The importance of guarding the mouth

From the ESV Study Bible, to help us with our reading in Proverbs 13:1-12 today: Prov. 13:1–6 Headed by the call to be a wise son (10:1), these proverbs also utilize a play on words (cf. 10:6–32) relating to both speech (hears/listen, 13:1; mouth, vv. 2–3; lips, v. 3; falsehood,v. 5) and eating/desire (eats, v. 2; desire, v. 2; craves and richly supplied, v. 4) in order to assure … More The importance of guarding the mouth

Confession: personal, public, practical and particular

Nehemiah 10:28 speaks of “the rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants, and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand.” Pastor P. G. Matthew, of Grace Valley Community Church, … More Confession: personal, public, practical and particular

Ever the struggling skeptic?

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, … More Ever the struggling skeptic?

Piper: Everything hangs on God being different from this judge

Today in our Bible reading plan, we come to Luke 18 and the parable of the persistent widow, John Piper gives some insights: A widow comes to an unjust judge and pleads for help. She is being oppressed unjustly and wants him to use his authority to seek her relief. That’s us, the widow. Weak, … More Piper: Everything hangs on God being different from this judge

The power of a good word

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. Proverbs 12:25, part of our read-through-the-Bible plan today. Do you have anxiety in your heart?  Are there others around you that are being weighed down with an anxious heart?  According to the Bible, a good word can change their outlook. … More The power of a good word

God has ordained to give the gift of supernatural light through thinking

Here are insights from John Piper, in a sermon, “Wonderful Things From Your Word” as we read 2 Timothy 2;1-13 today. Consider 2 Timothy 2:7. The NASB has “Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” Literally it is, “Think about (noei) what I say.” Does this mean that understanding Paul’s … More God has ordained to give the gift of supernatural light through thinking

Standing Guard

    Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many. And I said … More Standing Guard