God is a pleasure seeker. He loves pleasure and looks for pleasure. Where does God look for pleasure? He looks at you, Christian, for his pleasure. He looks for pleasure in you. He made you to give him pleasure and he enjoys any pleasure you give to him.

This may sound heretical to you. That’s because we often associate pleasure-seeking with sin and condemn such pleasures as sinful pleasures. We’re therefore reluctant to view pleasure in any kind of positive way for ourselves and we’re especially resistant to the idea of God seeking and savoring pleasure for himself.

But the Bible teaches differently. Just because we tend to pursue pleasure in sinful ways, in sinful things, and to sinful degrees, that doesn’t mean God does. Rather, God pursues pleasure in holy ways, in holy things, and to holy degrees. He loves pleasure and looks for pleasure in you, through you, and from you.

That’s an amazing thought, isn’t it? That you and I can give God pleasure. We can please God. How though? How can we give God pleasure? Psalm 147:10-11 tells us how not to do it and also how to do it.

BACKGROUND

In the first sermon of this series we started with God’s purpose which is to glorify himself in grace-and-truth filled relationships. In the second sermon we turned to look at our own purpose and saw that our first purpose is to glorify God in grace-and-truth filled relationships. In this sermon we’ll look at our second purpose, which is to give God pleasure.

Verse 10 warns us about what God does not take pleasure in. “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man” (10). The Psalmist is describing the greatest military machine and military muscle of his day, the kind of impressive man-made sights that people often enjoy viewing.

We enjoy seeing military power. We’re impressed with SEAL Team 6, with Marines, with Stealth Bombers, with the Abrams battle tank, with Cruise missiles, with laser-guided bombing, and so on. The nations of the world put on military parades and air shows to bolster national pride and confidence. But such military might is not God’s favorite sight. He is not moved to marvel at muscles or metal.

There’s a place for national defense, of course. God puts “the sword” in the hands of civil governments to punish evil doers and protect good-doers. God therefore approves of the just use of force by just authorities. However, no matter how much God approves of such, it’s nothing compared to the pleasure God takes “in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (11). This is the opposite of human confidence, it’s God confidence.

NB: This does not mean that God is unhappy and we make him happy. We have to hold two truths together: (1) God is infinitely happy; (2) God finds pleasure in his people.

So what does God get pleasure from?

1. OUR AWE GIVES GOD PLEASURE

“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him” (11).

Although many find pleasure in the fearless, God finds pleasure in fearers, God-fearers. Although people are impressed with military might and muscle, God is impressed with spiritual fear and awe. When God sees us respond to him with appropriate awe, fear, and respect, he is delighted.

Most fear is a horrible experience for the one who is afraid and for those around the person. We hate to fear and hate to see fear in those we love. But this kind of fear is something we want more of, both for ourselves and others. We love to see it in ourselves and others, and God loves to see it even more.

Fear usually makes us avoid what we are afraid of. The fear of God is different to all other fears. It’s pleasant rather than painful. It makes us run towards the One we fear rather than away from him. It produces wordless worship sometimes and word-filled worship at other times. It makes us praise the One who awes us rather than criticize him for terrorizing us.

This fear is not just an Old Testament response to God, but a New Testament response to God (Matt. 10:28; Acts 9:31; 1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 14:7). As Sinclair Ferguson put it: “The fear of the Lord is that undefinable mixture of reverence, fear, pleasure and joy which fills our hearts when we realize who God is and what He has done for us.” Although Old Testament events and words prompted holy fear of God, New Testament events and words prompt even holier and greater fear.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Give God pleasure to enjoy God’s pleasure. There are some people we love to please. It might be a boss, a colleague, a spouse, a family member, a friend, a team-mate, etc. We love putting a smile on their faces and are careful to avoid anything that would make them frown. Who better to please than God? What greater smile can there be than God’s smile. Imagine how you would feel if God smiled at you with joy. You don’t have to imagine it. You simply have to believe it based upon this verse. Giving our great God great pleasure is our greatest pleasure too. This is why we are here, this is our purpose – to give God pleasure.

GIVE GOD PLEASURE
TO GET GOD’S PLEASURE

I love giving God pleasure. What else can I do to give him pleasure?

2. OUR HOPE GIVES GOD PLEASURE

“The Lord takes pleasure…in those who hope in his steadfast love” (11).

Hope is a rare experience today. We live in a pessimistic and nihilistic time and place. Few expect better days ahead. Most expect things to get worse for them and their children in the future. There’s a deep dark sense of foreboding around, that we are on the wrong track and no one knows how to get back on it.

But as God looks down on these billions of despairing hearts, he sees some here and there that look and sound different. They are bright, cheery, happy, and hopeful. Why? They are hoping in God’s steadfast love. They look ahead with an expectation that God’s steadfast love is in them, with them, for them, and ahead of them. Their future view is filled with the hope of increasing encounters with and experiences of God’s steadfast love.

They’ve already looked back in faith to God’s steadfast love that was demonstrated at the cross. But they also look forward in hope to God’s steadfast love being demonstrated in their life, in their death, and especially in eternity. They have a good hope (2 Thess. 2:16), a lively hope (1 Peter 1:3), a sure hope (Heb. 6:19), and a happy hope (Prov. 10:28; Rom. 5:2).

