INTRODUCTION: For a number of years, we have been emphasizing community, life together, fellowship, communion, what the New Testament calls koinonia. The response to this emphasis has been significant—showing that there is a real spiritual hunger for this kind of thing. But there is a hitch—other people are involved. A number of months ago, Doug …
Not One Bone
Psalm 34 is an acrostic—what the Latin Fathers called psalmi abcedarii. There are nine of these psalms total, and it is a pity that we can’t figure out a way to bring this across in translation. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall …
Can’t Give Away What You Don’t Have
“When I say zeal I mean that a preacher must always convey the impression that he himself has been gripped by what he is saying. If he has not been gripped nobody else will be” (Lloyd-Jones, Preachers and Preaching, p. 87).
The Cosmos: God’s Breath on a Cold Morning
God is greatly to be praised. He is worthy of all honor and praise. Our ability to praise Him falls short of necessity, and yet we are still summoned to it. But unlike the failures of sin, there is a glorious failure in praising God. Who can even begin to do it justice? Rejoice in …
Not Your Own Man
“The second element I would emphasise is a sense of authority and contol over the congregation and the proceedings. The preacher should never be apologetic, he should never give the impression that he is speaking by their leave as it were; he should not be tentatively putting forward certain suggestions and ideas. That is not …
Three Words
This psalm is categorized as one of the penitential psalms, but the heading lists it as a maskil, a teaching. In one of the other penitential psalms (51), David vows that as a result of his forgiveness, he will teach sinners the way (51:13). It is quite possible that this psalm is a fulfillment of …
Preaching Headlong
“The first is that the whole personality of the preacher must be involved. That is the point, of course, that was brought out in the well-known definition of preaching by Phillips Brookes, that it is ‘truth mediated through personality’. I believe that is right, that in preaching all one’s faculties should be engaged, the whole …
The Preacher and His Notes
“Our Lord God wishes himself to be the preacher, for preachers often go astray in their notes so that they can’t go on with what they have begun. It has often happened to me that my best outline came undone. On the other hand, when I was least prepared my words flowed during the sermon” …
The Rule of What You Can’t See
“It is remarkable that God has committed to us preachers the ministry of the Word for the ruling of men’s hearts, which we can’t look into. But this is the office of God, who says to us, ‘Preach! I shall give the increase. I know the hearts of men.’ This should be our comfort, even …
The Cruciform Heart
As we seek to gather in our hearts and minds the message of this wonderful book, we can see the heart of it here in the last passage. Just as we need to summarize, so does Paul. Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. As many as …