Posts Tagged with "Jeff Purswell"

Did you get a chance to hear Jeff's Sunday Class on Baptism last week? If not, you can find the outline and audio recording here!...

Editors' note: The following article first appeared in the hardcover version of our Statement of Faith, given to Sovereign Grace pastors at our 2021 Pastors Conference. The year 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the Sovereign Grace family of churches (SGC). We are delighted to celebrate with the publication of this special edition of SGC's new Statement of Faith. This ...

"Since these folks have never come to faith, never repented of their sins, and never sought to please God, in the judgment they will not survive." Allen Ross...

". . . what was clearly at the heart of Moses' request was a longing to know the glory of God's character from which flowed the mercy that he had just been promised." John Piper "Everything the Lord says autobiographically is something that God is or does for the benefit of others, especially his chosen people." Victor Hamilton "Andthe Wordbecame flesh anddwelt among us,...

"What was the point of such a demand for precise adherence to a revealed design? It was to create a longing for and hope of heaven in the hearts of God's peoplea desire to live in his presence forever." Douglas Stuart "The truly staggering answer which the Bible gives to this question is that God's purpose in revelation is to make friends with us. It was to this end that ...

On Sunday, Jeff exhorted us from Ezekiel 11 to remember God's promise of a new spirit and encouraged us to turn to Christ when we sin, when we are fearful, when we are wayward. Listen again and be encouraged....

In our call to worship from Psalm 10, Jeff pointed us to hard-won words of faithwords that direct our hearts to God in the midst of injustice and confusion and fear. Listen again and be encouraged. ...

On Sunday Jeff encouraged us from Psalm 103 where the psalmist helps us take our eyes off of our present circumstances and fix them instead on what is true and enduringGod and overwhelming generosity to us. Listen again and look away from the uncertainties and distractions to what is certain, what is unchanging, what is never failing. ...

On Sunday, Jeff encouraged us from Psalm 145 reminding us that "the LORD is near to all who call on Him." Are you needy today? He's near.Are you burdened? He's near. Are you anxious or weary or desperate? He's near to all who call. And we know that is true because He drew near to us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Listen again and be encouraged! ...

In this week's call to worship, Jeff addressed us from Psalm 33 and drew our attention to a cosmic reason to praise God: His sovereignty over all that is.For those who are His, for us, God's wise and loving and unshakable sovereignty is the best news. This is our Goduniquely sovereign, unswervingly devoted, lovingly attentive to those that He has made His heritage, His ver...

This past Sunday in our Call to Worship, Jeff encouraged us from Psalm 86 and an avalanche of truth about GodHis goodness, His forgiveness, and His abounding steadfast love. As Jeff said, "we can bank on these realities because Jesus came and proved that all of this is trueGod is all of this for us and more. What a comfort to look to Him, lean on Him, and glorify Him by re...

Yesterday Jeff Purswell encouraged us from Psalm 84 during our call to worship. Listen again and be encouraged that although we are in a season of longing until we gather again, make no mistake, God is with usthe God who forgives our sins, the God who calms our turmoil, the God who carries our burdens, the God who comforts us in our affliction. When everything seems shaken...

This week during our livestream, Jeff encouraged us from Psalm 16 and pointed us toward the goodness of God even in the midst of this pandemic. Listen again and be encouraged! ...

Over the past few weeks, our pastors have spent many hours in prayer and discussion about how to best serve our congregation during this time of social distancing. Shortly after we streamed our first service, Jeff Purswell wrote a blogpost for Sovereign Grace Churches titled: "To Stream, or Not to Stream: Considering Sundays in Seclusion". In it, he explains our pastors de...

This week during our livestream, Jeff encouraged us from Isaiah 26:3-4. Listen again and be encouraged by "the bedrock claim that God is a rockunmovable, unchanging, undaunted in His zeal to accomplish all His purposes." ...

This post is based on Jeff Purswell's sermon, The Silence is Broken,given on September 9, 2018. This past Sunday, Jeff told us how Moses encountered God for the first time. While Moses wasn't looking for God, God was sovereignly guiding him to this moment. God was initiating a relationship with Moses and divinely turning the page to the next chapter of the redemption st...

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 post is based on Jeff Purswell's sermon, A People for God's Possession, given on May14, 2017. We live in a culture that increasingly, not just rejects, but despises what we believe. In these times the wisdom of God, given to us through Peter, also writing to a people living in a hostile world, is more needed than ever. Peter reminds us that standing strong in a god...

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...

". . . his identity contracted to the point where the whole truth about him was that he was the sin of the world. He was carrying it, heaven held him answerable for it, and he was it. It was here, all of it, in his body (1 Pet. 2:24), being condemned in his flesh (Rom. 8:3); because of it he was a doomed and ruined man, korban, devoted to destruction. God's pure eyes could...

This post is based on Jeff Purswell's sermon, What Hath God Wrought, given on February 19, 2017. The recipients of Peter's letter were suffering. Many had lost their homes and friends and were forced to live in poverty in a foreign land. What a difficult time for these Christians! Peter begins his book by calling these suffering saints to remember what God has wrought, ...

Our new sermon series, "The Glory of the Word," presents us all an opportunity to begin the new year with a fresh appreciation for the treasure God has given us in the Scriptures, and to renew our devoted pursuit of God through his Word. Here are some suggested resources to encourage you in that great pursuit. Scripture Reading Plans Many things go undone because of t...

