You can’t make sense of the early parts of Ecclesiastes if you haven’t read all the way to the end of Ecclesiastes. Likewise, you can’t really make sense of the end of Ecclesiastes if you haven’t read through the early chapters of Ecclesiastes.

When we learn that the LORD of hosts is also the God of Jacob, we find gospel hope.

Christians, pastors, and churches have a choice. You can find joy in the wisdom of God revealed in the Bible, or you can embrace the wisdom of this world, but you can’t do both.

As we come to the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, I pray that you know the good news of Jesus Christ.

The book of Romans is a glorious book, and Romans 8:18-39 is a glorious passage. In these verses, Paul talks about the reality of suffering.

Recently my Bible reading plan took me through John 21. As I closed out the fourth gospel, I was struck by the kindness of Jesus.

In addition to all the things that make Christmas “magical,” I pray you take time to remember the things that made the first Christmas “miraculous.”

Of all the lies that are widely believed to be true, the greatest might just be the lie that the “left” has freed itself from the confines and constraints of “religion.”

Recently my Bible reading plan took me through the book of Judges. Judges 2:10 and 2:11 describe a link between the idolatry of God’s people and the sin of God’s people.

While many church-going folks would have some familiarity with the phrase “plan of salvation,” few of us have ever stopped to think about a “plan of damnation.”

Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

On Saturday December 26th, I preached a funeral for a woman who died from complications related to COVID.

Much of what passes for “worship” these days is anything but. Just visit a typical evangelical church or watch their live stream online.

JI Packer was born July 22, 1926. He died July 17, 2020. During Packer’s ninety-plus years on earth, his preaching, teaching, and writing impacted a countless number of people.

“I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.”

William Chatterton Dix’s most famous hymn is “What Child Is This,” based on the poem “The Manger Throne.” In the hymn, Dix asks the rhetorical question, “What child is this who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping?” 

When I read the story of Joseph, I’m always struck by his obedience and faithfulness. Certainly I don’t want to make Joseph “the” hero of the story. He is, however, remarkably obedient and faithful once he arrives in Egypt.

Many in the west hear these words and picture primitive worshipers bowing down to man made statues. However, the Bible also describes a kind of idolatry that takes place in the heart (Ezekiel 14:4).

Recently a friend asked me to read God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines. To add my thoughts to the discussion, here are ten thoughts about Vines’ approach to the issue of homosexuality in his popular book God and the Gay Christian.

I’ve spent the last several months preaching through Exodus at Immanuel. As I’ve studied each week, I’ve worked through a stack of 12 different commentaries. All have been helpful in some way, but after working through most of Exodus these are my top five Exodus commentaries.

Recently I worked through Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology. The book is a helpful mix of historical and systematic theology, with much practical application for those engaged in pastoral ministry. One section that I found particularly helpful was Berkhof’s chapter on conversion, which is essentially a chapter about repentance.

Like so many in my generation, my thinking has been particularly shaped by the preaching and the writings of three men: RC Sproul, John MacArthur, and John Piper. Last week, Robert Charles Sproul passed away at the age of 78.

Surprised by Joy is the story of CS Lewis’ life, particularly the story of how he became a follower of Jesus. Towards the end of the book Lewis describes the moment he moved from atheism to theism.

Over the last three weeks I’ve met with several groups of men for breakfast and Bible study. Our focus was directed to prayers of confession in the Old Testament. We looked at Psalm 51, Daniel 9, and Nehemiah 9. Each week we tried to make sense of the context as well as the actual prayer…