It’s strange to hope in the one we fear and to fear the one we hope in. That seems an impossible pairing. But not with a Gospel understanding of hope and fear. As John Piper put it: “It means that we should let the experience of hope penetrate and transform the experience of fear, and let the experience of fear penetrate and transform the experience of hope.” It’s to feel completely safe in the refuge of God’s love even when the greatest storm is raging all around you. Or again as Piper says, “The fireside fellowship is all the sweeter when the storm is howling outside the cottage.”

God detects every moment of hope in our hearts. Every time we look ahead with optimism that we will experience God’s steadfast love, he sees it, recognizes it, and responds to it with joy.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Hope in God’s steadfast love when you:

• Believe the Gospel. 
• Read your Bible. Instead of opening it with limited expectation, expect to be embraced by God’s love.
• Witness to unbelievers. Instead of expecting failure, expect God to embrace the person with his love.
• Go to church. Instead of going expecting little or nothing, expect to enter God’s loving embrace.
• Raise kids. Hoping in God’s steadfast love for his covenant kids pleases God more than “perfect” parenting.
• Suffer. Instead of seeing suffering as a denial of God’s love, view it is a door to God’s love.
• Are lonely. You may not have much hope of human love, but you can still have God’s steadfast love.
• Are dying. Instead of seeing your hope diminishing as you age, expect to see it grow stronger and clearer.

Every time you hope in God’s steadfast love in this way, you give God pleasure and therefore fulfill your purpose. Aren’t you so glad that giving God pleasure is so easy? It doesn’t require tons of words or works, just hope in God’s steadfast love.

HOPE IN OUR HEARTS PUTS
HAPPINESS IN GOD’S HEART

SUMMARY

A NEW CHAPTER

God is a pleasure seeker. He loves pleasure and put us in the world to give him pleasure. He’s also designed us so that we get the greatest pleasure when we give him the greatest pleasure. Every ounce of awe and hope in our hearts fills his heart with pleasure. God doesn’t just tolerate us, but actually appreciates us and gets pleasure from us.

You are a pleasure giver. Your primary purpose is not to get pleasure but to give pleasure. Your aim is not your own pleasure, but God’s pleasure. As you fulfill that purpose you will be fulfilled. As you give God pleasure, you will get great pleasure from his pleasure.

Prayer: Pleasure-seeking God, give me awe and hope so that I can give you pleasure and so fulfill my purpose on this earth.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. “God is a pleasure-seeker.” What’s different between this and sinful pleasure-seeking?

2. How often do you think about how to give God pleasure? How can you increase that?

3. What kind of fear displeases God and what kind of fear pleases him.

4. Which life circumstances help you to hope in God’s steadfast love?

5. How much awe and hope in our hearts is needed to give God pleasure?

6. Are we to be pleasure-seekers or pleasure-givers?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES.

8 Reasons Your Excuses for Not Practicing Church Discipline Don’t Work
“The question is not, “What does it say about the church if we exercise discipline?” but rather, “What does it say about the church if we neglect church discipline?” Paul says that our refusal to discipline unrepentant church members—by taking their names off the membership rolls, refusing to admit them to the Lord’s Supper, and helping them see that their sin calls their professed faith into question—says at least eight bad things about us. Ironically, these eight things are precisely what we’re afraid the world will think if we do exercise church discipline.”

10 Lessons I Learned from Preaching Revelation
“In June I concluded a series of 38 sermons in the book of Revelation. As I reflect on my time in this remarkable book, 10 truths stand out. Spoiler: the things that had the greatest effect on me had nothing to do with numerical symbolism or 666 or the Beast or the Great Prostitute or the millennium.”

12 Questions To Ask Ourselves In Conflict
“Usually our first impulse in conflict is to look at all the ways the other person is wrong. All the ways they hurt us or messed up or all the ways they are thinking incorrectly about an issue. But over the years I have found it helpful to examine myself before focusing on the other person. Here are 12 questions I have found helpful to ask myself when I find myself in conflict:”

Entertainment Choices and Compromise
“One of the ways compromise comes into our life is through our entertainment. We’re very willing to be entertained by things that Christ died for. We’re very willing to laugh at jokes where the punchline is something that required the blood of Christ to atone for that. So, we can be very, very flippant with our entertainment. We can be entertained by things that are actually dishonoring to God.”

As One with Authority: The Four Pillars of Authoritative Preaching
“Modern preaching has been described as “A mild-mannered man encouraging mild-mannered people to be more mild-mannered.” The church—and the world—needs the opposite. Bold, authoritative preaching is the urgent need of the hour. Such preaching will hasten revival in the church, and further the Great Commission.”

3 Ways the Gospel Changes the Way You Apologize
“Christians, of all people in the world, should be the best apologizers. Not because they necessarily have more to apologize for, but because the gospel frees us to apologize rightly, changing our apologies in at least these three ways:”

Kindle Books

Whose Money Is It Anyway? by John F. MacArthur $1.99.

God So Loved, He Gave: Entering the Movement of Divine Generosity by Kelly M. Kapic $2.99.

Conferences

Refresh and Reset Conference
“Finding Hope in the Midst of Burnout, Anxiety, and Depression.” September 28–29, 2018 With David and Shona Murray at New Covenant Bible Church, St. Charles, Illinois.

