tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154614032012-01-26T11:53:47.216-05:00Meditations on Pursuing God with Both Mind and HeartBrian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.comBlogger7121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-2306315144445555252012-01-26T01:11:00.002-05:002012-01-26T01:37:42.121-05:00

Yesterday I attended one of the simulcasts for The Elephant Room Round 2, the roundtable discussion hosted by James MacDonald with panelists Mark Driscoll, Jack Graham, Wayne Cordeiro, Crawford Loritts, Steven Furtick, and T. D. Jakes. MacDonald’s decision to invite T. D. Jakes was, of course, controversial, and many of us wondered whether the real elephant in the room, Jakes’ stance on the

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-7270496137961016302012-01-17T10:16:00.004-05:002012-01-17T10:20:35.289-05:00

Last Sunday, I ended my sermon with 17th-century English poet John Donne's "Holy Sonnet XIII." It is such a complex poem, that I now realize that the meaning was probably largely lost on the congregation (my fault, not theirs). But it is powerful enough to revisit for further reflection. Here's the poem, followed by some brief comments: What if this present were the world's last night?Mark in my

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-18157860520655148272012-01-10T11:06:00.005-05:002012-01-10T12:58:54.713-05:00

Here's a summary of some of the high and low points in my reading last year. Maybe it will help you determine what to read (and what to avoid!) in 2012.  Most helpful spiritually: The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin - Kris LundgaardJohn Owen on the Christian Life - Sinclair FergusonPersonal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul - Octavius WinslowApostasy

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-69714496284256823602011-11-29T10:22:00.000-05:002011-11-29T10:22:51.490-05:00

Shepherd Press is offering all of their e-books -- including Christ Formed in You -- for just $.99  from now through Christmas. Please spread the word! 

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-31449034670882473112011-11-27T13:17:00.001-05:002011-11-27T13:18:47.383-05:00

From Calvin: Every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For, He was sold, to buy us back; captive to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us; He was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair; He died for our life; so that buy Him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light,

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-82047129669532199962011-11-18T09:03:00.001-05:002011-11-18T09:03:59.709-05:00

Paul David Tripp on God's grace: "Grace is the most transformational word in Scripture. The entire Bible is a narrative of God’s grace, a story of undeserved redemption. By the transformational power of his grace, God unilaterally reaches into the muck of this fallen world, through the presence of his Son, and radically transforms his children from what we are (sinners) into what we are

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-23670231418031963392011-11-17T09:01:00.004-05:002011-11-17T11:40:43.782-05:00

One of the best new titles I’ve seen this year is Matthew Lee Anderson’s Earthen Vessels: Why Our Bodies Matter to Our Faith, a well-researched, thoughtfully-written treatment on embodied faith. I was so excited about this book that I ordered copies for our elder team and our church’s book table. Matt invited me to be a part of the Earthen Vessels Symposium, a series of blog posts intended to

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-5167797362576217012011-10-20T16:27:00.001-04:002011-10-20T16:30:33.301-04:00

Since I'm preaching through Romans, I recently decided to bite the bullet and plow through John Owen's treatise on justification in volume 5 of his Works (Full Title: The Doctrine of Justification by Faith Through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ; Explained, Confirmed and Vindicated.) It is well worth the work.  Here is a series of ten observations Owen makes about the legal (his

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-418421232009219262011-10-19T08:25:00.001-04:002011-10-19T08:27:06.453-04:00

What is the unforgivable sin? This is a video answer I gave several months ago for Christianity.com.

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-57598852092444741162011-10-14T17:45:00.002-04:002011-10-14T17:47:22.778-04:00

Revolt against God “Scripture identifies the essence of sin as ungodliness…God’s complaint is that we do not really ‘seek’ him at all, making his glory our supreme concern, that we have not set him before us, that there is no room for him in our thoughts, and that we do not love him with all our powers. Sin is the revolt of the self against God, the dethronement of God with a view to the

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-27683838576703293792011-09-27T16:54:00.000-04:002011-09-28T00:26:16.835-04:00

One of the most important questions I am asked as a pastor is how to understand the relationship between God's grace and our effort in living the Christian life. We know that we are supposed to walk in the power of the Spirit. But what does this look like? Some forms of spirituality promote an unhealthy passivity in their approach to sanctification, by using such slogans as "Let go and let God

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-27589508048572133472011-08-17T16:14:00.001-04:002011-08-17T16:16:03.032-04:00

(Adapted from Tim Keller’s Church Planter Manual) One way the Spirit applies the gospel to a whole church can be likened to the two-stroke cycle of a gasoline engine. The first stroke is the “intake compression stroke.” In it, the piston moves up the cylinder pulling in a fuel-air mixture and compresses it. Then the spark plug ignites the mixture creating an explosion. This causes the second

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-77222137188056688222011-08-11T10:47:00.003-04:002011-08-11T11:05:38.520-04:00

While Evangelicals are hungry for authentic spiritual experience, we are, it seems to me, rather confused about how to get it. This hunger is a good thing, evidenced by the many books now available on spiritual formation and the disciplines, not to mention the plethora of devotional guides now on the market. But evidence of the confusion is seen in the actual content of some this material. On

