Introduction At the conclusion of chapter 19, hot words were exchanged between the men of Israel and the men of Judah—with the men of Judah being the harsher of the two. This created an opportunity for a demagogue to arise, and history shows us that such opportunities are seldom neglected. The Text: “And there happened …
Simplicity Is Beautiful
As we pray and plan concerning our church building, we want to remember that we worship the God of all beauty. We want the beauty of the Lord to rest upon us as we undertake this task. “And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: And establish thou the work of …
The Food of Humility
God has designed this Table so that it feeds and nourishes our souls. But we should want to inquire into what this means a bit more. Otherwise we will come to think that the point of the sacrament is to make our souls grow “bigger,” and that’s all. But God is after more than just …
Style Honors Another
“The best style attracts least attention to itself, and none but the critical observer is apt to appreciate its excellence, most men giving credit solely to the matter, and having no idea how much the manner has contributed to attract and impress them” (Broadus, Preparation and Delivery, p. 324).
American Bombast
“And the great American fault, in speaking and writing, is an excessive vehemence, a constant effort to be striking. Our style, as well as our delivery, too often lacks the calmness of conscious strength, the response of simple sincerity, the quiet earnestness which only now and then becomes impassioned” (Broadus, Preparation and Delivery, p. 323).
Whetted Style
“Style is not a thing of mere ornament. Style is the glitter and polish of a warrior’s sword, but is also its keen edge” (Broadus, Preparation and Delivery, p. 322).
The Same Nervous System
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) The Basket Case Chronicles #150 “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Cor. 12:26–27). Not only …
Sex Offenders in the Church
Several folks have asked me what I think of this article about the place of sex offenders in the church, so I thought I would say a few words about it. Let me say first what I appreciate about Jimmy Hinton’s article. First, I admire his courage. When he found out about his father’s offenses, …
Identity in Christ: Bedrock Discipleship
Introduction Today is Resurrection Sunday, our annual commemoration of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead. We mark this annually, but it is important for us to remember that we also mark it weekly—every Lord’s Day is a celebration of the resurrection. But what exactly are we celebrating when we do this? The …
Nehushstan Memorial
In Scripture we find two kinds of idols. The first is an alternative to the living God from the get-go. When the children of Israel turned aside to Baal or Molech, they were sinning overtly and rebelliously. They were turning from the living God to false gods. The other kind of idol starts out innocently. …