2018 Regional Conference
On October 5–6, 2018, Ligonier Ministries is hosting a conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland called “After Darkness, Light.” Drs. Sinclair Ferguson, Steven Lawson, Burk Parsons, Michael Reeves, and Derek Thomas will explore the history and legacy of the Reformation and explain how we must continue the work of the Reformers today.

10 Phrases that Encapsulate Your Journey with an Eating Disorder
This kind of timeline is worth bearing in mind when dealing with most counseling problems.

Dementia: A Biblical Approach for Care
This article demonstrates a healthy integration of biblical counseling and medical care.

Like the secular Medical Model, the biblical approach has a standard definition of dementia: decreased mental capabilities such as memory loss, inability to think abstractly, impaired decision-making, and the inability to communicate normally. The biblical approach values the contributions of physicians and considers dementia a medical condition that should be managed by a physician.[2] In addition, the biblical approach recognizes that people with dementia and their loved ones need counseling based on biblical truth. A biblical counselor is advised to take a personal interest in a counselee with dementia and visit frequently, be sensitive to spiritual needs, and encourage him or her from Scripture.

3 Dangers in Rejecting Mental Health Care
This article calls for the kind of integration outlined above to be practiced in broader mental health issues.

The rejection of mental health care sets up a polarization between two disciplines that should be helping each other. The lack of trust between clergy and mental health professionals is obvious and palpable in too many areas of our culture.

Let’s bring back the Sabbath to give us a true work break
A secular article on the benefits of Sabbath keeping.

It is time for us, whatever our religious beliefs, to see the Sabbatarian laws of old not as backward and pharisaical, but rather as the liberatory statements they were meant to be. It is time to ask what our society would look like if it made room for a new Sabbath–or, to put it a different way, what our society would need to look like for the Sabbath to be possible.

How to Evangelize Your LGBT Neighbors
By a voice you can trust, Rosaria Butterfield:

“I believe that if Christians lived communally, then people who struggle with same-sex attraction would not be driven away from the church for intimacy but instead would find real intimacy within the family of God.”

How stress affects your body
A friend who teaches in a college send me this video. She shows it to her students at the beginning of the semester.

New Book

In the Year of Our Lord: Reflections on Twenty Centuries of Church History by Sinclair Ferguson.

Kindle Books

A Proverbs Driven Life by Anthony Selvaggio $3.99.

Not a Chance: God, Science, and the Revolt against Reason by R. C. Sproul and Keith Mathison $1.99.

The Disappearance of God: Dangerous Beliefs in the New Spiritual Openness by Dr R. Albert Mohler

Sorry things have been a bit slow on the blog the past few months. I’ve been working on a project that’s demanded almost all my time and energy. But I’m beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel and hope to return to more regular blogging soon. Thanks for your patience.

How to Incorporate Biblical Archaeology into Your Preaching
“In the final analysis, archaeology is an important supplement to preaching because it helps the person in the pew to see that the Bible is grounded in history. This is no small thing today since post-modernism dominates western society, and it is clearly ahistorical. History has little meaning to a large segment of western population, and so it is important for people to see that biblical events happened in time and space. These events are not mythic, mere folk-tales, or cute little Sunday school stories. Archaeology provides an earthiness to Scripture, and it helps to anchor the texts in the realia, that is, real and everyday life. Archaeology highlights the sitz im leben (“life setting”) of the narratives of Scripture.”

The Reading Habits Of Highly Successful People
“Some of the world’s highest achievers have one thing in common: it isn’t a high IQ, nor is it an incredible lucky streak, but their appreciation for reading. Books were their most profitable investment.

Open Both of God’s Books: Wisdom in His Word, Wisdom in His World
“One of the main reasons that we believe in a liberal arts education, where you read lots and lots of stuff outside the Bible, is because the Bible tells us to. The Bible tells us there are dimensions of wisdom to be found in the assiduous, penetrating, critical, biblical observation of the world — not only in the Bible.”

Anxiety and Depression: More College Students Seeking Help
“Between 2009 and 2015, the number of students visiting counseling centers increased by about 30% on average, while enrollment grew by less than 6%, the Center for Collegiate Mental Health found in a 2015 report. Students seeking help are increasingly likely to have attempted suicide or engaged in self-harm, the center found. In spring 2017, nearly 40% of college students said they had felt so depressed in the prior year that it was difficult for them to function, and 61% of students said they had “felt overwhelming anxiety” in the same time period, according to an American College Health Association survey of more than 63,000 students at 92 schools.”

Let Sinclair Ferguson Teach You Pastoral Ministry
“Here’s one way to think of Some Pastors and Teachers: What if you could take a seminary-level course in pastoral ministry from the Rev. Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson, for one academic year, with one lecture per week for 39 weeks, each one about an hour in length, for a mere $45…Who would not sign up for that course eagerly?”

What the Word of God Says About the Word of God, Book by Book | For The Church
“What God says about his word is a deep, complex, and staggering thing. And each book of the written word testifies to the wonder of his revelation. I decided to take a look, book by book, selecting a representative passage from each to highlight many of the things God’s word says about God’s words.”

Why Your Church Needs a Mental Health Inclusion Strategy
“The church is beginning to make significant strides in supporting church members and attendees with mental illness. The logical next step is to seek to welcome and include those for whom church participation has been difficult because of a mental health condition.”

50 Good Mental Health Habits
“My goal in this post is to identify goals for each area of life that influences mental health: cognitive perspective, physical well-being, social context, spiritual vitality, general life management, emotional regulation, etc.  Sometimes we need to be reminded that no one area of life can completely account for our mental health.”