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-28172856358013999362011-07-26T13:18:00.002-04:002011-07-26T13:30:07.478-04:00

The gospel-centered movement may be new, but gospel-centeredness itself isn’t a novelty. Love for the gospel lies at the center of the rich heritage of evangelicalism, reaching back hundreds of years. I’m (very) slowly plodding through The Works of John Owen, the most important theologian in my Christian life. Tucked away in Owen’s 250 pages on The Nature and Causes of Apostasy from the Gospel

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-60859701291540573332011-07-21T11:37:00.000-04:002011-07-21T11:37:23.461-04:00

Darryl Dash on A Pastor Who Reads His Journals A chance to get a free book by J. I. Packer in Tony Reinke's latest book giveaway A review of Licensed to Kill Magic Isn't Might, No Matter What Warner Brothers Says - A good review of the latest Harry Potter installment. (I think the latest Harry Potter movies and all the Narnia movies are making the same mistake: eliminating the best elements

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-49227304263060025822011-07-14T14:51:00.001-04:002011-07-14T14:53:05.937-04:00

Expository preaching takes discipline. It is hard work to do careful exegesis of the next passage and craft a fresh, well-balanced message that is both biblically faithful and culturally relevant, with clear explanation of the text, engaging and colorful illustrations, and thoughtful application to the lives of our people. Sunday mornings come back around with relentless speed and the

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-37112109506121483152011-07-08T16:21:00.001-04:002011-07-08T16:24:25.626-04:00

For the last couple of months I have been studying and preaching through the 2nd half of 1 Samuel. The narrative presents a compelling contrast between David, the anointed future king of Israel, and Saul, the de facto king whose disobedience to God has led to the loss of his kingdom. Saul Attacking David   Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (1591-1666) Few places in Scripture give us more insight

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-41012603897630363512011-07-06T19:09:00.006-04:002011-07-06T19:34:16.808-04:00

One of my heroes is Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the famous Baptist pastor of nineteenth century London. In reading Spurgeon, I am convinced that one of the secrets behind the extraordinary fruitfulness of his ministry and the enduring legacy of his sermons was his relentless focus on the person and work of Christ. Spurgeon’s Christ-centered focus is evident in the first words he spoke in the

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-17665565673812831072011-06-23T12:54:00.002-04:002011-07-11T16:51:30.854-04:00

My next book Licensed to Kill: A Field Manual for Mortifying Sin is now complete and will be shipping in just a couple of weeks. You can pre-order the book from Cruciform Press in both print and e-book formats. Here are several endorsements of the book: “Are there things you hate that you end up doing anyway? Have you tried to stop sinning in certain areas of your life, only to face defeat

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-71588547670780024512011-06-22T12:19:00.002-04:002011-06-23T12:56:20.511-04:00

There are two dangers that books addressing the issues of conversion and assurance must avoid. On one hand, there is the danger of introspection: an over-emphasis on our inner experience that neglects (or at least fails to give proper weight to) the great objective realities of atonement, resurrection, and justification. But there is also the danger of presumption. This can happen even when

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-12985653183261961232011-06-01T17:09:00.001-04:002011-06-01T17:11:12.026-04:00

In our members there is a slumbering inclination toward desire, which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power desire seizes master over the flesh. All at once a secret, smouldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames. It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge, or love of fame and power, or greed for money . . .  Joy

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-85894262445497161332011-05-04T11:32:00.005-04:002011-05-04T14:05:16.332-04:00

Preaching and writing demand a lot of output and output is draining. When I get drained, I need refueling. And the main way I refuel is to read. And read, and read, and read. I've been on a reading spree lately and here are some of the books I am currently reading or have recently finished. Two new books on Christian living Red Like Blood: Confrontations with Grace by Joe Coffey and Bob

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-6182771277321256062011-04-29T19:09:00.003-04:002011-05-05T16:14:21.316-04:00

Alistair Begg's practical pointers for expository preaching: 1. Think yourself empty 2. Read yourself full 3. Write yourself clear 4. Pray yourself hot 5. Be yourself, but don't preach yourself Preaching for God's Glory, p. 51-58

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-64218183471736717212011-04-26T13:00:00.000-04:002011-04-26T13:00:03.798-04:00

I was disillusioned with ministry. Two years into my pastorate of a small church, our leaders agreed to hold a weekend conference with a well known author and speaker. We promoted the event to our congregation and to area churches. We stocked our book table with this author's books. Hoping for a huge crowd for the Friday night and Saturday morning sessions, I was frustrated, embarrassed, and

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-4434528021514038112011-04-23T16:58:00.002-04:002011-04-23T17:06:54.830-04:00

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery. Thou art slave to fate,

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-74442428422259323442011-04-14T00:45:00.002-04:002011-04-14T00:47:56.077-04:00

Howell Harris (1714-1773) was one of the greatest leaders of the Evangelical Awakening and Revival in Wales and England in the mid-1700s. Along with Daniel Rowlands, he was also one of the founders of Methodism in Wales. Martyn Lloyd-Jones called him “one of the great heroic figures of the Christian church.” The story of his life is both convicting and encouraging as a demonstration of the Spirit

