The late Supreme Court Justice, Louis Brandeis, said to his frustrated, impatient daughter, “My dear, if you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you.” Jesus told the disciples to expect trials. He begins John 16 by stating “I have said all these things to you to…

Psalm 73 begins the third book of the Psalter—the collection of some of Israel's prized hymns, ballads, and congregational hymns. It reminds us of the importance of music in both corporate and individual worship. It reminds us, more importantly, that the subject of our music should be the LORD. Of the…

The phrase “God helps those who help themselves” was made popular by Benjamin Franklin in his publication Poor Richards Almanac. His famous axiom, which was not original with him, has so ingrained itself into American life that many believe it to be Scripture. Pollster George Barna verifies this belief…

Today’s text teaches us the idiocy of idolatry. The Psalmist pulls back the certain of our heart and shows us the insanity of idolatry. This song can be sung in four words . . . TRUST IN GOD NOT IN IDOLS. Psalm 115 is the third song in the Egyptian Hallel. The Egyptian Hallel is made up of Psalm 113-118…

The Lord delivers us for His glory and the good of others. David glorifies the Lord in verses 1 through 10 as He testifies of the Lord’s deliverance. DELIVERANCE GIVES US A TESTIMONY. All biblical testimonies possess three elements. THE WORSHIP OF GOD Three verbs describe his worship. BLESS I will bless…

Psalm 46 can be called the KEEP CALM Psalm. It is a song of confident trust. It was the Psalm of the Reformation. Martin Luther wrote his beloved hymn “A Mighty Fortress is our God” from this Psalm. He wrote his great hymn during a debilitating time of extreme crisis. It was the summer of 1527, and the…

Christ-centered bravery is not just for missionaries two hundred years ago. We need confidence and courage ourselves today. We might be afraid to stand for Christ when we are alone on a business trip with our boss and our colleagues. We might be afraid to stand as a Christian at a family reunion. We…

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the…

Pastor Ray Ortlund writes, "The kind of God we really believe in is revealed in how we treat one another. The lovely gospel of Jesus positions us to treat one another like royalty, and every non-gospel positions us to treat one another like dirt. But we will follow through horizontally on whatever we…