Connecting with Your Introverted Teen
“At a recent conference I was urging fathers to press in and communicate with their children. One father asked, “How do I communicate with my 16 year old who is very introverted and doesn’t seem willing to talk?” Here are a few of the things to consider.”

Kindle Books

Sabbath as a Sermon for the Ambitious
It’s fascinating how many articles on Sabbath are appearing in both Christian and secular media. What’s also interesting is how many Christians are re-discovering Sabbath after years of rejecting it due to legalistic associations in their youth. Here are a couple from different perspectives. Here’sd another: Finding Sabbath Again

I Couldn’t Call God ‘Father’
Moving testimony of a Muslim covert to Christianity:

In my mind, “Father” was not a word of honor toward the God I had come to know. “Mother” would have felt like a much better word. But God wanted to reveal himself to me. And he did so with complete patience and gentleness. As I studied the Bible, I saw the grace and love of the Father. As I prayed, I felt the attention of the Father. As I worshiped, I felt the embrace of the Father. He healed my past, my present, and my future. He has transformed me. He even enabled me to truly forgive my earthly father. I used to hate the word “Father,” but today I worship God the Father with great love and passion. I worship Jesus Christ as Lord, the One who has saved my soul. And I love to walk in the Spirit, who is always with me.

In Defense (Somewhat) of Self-Help
Oh yes! It’s always good to find at least one person who agrees with us.

“In my experience, Reformed evangelicals are often so eager to engage in polemics against culture that we often create a conflict that isn’t actually there. And in this case, we tend to create a conflict between common sense and faith. Self-discipline, forward-thinking, intentionality, awareness of one’s own weaknesses and strengths—how is any of this inherently frictional with Christian confession? If it’s not, then another question: Where is the theologically orthodox and accessibly literary body of Christian self-help literature? Perhaps we balk at the phrase “self-help.” Fine. What ideas do we have for alternatives? Is there a space for Christians writing about motivation and inspiration and discipline in a way that is decidedly spiritual but not decidedly reducing life to propositional theology?”

The Psalm-Singing Church
If you want some guidance on how to introduce more Psalm-singing to your congregation, study the practical examples Nick gives at the end of this article

“It should sadden us to learn that the church of our day has neglected one of the greatest treasures God has given her to worship Him–namely, the Psalter. The living God has breathed out an entire book of truth for us to sing back to Him whenever we gather together in corporate worship. Perhaps such a neglect has occurred on account of antiquated translations, difficult accompanying tunes or simply because of a lack of familiarity with the Old Testament people, places, events and symbols. Regardless, the church is certainly no better for having passed over the numerous inspired songs in the Psalter.”

How to Love Visiting Church Members in the Hospital
Timothy Reymond explains how he came to approach hospital visitation more positively.

What made the difference?  Two simple things, really.  First was just plain old experience.  Like developing any skill, you do a few dozen hospital visits and you’ll get more comfortable at it.  But more than that, I’ve learned to do a few simple, specific things which have transformed hospital visitation from a laborious drudgery into a true means of grace, both for the person I’m visiting and for my own soul.  I share these with you in the hopes of encouraging and equipping you, my brother-pastors, to make the most of these precious ministry opportunities.

Here’s my own article on the subject: Tips For Hospital Visitation

“A friend of mine was recently speaking to a pastor of a large congregation about how things were going in ministry. This particular pastor proceeded to tell my friend that a prominent public figure was coming to speak at the church he pastored. He then went on to boast about the large turnout that they expected at this event. To this, my friend said, “Oh yeah. Jesus comes to our church every Sunday.” Though some might consider this to be a flippant, cynical or juvenile response, it is, in fact, one of the most under-acknowledged and under-appreciated truths to cherish. In every church where the word of God is faithfully proclaimed, the sacraments are rightly observed and discipline is administered, God has promised to attend His people with His presence. ”

Research on Suicide in Our Churches and 3 Reasons Churches Must Be Concerned about Mental Health
“Thankfully, in recent years church leaders have developed a better understanding that struggles with depression and battles with mental health are not solely spiritual issues. Just as godly people can struggle with physical sickness, godly people can struggle with mental sickness. Both are a result of our fallen and broken world. While we have made progress in this area, according to a recent LifeWay research project on 1,000 people, there is still work to do. You can read the whole research project here; the research points to at least three reasons pastors must be concerned about mental health:”

New Book

Some Pastors and Teachers by Sinclair B. Ferguson (RHB $31)

Kindle Books

You can get Tony Reinke’s excellent book 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You as a FREE audiobook this month!

Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ by John F. MacArthur $2.99.

Gospel-Centered Teaching: Showing Christ in All the Scripture by Trevin Wax $2.99.

Sexual Temptation: Establishing Guardrails and Winning the Battle by Randy Alcorn $0.99.

Office Checkout 

A selection of articles, resources, books, and gadgets to improve the life of desk-dwellers everywhere.

Want to save $400 on a stand-up desk? This is a desk-topper usually selling for $600 and presently available for $200. I’ve just ordered it for my home office. I’ve already got a stand-up desk at the Seminary. Here’s a smaller and less expensive one that’s also on offer and here’s an old article I wrote on why stand-up desks are so important many years ago: Your Chair is Your Enemy: Stand-up! And some other articles, in case you’re not yet persuaded.

