Tag: Spirituality
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Re-Gridding the Christian Life
Not long ago, while a friend of mine was preaching in my place at Walnut HIll Church, I had somewhat of an epiphany. I understood something that had been nagging at me for a long, long time, but that I had never before been able to express – even to myself. I realized: We have…
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3 Responses to Sin
“When we as Christians sin, we can react in one of three ways: 1) We can become hardened to our sin. 2) We can sink into utter despair and say, ‘Its all over.’ I’ve known Christians who have spent twenty years despairing over one sin…. [T]he only right course of action for us as Christians…
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Looking at Lent With a New Lense
My friend Nathan Lewis has published a post that I think would be beneficial for some who do not come from a church background that observes the litugical calendar. One of the primary emphases of the Season of Lent is repentace. On the ecclesiastical calendar it is a time when Christians are encouraged to fast, sacrifice, and to recognize…
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Respectable Sins
One of the books on my bedside table is Respectable Sins, by Jerry Bridges. The subtitle of the book is: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate. The theme becomes self explanatory. In his preface Bridges explains the motive behind the book: “The motivation for this book stems from a growing conviction that those of us whom I call conservative…
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I Want to Walk Free, But I Still Hear the Chains Rattling
As a pastor I frequently encourage people to embrace the Gospel. It is not just to unbelievers that I present that challenge, but to believers as well – even to some who have been Christians for decades. We all need to grow in grace, and live by grace day by day. But as easy as it…
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Easy Chairs & Hard Words – Part 4
by Douglas Wilson We join a conservation in progress; it is between a young theological questioner who grew up in a typical Evangelical church, and an older pastor from a historical theological tradition. ***** Pastor Spenser shifted easily in his seat while I carefully thought over my next question. “Some of my friends at my…
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What is Worship?
This post is an interview with Joseph F. “Skip” Ryan, former pastor of Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas, and Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia. This interview first appeared in RTS Ministry in Summer 1990; and later in Reformed Worship. Q In your opinion, what constitutes worship? A Most importantly, I think that the…
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Balance of Truth
True Christianity consists of a proper mixture of fear of God, and of hope in his mercy; and wherever either of these is entirely wanting, there can be no true Faith. God has joined these things, and we ought by no means to put them asunder. He cannot take pleasure in those who fear him…
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Desiring God
If you are not already familiar with his work, I want to introduce you to John Piper. In particular I commend his book Desiring God. This book is a modern day classic. And in my mind it an almost indespensible aid to gaining a Biblical perspective of the Glory of God. Well, indespensible might be a bit of an overstatement. But, it is…
