Recently, a church member emailed me questions prompted by a discussion with a coworker. What is meant by “means of grace?” What are the means of grace? First, I explained what I am certain he already knew. Grace is unmerited favor or undeserved kindness. It is the only way a person can be forgiven or…
Read MoreNot long ago I preached on the four lists in Proverbs 30:8-32. Tucked among those lists is Proverbs 30:20 which says, This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wickedness.” So, a fairly new believer asked me a simple question afterward. “Why is the Bible…
Read MoreGood people disagree over what happens to infants and the mentally disabled when they pass away before their “the age of accountability,” the age when a child can realize the difference between right and wrong. Some emphasize the justice of God as to how to deal with the sin of the deceased, and others emphasize…
Read MoreIn 1976, commemorations of America’s bicentennial were everywhere – in government, in education, and in entertainment. Brief cartoons appeared on Saturday mornings on children’s television telling about the history of the country, the operation of government, and most importantly, the principle of liberty. These cartoons began with questions set to music, “Hey, do you know…
Read MoreJesus was brought to Pilate for judgment by the chief priests and the people. The course and outcome of this assembly though foreordained by God nonetheless reveals the willingness of men to sell the truth for gain. The chief priests wanted Jesus dead, so they lied about his teaching or doctrine. They asserted to Pilate…
Read MoreIn 1 Corinthians 12 the apostle Paul begins his important discussion of spiritual gifts within the context of the local church. In that discussion, Paul highlights the need for the church to understand four things. First, there is a unity of the church as one body. Second, there is diversity in the church as many…
Read MoreIn the 1990s and into the early 2000’s the purity movement was all the rage among evangelicals. It was all about saving yourself for marriage. It spawned an industry—with rings, and other items being sold. Hundreds of books were written about it. If you have not noticed, that movement is dead. Josh Harris and others…
Read MoreWe are talking about the March/April 2024 edition of FrontLine called “Salt and Light in Your City and State.” Our guest today is pastor Taigen Joos, from Dover, New Hampshire, where he pastors Heritage Baptist Church. The theme of the magazine speaks to the need to be an influence in our increasingly corrupt world. Pastor…
Read MoreOne final time, James addresses “my brethren” with pastoral concern. This seems to underlie his pastoral concern motivating the entire purpose of the letter. He is concerned about those among the brethren (professing believers) who err or wander from the truth. They think that they can be saved and not be doers of the Word,…
Read MoreWilliam McKinley was president of the United States during the Spanish American War and led the nation out of an economic depression into a season of prosperity. Still, he is little remembered, except for the tragic fact that early in his second term he was assassinated by an anarchist and was then succeeded by his…
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