Blogs by Derek Thomas

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (Jam. 1:27). In a sermon preached in 1999, John Piper took this... continue

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God" (Heb. 13:16) "... that which is pleasing in his sight" (Heb. 13:21) Hebrews 13 alludes to two passages in which Christians... continue

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." (Heb 12:1)This is one the greatest exhortations in the New Testament perseverance. Employing an athletic metaphor, the author of Hebrews urges us to run "with endurance... the race."... continue

"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11:1)We are of "those who have faith" (Heb. 10:39).  Faith is the Christian's distinguishing mark. But what is faith? Hebrews 11 answers it: "faith is... continue

McCheyne blog"But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God" (Heb. 10:12)When Christ ascended into heaven, he sat down. This indicates more than one idea:First, it demonstrates... continue

Among the nations that Ezekiel singles out for attention in chapter 25 is Edom (25:12-14). 'Edom' or 'Seir' (25:8) was where Jacob's twin brother, Esau, went, and 'Edomites' is the Bible's name for Esau's descendants (Gen. 32:3). Following the siege... continue

Something is cooking on Ezekiel's stove (Ezek. 24:3b; cf. 11:3). It is a "parable" (24:3a) in which God's people and they are being boiled. And the smell coming from the pot is nasty! The pot is corroded (24:12) and instead... continue

"And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision" (1 Sam. 3:1). This is a very disturbing statement - at least, it should be to anyone who cares about the Word of God.... continue

"Priests guilty of sexual misconduct in the sanctuary"  No, this is not a headline from one of today's sleazy newspapers (though it could well be); it is a headline that characterizes the goings on in Shiloh where Eli two reckless... continue

God's people may find themselves in extraordinary circumstances, but God's grace is always sufficient and powerful to enable us to persevere and display extraordinary acts of godliness. Such is the lesson of the first chapter of 1 Samuel where Hannah's... continue