John Piper writes up 6 responses to the recent cyclone in Myanmar and the devastation in its wake. As usual, Piper is particularly sharp when encouraging Biblical prayer. Some excerpts: … 2. Pray for the followers of Christ in Myanmar: That they would be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10; 100:3). That […]
A true quote from Justin Childers quoting C.J. Mahaney quoting C.H. Spurgeon: “Whitefield and Wesley might preach the gospel better, but they cannot preach a better gospel.” (I suspect a more direct quote can be found here.) Childers goes on to say, “Prepare your heart to hear THE GOSPEL this Sunday, proclaimed by a man […]
When asked “How are you doing?” the most common answer I hear is “Fine” or “Pretty good.” Can you guess what is the second-most common answer is? People say, “Tired.” Part of the reason I think is that there is a bit of virtue in being tired: “I’ve been working hard” or even “I’m really […]
Justin Childers suggests how to pray for preachers: During the week, pray for God to reveal the burden of the text to him. During the week, pray that God would grip the preacher’s heart with His glory revealed in the text. On Sunday morning, pray that God would free him from distractions. On Sunday morning, pray that […]
“The Absent are Safe Here” declares a plaque on the living room wall of Robertson McQuilkin, so the story is told by Haddon Robinson (and written about by Ray Pritchard). To deter himself and guests from speaking ill of others behind their back, McQuilkin put the plaque on display to look to when words drifted […]
For this past weekend’s Easter service, I was thrilled that Acts of Worship put together a drama. For those not present, it was an encounter between “Justin” and “Michelle” — two contrasting characters bearing a slight resemblance to the sisters Martha and Mary (Lk 10:38 – 41) except with a few twists to increase both the ambiguity and challenge. […]
From a CJ Mahaney interview (emphasis mine): …I view reading and study as one of the most important ways I can serve the church. So it is not a selfish act for me to set aside this time. It is really the most effective way I can serve this church, by tending to my soul and […]
“For there to be a new creation, the old self must know its weakness and die to its own prejudices, tastes, class structures, and personal desires. How can we share this eschatological feast if we don’t participate in displaying God’s future, in which all will be equally fed and we will all join together in […]
Reflective list of leading questions on worship from Greg Gilbert: Do you get bored when someone reads a longish passage of Scripture in your church? Do you start wishing they’d get on with the music? Do you need music playing in the background for the reading of Scripture to affect your emotions? Does a prayer seem […]