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-37923245844981355062011-04-08T15:40:00.003-04:002011-04-08T15:45:52.135-04:00

Next month, I am returning to South Africa for a mission trip. Joining me this year is a close friend from our church, Kenny Powell. I had the privilege of baptizing Kenny several years ago and later officiating in Kenny’s wedding to Merrilee. He is a good friend, a devoted follower of Christ, and an emerging leader in our church. Back to Back to the Bible So, I’m excited to be bringing him

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-48498683556266632622011-04-05T00:23:00.009-04:002011-04-24T15:17:20.682-04:00

I'm excited to announce that my second book has been accepted for publication by Cruciform Press, a new and innovative publishing company founded by my friend (and the editor of Christ Formed in You), Kevin Meath, along with Bob Bevington, and Tim Challies. The title is Licensed to Kill: A Field-Manual for Mortifying Sin. This is a short book (about 1/3 of the length of my first) which unpacks

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-25009075258283049292011-04-02T23:59:00.000-04:002011-04-02T23:59:52.773-04:00

1. How sweet and aweful is the place With Christ within the doors, While everlasting love displays The choicest of her stores. 2. While all our hearts and all our songs Join to admire the feast, Each of us cry, with thankful tongues, "Lord, why was I a guest?" 3. "Why was I made to hear Thy voice, And enter while there's room, When thousands make a wretched choice, And rather starve than come

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-46113881571706379822011-04-01T09:22:00.001-04:002011-04-01T09:23:35.512-04:00

According to John Owen's Mortification of Sin, there are two essential keys to killing sin. He gives these keys as "directions" in the final chapter of his classic book. Here are my notes: DIRECTION 1: Set your faith upon Christ for the killing of your sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. How? 1. By faith fill your heart with a right consideration of the provision

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-33519146440340178772011-03-30T20:24:00.001-04:002011-03-30T20:27:59.202-04:00

I've still got a number of copies of Christ Formed in You to give away and am also trying to build a base of regular readers for this blog. So, if you'd like to enter a drawing for a free (and signed) copy of my book, just become a subscriber or follower of this blog and leave a comment. (You can become either a subscriber or follower of the blog through the links on the side bar to the right).

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-73007848942140546362011-03-30T17:19:00.002-04:002011-07-08T00:09:08.486-04:00

A young man recently sent me an interesting e-mail. “One of my biggest problems,” he said, “is disciplining myself to read books. My problem is not that I lack good books (I have way more than I need), but that I lack the discipline and determination to read them. I tend to start in one, am really engaged in it, then I find myself picking up another, and another, and another....and I never

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-37931173994128526682011-03-23T12:01:00.000-04:002011-03-23T12:01:04.669-04:00

How do you prepare sermons? I hear the question fairly often. And, of course, there are whole books written to answer this question, and some very good ones, too. My method is not the only one to use, and, in fact, I rarely follow every step in full detail. The preparation of each sermon is unique, depending on multiple factors, including how well I know the text, whether I've preached on it

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-28025711998270253712011-03-19T23:59:00.000-04:002011-03-19T23:59:29.346-04:00

Hail, sovereign love that first began, The scheme to rescue fallen man; Hail matchless free eternal grace, That gave my soul a hiding place. Against the God who rules the sky, I fought with hand uplifted high, Despised the mention of His grace, Too proud to seek a hiding place. Enwrapped in thick Egyptian night, And fond of darkness more than light, Madly I ran the sinful race, Secure

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-18392411156130260972011-03-16T23:21:00.001-04:002011-03-19T23:40:33.226-04:00

"Gospel truth is the only root whereon gospel holiness will grow.... It is impossible to maintain the power of godliness where the doctrine from whence it springs is unknown, corrupted, or despised. And, on the other side, where men are weary of holiness, they will not long give entertainment to the truth; for as to their desires and affections, they will find it not only useless but troublesome

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-67736217198569491582011-03-15T00:35:00.001-04:002011-03-15T00:37:46.331-04:00

[The following is a rather lengthy quotation from Octavius Winslow's excellent book Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul. This is an old classic, on the causes and cures of backsliding, that I have come to late. I remember first seeing it when I was a teenager, but have never read it through. But for the past few days I've been reading a chapter a day - partly for my own

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-25346440049684316222011-03-14T12:59:00.001-04:002011-03-14T13:30:47.877-04:00

Challies: A recent paper in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin looks at a series of studies involving how people evaluate moods—their own and those of others. The study itself is not as interesting as the implications. What the study found is that people tend to underestimate how dejected other people feel and that this in turn increases a person’s own sense of unhappiness. Put

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-29935328947995472442011-03-09T23:22:00.002-05:002011-03-10T15:30:00.929-05:00

I came across this great quote from Augustine tonight: “However, if this objective is unattainable so long as we are in the body and exiled from the Lord, let us at least taste how sweet the Lord is, for He has given us the Spirit as a pledge, in whom we may experience His sweetness. Let us also thirst for the fountain of life itself, wherein we shall be inebriated and refreshed by a sober

