Questions About Confession
The practice of confession brings up several practical questions such as "when should I confess only to God vs. confess to another Christian?" or "How specific should I be when confessing past sin"? Here are five resources to encourage you in the discipline of confession as we embrace the joy, freedom, and fellowship with Christ that comes from "living in the light.” The Examen — This brief outline provides you a framework to end your day in God's presence. Use this (print it off, leave it beside your bed!) to build a daily habit of giving thanks, confessing sin, and
Confession And a Cry For Change
Written by Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies. July 20. I want to refer you right now to one of the Bible's best-known prayers of confession. The problem is that it's so familiar to most of us that we've quit giving it the examination that it requires in order for us to receive from it the rescue that it offers. The confession is David's in Psalm 51:1-12 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.4 Against you,
Lent and Fasting I, II, III, lV
As we begin this season of Lent together I’ll be posting some encouraging short articles on Lent and fasting daily this week to encourage you along the way! Godspeed on your journey to the Cross!Pastor Larry Why Do Christians Fast? by John PiperThis is a helpful short interview with Pastor John Piper that gives an overview of fasting for Christians. Lent is Here to Throw Us Off Again by Prof. David Taylorthis is a thoughtful devotional reflection on Lent. I loved this thought from this article, "Lent is an invitation to get us outside of ourselves, so that we might get over
Proving Our Faith
Article by R.C. Sproul - https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/proving-our-faith/ Read: Isaiah 58 The people of Israel, both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, went into exile because of their failure to trust and obey God (2 Kings 17:7–41; 2 Chron. 36:15–16; Isa. 1–5; 39). Restoration, therefore, could happen in only one way—God had to provide an atonement for sin that would make His people into the servants they were always supposed to be. If even holy Isaiah needed cleansing to serve the Lord (Isa. 6:1–8), how much more did the people in their evil need this atonement? At this point in redemptive history, we look
Why Are You on the Earth?
Article by John Piper - https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/why-are-you-on-the-earth Read: Psalm 96 George Herbert’s poem called “Praise” contains a verse that has been taped to my computer monitor since I first read it years ago. Of all the creatures both in sea and landOnly to man Thou has made known Thy ways,And put the pen alone into his hand,And made him secretary of Thy praise. This is the answer to our question. Why is man on the earth? He is here to be the secretary of the praise of God. To which our querying minds say, But do not “the heavens tell the glory of God” (Psalm
Providence and Charity
By Erik Raymond https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/erik-raymond/providence-and-charity/ Read: Psalm 72:1-4; 12-14 I was recently visiting with a friend and he remarked as to how convicted he was in reading Charity and Its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards. My friend specifically articulated how precisely Edwards used the Scriptures to expose his own heart attitude of selfishness. As I sat and listened I myself was convicted. And furthermore, I was convicted because, for whatever reason, I never finished reading the classic work by Edwards. As a result I picked up the book again. Now I am wondering why I ever put it down in the first place! The
Real Rest
By R.C. Sproul https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/rest-come Read: Psalm 95 “For forty years I loathed that generation and said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.’ Therefore I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest’” (vv. 10–11). - Psalm 95 Typical of every portion of the Old Testament, the Ten Commandments are not only ends in themselves but rather point to a future in which their intent will find its fullest expression in the new heaven and earth. They anticipate an age when they will be followed in all their fullness as
The Christian Distinctive
Practicing hospitality during the COVID years is not only inconvenient it can be fearful. Yet even during a pandemic the Scriptures call us to live hospitable lives in contrast to the culture we're a part of. There are no asterisks on the scriptures about hospitality that say, "to be practiced only in the healthiest times." Maybe these are the BEST of times to practice hospitality? The Apostle Peter says Christians should be "peculiar people" (1 Peter 2:9). I think he means that we'll be so different from what the world expects that we'll stand out (not weird). But does that mean we practice hospitality in a pandemic? That would be
Insights from Ps. 133
Here is a tremendously insightful look at Ps. 133 from North Waker and SEBTS Professor Chip McDaniel (nope - it’s not a Jurassic park clip - that’s Chip’s doppelgänger!). Buckle up as he takes you deep into this wonderful Psalm! https://multimedia.sebts.edu/?p=3417 Enjoy!
Real Unity
Read: Psalm 133 How providential that the week in which our new president was inaugurated with prolific calls for unity, we find ourselves studying Psalm 133, a psalm that speaks to the beauty and peace that is created by real Christian unity. There is nothing like it. It flows out from its source and it blesses everything downstream, nourishing and bringing life just like the dew that falls on Mount Hermon ends up watering the hills of Zion (Jerusalem). We wrote a song several years ago from this Psalm. Listen to it here and read the lyrics as you listen.
