Archives for May 2017

May 2017 Shepherd's Letter. A monthly review and update of ministry happenings at Occoquan Bible Church....

This week marks the sixth and final message on 1 Corinthians 15. Since Easter, I have preached 6 messages on the glories of this chapter. Whether the sermons are any good is debatable, but the chapter is indisputably glorious. So, take time to readit, and if interested you can listen to one (or a few) of thesix messages below. Resurrecting the Gospel: Its Frame, Focus, ...

Over the past five weeks our adult Sunday School class has been considering Discipleship in a Digital Age. In one sense, discipleship in any age concerns certain common disciplines in order to become like Christ so that we no longer live to ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:14), but to Christ (Galatians 2:20). If we want to grow into Christ, we must discipline ourselves for god...

On the cross Jesus exclaimed this glorious truth: Tetelestai! It is Finished! Our eternal security is settled by this truth. And this week we celebrate Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday because Jesus Christ finished his gracious work of redemption on on the cross. Strangely, we are less certain about the finished work of the Holy Spirit. Some might even question whethe...

Few passages are more exhilarating than 1 Corinthians 15 and itspromise of resurrection life. For those who trust in Christ, Paul says what is buried in the dust will be raised in glory. Taking up a variety of images, he describes the indescribable in verses 3549 namely the way in whichchildrenof Adam formed from the dust of earth are raised to life in Christ to share his ...

Is the resurrection necessary? Evangelicals Christians say, "Absolutely. Undoubtedly. No question." Other "Christians," Protestant Liberals, are less committed. Who's right? Thankfully, the Bible is not indifferent or ambiguous to the question. In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul spends an entire chapter arguing for the centrality of the resurrection. Last week, we saw ...

Nothing is more central to the Christian faith than Christ's resurrection. Yet, how exactly does his resurrection secure ours? In what way is his resurrection applied to our lives? Is the promise of our resurrection just divine fiat, or is there something more that unites us to Christ? And is the resurrection only a future reality or is there something present to it? All ...

Resources accompanying our "Discipleship in a Digital Age" series....

First Corinthians 15 is one giant meditation on Christ's glorious resurrection. Verses 111 speak of the resurrection's centrality in the gospel; verses 1219 explain the necessity of the resurrection; and now in verses 2034 we find how the resurrection of Christ applies to us. In what follows you can find discussion questions about Sunday's sermon and a few resources that ...

For the first few years of my Christian life Our Daily Bread served as a vital part of my personal devotions. Each month or two, I'd pick up the short devotional in the church foyer, and each day I'd read it with accompanying Scripture references. About the same time, I began memorizing Bible verses. Behind my desk today is an index box full of the Scriptures I sought to m...

A Lord's Table meditation....

This past Sunday I preached from Psalm 55 a sermon entitled "Sufficient to Counsel." We examined Psalm 55 as a case study for how David called upon God, petitioned him, and expected him to act because of God's nature and character. David cried out of the extreme anguish of betrayal by a close friend one with whom he used to enjoy close fellowship together in the house of ...

The April 2017 Shepherd's Letter of Occoquan Bible Church....