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-23998154952694622992011-03-03T15:10:00.001-05:002011-03-17T21:00:27.148-04:00

"There is a twofold mystery of grace: one aspect concerns coming to God, the other, walking with God. The great objective of sin is to confuse these two. In 1 John 1-2:1 the whole design and use of the gospel is briefly expressed. The Person of Christ, and pardon, forgiveness and the expiation of sin by his blood, are revealed ‘so that you may not sin.’ This is the proper purpose of the doctrine

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-25083630200562450612011-02-13T16:33:00.002-05:002011-08-19T00:27:58.983-04:00

It is a miserable thing to be a backslider. Of all unhappy things that can befall a man, I suppose it is the worst. A stranded ship, a broken-winged eagle, a garden overrun with weeds, a harp without strings, a church in ruins, all these are sad sights, but a backslider is a sadder sight still. A wounded conscience - a mind sick of itself - a memory full of self-reproach - a heart pierced

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-2931963515909606332011-02-08T10:57:00.001-05:002011-03-14T15:07:00.706-04:00

1. The clearer your understanding of what is good and what is evil in God's eyes, the greater your sin. 2. The greater profession you have made of devotion to Christ, the greater your sin. 3. The more mercies you have received from God, the greater your sin. 4. The fuller the warning you have received from the Word of God as well as from your own conscience about the danger of sin, the greater

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-69099560511424069362011-02-04T15:45:00.003-05:002011-04-21T14:31:55.226-04:00

Those Thick, Long, Intimidating Books The Puritans wrote hefty, lengthy, thick books. Many of them sit on my shelves, and I've read quite a few. But their length can be intimidating, even to the most voracious reader. One of these tomes that has been collecting dust in my study for years is Richard Baxter's The Christian Directory, which Tim Keller calls "the greatest manual on biblical

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-70619387679571341552011-01-27T15:03:00.000-05:002011-01-27T15:03:40.788-05:00

Since I'm currently doing a series of messages on Rediscovering the Church, I'm also doing some fresh reading on the doctrine of the church. Here are three books that I've either read or am reading, all of which make good contributions to the vast amount of literature out there on the church.

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-33389655741157561652011-01-27T14:52:00.000-05:002011-01-27T14:52:52.229-05:00

A quote that recently helped me: "What does an unused prayer line look like? Anxiety. Instead of connecting with God, our spirits fly around like severed power lines, destroying everything they touch. Anxiety wants to be God but lacks God's wisdom, power, or knowledge. A godlike stance without godlike character and ability is pure tension." - Paul Miller, A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-61930771343501991042011-01-14T19:29:00.000-05:002011-01-14T19:29:44.206-05:00

"There is no victory over the indwelling power of sin, and there is no pardon for the guilt of sin, but as the soul deals with the blood of Christ. The great end of our dear Lord's death was to destroy the works of the devil. Sin is the great work of Satan. To overcome this, to break its power, subdue its dominion, repair its ruins, and release from its condemnation, the blessed Son of God

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-37014944085077874382011-01-14T00:23:00.001-05:002011-01-14T00:40:11.545-05:00

In November of 2010, the elder team of Fulkerson Park submitted a proposed revision to our church constitution that, among other things, included a revision to our requirements for church membership. In the past, the requirements for membership at Fulkerson Park have been (1) a public profession of faith in Christ and (2) believer’s baptism by immersion. The elders are proposing that we no longer

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-3575969038508255792011-01-02T21:59:00.001-05:002011-01-02T22:19:11.308-05:00

For years now I have kept up the habit of making a list of the books I read and rating them on a 1 to 5 star scale. The following is a list of the books that I liked most last year, with some very brief comments. Most of them were not published in 2010, so this is not a list of the best books published last year, but rather of the best ones I happened to read. They are loosely in the order in

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-50280888334969272042010-12-25T18:43:00.000-05:002010-12-25T18:44:39.459-05:00

But how will all this [his death, burial, and resurrection] be true in Him, if He was not Himself true—if He really had not in Himself that which might be crucified, might die, might be buried, and might rise again? I mean this flesh suffused with blood, built up with bones, interwoven with nerves, entwined with veins, a flesh which knew how to be born, and how to die, human without doubt, as

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-47375419247989888502010-12-14T19:17:00.003-05:002010-12-14T19:22:12.543-05:00

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-6638769338418019282010-12-08T09:43:00.004-05:002011-07-14T17:12:24.741-04:00

Here it will be proper to point out the titles which the Scripture bestows on the Spirit, when it treats of the commencement and entire renewal of our salvation. First, he is called the “Spirit of adoption,” because he is witness to us of the free favor with which God the Father embraced us in his well-beloved and only-begotten Son, so as to become our Fathers and give us boldness of access to

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-28154275847463687662010-12-05T00:28:00.002-05:002010-12-05T00:45:07.792-05:00

I have no wit, no words, no tears;My heart within me like a stoneIs numb'd too much for hopes or fears;Look right, look left, I dwell alone;I lift mine eyes, but dimm'd with griefNo everlasting hills I see;My life is in the falling leaf:O Jesus, quicken me.My life is like a faded leaf,My harvest dwindled to a husk:Truly my life is void and briefAnd tedious in the barren dusk;My life is like a

