Category: Spirituality
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Spiritual Pride
Here is a great insight from Jonathan Edwards as relevant today as it was in his Colonial American culture: The first and worst cause of error that prevails in our day is spiritual pride. This is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of…
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10 Gospel-centered Questions
Here are 10 questions to ask yourself – and maybe those few closest to you – that help uncover rivals of Christ as the functional savior of your heart: What are you desiring more than anything else? What do you find yourself day dreaming or fantasizing about? What lies are you subtly believing that…
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Gospel Discipling: Gospel & Renewal
Not only is Gospel discipling the very heart of discipleship within churches, it is also the critical issue in the matter of renewal or revival in the church at large. Dr. Richard Lovelace, in his modern classic work Dynamics of Spiritual Life, asks why the Church must think in terms of what he calls “cyclical…
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Measuring Up?
Do you ever feel that you have to measure up? Do you wonder sometimes how you are grading out in God’s eyes? I suspect the answer for most people is “Yes”. Our theology may tell us otherwise, but I think most people struggle with this from time to time – especially when we feel emotionally tired and as…
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Idol Factory
John Calvin said: “The human heart is a factory of idols… Every one of us is, from his mother’s womb, expert in inventing idols.” This truth is difficult to convey. Few people think of themselves as idolators. And when I as a pastor, or a friend, suggest to people that they – like me –…
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Resurging Calvinism
Jonathan Dodson, of Acts 29 Network, has posted a great synopsis of beliefs in an article titled: The Message of Resurging Calvinsm. This falls into the category of: I Wish I’d Written That – it so simply and concisely summarizes what I have been teaching at Walnut Hill Church. Dodson clearly describes 5 areas of important Faith distinctives: Gospel…
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Ecstasy & Delight
Ecstasy and delight are essential to the believer’s soul and they promote sanctification. We were not meant to live without spiritual exhilaration, and the Christian who goes for a long time without the experience of heart-warming will soon find himself tempted to have his emotions satisfied from earthly things and not, as he ought, from…
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Grace Will…
I was blown away as I thought about the paradoxes of the Gospel as it was described by Paul Tripp in his book, Broken-Down House. Don’t just read through quickly. Stop and consider the contrasts: Grace is a story and grace is a gift. It is God’s character and it is your hope. Grace is…
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What is the Gospel?
To say that we, as a church, are centered on the gospel, or Gospel-Driven, is realtively easy. It is quite another thing for the typical church member to know what such phrases actually mean. The following post, by C.J. Mahaney, was originally published on the Together for the Gospel blog. I include it here in…
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Calvinist When Calvinism Wasn’t Cool
To paraphrase Barbara Mandrell, “I was a Calvinst when Calvinism wasn’t cool.” Historically Calvinism had a long day of being cool. Then it was cool no more. Now from all appearances it is cool once again. This resurgence of Reformed Spirituality is not new news. Christianity Today, among others, has been talking about it for several…
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Cats & Dogs and God’s Global Glory
First among the Core Values at Walnut Hill Church is God’s Global Glory. This is the recognition that we do not exist, as a church or as individuals, primarily for ourselves, but for God and for his glory. Expressing this as a platitude is one thing. Getting newcomers to agree with this premise is something else. And getting people to…
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Grace of Repentance
Today is Ash Wednesday. That does not mean much to many in my theological circles. But for many other Christians it is a day that launches the Season leading to Easter – the Season of Lent. This day is designated Ash Wednesday because of an ancient practice of marking believers with ashes as a symbol…
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Hope for Humility
I’ve heard Steve Brown offer this amusing anecdote: “I was given a pin by my club for being the most humble member. They took it away because I wore it.” I have much to be humble about. But, if I was in Steve Brown’s club, no one would have ever given me a pin in the…
