Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
“Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.” – Psalm 119:24
Preaching through the Gospel of Luke is proving to be of much personal benefit to me and to our church. I chose the account of Luke, the physician and historian, because he presents Jesus in the fullness of His humanity—as
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“God declares overeating to be a sin: ‘For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty’ (Proverbs 23:21). There are several definitions of sin in the Bible: ‘the devising of folly is sin’ (Proverbs 24:9). ‘Whatever is not
Continue readingIf you are a regular reader of this blog then you have already read several posts making mention of Paul Tripp’s highly-diagnostic book for pastors, seminarians, and all those who have given their lives to the gospel ministry. Today’s post
Continue readingSome of us are more prone to negative thinking patterns than others and, therefore, must constantly discipline ourselves to think on positive things that exalt and glorify God. So when a sister in Christ in our church recently shared what
Continue readingThe Puritans will be forever-famous for their soul-work, their application of the truths of Scripture to all of life, but especially to the issues of the heart. This faithful, pastoral work was the result of a conviction that all theology,
Continue readingPlurality of shepherds in a local congregation is the model of leadership we find in the New Testament church, which is a model first established in the Old Testament. Just as Jethro made it clear to Moses that solo shepherding
Continue readingHere is Psalm 130 put into the form of a hymn by Martin Luther. The actual hymn title is “From the Depths of Woe,” but I have titled this post after what I think is one of the most powerful
Continue readingYesterday’s post, The Mind, Body, and Medications, concluded with mention of the experience of Bob Somerville whose lengthy testimony concludes Dr. Laura Hendrickson’s chapter in the new book Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling. Dr. Somerville is an ACBC-certified biblical counselor and professor
Continue readingIn my ongoing study of the subject of mental/emotional illness, counseling, and the church; I found a very helpful chapter in the recently released book, Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling. The final chapter, “The Complex Mind/Body Connection,” is written by Dr. Laura
Continue readingPsalm 13 is one of the most heart-wrenchingly honest prayers in the Bible. Here is a soul in anguish. Here is a follower of God who wrestles day-in and day-out with what God is doing in his life. He feels
Continue readingAs I continue to work through Paul Tripp’s highly-diagnostic book, Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry, the Spirit sheds light on areas of my heart and life where biblical truth needs to be applied. Chapter Seven is
Continue readingMonday can be an awful day for pastors who take their calling seriously. Not only are they often spent at every level from giving all they have to the preaching of God’s Word and other duties that are incumbent upon
Continue readingDirecting each other to think upon the attributes of God is such a wonderfully biblical way to counsel one another. To meditate on God is to deliberately choose to think about Him—His works, nature, and attributes. This can be done
Continue readingHere’s a few things I’ve read in the past few days. Just a forewarning, the last two are pretty lengthy. Same-Sex Marriage as a Civil Right–Are Wrongs Rights? – Answers in Genesis asked Counseling One Another to recommend some resources
Continue readingStill my soul be still And do not fear Though winds of change may rage tomorrow God is at your side No longer dread The fires of unexpected sorrow God You are my God And I will trust in You
Continue readingThis past Monday, the pastors of our church spent the day in prayer at a nearby retreat center. Prior to the time in which we focused on praying for the leaders of the church, I read out loud the following
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In the ongoing and important discussion of the nature of mental illness, it seems to me that it would be helpful if we could be more deliberate in our distinction between “mental illness,” as a very large societal umbrella covering
Continue readingDay by Day is a classic hymn that our congregation loves. Often, when we have a hymn sing or testimony service, it is one of those selected. Its God-centered lyrics minister strength to the heart and naturally lead to prayer.
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By God’s grace, I’m a husband, dad, grandpa, and pastor at Cornerstone Community Church in Mayfield Hts, OH. I love Christ because He first loved me.