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-84386095925771779972010-12-02T20:18:00.001-05:002010-12-02T20:19:29.596-05:00

Weary of wandering from my God,And now made willing to returnI hear and bow me to the rodFor thee, not without hope, I mourn:I have an Advocate aboveA Friend before the throne of love.O Jesus, full of truth and graceMore full of grace than I of sinYet once again I seek Thy face:Open Thine arms and take me inAnd freely my backslidings healAnd love the faithless sinner still.Thou know’st the way to

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-72291162446174402272010-12-02T19:42:00.002-05:002010-12-02T19:43:36.812-05:00

"It is legitimate to speak of “receiving grace,” and sometimes (although I am somewhat cautious about the possibility of misusing language) we speak of the preaching of the Word, prayer, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper as “means of grace.” That is fine, so long as we remember that there isn’t a thing, a substance, or a “quasi-substance” called “grace.” All there is is the person of the Lord Jesus

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-42779855079680243882010-12-02T19:30:00.000-05:002010-12-02T19:31:50.598-05:00

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.Washed all my sins

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-32121199308163318752010-12-02T19:25:00.003-05:002010-12-02T19:44:41.663-05:00

The glory of the gospel is that God has declared Christians to be rightly related to him in spite of their sin. But our greatest temptation and mistake is to try to smuggle character into his work of grace. How easily we fall into the trap of assuming that we can only remain justified so long as there are grounds in our character for justification. But Paul’s teaching is that nothing we do ever

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-39466699917373628982010-11-30T09:47:00.008-05:002011-03-14T20:43:21.904-04:00

I have made two happy discoveries this year in the worlds of authors and artists. The artist is Edward Knippers, to whose work I was introduced several months ago via Gene Edward Veith's stimulating, well-written The State of the Arts. (For a briefer introduction, see the article by Marvin Olasky on Knippers entitled "Body of Work" in a recent issue of World magazine.) Descent from the Cross by

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-18006052999457697102010-11-20T20:41:00.001-05:002010-11-20T20:42:26.140-05:00

Thou hidden source of calm repose,thou all-sufficient love divine,my help and refuge from my foes,secure I am if thou art mine;and lo! from sin and grief and shameI hide me, Jesus, in thy name.Thy mighty name salvation is,and keeps my happy soul above,comfort it brings, and power and peace,and joy and everlasting love;to me with thy dear name are givenpardon and holiness and heaven.Jesus, my all

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-11486686426981606752010-11-20T20:03:00.005-05:002011-04-13T21:51:36.079-04:00

Check out John MacArthur's wise and well-researched article, Social Media and Digital Discernment. MacArthur provides five cautions to guide believers in their use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. Here they are in very abbreviated form. Go to the link above to read the full article. Virtual Fellowship First, consider the façade of friendship that can be created by social

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-25746403545369312392010-11-20T16:23:00.001-05:002010-11-20T16:24:43.743-05:00

Too late have I loved You, O Beauty so ancient, O Beauty so new, too late have I loved You! You were within me but I was outside myself, and I sought You there!In my weakness I ran after the beauty of the things You have made.You were with me, and I was not with You.The things You have made kept me from You – the things which would have no being unless they existed in You!You have called, You

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-12543412191451888392010-11-17T16:18:00.010-05:002011-03-14T14:08:36.884-04:00

One of the great evangelical classics of the last thirty years that has received far too little attention is Richard F. Lovelace’s Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1979). This is a wise and balanced book that explores the theological framework and actual experience of spiritual renewal and revival, with a good bit of church

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-39565985018904256932010-11-09T23:38:00.004-05:002010-11-09T23:56:02.892-05:00

This is one of those memes that show up on Facebook. I decided I might as well make a blog-post of it, too. The idea was to list 15 authors who've influenced you in 15 minutes. I think I took longer than 15 minutes, though. Anyway. Here goes.1. Thornton W. Burgess - my first memory of being enthralled with a book is from 2nd grade when I read The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse by Burgess. I

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-20792086275237793102010-11-09T10:16:00.006-05:002011-03-20T21:49:05.352-04:00

There is a lot of talk about being "gospel-centered" in the circles I run in. I like this kind of talk, but it is admittedly a bit faddish right now. What we need is not so much to use the terminology - gospel-centered this or gospel-centered that - but to learn the reality of daily living by faith in God's abundant grace provided for us in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-56479751978375746822010-11-05T02:04:00.005-04:002010-11-05T13:12:58.825-04:00

Why do Christians include, as a crucial and regular part of their worship, a meal? Why do we celebrate the Lord’s Table? We can answer this question by considering some of the Scriptural passages which tell us about this meal, along with some of the names that have been attached to it.First of all, when we come to the Table, we remember the sacrifice of Christ. This is a Memorial meal, eaten in

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-35577013952667620802010-11-03T21:20:00.005-04:002011-03-14T14:09:34.730-04:00

Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just by Timothy Keller (author of the best-selling The Reason for God, and senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City) is a clear, convicting, and compelling case for the assertion that "there is a direct relationship between a person's grasp and experience of God's grace, and his or her heart for justice and the poor." (p. xiii). In

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-55619848114392888702010-10-31T16:23:00.006-04:002011-07-14T17:12:53.530-04:00

Today is the four hundred and ninety-third anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. On October 31, 1517, a young German theology professor named Martin Luther nailed his famous Ninety-Five Theses to the wooden door of the Wittenburg Castle church. Little did he know that this would spark a movement which would change the face of church (and even world) history, forever. In fact, R. C. Sproul

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-11869240396289689502010-10-30T15:01:00.003-04:002011-04-14T00:50:18.219-04:00

Here are three very interesting and helpful articles I've read. How underdogs can win - Fascinating article by Malcolm Gladwell in the New Yorker about how underdogs can win when they think outside the box and color outside the lines. The Hub and Spoke Paradigm - Timmy Brister on a mission-driven paradigm for ministry. Must reading, especially for church leaders. The Low-Information Diet -

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-53901365965009874862010-10-28T22:36:00.000-04:002010-10-28T22:37:42.914-04:00

“We must know God to know our duty; we must know Christ to know the way of performing it; we must know God, therefore, in the perfections of his nature, and Christ in the sufficiency of his mediation. We must know God in his ravishing goodness, his affrighting justice, his condescending mercy, his adorable wisdom, his unshaken veracity; we must know him as offended by sin, as pacified by Christ.

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-37788833959705516012010-10-26T10:13:00.006-04:002010-10-26T10:36:21.353-04:00

This, from Justin Taylor, posted at the Resurgence blog, is too good pass-up.1. See and celebrate God’s purposes in marriage. Luther wrote: The ultimate purpose [of marriage] is to obey God, to find aid and counsel against sin; to call upon God; to seek, love, and educate children for the glory of God; to live with one’s wife in the fear of God and to bear the cross; but if there are no

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-24557956441099766402010-10-25T21:45:00.005-04:002010-10-25T23:46:59.553-04:00

John Bunyan, years after his conversion, wrote these words in the conclusion to Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:I find to this day seven abominations in my heart: 1. Inclining to unbelief; 2. Suddenly to forget the love and mercy that Christ manifesteth; 3. A leaning to the works of the law; 4. Wanderings and coldness in prayer; 5. To forget to watch for that I pray for; 6. Apt to murmur

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-16387036488988664732010-10-25T12:29:00.003-04:002010-10-25T12:39:44.753-04:00

How do we work for justice and not undermine evangelism?This is a question that various evangelical leaders have been offering answers to over at The Gospel Coalition blog.D. A. CarsonRay OrtlundMichael WittmerAnd I especially liked Russell Moore's answer. Here is the conclusion:So how does the church “balance” a concern for evangelism with a concern for justice? A church does so in the same way

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-75455038858881178722010-10-25T11:40:00.005-04:002010-10-25T11:44:00.937-04:00

John Ortberg has a great post on "taking (some) of the guilt and confusing out of spiritual growth." It's worth quoting in full:When I first read Richard Foster’s The Celebration of Discipline, I did not like it. Its twelve chapters are organized around 12 spiritual disciplines. I felt like I was already not reading the Bible and praying enough–now I have ten more activities I have to feel

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-78607755134453181092010-10-20T16:00:00.003-04:002010-10-20T16:05:32.069-04:00

Confused about what it means for churches to "contextualize"? Wondering where the line is between being hospitable to unbelievers and being "seeker-sensitive" (in the more pejorative sense)? Still trying to figure out what "missional" really means? Read Stetzer's series "Calling for Contextualization."Calling for Contextualization (Part 1)Calling for Contextualization: The Need to Contend and

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-49472418104850740782010-10-17T01:03:00.004-04:002010-10-17T01:12:01.577-04:00

I will be preaching this week on Psalm 55. As I was studying this passage this week, I read Matthew Henry's commentary on it and was helped. Here is the outline of his thoughts. (Note: I am not recommending this for a sermon outline! My preaching outline will be quite a bit different: both shorter and more practical).I. David prays that God would manifest His favour to him and pleads his sorrow

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-89374381090570947912010-10-16T00:35:00.001-04:002010-10-16T00:36:53.988-04:00

How sweet the Name of Jesus soundsIn a believer’s ear!It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,And drives away his fear.It makes the wounded spirit whole,And calms the troubled breast;’Tis manna to the hungry soul,And to the weary, rest.Dear Name, the Rock on which I build,My Shield and Hiding Place,My never failing treasury, filledWith boundless stores of grace!By Thee my prayers acceptance gain

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-58689608173729507372010-10-14T22:21:00.001-04:002010-10-14T22:23:42.420-04:00

Remember, sinner, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee – it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee – it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that is the instrument – it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not to thy hope, but to Christ, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Christ, the author and finisher of thy faith; and if thou

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-77424839429995526822010-10-14T13:08:00.001-04:002010-10-14T13:13:01.424-04:00

