Chains and grace

Paul’s closing line in Colossians is “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.” Sam Storms on Colossians 4:18 ….But why call on them to “remember” his “chains”? Certainly he’s not asking for pity. The last thing he wanted was for them to shift their focus from … More Chains and grace

Wanted: Those who will cleave to Christ when the many are against Him

Luke 9:20 Then he said to them,“But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” J.C. Ryle: We should pray frequently that God would raise up more Christians of the stamp of the apostle Peter. Erring, and unstable, and ignorant of his own heart as he sometimes proved, that blessed apostle … More Wanted: Those who will cleave to Christ when the many are against Him

Sweet harmony

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! In John 17, Jesus prays for us as believers to have this unity, that we should be one. And in Acts 4:32, we read that, “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul.”  As in music, … More Sweet harmony

Piper: The God who loves to be asked for things

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2 John Piper relates this story in a sermon, “Devote Yourselves to Prayer” There is a story about D. L. Moody making a visit to Scotland in the 1800’s and opening one of his talks at a local grade school with the rhetorical question, … More Piper: The God who loves to be asked for things

Learning from leftovers

  And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of … More Learning from leftovers