Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. —Romans 12:11 ESV John Piper, in a sermon “Boiling for Christ” Each of these two statements clarifies and protects the other from misunderstanding. “Do not be slothful in zeal”—do not be lazy in zeal—could be taken to mean: be pragmatic. Work, work, … More Piper: Do lots. Feel lots.
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” … More Silent Sufferings of our Great Judge
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. —Psalm 67:1-2 ESV Charles Spurgeon, in The Treasury of David: God deals in a way of mercy with his saints, and then they … More Making the God of Mercy Known
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor … More Moses and the Messiah
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. —Romans 12:2 ESV John Piper’s conclusion to a sermon on Romans 12:1-2, What is the Will of God and How … More Piper: Three Stages of Knowing and Doing the Revealed Will of God
J.C.Ryle comments on Matthew 27: We see, for another thing, in the end of Judas, that there is such a thing as repentance which is too late. We are told plainly that “Judas was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and other leaders.” We are … More Let us beware of trusting to a late repentance
Our passage from Deuteronomy mentions “God testing us.” The Bible tells us that a believer is like gold or silver that must be “tried” in a furnace to remove all the impurities in the metal. What is that process of refining silver? Psalm 66:10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as … More “Refining”: A process of being tested and tried
The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. —Deuteronomy 13:3-4 In our passage … More Tests you do not want to fail
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! We come to a doxology in Romans 11 today, and to help us unpack these verses is an excerpt from John Piper’s sermon, “The Deep Riches and Wisdom and Knowledge of God” The … More Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
Matthew 26:69-75, part of our passage for today, tells of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus. J.C. Ryle writes of a series of steps that he believes are recorded for our benefit and learning: The first step to Peter’s fall was SELF-CONFIDENCE. He said, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” The second step was … More The tree falls with a great crash, but the secret decay which accounts for it, is often not discovered until it is down on the ground.
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 