Lord Jesus, I sin. Grant that I may never cease grieving because of it, never be content with myself, never think I can reach a point of perfection. Kill my envy, command my tongue, trample down self. Give me grace to be holy, kind, gentle, pure, peaceable, to live for Thee and not for self, to copy Thy words, acts, spirit, to be transformed into Thy likeness, to be consecrated wholly to Thee, to

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-77541323198540813342010-10-13T23:44:00.000-04:002010-10-13T23:45:13.393-04:00

"The only fight which is lost is that which we give up."-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-21276239207736858472010-10-12T22:15:00.005-04:002010-10-25T22:10:46.553-04:00

The release date for Christ Formed in You is now less than one month away! When the books finally arrive, I'll have a number of copies available to give away, so have been trying to think of creative ways to use some of these copies to help market the book. Hence, this post on how you can get two copies of Christ Formed in You for the price of one.If you're interested, here's what you need to do:

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-30872509071956711992010-10-12T10:23:00.004-04:002010-10-12T10:40:16.271-04:00

There are several new things worth reading on The Resurgence:The Wrong Way to Read the BibleBeing Missional May Kill Your ChurchGod Doesn't Need RenegadesAt Gospel Centric, check out:John Flavel on Keeping the Heart Al Mohler on Preaching to a Postmodern CultureAnd a few more recommendations: A very good movie I watched last night.A compelling novel I recently read.A great sermon I just listened

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-88846850834664487862010-10-07T11:04:00.004-04:002010-10-07T11:10:30.500-04:00

Here is something (lightly edited) I read in volume 1 of John Owen's Works this morning that moved me.In God there is at the same time, in the same divine actions, a glorious resplendency of justice and mercy; of justice in punishing, of mercy in pardoning . . . In the cross divine holiness and vindicating justice were made manifest, and through his triumph, grace and mercy are exerted to the

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-39685829766278377502010-10-06T16:00:00.003-04:002010-10-06T16:21:32.561-04:00

New Keller blog post: Late Modern or Post-modern? Chapter one of Tim Keller's forthcoming book Generous JusticeOn Christ Formed in You...see the new endorsements from Steven Lawson and Paul David Tripp. And here's a new online review, parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.What's in my CD player these days.What's new on my iPod.

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-1723217777709870622010-10-02T22:46:00.001-04:002010-10-02T22:48:36.891-04:00

And can it be that I should gainAn interest in the Savior’s blood?Died He for me, who caused His pain—For me, who Him to death pursued?Amazing love! How can it be,That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:Who can explore His strange design?In vain the firstborn seraph triesTo sound the depths of love divine.’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,Let angel minds inquire no

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-51784768036301811542010-10-01T14:37:00.005-04:002010-12-20T11:18:44.966-05:00

I am continuing to benefit from reading and meditating on the writings of John Owen. Continuing on with my previous posts on Owen's book, Indwelling Sin in Believers, today I want to highlight his insights on how sin entangles the affections.Owen uses James 1:13-15 to discuss the steps by which sin deceives us. The first step is to draw away the mind from watchfulness, obedience, and holiness.

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-54853618719495093642010-09-30T09:41:00.001-04:002010-09-30T09:43:00.780-04:00

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-43123049164440885152010-09-28T10:59:00.001-04:002010-09-28T11:00:24.365-04:00

Jesus, I am resting, resting,In the joy of what Thou art;I am finding out the greatnessOf Thy loving heart.Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,And Thy beauty fills my soul,For by Thy transforming power,Thou hast made me whole.O, how great Thy loving kindness,Vaster, broader than the sea!O, how marvelous Thy goodness,Lavished all on me!Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovèd,Know what wealth of grace is Thine,

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-1442992498108582102010-09-25T18:13:00.006-04:002010-09-25T19:49:13.451-04:00

A friend brought a book to my mind today, Thomas Boston's book A Crook in the Lot, or The Sovereignty and Wisdom of God in the Afflictions of Men Displayed. I picked it up to read this afternoon, since it also relates to the theme of tomorrow's sermon.This is the opening paragraph:"A just view of afflicting incidents is altogether necessary to a Christian deportment under them; and that view is

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-83276955544058747872010-09-25T15:42:00.000-04:002010-09-25T15:43:30.757-04:00

But all through life I see a crossWhere sons of God yield up their breath;There is no gain except by lossThere is no life except by death;And no full vision but by faithNo glory but by bearing blame.And that Eternal Passion saith:“Be emptied of glory and right and name.” --Amy Carmichael, "Divine Paradox"

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-6921622721462448622010-09-23T14:18:00.004-04:002010-09-23T14:21:26.146-04:00

"Sin arises because we desire something more than we desire God. Overcoming sin begins by reversing this process: desiring God more than other things. The Bible calls this repentance."--David Powlison, "Idols of the Heart and Vanity Fair," in The Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 13, No. 2, 1995, p. 36.