Get Up, Stand Up! | The New York Times
“The scientists then found strong statistical correlations between sitting and mortality. The men and women who sat for the most hours every day, according to their accelerometer data, had the highest risk for early death, especially if this sitting often continued for longer than 30 minutes at a stretch. The risk was unaffected by age, race, gender or body mass. It also was barely lowered if people exercised regularly. But interestingly, the risk of early death did drop if sitting time was frequently interrupted. People whose time spent sitting usually lasted for less than 30 minutes at a stretch were less likely to have died than those whose sitting was more prolonged, even if the total hours of sitting time were the same.”

Sitting will kill you, even if you exercise | CNN.com

4 Reasons You Should Buy a Standup Desk—Right Now | Michael Hyat

How I Set Up My Desks: One for Sitting, One for Walking | Andy Naselli

And some entertaining and informative after-hours reading for a couple of bucks.

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. Only $2.99 for this best-seller which is a great book for the evening wind-down.

Usual disclaimer: Link does not imply full agreement or endorsement. (They are posted in chronological order with the most recent first.)

When Jesus Read the Bible | Feeding on Christ

Discovering Christ in the Psalms | The Christward Collective

How Christ was Administered: Circumcision | Heart And Mouth

How Christ was Administered in the Old Testament: Seed and Land | Heart And Mouth

How was Christ Administered in the Old Testament? Introduction | Heart And Mouth

Help Me Teach the Bible: Vern Poythress on Interpreting Scripture

4 Reasons to Preach Christ from the Old Testament | For The Church

Help Me Teach the Bible: Ligon Duncan on Numbers

The End in the Beginning: A Biblical-Theological Catechism (Genesis) | Feeding on Christ

Proverbs 8:23, the Eternal Generation of the Son and the History of Reformed Exegesis | Reformation21 Blog

The Joy of Seeing Christ in the Old Testament | For The Church

How to Proclaim the Gospel from the Old Testament

How Did Jonathan Edwards Preach on Melchizedek, King of Salem? | TGC

From Blueprint to Building in Your Bible

Seeing Christ In All of Scripture | Green Baggins

Feeding on Christ The Spirit in the Old and New Testament | Feeding on Christ

The Preeminence of Christ in Preaching—Old or New Testament | Prince on Preaching

Help Me Teach the Bible: Liam Goligher on Isaiah (Part One)

BibleX: Videos on Preaching Christ from the Old Testament

Feeding on Christ Our Shield and Reward | Feeding on Christ

Help Me Teach the Bible: How the New Testament Helps Us Teach the Old Testament Rightly

An In-Depth Interview with Vern Poythress on Biblical Theology andChrist in the Old Testament | TGC

Game-Changer for Bible Reading | Desiring God

Every Story Casts His Shadow | TGC

Pyromaniacs: How does Proverbs point to Christ?

Christ in the Psalms | Credo Magazine

Jesus and Moses | Reformation21 Blog

Jesus and Abraham | Reformation21 Blog

Jesus in the Old Testament: Adam | Reformation21 Blog

The Old Testament in the New Testament | The Reformed Reader

What Did the Old Testament Writers Know about the Unfolding of the New Testament? | TGC

The Serpent on the Pole and the Cross of Christ | The Christward Collective

The Christology of Genesis 3:15

Thoroughly Uncontroversial: Sinclair Ferguson on Christotelic Interpretation

The Pentateuch is Christian Scripture | Gentle Reformation

From Bondage to Liberty: The Gospel According to Moses by Anthony Selvaggio | Reformation21 Blog

Job is a Book About Jesus: An Interview with Christopher Ash | Bible Gateway Blog

Top 20 Christ-Centered Expository Preaching Checklist | Prince on Preaching

An Introduction to Orthodox Christology: The Historical Books and Psalms by Keith Mathison | Ligonier Ministries Blog

Trinity in Old and New Testament (Vos) – The Scriptorium Daily

How Did Jesus Read the Old Testament? | The Christward Collective

Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: Jesus in Every Scripture by Dr. Walt Kaiser Jr. | The Exchange

Jonathan Edwards on David as a Type of Christ | Feeding on Christ

7 Tips on Teaching and Preaching the Old Testament | The Christward Collective

The Big Picture Jesus | Credo Magazine

How to Preach Christ in All the Scriptures – OT Prophecy

Free eBook: Christ-Centered Preaching and Teaching|- The Gospel Project

9 Traces of the Doctrine of the Trinity in the Old Testament | Feeding on Christ

Preaching Christ From Proverbs – Part 1

A Biblical Theology of Exile/Restoration in the OT Prophets | Feeding on Christ

Christ in the OT: Present or Absent?

