—2 Corinthians 7:10 Genuine, spiritual mourning for sin is the work of the Spirit of God. Repentance is too choice a flower to grow in nature’s garden. Pearls grow naturally in oysters, but penitence never shows itself in sinners except divine grace works it in them. If you have one particle of real hatred for … Continue reading “Godly sorrow works repentance.”
repentance
The Ancient Sacrifice – Humility
The poet Rudyard Kipling wrote the following words in 1897, as an admonition to the British Empire against pride: “The tumult and the shouting dies; the captains and the kings depart. Still stands thine ancient sacrifice, a humble and a contrite heart.” When Kipling spoke of a contrite heart as an “ancient sacrifice,” he was … Continue reading The Ancient Sacrifice – Humility
Why Do We Take Time to Confess Our Sins in Corporate Worship?
Have you ever wondered why we regularly confess our sins to God during our worship services?The regular discipline of confession enables us to grasp more fully the beauty and wonder of grace as we are made continually aware of the depth of our need of God’s unmerited favor. Christopher Ash explains why we confess our … Continue reading Why Do We Take Time to Confess Our Sins in Corporate Worship?
Psalm 14 and the Miracle of Your Salvation
This morning devotional reading took our small group through Psalm 14. It starts like this: The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who … Continue reading Psalm 14 and the Miracle of Your Salvation
Ashes on Ash Wednesday
Friends, today is Ash Wednesday on the church's calendar. It starts the season of Lent that is a forty-day preparation period for Easter Sunday. Count back forty days from Easter (excluding Sundays) and you will arrive at this Wednesday… exactly seven weeks before Easter. This forty-day period corresponds to Jesus’ forty-day fast in the wilderness … Continue reading Ashes on Ash Wednesday
Prayer of Confession of Sin – Psalm 95
According to a simple reading of Psalm 95, My love, adoration and joy in you has been too measured and too contained. Tim and Kathy Keller write in their devotional on this Psalm: "When the love of the immeasurably great and transcendent God of the universe becomes real to us, the joy should be uncontainable.”My … Continue reading Prayer of Confession of Sin – Psalm 95
Psalm 51 and Becoming a Chief Repenter
Last evening I led a seminar on "The Gospel-Centered Parent." We talked about what it looks like to become the chief repenter in our families. The classic text on repentance is the penitential Psalm... Psalm 51, where David confesses and repents of his sins of adultery and murder. Here is a simple thought and a … Continue reading Psalm 51 and Becoming a Chief Repenter
Taking Time to Examine Yourself
Why do followers of Jesus take time to regularly confess their sins to God? The regular discipline of confession enables us to grasp more fully the beauty and wonder of grace as we are made continually aware of the depth of our need of God’s unmerited favor. Christopher Ash explains: We desire “to encourage self-examination … Continue reading Taking Time to Examine Yourself
The Importance of Ashes on Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday starts the forty-day preparation period for Easter Sunday. Count back forty days from Easter (excluding Sundays) and you will arrive at this Wednesday… exactly seven weeks before Easter. This forty-day period corresponds to Jesus’ forty-day fast in the wilderness (Matt. 4:2). The aim of an Ash Wednesday worship service is threefold: to meditate … Continue reading The Importance of Ashes on Ash Wednesday
Matthew 9:35-38 – A Prayer of Confession
Gracious heavenly Father, thank you for Your compassion for the lonely, oppressed, and harassed people of the world. You sent Jesus to seek and to save the lost, but we confess our reluctance to personally engage with His mission. If we are honest, we are more apathetic than active, isolated than involved, callous … Continue reading Matthew 9:35-38 – A Prayer of Confession
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