"Thursdays Thoughts for Parents" use scriptures, discussion questions, and reflections from the sermon each week to help parents engage their kids and delve further into application. We pray that these posts will serve parents as they train their children in the "discipline and instruction of the Lord"...

This devotional is based on Jeff Purswell's sermon, Work, given on August 21, 2016. Day 1: Our work glorifies God Quotes: "Our work, our jobs, our careers, the tasks to which God has called us, they are not a diversion from serving God. They are serving God!" Jeff Purswell Questions and Reflections: What emotions and thoughts characterize your response to work...

This devotional is based on Jeff Purswell's sermon, God's Unstoppable Mission, given on May 29th, 2016. Day 1: The Power Behind the Mission is the Holy Spirit (v1-13) Quotes: "God Himself is on a mission, and that mission is unstoppable." Jeff Purswell "What is about to transpire [Pentecost] is not an isolated event, in an ancient city, affecting a small group of r...

This devotional is based on Jeff Purswell's sermon, The Poison of Partiality, given on April 3, 2016. Day 1: The Partiality of AppearancesJames 2:1-4 Quotes/References: "When we show favoritism, when we assess people by externals, we are usurping God's exclusive right to stand in judgment over others. You're taking the place of God." Jeff Purswell "If we have faith...

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 ...

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)...

This devotional is based on Jeff Purswell's sermon, The Great Reversal, given on February 14th, 2016. Day 1: An Earthly Deception James 1:9-11 Quotes/References: "We can rightly assess our earthly status only by focusing on our heavenly destiny" Jeff Purswell Questions to Consider: Have you ever been disillusioned by the world because you pursued something th...

At Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, we are grateful that we are neither an independent church nor an isolated church. We're part of a familythe family of Sovereign Grace Churches. Being in a family like this brings not only strength and protection, but also joy. In order to share that joy, Sovereign Grace produces videoshome movies, if you willthat highlight different...

A few years ago I wrote a post that has become a habitcollecting a list of "significant books" for pastors published during the past year. A wealth of books and the crunch of time conspire to make reading choices both frustrating (how does one choose?) and critical (I must choose wisely). "Best books" lists are unavoidably idiosyncratichence an effort at recommending "sig...

Introduction Cyclical Discussions From chapters 4 to 19, the book of Job has been a series of three cyclical discussions between Job and his friends; each cycle has the same theology. His friends come with rigid, cold, cause-and-effect theologyyou do good, you prosper; you do bad, you suffer. In reality, a man's relationship with God cannot be determined by his circum...

Last Sunday, Jeff Purswell taught the first session of our October Sunday Class, The Gospel at Work. In this teaching, Jeff introduced the idea that scripture's perspective transforms our view of work from a necessary evil into a noble, attractive, motivating opportunity to bring God glory in our lives. He continued by stressing that work is a primary way that we imitate G...

What about 16:9 20? What is textual criticism? Textual criticism: the science of studying all the known copies of a document to discover what the original said. A science that clearly shows God's generosity to us in preserving his word. Far more manuscripts exist of the NT than of Tacitus (3 manuscripts) and Josephus (120 manuscripts), and the manuscripts of the NT ...

Jeff explains how Jesus’ foretelling of the destruction of the Temple represents the passing of the Old Covenant and the coming of the New. Although He is aware of His impending crucifixion, He is not preoccupied, but instead focuses on pastoring His disciples. This passage is meant to identify the conditions required of Jesus’ disciples to live faithfully until His re...

Introduction (1 Peter 5:1-4): Elder (spiritual maturity) = Pastor (caring/teaching) = Overseer (governing/ruling) Elders will stand before the throne and give account for the way they served the flock. (1 Timothy 4:16). Cultural and congregational pressure exists to conform pastors to expectations rather than biblical teaching. Outline: Significance (What) Peter...

Notable books from 2014...

Sermon summary and discussion questions from Jeff's message on Hebrews 12:1-2...

Sermon summary and discussion questions from Jeff's message on Mark 9:14-29...

At the center of the narrative in Mark’s Gospel, there are two provoking questions that serve to clarify the true identity of Jesus. Is he just a prophet or is he God’s messiah and anointed deliverer? In Mark 8:27-30, the Messiahship of Jesus is magnified: he is the Christ, the anointed one, and the king! As readers of this narrative, we are challenged to ...

A summary of Jeff Purswell's sermon on Mark 6:6b-30...

Discussion questions for Jeff's message on Mark 6:6b-30...

Sunday we took a break between sermon series to explore the important topic of evangelism. Here are several quotes from Jeff Purswell's sermon, "Evangelism and a Sovereign God" that we pray stir your soul for the privilege of evangelism....

In the exciting early months of a church plant, the temptation is strong to generate a lot of activity - to identify leaders, to position people for ministry - to get people going! We’ve tried to resist this temptation, and as a result our focus has been quite simple: pray diligently, focus on the Sunday meeting (and especially the preaching of the Word), build rela...

This past Sunday, we had the joy of concluding our meeting by participating together in the Lord's Supper. Jeff's comments served to remind us what a significant meal this is for every Christian. So if you were out of town or serving in SovGrace Kids, we wanted you to be encouraged by his comments....