Gospel-Centered Posts July 2013

Preaching [Insert Word] Jesus | Biblical Preaching

Christ-Centered Preaching and The Gospel Project | The Exchange

C.H. Spurgeon on Typology | Credo Magazine

Yahweh Is the Sweetest Name I Know | Desiring God

Founders Ministries Blog: How Should We Preach Christ in Every Sermon? – Leviticus 18:5

Bryan Chapell on Christ Centered Preaching: Part One | The Exchange

Bryan Chapell on Christ-Centered Preaching – Part 2 | The Exchange

Typology as Prophecy | Credo Magazine

Reformed Theological Seminary Panel: Seeing Christ In The Old Testament | The Gospel Coalition

The Wisdom of the Son (Seeing Christ in the Proverbs) | Feeding on Christ

A Covenantal Approach to the Song of Songs | Feeding on Christ

Samson — Christ-Centered Preaching | The Exchange

Preaching Christ and Commending Virtue | Trevin Wax

The Christ of the Bible from Renewing Your Mind Radio with R.C. Sproul

The Warrant for Typological Interpretation of Scripture | Credo Magazine

Mosaic Magazine » The Ten Commandments

BibleX: The Sermon on the Mount, Mosaic Law, and Christian Ethics

Book Review — Introduction to Messianic Judaism | Truth Within the Static

Is Jesus in the Old Testament? | Christ the Truth

Daniel Block’s Doubts About Christ-Centred Hermeneutics | Christ the Truth

Preaching the Old Testament | Credo Magazine

Psssst: Melchizedek!

Christ-Centered Hermeneutics | The Exchange 

Founders Ministries Blog: Why We Should Preach Christ in Every Sermon

The Trinity as Old Testament Book Club

The Ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer by Stephanie van Eyk | Ligonier Ministries Blog

The Blessed Cursed Tree | Reformation21

Christ-Centered Reading, Preaching, and Teaching | Project TGM

Take Your Vitamin Z: How Were People Saved in the Old Testament?

Christ our representative and the shape of evangelical preaching | The Proclamation Trust

The Songs of the Son (Seeing Christ in the Psalms) | Feeding on Christ

Matthew 5:17 | The Briefing

Christ-Centered Preaching (Part 1): The “Dilemma” of Christ-Centered Expository Preaching | TonyMerida.net

Do We Have to Mention Jesus in Every Sermon? | A Stranger in the House of God

Why Was Christ Veiled in the Law? | Feeding on Christ

Messianic Theology of the Old Testament | Bible X

6 Discontinuities between the Old and New Covenants | Andy Naselli

The Messiah in the Old Testament | Credo Magazine

Preach the Old Testament as if Jesus Is Risen | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Jesus the Messiah

Death and Resurrection: The Typlogical Structure of Old Testament Redemptive History | Feeding on Christ

3 Principles for Preaching the Pentateuch by Daniel Hyde | Ligonier Ministries Blog

Christ Is Not Just Another Theme in the Old Testament | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Jesus in the Lions’ Den? Preaching Christ from Daniel | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Intended Allegory in the Song of Songs? | For His Renown

The Resurrection of Christ in the Old Testament |Credo Magazine

The Day of Atonement was a Copy of Christ’s Atonement by Sinclair Ferguson | Ligonier Ministries Blog

Jesus Christ, Anointed One by R.C. Sproul | Ligonier.org

Allegorical Preaching: What Would Calvin Say? | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Preaching Jesus All the Time | Credo Magazine

The Bible’s Christocentric Structure | Strands of Thought

The Boice Center Lecture Series #1: Inerrancy and the New Testament use of the Old Testament on Vimeo

Slow Down! A Different Perspective on Christ in the Old Testament | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Hosea 11 in Matthew 2

From Wisdom to WISDOM

The Holy Spirit in the OT from Renewing Your Mind Radio with R.C. Sproul

Preaching Christ from the Old Testament by Sinclair Ferguson

Jesus Sings | Desiring God

Joy in Spite of Death

Calvin on Christ in All of Scripture | Justin Taylor

Seeing Christ in Every Chapter of the Bible Is Not a Late 20th Century Development | Justin Taylor

Who Goes There? | Cor Deo

How to Preach the Gospel from Every Part of the Bible | Credo Magazine

Our Only Hope: The Messiah (Psalm 89) | Credo Magazine

“On Preaching Christ from Daniel” by Sidney Greidanus

The Psalms in Christian life

This is priceless | The Proclamation Trust

Various Quotations on Christ in the Old Testament

Looking for the absent God

The Gospel of Jesus in the Story of Joseph | Trevin Wax

Preaching Jesus all the Time | Credo Magazine

The Bible is About Jesus | Secundum Scripturas

One Story of Salvation: Nancy Guthrie on Christ in the Old Testament | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Preaching Christ from Deuteronomy | The Gospel Coalition

Kingdom Through Covenant | Reformation21

Borrowed Light: In Defense of a Christ-Centered Hermeneutic OR A Reply to Dr. Eric Hankins

Ed Stetzer – Teaching Christ from the Old & New Testaments

Where Is Jesus In The Old Testament? | Blogging Theologically

Preaching the psalms | The Proclamation Trust

A Conversation with Andy Naselli | Credo Magazine

Jesus and the Psalms by L. Michael Morales | Reformed Theology Articles at Ligonier.org

Who Is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53?

