James 1:22–25 “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
Commentary from the sermon “Don't Kid Yourselves” by Alistair Begg:
“What James is pointing out is simply this: that if the Bible is going to be effective in our lives, it must not only be listened to but also received and acted upon. Not simply listened to but received and acted upon. James has urged everyone to make sure that they’re ‘quick to listen,’ in verse 19, but he now says, ‘But make sure that you are not merely listening.’
Topics: Articles
Commentary from the sermon “Why Bother with the Bible? — Part One” by Alistair Begg:
“What is the Bible? …
“First of all, the Bible is a library; it is a collection of books. It is one book, but it is one book encompassing sixty-six other books. Anybody who takes a Bible and opens it up will notice that it is apparently broken into two disproportionate pieces. There is a part which in the table of contents is called the Old Testament, which goes from Genesis to Malachi, and then there is the New Testament, which goes from Matthew through to Revelation. The Old Testament is made up of the books of the Prophets, and of the Law, and of the Psalms. …In the New Testament, we have the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and John; and then we have the Acts of the Apostles, the minute book of the early church, or its history book; then we have the Letters, written by different individuals to different gatherings of God’s people; and then we have the book of Revelation … the insight into a realm yet experienced that was granted to the apostle John. …
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“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High … and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Luke 1:32-33
Topics: Weekly Wallpaper
First Corinthians 13 is largely regarded as a cozy part of the Bible. It’s prone to be read at weddings; it shows up on stationery, keychains, and home decor; and its detractors are few, even in secular society. This is hardly a surprise, since it is poetic, it is beautiful, and it meditates on a word that nearly anyone can get behind: love.
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Topics: Hymns and Worship
Topics: Hymns and Worship
“Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
Psalm 106:1
Topics: Weekly Wallpaper
Topics: Hymns and Worship
At the beginning of Acts 3, at the gate of the Jerusalem temple, the apostles Peter and John encounter a disabled man who thinks he needs one thing: money. If he doesn’t have any money, he thinks, he can’t eat—and if he can’t eat, then he’ll be dead. So he needs money.
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I journey forth rejoicing,
From this dark vale of tears,
To heav’nly joy and freedom
From earthly bonds and fears,
Where Christ, our Lord, shall gather
All His redeemed again
His kingdom to inherit—
Good night till then!
Topics: Hymns and Worship