Archives for March 2016

This devotional is based on C.J. Mahaney's sermon, The Last Word, given on March 27th, 2016. Day 1: Jesus' Love Quotes/References: "Those who Jesus has revealed himself to, view themselves first and foremost as loved by him, not as those who love him. This is a common feature of those he has loved. They think of themselves as loved by him, not first and foremost as ...

"Prayer is certainly one of the hardest tasks in the Christian life though it is also one of its greatest privileges. Perhaps the hardest part of prayer is just to begin praying at all." (Tim Kerr) Join us on Sundays during the month of April to learn more about this easy-to-neglect topic of prayer. As people who are dependent on God, we are people who should be characteri...

This is an exciting time for Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville! In April we have the privilege of welcoming new members into our church community! With that in mind, the blog will feature an excerpt from our membership covenant several times over the next few weeks. From the newest of members to those who have been members for many years, this can serve as an encouragem...

"The chapter is one of the most remarkable in the New Testament. For grandeur and simplicity, for pathos and solemnity, nothing was ever written like it." J.C. Ryle "Those who Jesus has revealed himself to view themselves first and foremost as loved by him not as those who love him. This is a common feature of those he has loved. They think of themselves as loved by him, ...

This post is a selection from the prophet Isaiah poetically describing the depths of Christ's sacrifice many years before the events took place. Allow this to fuel gratitude for the suffering Servant, our Lord Jesus Christ. ...

With all the preaching and writing about the atonement that we see in  evangelicalism, isn’t there a danger that the resurrection will get lost? ...

In the book of Acts there seems to be a greater emphasis on Christ’s  resurrection than the cross. Shouldn’t we follow the early church’s example and  emphasize the resurrection over the cross? (Issue: Proportionality in biblical  interpretation) Interpreters of the book of Acts have long recognized the centrality ...

In the busy-ness of everyday life, it's easy to let Easter sneak up on us without much thought, preparation, or meditation. Despite its centrality, we can sometimes treat it as an after thought or just another Sunday. But whether we recognize it or not and whether we prepare for it or not, the fact remains that the events we remember during the Easter season are of pre-emi...

This devotional is based on C.J. Mahaney's sermon, The Solution to Self-Deception, given on March 13th, 2016. Day 1: A Wise Command with a Warning Quotes/References: "It is self-deception that merely hearing God's Word is evidence of saving faith and that it is sufficient to satisfy God." CJ Mahaney "No matter how extensive one's scriptural knowledge, how amazing o...

It’s through union with Christ’s resurrection that we have been raised  to walk in new spiritual life. If we talk about the cross so much, won’t we end up  focusing only on sin and ignoring this important aspect of the Christian life?  Doesn’t a focus on the resurrection lead us to a more holy, victorious Ch...

Sovereign Grace churches and leaders often use the phrase “cross-centered.” Doesn’t this phrase lead to an overemphasis on the cross and a neglect of the resurrection? (Issue: neglecting the resurrection). ...

Christ has been raised, and so both the cross and the grave are now  empty. In light of this, isn’t it wrong to focus on a crucified Savior when, after all,  we serve a living Christ? (Issue: distorting Christ’s identity)...

"With this exhortation we find ourselves right at the heart of James pastoral concern and v22 is rightly the best known verse in the letter." Doug Moo "No matter how extensive one's scriptural knowledge, how amazing one's memory, it is self-deception if that is all there is. True knowledge is the prelude to action, and it is obedience to the word that counts in the end." ...

A few weeks ago, Karl Sauter shared a testimony about a ministry opportunity at the University of Louisville. Here's a glimpse of the work that the Lord is doing on the campus. Karl Sauter Testimony from SGCLouisville on Vimeo....

This devotional is based on Bob Kauflin's sermon, True Worshipers Receive, given on March 6th, 2016. Day 1: The Heart of True WorshipJohn 4:1-15 Quotes/References: "From start to finish, the Bible's story is a story of grace; a story of God's initiative to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves by offering us unmerited mercy and undeserved love. Worship in the Bi...

On Sunday, March 6, 2016, Jerry Bridges passed away. The following is a tribute to this dearly beloved father in the faith. "Remembering Jerry Bridges" by C.J. Mahaney...

As many of you know, tomorrow is the Kentucky Presidential Republican Caucus. The Kentucky Democratic Primary will take place on March 17th. Many Christians struggle to form biblical convictions regarding politics. Certainly, we could write several different posts about this topic and thankfully numerous evangelicals have written excellent, biblically-informed books about...

"God has predestined all believers to be conformed to the image of His Son. The process toward that goal is called by various names such as sanctification, growth in grace, or transformation. This process of transformation into the image of Christ begins at our new birth and continues until we die and enter into the presence of the Lord. At that time, according to Hebrews ...

This devotional is based on CJ Mahaney's sermon, The Difference Meekness Makes, given on February 28th, 2016. Day 1: The Anger of Man James 1:19-20 Quotes/References: "If Christians studied and applied this command alone (verse 19), the tone and content of communication and conversations on the internet would change immediately and dramatically. Untold damage is do...

"Another reason for a book on the new birth is to help followers of Christ to know what really happened to us when we were converted. It is far more glorious than many think it is. It is also more glorious than I think it is. It is wonderful beyond all human comprehension. The new birth is not a work of man. No human being makes the new birth happen. No preacher and no wri...