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Today's the day! How Do I Get the Most from My Pastor's Sermons officially launches into the wild, thanks to @9Marks, @Crossway, and the support of @CCEF. I pray the Spirit uses it to multiply the power of the preached word in our churches. crossway.org/books/how-do-i-…
Interruptions are some of life's best opportunities. When a friend surprises me with a wrapped gift, I don't object. I didn't expect it, but I accept it, because I trust my friend. Each day, God hands us surprises. Our response depends on whether we trust his heart.
I had a fantastic doctoral supervisor at @SBTS in @DrJimHamilton, and I'm excited to see his translation of the Psalms hit the shelves today. amazon.com/Book-Psalms-Trans…
The already / not yet shows up in the Psalms before it dawns in the Gospels.
Already: “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion…” (Ps 126:1).
Not yet: “Restore our fortunes, O Lord…” (Ps 126:4).
Some people’s sins are obvious, preceding them to judgment, but the sins of others surface later.
— 1 Timothy 5:24
Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.
— 1 Timothy 4:16
The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
— Ecclesiastes 9:17
One disfiguring dynamic of our disembodied age is that Christian men can argue all day every day without ever praying together.
“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling” (1 Tim 2:8).
• Love is the motive for teaching: "Do everything in love" (1 Cor 16:14)
• Love is the goal of teaching: "Now the goal of our instruction is love" (1 Tim 1:5)
• Love is the character of the teacher: "If I have the gift... but do not have love, I am nothing" (1 Cor 13:2)
Christian marriages reflect the covenant love of Christ when we love each other with our best even though we see each other at our worst.
Today marks the fifth anniversary of my wife’s dad’s death. Doug Heck — 50 years of preaching, 46 years of marriage, with an adoring son and daughter. Diligent exegete, voracious reader, constant shepherd, carefree spirit, zero pretense. Missed and remembered.
Analytical types can mistakenly assume that those around them are equally motivated by critical analysis—constantly pointing out problems and optimizing everything. But encouraging and celebrating the good is crucial for building up a loving workforce, staff, or community.
A pattern of spiritual conversion in Isaiah's calling:
• A clear vision of Christ's holiness and kingship (6:1–4)
• Conviction and confession of personal sin (6:5)
• Receiving God's sacrificial atonement by faith (6:6–7)
• Transformation into Christ's ambassador (6:8–9)
The people who struggle most in the wild are the ones who arrive with an image to protect. They spend so much energy pretending to be fine that they have nothing left for the actual challenge.
— Bear Grylls
Tender-hearted believers must be careful not to allow social media debates to confuse and batter their souls. The strength and range of opinions can leave a sensitive conscience feeling disoriented and deficient. But ultimately, God's word—not man's opinion—is your rule of life.
Look out for Greg Beale's forthcoming biblical theology of the wilderness in the NSBT series, a sequel to his landmark 2004 biblical theology of the temple.
HT: @DrGladd
Balancing truth and love isn’t like a seesaw or pendulum—first one, then the other, back and forth—but more like riding a bike. We lean different ways based on the turns. Yet as we lean into truth, we're digging into love; as we lean into love, we keep full traction on the truth.
It's almost a default mindset to hear church sermons as an individual rather than as a community. But what if we changed that mindset? Here's an excerpt from How Do I Get the Most from My Pastor's Sermons—on listening together. @Crossway crossway.org/articles/how-to…
The 15 ascent songs begin with a weary lament over life in a world of lies:
“Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue” (Ps 120:2).
Our journey home begins when we finally get sick of all the fog, smoke, and polish, all the masks and hiding and slander.
A simple way to bless the world: Be the guy who does the thing. Marital tension? Be the one who initiates reconciliation. A friend saying, "We should do lunch”? Be the one who schedules it. A timid prayer group? Be the one who shares or prays first. Be the guy who does the thing.