From Ezra and Nehemiah, we learn that when local churches move forward in ways that are: (1) Shaped by the Word (2) Drenched in Prayer (3) Accompanied by hard work, God’s people can expect to experience his good and strong…
Job: Preaching Propositions
During our upcoming series on Job in the Fall, we will see that Christ alone is sufficient to sustain us through whatever suffering we may face. He is the only one who can truly see us through the inevitable pain…
Current Questions for the Study of Job
Which “Job” questions are most important for pastors when preaching Job? Are there any “Job questions” in the below list that aren’t important? Immersed in Job as I am, one notices a number of questions that come up in “evangelical”…
Ash Helps Us Move to the Heart of the Matter of Job
I continue to prayerfully reflect on the book of Job. Our Fall series on Job will begin at the Red Brick Church, D.V., on October 5. In preparation, I am interacting a great deal with Christopher Ash’s recent commentary published…
9 Reasons Tim Keller’s Book on Suffering is Superb
I am not given to hyperbole. I’m the guy who starts a debate when someone uses words like “ever” or “all.” But here goes with a strong statement anyway. As a pastor, who who shepherds people, I would assert that…
“Men seek an explanation of suffering in cause and effect”
Francis Anderson, in his splendid little commentary on Job, compares how human beings view suffering with the biblical view: Men seek an explanation of suffering in cause and effect. They look backwards for a connection between prior sin and present…
Job: A Writer of Superlative Genius Has Erected a Monumental Work
With my October series on Job just around the bend, I’m studying the book of Job nearly every day. Francis Anderson’s commentary on Job begins with this splendid summary that our church may hear me quote in the fall. The…
When Suffering Avoid “I Hate Thee” and “I Hate Me”
Good theology will help us avoid blaming God (“I hate Thee”) or improperly blaming ourselves (“I hate me”) when we face great difficulty. I continue to prepare for my Fall series on the book of Job. As a part of…
“Job is a fireball book”
I continue to think about the family in our community who lost everything in a fire at the same time that their twelve year old’s son was broken in an accident. At the same time, I am preparing my fall…
Does the book of Job offer an explanation for why people suffer?
I am preparing to preach this coming fall on the book of Job. This week, I am studying with a group with Dr. John Walton of Wheaton College. One of the first questions that comes up when studying Job is…