Category: Spiritual Formation
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Fear, Worry, and Our Sovereign God
In preparation for a message on Psalm 27, I began reading Ed Welch‘s book, Running Scared. Penetrating. Convicting. Comforting. All of those words are appropriate, at least for me. For as I have aged I have come to see how fear, often very subtle, effects my thought, actions, and reactions. My fears may not show,…
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Broken-Down House: Living Productively in a World Gone Bad
I began reading Paul Tripp’s Broken Down House earlier this week. I had read it before, or rather I should say I skimmed it before, but did not take the time to allow Tripp’s poignant insights to resonate in my soul. I raced through it last time, getting the general gist, but not digesting much…
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Take a Repentance Tri-p
On a few occasions I have posted some thoughts and things about the concept of Tri-Perspectivalism. Tri-Perspectivalism (or, as some call it, Tri-P) is a fancy word for the simple concept of looking at our spiritual lives, and the ministry of our churches, from three distinct perspectives. Introduced by John Frame and Vern Poythress’ monumental…
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How to Spend a Day With God
Richard Baxter wrote: A holy life is inclined to be made easier when we know the usual sequence and method of our duties – with everything falling into its proper place. In other words, our souls flourish most vibrantly when there is a natural rythm to our lives. These rythms include our daily and weekly routines and…
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Advantages of Pleasing God More Than People
The following dozen points are about the advantages to us in seeking to please God, instead of living for the approval of other people. They were originally written by the great English Puritan, Richard Baxter. I have attempted to clean up the language a little, hopefully without dulling the wisdom: 1. If you seek first to please…
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7 Rules for Self Discovery
A.W. Tozer has a wonderful way of cutting straight to the heart of things. This is true of his writings whether he is speaking about the Attributes of God, about Worship, or about knowing ourselves. Tozer postulated 7 Rules for Self Discovery. I have adapted Tozer’s rules and put them into the form of questions.…
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Confession of a Recovering Legalist
The guy seemed somewhat indignant. “There are no legalists in this room”, he insisted in response to an indirect, and unintentional, indictment made by another member of the presbytery. Little did he know. “Absolutely there are legalists in the room”, I thought outloud. I cannot say with certainty that this man, who felt compelled to defend…
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The Need for Silence
Wise words from Paul Tripp about… not speaking words. I have learned this lesson well over the years. My words, both spoken and written, are far more tempered than they were even just a few years ago. But as almost anyone who knows me can attest, my natural deficit in this area is so great…
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Gospel-Driven Sanctification
by Jerry Bridges Early in my Christian life I heard someone say, “The Bible was not given to increase your knowledge but to guide your conduct.” Later I came to realize that this statement was simplistic at best and erroneous at worst. The Bible is far more than a rulebook to follow. It is primarily…
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Sabbath Rest: The Above All Commandment
Like many people, I get easily wearied by many of the Sabbath debates. What can you do? What can’t you do? While not unimportant, these questions miss the point. Jesus told us: “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2.27) In other words, Sabbath is a gift made or established by…
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More Tips for Taking Criticism
In a post last week I shared 5 Suggestions for Receiving Criticism. The bulk of that piece was taken from a post by Mark Altrogge at The Blazing Center titled How to Receive Criticism Like a Champ. Since criticism is inevitable for all of us, I felt Altrogge’s insights were helpful. As he reminds us:…
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Children of God With Orphan Mentalities
There is a scene I recall from Little Orphan Annie worth taking note. Annie has just arrived at her new home, a virtual palace that has been set up for her and for her enjoyment by her adopted father, Daddy Warbucks. Upon entering the foyer, with household staff lined up to greet and welcome her,…
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Suggested Reading for Season of Lent
The Season of Lent is a time of preparation and anticipation. It is a season that should be characterized reflection, soul-searching, repentance, and ultimately looking forward to celebration – the celebration of all Jesus accomplished for us on the Cross. As Daniel Montgomery, of Sojourn Church writes: “Lent helps us focus on why He had…
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Entering Lent
Today is Ash Wednesday, which means we have now entered into the Season of Lent. If you are not from a church with a liturgical background Lent probably won’t mean much. In fact, for some it may even evoke some negative connotations. While I understand those sentiments, I wish they were not so. At least,…
