“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) The Basket Case Chronicles #130 “Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have …
A Field on Fire
Introduction God continues to unroll the consequences of David’s sin, while at the same time fulfilling His gracious promises to David. Solomon is not mentioned in this section, but he is clearly waiting in the wings. The Text: “Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom. And Joab sent …
To Curvet and Simper in the Pulpit
The sodomy challenge — and all related sexuality challenges — present us with a glorious opportunity. It is a glorious opportunity that the Spirit has cleverly disguised as a real hazard to our future comfort and well-being. For the gospel is a troublemaker. Let me explain that first and then come back to the sodomy …
Crown of the Argument
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) The Basket Case Chronicles #129 “Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of …
Not in View
In the area surrounding 1 Peter 3:10, the apostle Peter gives a wonderful set of exhortations on keeping your lips from speaking evil, and your mouth from telling lies. His section on avoiding a life of deceitfulness is a quotation from the Psalms (Ps. 34:13). But for those who are over-scrupulous about such things — …
David as Patsy
Introduction This tragic story follows immediately after the David and Bathsheba tragedy. Details and names change, but we have a beautiful woman, fulfilled lust, and then murder. The Text: “And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of …
Earning Respect Through Being Opaque
[The minister must be] “a plain preacher, suiting his matter and style to the capacity of his audience (1 Cor. 14:19). Some ministers, like eagles, love to soar aloft in abstruse metaphysical notions, thinking they are most admired when they are least understood. They who preach in the clouds, instead of hitting their people’s conscience, …
Because Most Word Pictures Don’t Even Have Hands
“Do not try to hold your word pictures by the hand. Put them out there and let them do their work” (Hughes, Expository Preaching With Word Pictures, p. 146).
Assumed With Authority
“Yet in preaching we need not act as if everything had to be proved. Some things cannot be proved; some do not need to be, and others have been sufficiently proved before, and should now be taken for granted” (Broadus, Preparation and Delivery, p. 160).
You Are the Man
Introduction David sinned grievously, but his repentance went as deep as his sin had gone. We see complete forgiveness in this portion of the story, offered to David, and received by him. We also see that the reality of ongoing consequences is not the same thing as lack of forgiveness. We must learn to stop …