We have been having a wonderful time here in the UK, seeing the sights and fellowshiping with the British saints. One of the points that has come up in various discussions is related to one of the more admirable traits of British evangelicalism — which is a great zeal and concern for evangelism, coupled with …
Courage in the Pulpit
“I must urge upon you the necessity of being cool and confident. As Sydney Smith says, ‘A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage'” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 150).
Loving Little Ones 2
INTRODUCTION: We have considered the fact that child nurture, if it is to be healthy, has to occur in a particular kind of soil—and that is the soil of grace, mercy, and kindness. This is not indulgence or relativism, but rather is the only real basis for bringing up children who will love and worship …
Loving Little Ones 1
INTRODUCTION: The duties of a godly parent are profound and challenging. This is particularly the case when you are dealing with little ones who cannot explain anything to you. They don’t know their own heart, and they could not tell you about if they did. We have to get our guidance from Scripture. And like …
Seems Reasonable
“Take it as a rule without exception, that to be able to overflow spontaneously you must be full” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 145).
So Really Feed Them
“Churches are not to be held together except by an instructive ministry; a mere filling up of time with oratory will not suffice. Everywhere men ask to be fed, really fed” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 140).
Always Consistent, Never Predictable
“Do not say what everybody expected you would say. Keep your sentences out of ruts. If you have already said, ‘Salvation is all of grace’ not not always add, ‘and not by human merit,’ but vary it and say, ‘Salvation is all of grace; self-righteousness has not a corner to hide its head in.’ . …
Egg the Pudding, But Don’t Overegg the Pudding
“It is well that there should be a goodly number of illustrations in our discourses. We have the example of our Lord for that: and most of the greatest preachers have abounded in similies, metaphors, allegories, and anecdotes. But beware of overdoing this business” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 136).
Friendship Evangelism
INTRODUCTION: For various reasons, evangelism is a difficult subject for many Reformed Christians. Some die-hard Calvinists may have glanced at the title of this message—friendship evangelism—and asked, “What’s evangelism?” Or, if they are really die-hard Calvinists, perhaps they asked, “What’s friendship?” But this attitude is not what the Bible teaches, not what the tradition of …
Not Taxing Their Patience
“In order to maintain attention, avoid being too long. An old preacher used to say to a young man who preached an hour, — ‘My dear friend, I do not care what else you preach about, but I wish you would always preach about forty minutes.’ We ought seldom to go much beyond that — …