Oh for more Sunday School Teachers like Everett Ostrom who taught the great pastor and preacher Warren Wiersbe: Everett Ostrom was the pastor when I was confirmed. There were only three of us in the class, but he was faithful…
The Basic Meaning of Prayer
John Piper: God is not looking for people to work for him, so much as he is looking for people who will let him work for them. The gospel is not a Help Wanted ad. Neither is the call to…
Pray for these Waves of Change
Justin Taylor summarizes four waves of change for which John Piper is praying: Putting world evangelization into the passions of a new generation. Weaving the dark thread of hell back into the fabric of our compassion. Blowing away misperceptions about…
Using “O my God” instead of “Oh my God”
Justin Taylor: Just because “Oh my God!” is abused in our culture—a case of taking great God’s name lightly and in vain—doesn’t mean we should refrain from the vocative “O my God!” Note in the Bible how often . .…
Pray Together
When was the last time you prayed together with someone else? We are taught to pray “our Father.” “Our” is plural. “Father” implies siblings. James M. Grier: To approach God as Father implies the whole shared relationship of family. The…
Prayer is . . .
Prayer begins with faith and is subordinated to the will of God. James M. Grier: Prayer is an exercise of faith. It is based on need . . . not need with demand for personal security and fulfillment, but need…
“I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for”
The older I get, the more enthusiastically I say, “If the Lord wills” (see also what does D.V. mean). Increasingly, I see the truth of this prayer written by an anonymous confederate soldier. I asked God for strength that I…
On the constructive uses of a bowl of urine (and one improper use)
If I sound a little harsh, it’s because I’ve been to both the jail and the nursing home today and it has again helped me have a better perspective as a pastor. This qualification in mind, let me suggest a…
Pray that your pastor would be most passionate about the Gospel (especially if you are a “Brick”)
These days, few people challenge me more than C.J. Mahaney. This post reminded me that it is vital that I communicate passion about the Gospel. Read this and pray that your pastor would be most passionate about the Gospel, especially…
You will not know what prayer is . . .
Jeremy Carr quotes John Piper: You will not know what prayer is for until you know that life is war. One of the great obstacles to praying is that life is just too routinely smooth for many of us. The…