Preparing for the Lord's Day The Sneetches were divided into two groups. There were those who had green stars on their belly and those who did not. Those with stars strutted about feeling superior to those who lacked stars. These yellow bird-like creatures were proud of their mark or ashamed of their lack. But when Sylvester McMonkey McBean arrived with his Star-on machin...

Preparing for the Lord's Day Throughout the book of Galatians Paul has been at pains to show that those who are of faith are the true sons of Abraham. It seems very likely that the false teachers focused on Abraham in their deceitful claims, that only those who were circumcised were truly members of God's family. In our passage for this Sunday, Paul explains that the Gala...

Preparing for the Lord's Day Paul Tripp in his book, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands, explains that spiritual growth does not come through changing outward behaviors but rather through a process of heart change. To explain what he means he uses an example of a fruit-bearing tree. Imagine a tree that produces crab apples. They are hard and sour and generally inedible. ...

Preparing for the Lord's Day If you happen to come by my office on a Sunday morning between services, you are bound to see at least one of my children. My son may be hanging out waiting for Club 56 to begin, my youngest may be pulling books off of my bookshelves, and my other children may be searching through my desk for mints or other snacks. Thankfully, my office is not...

Preparing for the Lord's Day Over the past several years I have noticed that a member of our family has not been coming to family events. His wife comes with their child, but he is predictably absent each time. When we visit them at their home, he is cordial, personable, and warm. However, when the family is together as a group, he is never present. Recently I asked his w...

Preparing for the Lord's Day As we have continued our study of Galatians, we have continually seen Paul's defense of justification by faith apart from works of the law. He has defended the gospel from the assault of those who would have the Galatians keep the law's command of circumcision. Paul's argument seems to imply that the law is contrary to the gospel. As such one ...

Preparing for the Lord's Day This past week I found myself staying awake quite a bit later than normal to watch the NCAA tournament. I love to watch an underdog beat out a higher-ranked team. There is nothing as exciting as a game that comes down to the final seconds. Even those who only have a casual interest in college basketball can get hooked into watching with antici...

Preparing for the Lord's Day Have you ever known someone who was hoping for an inheritance but when the time came realized they had received nothing? Maybe it was someone who failed to save for retirement believing that their rich uncle would provide all that they needed, only to find out that he was not as rich as they believed. Maybe it was a friend who cared for their ...

Preparing for the Lord's Day Paul tells us that he was punished five times by the Jews for preaching the gospel, and each time he received forty lashes minus one for his crime (2 Corinthians 11:24). Tradition holds that when a prisoner was being whipped, he was required to read out the twelve curses of breaking God's law recorded in Deuteronomy 27. This reading acted as a...

Preparing for the Lord's Day How do you know that you are a true member of the family? Growing up with two adopted brothers meant that I was faced with the meaning of belonging to a family. There was a time when my brothers were not members of our family. They were born with different parents. They lived in a different house. However, by God's providence, these two boys w...