Audio Transcript Welcome back to the podcast on this Monday, and thanks for listening. Tomorrow we read Isaiah 62–64 together in our Bible reading plan. And that leads to today’s question from a listener named Mattie: “Pastor John, hello to you! I’m a doer. I’m always doing the next thing. I have a lot of…
Category: Health
His Ocean for Thirsty Souls
Imagine a sin so terrible the stars shake in horror. Imagine a transgression that appalls the planets. Imagine evil that astonishes the angels, shocks the sun, and makes the moon shudder. What could be so bad that the Judge of all the earth calls the cosmos into the courtroom to testify against it? Be appalled,…
Stay Strange: The Church as a Home for Exiles
You, like me, have probably watched it happen. A friend or family member gets excited about Jesus, comes alive to his gospel, joins his mission. In their zeal, they make a clean cut with former sins. They gladly associate with God’s church. They evangelize unashamed. They don’t mind looking strange. But then, slowly, like the…
God Still Visits Egypt: Reformation in the Making
Kirollos, a young man from Alexandria, Egypt, was part of a local-church Bible study on the book of Romans. The study profoundly impacted him, revealing depths of God’s grace and sovereignty he had never seen before. Through this study, Kirollos embraced Reformed doctrine, moving away from previous beliefs strongly shaped by man-centered theology and the…
The Chief Ends of Man? How Westminster Weds Glory and Joy
One of the most well-known quotes about the Puritans comes from controversial journalist and critic H.L. Menken, who in 1925 claimed that the Puritans had “the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”1 Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the Puritans’ understanding of joy, with essays and even whole books dedicated…
DG’s Slogan, Coined 36 Years Ago Today
Audio Transcript God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. It’s our slogan. We love it. Many of you love it. Its nice balance makes it easy to memorize. Its nice rhythm paces itself off the tongue. And most importantly, it’s freighted with meaning. In that motto, we summarize God’s…
American Church, Is Your Christ Too Cheap?
Audio Transcript Worldliness — a theme addressed many times here over the years. Especially worldly media. I just glanced at the APJ book here, on pages 291–307, to be reminded of how big a theme worldliness has been for us over the years, Pastor John. A permanent challenge for the church. But not one every…
Serious Joy: The Root of Sacrificial Love
If I were in your shoes, and a new preacher comes to town and presumes to stand in this sacred place where the word of God has been so faithfully proclaimed by your pastor, I would want to know, “Who are you?” Not your name. Not your address. Not your job. Not your education. But,…
Heaven Has One Celebrity: A Dream at the Gates of Paradise
After giving my name to the first man holding a huge ancient book, I ask the other — the gatekeeper — where I can find the green room. He looks blank. “Where do your VIPs go?” “There are only three,” he mutters. I ask for my lanyard. Same blank expression. I press him, “A name…
Love Runs Deeper Than Doubt: Assurance for Our Hardest Days
Thirty-seven hours after my father died, my phone rang. “Dan, your mother only has hours to live. You need to come to the hospital now.” Even now, over three years later, my heart rate speeds up as I recall the ICU doctor’s words. The first words I spoke after hanging up the phone were to…