Safety, Fulness, and Sweet Refreshment in Christ | Jonathan Edwards

On the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, Part 6 | Credo Magazine

Preaching the Person in the Old Testament | Biblical Preaching

The Trinity: Everywhere Taught in the Old Testament | Blogging Theologically

To Fulfill the Law and Prophets | Ad Fontes

Deuteronomy and Christology in the Gospel of Matthew | Reformed Forum

How Did Luke Use The OT in His Writing? | Blogging Theologically | Jesus, Books, Culture, & Theology

Christ-Centered Preaching Isn’t Anti-Trinitarian

Saturated with Christ | Challies Dot Com

Exodus 19:4-6 | The Briefing

Preaching Christ from Isaiah | The Gospel Coalition

Isaiah by the Day: A Conversation with Alec Motyer | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Jesus Is What the Old Testament Promised Him to Be | Kevin DeYoung

The Ultimate Theophany | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Christ in the Old Testament | Reformed Forum

How much should the OT influence our interpretation of the NT? |Credo Magazine

BibleX: Walter Kaiser on Job 19:21-27 and Resurrection

On the Third Day | Crossway

The Suffering Servant and Isaiah 53: A Conversation with Darrell Bock | The Gospel Coalition Blog

How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens | Justin Taylor

On Preaching the Old Testament | Ordinary Pastor

Old Testament Narratives as Pictures, Windows, and Mirrors | Justin Taylor

The Challenge of Preaching Christ in Genesis | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Jesus As the New Israel | Justin Taylor

How To Read The Bible Through The Jesus Lens | A Book Review

Anticipating the Coming of the Spirit! | Think Theology

Book Reviews | Interview: Christ Centered Biblical Theology | The Gospel Coalition

Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: Interpretation vs. Application | The Cripplegate

Christmas: Something Greater than the Temple is Here | The Cripplegate

Themelios | Review: Reclaiming The Old Testament For Christian Preaching | The Gospel Coalition

Preaching Christ in the Proverbs (Video and Audio) | Feeding on Christ

Pyromaniacs: Ashford Bible Conference 2011: Christ in the Old Testament

The Gospel According to Jonah | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Christ in Genesis « Resources for Studying and Teaching Bible

Book Reviews | Review: The Beginning And End Of Wisdom | The Gospel Coalition

How Could They Get It? | Challies Dot Com

Seeing Jesus in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job | Justin Taylor

The Wisdom of Solomon and the Greater Glories of Christ | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Book Reviews | Book-note: Help In Gospel-centered Bible Reading | The Gospel Coalition

Preaching Christ from the Wisdom Books | The Gospel Coalition

Where Do We Find Jesus in the Old Testament? | Desiring God

How the New Testament Writers Understood the Old Testament | Justin Taylor

Does the Old Testament Teach That Salvation Is by Works? | Blogmatics

How Could God Ask That? | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Jesus and the Psalms by L. Michael Morales | Reformed Theology Articles at Ligonier.org

Christ in the Temple | Christocentrism

Wisdom Christology: An Interview with Dan Ebert | TGC Reviews

Strawberry-Rhubarb Theology: Why a Cloud?

Christ in OT | Christ the Truth

Reformation Theology: The Reformers’ Hermeneutic: Grammatical, Historical, and Christ-Centered

What Do You Mean When You Talk about Christ in the Old Testament? | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Blackham-Goldsworthy Debate | Dr. Blackham

Monergism : Christ in the Old Testament

Christ’s Inner Life…In the Psalms | unashamed

Banner of Truth Trust General Articles

The Gospel-Driven Church: Guidelines for Finding Christ in the Old Testament

True & Better on Vimeo

What I Have Learned after Years of Preaching Christ in the OT | Justin Taylor

PT Media Papers | The Proclamation Trust

Ligon Duncan – A Gospel Exposition of the Ceremonial Law

Pyromaniacs: Christ in the Old Testament: introductory challenges, parameters, cautions

Pyromaniacs: Relationship of Old and New in Messianic Prophecy: Huh? and Oh!

Law and Gospel

Triablogue: The Evidence Of Biblical Prophecy

Pyromaniacs: Christ in the Old Testament | A bibliographical colloquium

Preaching the Gospel in Judges | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Christ-Centered Zeal: Some Concerns from an OT Scholar | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Koinonia: Thoughts on Egypt and prophecies in Isaiah 19 by Walt Kaiser

The Relationship Between the Old Testament & the New Testament | SBC Voices

Ligon Duncan – Preaching The Gospel From The Book With The Worst Title In The English Bible

Keller on Jonah and Jesus | Justin Taylor

SermonAudio.com – Edmund P Clowney Legacy Corporation

Was Salvation Through Jesus Christ in the Old Testament? | Gospel-Centered Musings

New Testament Use of the Old Testament, by Roger Nicole

T. Desmond Alexander Audio Lectures and Sermons | Feeding on Christ

Help! I’m Looking for Jesus in the OT | The Gospel Coalition Blog

Echoes of the Old Testament in John 1:1-14 | Feeding on Christ

Exile & Restoration in the Death & Resurrection of Christ | Feeding on Christ

The Grace of God in the Bible

Against Heresies: Whose Son is the Christ? | The Ref 21 M’Cheyne Blog

The Apostolic Hermenuetic: Preaching Christ From All The Scriptures

As the prophets from the beginning have declared concerning him (1)

Theocratic Case Laws and the New Covenant Era

The Christology of Sacrificial Countdown at the Feast of Tabernacles

Finding Meaning in the Pentateuch | Christianity Today

The Messianic Hope - Is the Old Testament Really Messianic?  || B&H Academic

If You Believed Moses, You Would Believe Me | Desiring God Christian Resource Library

28 Non-Numerical Signs Of A Healthy Church
“Numbers are not the only way to determine church health. In many situations, they’re not even the best way.”

