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In his classic treatise on the nature of the Christian experience,Jonathan Edwards begins Religious Affections with a brief and fruitful examination of 1 Peter 1:8. As this verse stands in the middle of this Sunday's sermon, I share the opening pages from the abridged and updated version. As many have experienced, Edwards writing is challenging, but his vision of God is gl...

This Sunday we begin a new sermon series in the book of 1 Peter. And I want to share three reasons, even four, for why we are looking at this letter and why this book is so timely. These three reasons come from the outline of the book itself and will both introduce us to what we will find in Peter's first letter and how its contents equip us as Christians to live in our da...

What is Daniel about? There are lots of answers to this question, but not all of them are equal. Like so many books of the Bible, Daniel is often "used" more than "read." And when readers "use" Daniel they come up with diet plans, end-times dating schemes, and moralistic teachings devoid of gospel power. To be sure, Daniel does talk about food, future events, and bold fai...

Is the kingdom of God present or future? Is it now or not yet? Could it in any way be both? If so, how? These are important questions for anyone who has read the Bible, and this Sunday, they will play a large part in rightly understanding how Daniel 2 applies today. In preparation for that sermon, here are a few reflections on the Kingdom of God and the Church. In evangel...

At 4:00am on February 24, 1807, the British Parliament voted to end the British slave trade. With a count of 267 to 16, the House of Commons voted with loud cheers for the abolition of this abominable institution. Though it would take another 26 years for slavery to be ended in Britain and its colonies, this decision by the House of Commons, which followed the majority de...

Last Sunday marked our fourth Sunday back after the COVID-induced hiatus of three months. And for the fourth week in a row, we took the Lord's Supper and remembered the death and resurrection of Christ with elements resembling his body and blood. In preparation for the Lord's Table, two of my sons asked at different times, "Why are we taking the Lord's Supper again." ...

A few of OBC's children's ministry leaders weigh in on some resources for engaging your children with the gospel during a global pandemic -- or any time....

A day-by-day journey through Holy Week....

The Grace of Fellowship "It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren."Dietrich Bonhoeffer,Life Together As COVID-19 has prevented us from gathering together for worship, I was reminded of Bonhoeffer's meditations on the value of fellowship. Bonhoeffer's classic on Christian community was written during a time when the...

A Spiritual Care Survey for Occoquan Bible Church April 2020...