My poem of the week this week is this powerful hymn from John Newton. I find it deeply challenging and instructive. It is a reminder of God’s good purposes in trials and that the ease which I so much crave is not always the way of life. I asked the Lord that I might growIn …
I really enjoy reading Samuel Rutherford’s letters. For several years now I have been slowly working my way through my 1891 copy, reading one letter most mornings. Many of the letters are great encouragement to pastors enduring difficult times. One I read in the last week is a prime example. Rutherford is writing David Dickson …
On the first Sunday of this year I preached at my home church, FBC Jackson, TN, on 1 Peter 5:6-11. This text struck me as timely with it’s call to humbly receiving what God allows, even suffering, casting our cares on Christ, and preparing to resist temptation, while drawing strength from the sure hope of …
Continue reading ‘Looking to a New Year after a Particularly Difficult Year’ »
I am pleased to see that Selah Helms’ book, That Your Faith May Not Fail is now available. I was blessed to have an opportunity to read a pre-publication copy. Selah tells the story of her son’s tragic accident and how her family has walked through this trial. Having known, loved and respected the Helms …
Let us then continually persevere in our hope, and the earnest of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ, “who bore our sins in His own body on the tree,” “who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth,” but endured all things for us, that we might live in Him. Let us then …
Continue reading ‘“If we suffer for His name’s sake, let us glorify Him”- Polycarp’ »
The Osteen’s have been in the news lately, but the problem of prosperity teaching has been an issue for a long time. I confronted it in the first church I pastored, where I began referring to these teachers as the “name-it-claim-it, call-it-haul-it, blab-it-grab-it, profess-it-possess-it” crew. I continue to be surprised by the people who get …
Bruce Waltke, James Houston, and Erika Moore The Psalms as Christian Lament: A Historical Commentary (Eerdmans) One of the way we demonstrate our lack of immersion in the Psalms is our lack of familiarity with lament, our lack of practice in doing it well and in being comfortable with others lamenting. This book is …
Continue reading ‘The Psalms as Christian Lament: A Historical Commentary’ »
Carl Trueman has helpfully challenged the common discussion of how hard pastoral ministry is. I encourage you to read his post. Is pastoral ministry difficult? Of course. Life is difficult as a sinner in a fallen world. But the problem comes when anyone begins to talk about their life, their setting, their calling as the …
My poem of the week this week is “Last Lines,” by Anne Brontë. John Starke cited a portion of this poem last week on Twitter which sent me looking for the full poem. The message of the poem fits very well with 2 Cor 1 which we discussed in class this morning. This is a …
“The role of the priest is to proclaim the truth and suffer for the truth, and if necessary, even die for the truth.” – Polish priest-martyr Jerzy Popieluszko Jim Kushiner from Touchstone Magazine has written a powerful essay interacting with a new documentary on the life and death of Jerzy Popieluszko, a Polish priest in …