Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. —Matthew 7:13-14I think that God delights in the small. —Mark Dever, June 2008 Ministry in New England is notoriously difficult. I was recently talking with my father about this. In a place... Read more
I came across a great link at a site I love, Monergism.com, which has just about anything and everything you could ever want related to reformed theology. Turns out that Dr. Bryan Chapell has had Covenant Seminary post all of his lectures (with PDFs!) on Christ-centered preaching. Here’s the blurb on the lectures, which are free (!): “Dr. Bryan Chapell explores the unifying principle of grace that binds all Scripture together. He outlines and demonstrates the principles and practice of... Read more
I recently came across a piece by Kay Warren, wife of megachurch pastor Rick Warren, in Christianity Today. Though I would not agree with all that Warren stands for, I was quite moved by her accounts of recent visits to people in desperate situations in the Ukraine. Here are some moving selections from her article “Talk and Walk”: “People newly diagnosed with HIV come to this hospital for further tests. In one room, a man sat aloof, barely acknowledging our... Read more
1. Desiring God has a nice blog post from rapper Trip Lee that is worth reading. 2. Very interesting biography on late twentieth-century evangelicalism. I cannot wait to read this one. 3. Some great music from Sovereign Grace that you may not have heard about. Buy and be encouraged in your walk with the Lord. Have a great weekend! Read more
A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.—Proverbs 28:25If the root of flattery is a lack of trust in God, I think that the root of greed is also a lack of trust in God. Why do we hoard our possessions and store them up selfishly? Greed. Why would we act in such a way? Because we don’t trust God to provide for us in the future. We somehow convince ourselves... Read more
Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. –Psalms 12:1-2 Recent days have prompted thought on the nature of sin. What is it, exactly, that induces us to obey our sin nature and to commit transgression against the Lord? I’ve attempted to think about this in relation to sins that plague my own... Read more
One of the best things about having a blog that your family and friends know about is having good links sent to you. My eagle-eyed mother-in-law directed me to a great story in the Charleston Post and Courier by Stacy Downs called “Gen Y in a Rush for Change in New Home Style”. It can be pretty difficult to track an entire generation of people, but there are definite trends and themes one can pick up if one looks hard... Read more
1. Go here to watch the new 9Marks promotional video. Everything 9Marks puts out is provocative, and even their promo videos fit the bill. 2. Speaking of provocative 9Marks material, here’s an interesting blog post by Mark Dever on the use of video in worship. Some will disagree, some will agree, all should find some stuff to chew on. 3. Vitamin Z has a link to the new Coldplay album. If you click on it, you can hear the record... Read more
Tonight at 9:30pm, the Celtics and Lakers begin competition for the NBA championship. For those who don’t know, this is a renaissance of basketball, one that hearkens back some two decades to the glory days of the NBA, when Larry Bird worked his Hoosier magic and Magic Johnson (an overrated player–but then again, I am from Maine, and thus a diehard Celtics fan) roamed the court. (Side note: one of the funniest things about sports is the ridiculous concept of... Read more
20 Reasons I Don’t Take Potshots at Fundamentalists by: John Piper 1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I’ve met).2. They believe in truth.3. They believe that truth really matters.4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it.5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world.6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle.7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man... Read more
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