Andrew Evangelism
For Lord’s Day, March 18, 2012 Dear Saints, May the Lord give us all more witnessing opportunities in our daily lives that we can be giving prayer support to as a church. May we be looking for such opportunities that…
The Difference Between Justification and Sanctificaiton Matters
For Lord’s Day, March 25, 2012 Dear Saints, What do you think about the following statements from Reformed pastors/writers?: “I’m about as good as I’m going to get, and I’m tired of trying.” You are “free to cuss and spit…
Salvation Secure
For Lord’s Day, April 1 Dear Saints, “Once saved, always saved.” Is that something you can take to the bank for yourself? Absolutely. You cannot lose your salvation. This is where the Larger Catechism, Q&A 79, will guide us in…
Brigthen Up
For Lord’s Day April 8 Dear Saints, As we have finished the Larger Catechism section directly discussing justification and sanctification, I thought this Proverb was a nice summary of a few things for our meditation: But the path of the…
Polishing People
Dear Saints, I want to thank you for staying committed to Christ and this local branch of His Church. I was thinking of you all and how Christ will surely reward you for your faithfulness to one another while I was…
Rain for Prayer
For Lord’s Day, May 13, 2012 Dear Saints, In my private morning devotion, I noticed something when singing a Psalm. It’s getting better with repetition. Now, I’m not commenting on how it sounds, especially early in the morning. But I…
Fullness of Joy in the Presence of God
For Lord’s Day May 27, 2012: Dear Saints, This Lord’s Day evening we will hear Jesus say to the thief next to Him on the cross, “Verily (truly) … Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise”. In union with…
Spiritual Flossing
For Lord’s Day June 10, 2012 Dear Saints, My dentist this week gave me a lesson in flossing. When she’s looking inside my mouth, there’s no hiding I need to floss more. Now, I’ve been doing better than I used…
Signs for the Senses
For Lord’s July 1, 2012 Dear Saints, Thank you for your prayers for our safe travels on our vacation trip to and from Atlanta. We just returned last night, and it is great to enjoy the cool ocean breeze of…
Follow the Narrow Path
For Lord’s Day July 8, 2012 Dear Saints, Last Lord’s Day evening, we began the last “mini-series” through the first half (officially) of the Larger Catechism on what we are to believe concerning God. This last series covers the topic…
People Change in Christ
For Lord’s Day, July 22, 2012 Dear Saints, They say that people can’t change. But in both our messages from God this Lord’s Day, the very opposite will be held out before you. In the morning, we begin to see…
Certitude of Certainty
For Lord’s Day, August 5, 2012 Dear Saints, Tomorrow evening we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. Following is another excerpt from Gordon J. Keddie’s book, The Lord’s Supper is a Celebration of Grace, to prepare your soul: “A seal pledges…
The Products of Pride and Humility
For Lord’s Day, August 12, 2012 Dear Saints, After last Lord’s Day’s sermon on Genesis 33:1-16, “Humble yourself for peace,” I noticed a theme in my devotions through Proverbs this week. It was said in the sermon that peace is…
Thanksgiving: Religious Expressions of Cheer and Joy
Dear Saints, In preparation for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Service, please meditate on this quote by Charles Hodge: “Foolish talking and jesting are not the ways in which Christian cheerfulness should express itself, but rather “giving of thanks” (Eph. 5:4). Religion is…
Pious Delight in the Works of God
For Lord’s Day, November 18, 2012 Dear Saints, As we sing the first part of Psalm 19 for our morning worship this month, I want to share a quote from Calvin’s Institutes that has really blessed me in my day-to-day…
Parenting “Shorter Catechism Boys”
For Lord’s Day, November 11, 2012 Dear Saints, Are you a “Shorter Catechism Boy or Girl”? Are your children? The email I am forwarding you (below, and the source of the pictures in this post) ties nicely in with last…
God’s Mighty Voice Over the Waters
For Lord’s Day, November 4, 2012. Dear Saints, A number of you have asked about how my Mom is doing, which I very much appreciate. I am thankful to report that, other than some rain, she was not effected much by…
Consumed with Zeal for God’s House
For Lord’s day, October 28, 2012: Dear Saints, Tomorrow morning, we will see how Jacob laments the death of Joseph (as far as he knows is the case) by renting his clothes and lamenting in sackcloth in terrible mourning. Yet,…
Peaceful Submission
Dear Saints, I got some disappointing news this week from my previous boss at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (where I also graduated). A major accomplishment we had long labored on together will likely become nullified due to some sad…
Make it a Meaningful Ritual
Dear Saints, We celebrate the Lord’s Supper tomorrow evening. Please prepare your souls with these thoughts from Gordon J. Keddie in his book, The Lord’s Supper is a Celebration of Grace: “There is nothing more miserable in the life of the…
Whole-Hearted, Sold-Out Worship
Dear Saints, In this Wednesday Night’s study on Revelation 2:1-7, in which we saw that Jesus condemns the Church of Ephesus for losing its first love for Him (which ultimately killed their local church), we were challenged to love God…
Turning the World Upside Down by Turning Ourselves Right-side Up
For Lord’s Day, August 19, 2012 Dearly Beloved, Are you upside down or right side up? I was thinking about this question today with the world and myself and the Church related to the following verse: And when they found…
You Serve Whom or What You Fear
(For Lord’s Day, August 26, 2012, weekly church email devotion) Dear Saints, I was listening to some sermons through the Gospel of Mark by Pastor Jeff Stivason this week, and one point particularly impressed me. He said something to the effect of not…
The Corporate, Horizontal Nature of the Lord’s Supper
(For September 2, 2012 weekly email church devotion) Dear Saints, This Lord’s Day, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper after the evening service. In preparation for the Supper, I’d like to encourage us all to reflect on the “horizontal” aspect…
Totally Absorbed in the Son
(For September 9, 2012 midweek church email devotion) Dear Saints, I’d like to share a quote with you by R. Kent Hughes in his book, Disciplines of a Godly Man: “We are to be totally absorbed with Jesus. He is to…
Be Butterflies
(For September 16, 2012 midweek church email devotion) Dear Saints, Last Lord’s Day morning we were told to remember and be who we are in Christ as new creatures possessing all new things. The closing illustration said we need to…
Love – The Greatest Thing in the World
(For September 23, 2012 midweek church email devotion) Dear Saints, We saw last Lord’s Day evening that Jesus teaches us God’s greatest command is to love. You could sum up even His two pivotal means of the Moral Law (Deuteronomy…