A Word That Does

“The Bible presents many pictures of the power of God’s word. It describes it as sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating our mind and our conscience (Heb. 4:12). Like a hammer, it can break stony hearts; like fire it can burn up rubbish (Jer. 23:29). It lights our path, shining like a lamp on a dark night (Ps. 119:105). Like a mirror it shows us bother what we are and what we should be (James 1:22-25). It is compared to a seed leading to birth (James 1:18), to milk causing growth (1 Pet. 2:2), to grain that nourishes whereas straw does not (Jer. 23:28), to honest which sweetens and to gold which enriches its possessor (Ps. 19:10).”

Stott, The Challenge of Preaching, p. 20

Just Not When It Mattered

Jack was in many ways an ideal parishioner. He was married, gainfully employed, and with two young children in upper elementary school. He was happily married, and conscientious in church attendance. In addition to this, he was the kind of church member who would diligently seek out pastoral counsel. If he had a situation with …

A Theology of Christmas Presents (3)

Introduction: As we continue our consideration of the whole question of gift-giving at Christmas, we have been studying the background. What does the Bible teach about giving and receiving generally, and how can we apply these general principles to specific situations—like our Christmas shopping and our presents? So we started with the ultimate gift of …

Permanent Word

“Grasping the truth that God still speaks through what he has spoken protects us from two opposite errors. The first is the belief that God’s voice is silent today. The second is the belief that what God is saying today has little or nothing to do with Scripture. The truth is that God speaks through what he spoke”

Stott, The Challenge of Preaching, p. 19