Jerry Bridges begins his look at our Respectable Sins by tackling the sin of “ungodliness.” This might be one we conveniently ascribe to people out there and never quite own that it’s also in there, as in, in our own hearts. But, Bridges defines ungodliness in a way that helps us to see that it’s [...]
Archive for the ‘Heart Change’ Category
Me?…ungodly?
Posted in Heart Change, Sanctification, Sin on December 19, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Because of your hardness of heart
Posted in Heart Change, Love, Sanctification, Sermon, Sin on July 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Phil preached on Mark 10:1-12 this past Sunday. Verses 3-6 say this:
He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment. [...]
“A desolate place…” Part 2: A guide
Posted in Devotional Life, Heart Change, Sanctification on July 4, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Last month at New Attitude we spent time each morning thinking about devotions, pulling away to that “desolate place” to encounter God through his word and prayer. Somewhere someone produced a “devotional guide” that was very helpful in providing a useful pattern for engaging God.
It begins (#1 below) by praying for God’s help in seeing what is [...]
Conviction and the cure
Posted in Heart Change, Idols of the heart, Law of Moses, Sanctification, Sin on February 26, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Our pastors have just finished preaching through the ten commandments. They have done an incredible job of helping us to feel the weight and glory of God’s holiness; but without letting us forget that the law sits on the bedrock foundation of the gospel (“I am the Lord your God, who brought you . . [...]
Lust Part 10: Conclusion–Fighting fire with…promises
Posted in Bible, Culture, Heart Change, Idols of the heart, Lust, Sanctification, Sin on February 24, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
As we conclude this series on battling lust, we must look at a topic that has proven invaluable to me and to others in this area. It might strike us as somewhat counter-intuitive. One powerful expression of it comes from John Piper’s book Future Grace:
“We must fight fire with fire. The fire of lust’s pleasures must [...]
Lust Part 9: Media and the Internet
Posted in Bible, Christ is Lord, Culture, Heart Change, Idols of the heart, Lust, Sanctification, Sin, Theology on February 23, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Susannah Wesley told her son in a letter:
“Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent [...]
Lust Part 8: “Lone rangers are dead rangers”
Posted in Bible, Christ is Lord, Heart Change, Idols of the heart, Love, Lust, Sanctification, Sin, Theology on February 16, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
“Lone rangers are dead rangers,” is the title of Josh Harris’ chapter on accountability from his book, Sex is not the problem (lust is). In the land of the free and the home of the brave, individualism and self-reliance are celebrated often, whether in sports, business, or politics. It is hubris, not humility, that makes [...]
Lust Part 7: Temptation is in the details
Posted in Bible, Books, Culture, Heart Change, Idols of the heart, Lust, Sanctification, Sin, Theology on February 13, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
In college as a music major (classical guitar), I had numerous recitals and concerts for which to prepare. Picking out the music for these was always fun, scanning the repertoire of significant works within my ability, listening to recordings, etc. That was followed by the early days of practice, getting acclimated to a piece, comfortable [...]
Christ is Lord of our money
Posted in Christ is Lord, Heart Change, Law of Moses on February 12, 2007 | 1 Comment »
God forbids stealing in the eighth commandment, and in the tenth commandment he forbids even coveting. All of this connects to how we see the money and possessions that God has given to us. If we clutch them tightly as ours, or if we are discontent with what we are given, then our hearts are [...]
Lust Part 6: Real power for real change
Posted in Bible, Christ is Lord, Culture, Heart Change, Idols of the heart, Love, Lust, Sanctification, Sin, Theology on February 10, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Lust is a sin. Sinners love sin. I am a sinner. Hmm. I have a problem.
This captures the dilemma in which we find ourselves. Lust is a sin problem, which is the most serious kind of problem. That’s the bad news. The good news is the gospel, that blessed word which means literally, “good news.” [...]
