents, but our best years, it turns out, are based on our godly... Continue Reading
Your Conscience Tells You What not to Do, Wisdom Tells You What to Do
To be wise means that we live well.
Your conscience may warn you before you make an important decision. But it will not tell you what you ought to do. And listening to your conscience apart from wisdom can be disastrous for at least two reasons. We’ve all entered that moment of decision. The temptation to act or to think when we know that we shouldn’t. It’s... Continue Reading
Seeing, Hearing, Believing
One of the greatest confrontations we face is when the Word of God and Providence appear to collide--when circumstances appear to contradict God’s promises
More importantly, God has not designed faith to be based on sight. That’s why it is called faith – because it accepts, believes and trusts things that are unseen, not seen (Heb. 11:1). We are all confronted with the question, “Will we believe and trust God in spite, or we might add, even through such... Continue Reading
You Are Totally (Not) Depraved: How to Recover Positive Self-Image
Christians should have a positive view of themselves — in Christ.
While my wife and I shared the gospel with Ryan and Meg — strangers we met at the restaurant’s bar — we were discussing the bad news which made the good news good: that, by nature, all men and women were spiritually dead in their sin and found guilty before a holy God. Ryan did... Continue Reading