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-43282098023826367282010-09-20T00:48:00.003-04:002010-09-20T00:50:09.421-04:00

“There is no possibility of [attaining true happiness], but by pureness of heart, holiness of life, constancy in a course of sanctification, which only lead unto the face and presence of God, where, and with whom alone is the highest perfection of bliss, a river of infinite pleasures, the well of life, and endless rest of all created desires.”--Robert Bolton (1572-1631) from Discourse About the

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-29716677147373517532010-09-18T20:32:00.001-04:002010-09-18T20:33:32.888-04:00

"We all like astonishing tales because they touch the nerve of the ancient instinct of astonishment. This is proved by the fact that when we are very young children we don't need fairy tales, we only need tales. Mere life is interesting enough. A child of seven is excited by being told that Tommy opened a door and saw a dragon. But a child of three is excited by being told that Tommy opened a

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-72638548788597461382010-09-18T20:18:00.001-04:002010-09-18T20:20:59.371-04:00

’Twixt gleams of joy and clouds of doubt our feelings come and go;Our daily state is tossed about in ceaseless ebb and flow.No mood of feeling, form of thought, is constant for a day;But Thou, O Lord, Thou changest not, the same Thou art alway. Out of the weak, unquiet drift that comes but to depart,To that pure heaven my spirit lift where Thou unchanging art.Lay hold of me with Thy strong grasp,

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-67863012375983826892010-09-17T16:23:00.004-04:002010-09-17T16:40:50.888-04:00

Tim Challies and Mark Tubbs have each given the book a very generous mention.Two or three days ago we received a very kind endorsement from Paul David Tripp, a pastor, preacher and author whose books have greatly helped me. This was an answered prayer. Of all the potential endorsements we were hoping for, the one from Tripp was at the top of my list. I won't post it here, but if you want to read

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-79676113469507077732010-09-16T23:57:00.001-04:002010-09-17T00:00:12.359-04:00

I have no wit, no words, no tears;My heart within me like a stoneIs numb'd too much for hopes or fears;Look right, look left, I dwell alone;I lift mine eyes, but dimm'd with griefNo everlasting hills I see;My life is in the falling leaf:O Jesus, quicken me. My life is like a faded leaf,My harvest dwindled to a husk:Truly my life is void and briefAnd tedious in the barren dusk;My life

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-19211458708266035612010-09-16T21:13:00.000-04:002010-09-16T21:14:10.783-04:00

O love incomprehensible! Who can otherwise think now but, if the gracious good Lord disdained not to give his own Son, his own heart’s joy, for us his very enemies, before we thought to beg any such thing at his hands, … who, I say, can think otherwise but that with him he will give us all good things? If, when we hated him and fled away from him, he sent his Son to seek us; who can think

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-49528280548569267652010-09-15T15:32:00.001-04:002010-09-15T15:33:29.157-04:00

Wilt thou love God as he thee ? then digest,My soul, this wholesome meditation,How God the Spirit, by angels waited onIn heaven, doth make His temple in thy breast.The Father having begot a Son most blest,And still begetting—for he ne'er begun—Hath deign'd to choose thee by adoption,Co-heir to His glory, and Sabbath' endless rest.And as a robb'd man, which by search doth findHis stolen stuff sold

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-69959160444437279282010-09-14T12:40:00.003-04:002010-09-14T13:00:27.519-04:00

My last post on Owen introduced his writing on the deceitfulness of sin. Owen uses James 1:13-15 to discuss the steps by which sin deceives us. The first step is to "draw away the mind from attending to a course of obedience and holiness." So, how does sin do this? Owen gives two broad answers, and breaks down the first answer into further steps. [All the following quotes are from chapter 8 in

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-17447376573546645902010-09-12T15:23:00.003-04:002010-09-12T15:31:27.802-04:00

Listen to God. 'This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word' (Isaiah 66:2). This is the Bible's central hermeneutical principle - to tremble at God's word. By all means study God's word. But always, always check your heart. Are you reading to master God's word or be mastered by it? Does reading God's word make you proud or does it humble you? Do you

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-37305857113312083792010-09-11T21:49:00.000-04:002010-09-11T21:50:49.252-04:00

Before the throne of God aboveI have a strong and perfect plea.A great high Priest whose Name is LoveWho ever lives and pleads for me.My name is graven on His hands,My name is written on His heart.I know that while in Heaven He standsNo tongue can bid me thence depart.When Satan tempts me to despairAnd tells me of the guilt within,Upward I look and see Him thereWho made an end of all my

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-22116527369688577882010-09-10T00:27:00.000-04:002010-09-10T00:28:25.961-04:00

Ah my dear angry Lord,Since thou dost love, yet strike;Cast down, yet help afford;Sure I will do the like.I will complain, yet praise;I will bewail, approve:And all my sour-sweet daysI will lament and love.--George Herbert, "Bitter-Sweet"

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15461403.post-66507205668692305872010-09-09T21:33:00.001-04:002010-09-09T21:34:56.926-04:00

“Desires without boundaries. Each man for himself. Both Paul and James describe the human heart as a heart that screams, “I want! I want! I want!” The true picture of our hearts is not that we are empty cups. Rather, we are, apart from Christ, out-of-control binge eaters, gluttons, always frantically looking for more. If we could see ourselves in the mirror as we really are apart from Christ, we

Brian G. Hedgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07484347615800136537noreply@blogger.com0