The Songs of Advent (Part 2): The Song of Heaven (Luke 2:13-14)

This is the second in a three part Advent sermon series, “The Songs of Advent,” that I am preaching at a local church in town.
If you were not here last week, we began a three-week advent series from the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke entitled: “The Songs of Advent.” Last week we [...]

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Moralism and Santa Claus

Someone mentioned to me after the sermon that they had never made the connection between moralism (do good, be good, and God will love and accept you) and Santa Claus. Here is a short excerpt from my sermon preached yesterday:
…We become more excited to recount and retell the mighty act of Santa Claus giving presents [...]

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The Songs of Advent (Part 1): The Song of Humility (Luke 1:46-55)

This is the first in a three part Advent sermon series, “The Songs of Advent,” that I am preaching at a local church in town.
As we find ourselves in the midst of this Advent season, it is the words of Psalm 126:3 that best sum up what this time of year is all about: “The [...]

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The Reformed Pastor – Quoteables (Part 1)

I’ve been working through Richard Baxter’s The Reformed Pastor, and it is excellent. This book is absolutely a must read for any one in pastoral or anyone pursuing pastoral ministry.
Many of today’s contemporary and popular books on pastoral ministry jump right into techniques and gimmicks that resemble that of a CEO than a minister of [...]

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The Trinity & Ministry

3 John 9-10
I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who [...]

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The Trinity & Egalitarianism

Now in the confession of the Trinity we hear the heartbeat of the Christian religion: every error results from, or upon deeper reflection is traceable to, a departure in the doctrine of the Trinity (Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 2, God and Creation, 2:288).
What a remarkable and fascinating statement penned by Herman Bavinck! Though it [...]

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The Semi-Pelagian Narrower Catechism

If you thought the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) and the Larger (WLC) and Shorter Catechisms (WSC) are excellent summaries of Christian doctrine and practice, you’ve seen nothing yet.
Enter: The Semi-Pelagian Narrower Catechism (SPNC). This is absolutely hilarious. Here’s a little snippet:
9. Q: What is the assurance of thy salvation?
A: The assurance of thy salvation [...]

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Library Update: Systematic Theology

Scroll to the bottom of the Library page and you’ll see that I have added both classic and modern systematic theologies.

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Expositors’ Conference 2009

Christ Fellowship Baptist Church has just posted the audio and video files from the 2009 Expositors’ Conference with Steve Lawson and Joel Beeke.

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Violent Devotion

Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
As I was reading the first two verses of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) in Hebrew yesterday morning, I was struck by the last word used in verse 5. The following is the Hebrew [...]

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