Kim Riddlebarger concludes a sermon on the life of Samson, from Judges 15-16 As for application for us today, there is much to learn from the life of Samson. No question, his allegiance is to YHWH. No question, his sin–especially his dalliances with Philistine women–was his undoing. Like Israel during the time of the Judges, … More God chooses us and uses us…in spite of ourselves
“To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” —1 Corinthians 12 John Piper, in a sermon, “Living in the Spirit and in the Body for the Common Good” I think the main point of this passage is verse 7: “But to each one is given the manifestation of the … More Why gifts?
And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of … More Give Me your heart
Sam Storms says that Psalm 88 is perhaps the saddest of all Psalms. Here is one of his devotionals from the series: Meditations on the Psalms I was greatly tempted to quietly skip over Psalm 88. But then I realized that there are many reading these meditations who can identify with the palpable sadness of … More Tempted to skip over Psalm 88?
In our read-through-the-Bible plan, we come to 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. where Paul gives instructions regarding The Lord’s Supper. Evidently, there were abuses that needed correction. John Piper, in a sermon, “The Lord’s Supper as Worship”, says that we express the value of Christ by “remembering,” by “proclaiming,” and by “nourishing.” Reminding First, the Lord’s … More The Lord’s Supper as Worship
Mark 6:45-56, our passage for today, contains the section telling of Jesus walking on water: Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. … More “It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Judges 10-12 is our Bible reading passage for today. In Judges 10:10-16 we read: And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” And the Lord said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you … More “Repentance,” exasperation and mercy
Our passage for today, 1 Corinthians 11, has been fuel for much debate. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her … More What’s the point of 1 Corinthians 11?
J. C. Ryle on Mark 6:35-46 Of all our Lord Jesus Christ’s miracles, none is so frequently described in the Gospels, as that which we have now read. Each of the four Evangelists was inspired to record it. It is evident that it demands a more than ordinary attention from every reader of God’s word. … More Jesus’ creative power
Pastor Kim Riddlebarger comments on Judges 9: The story of Abimelech points us in two directions. On the one hand, we see in Abimelech the sovereign hand of God. In order to remove Gideon’s sham dynasty, YHWH allows Abimelech to do in sixty-nine of Gideon’s sons (save one) and then become the leader over much of Israel. The people … More Seeing the sovereign hand of God in the life of Abimelech