A Historian’s 5 Tips on Writing
“At his Twitter account, @KevinMKruse, Professor Kruse did a series of tweets on writing advice. With his permission, they are reprinted here in a more permanent format.”

A Revival Of The Public Reading of Scripture
I’ve noticed Scripture readings are getting shorter and shorter.

Study says screen time may increase teen depression, thoughts of suicide
Along similar lines, here’s the New York Times’ on How Evil Is Tech? which highlights three main critiques of big tech. The first is that it is destroying the young.  And another: The number of teens who are depressed is soaring. In that article, Jean Twenge says that the problem is “not necessarily the screen time but the time that’s lost to smartphones that could be spent on more meaningful activities, like face-to-face interaction.”

Download the ‘Westminster Shorter Catechism’ by Sinclair Ferguson
You said you would listen to him reading the telephone directory. Here’s something even better.

Why You Should Live in the Psalms
Scott Slayton: “The Psalms provide a welcome antidote to our craving for shallowness. The Psalms, which seem so easy to understand on the surface, invite us to deep study and contemplation. They show the blessing of cultivating a deep and abiding trust in the Lord and beckon us to leave behind our life of distraction so we can know and love God more deeply.”

Autism Speaks: Q&A
Super-helpful Q&A with two autistic young adults.

Kindle Books

Some great deals on Kindle devices today.

Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World by Josh McDowell $3.99.

Impossible People: Christian Courage and the Struggle for the Soul of Civilization by Os Guinness $4.99.

Renaissance: The Power of the Gospel However Dark the Times by Os Guinness $3.99.

Why Christ Came: 31 Meditations on the Incarnation by Joel R. Beeke  and‎ William Boekestein $2.99.

Beginning at Moses: A Guide to Finding Christ in the Old Testament by Michael P. V. Barrett $0.99

Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids
Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture (for men)
Refresh: Embracing a Grace-Paced Life in a World of Overwhelming Demands (for women)

Free Online Courses from TGC
This new web resource is really well designed:

One of the core ways The Gospel Coalition serves the church is by providing biblically faithful web-based content for personal and group use. So, today, we are excited to introduce you to a brand-new and totally free online learning platform.

God Made You a Writer: An Invitation to Every Christian | David Mathis, Desiring God
Here’s an encouragement to those feeling called to any kind of writing ministry:

Whether you think of yourself as a writer or not (and on the whole, it might be better if less people did!), I’d love to extend to you God’s invitation to find your ways of proclaiming his excellencies (1 Peter 2:9) in written words.

Treasure Your Marriage | Tim Challies
“If God has given you a wife, he has given you a precious gift. He calls you to treasure your marriage, and to treasure marriage, you must treasure your bride. If you are to treasure your wife, you must learn from Jesus Christ how to love her well. Here are four marks of a husband’s love.*”

Feeding on Christ Diagnostic Decision Making | Nicholas T. Batzig, Feeding on Christ
“There are also a number of questions that we derive from God’s word that help us discern what decision we are to make in any given life situation. In his excellent little book Discovering God’s Will, Sinclair Ferguson set out the following diagnostic questions to ask when we are confronted with numerous life decisions:”

On technology and preaching | Mike Pohlman, Southern Seminary
“If it really is God speaking through the preacher (which it is) then God forbid we miss one word he’s saying. And technology use (whether screens up on the stage or in a listener’s hand via smartphone or tablet) dramatically increases the risk of this happening. ”

My Dark Night of the Soul | Jon Bloom, Desiring God
“For me, it’s fitting that a solar eclipse occurred this week. Twenty years ago, in the spring of 1997, I experienced an eclipse of God. And twenty years ago this week, light dawned in my darkness (Psalm 112:4)…”

“The Life of the Professor” — My Talking Points for our New Faculty Workshop | Jonathan Pennington
Guidance and motivation for teachers beginning another school year:

I was asked earlier this week by the provost here at Southern to come in and speak to our new professors… I put together a brief talk that focuses on three areas of the life of the professor — Teaching, Scholarship, and Mentoring. Here are my far from perfect and far from comprehensive talking points for those who might be interested.

To Faithful Pastors in Forgotten Places | Stephen Witmer, Desiring God

“Dear small-town pastor,

I’m a small-town pastor myself, and I want to spur you on in the ministry. We labor in places we dearly love, but few others have heard of. We have a wide range of responsibilities, which may include (but not be limited to) typing the bulletin, doing pest control for the church building, helping at Vacation Bible School, performing emergency toilet repairs, and preaching.

The conferences we attend, the books, magazines, blogs, and websites we read, and the podcasts we listen to are produced by big-city, large-church pastors. Gradually, though no one has ever said this to us, we may have come to feel like we’re junior varsity. We have not been gifted or called to influence the influencers in the big city. We’re doing the best we can, seeking to be faithful pastors in our forgotten places, but sometimes we may wonder whether we’re missing the real action. If that’s you, I want to encourage you in four ways.”

Think Beauty and Artistry Aren’t Important? Think Again. | Amy Simpson
“…a person who claims beauty, creativity, and quality don’t matter is missing something important about who God is.”

Kindle Books

For your non-Kindle book buying needs please consider using Reformation Heritage Books in the USA and Reformed Book Services in Canada. Good value prices and shipping.

Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung ($3.19)

God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life by Gene Edward Veith Jr. ($3.99)

Work and Our Labor in the Lord by James M. Hamilton Jr. ($3.99)