Let’s take to heart the strength of Jesus’ conclusion to his famous Sermon on the Mount for ourselves and for others.

A good expository preacher knows that a story has its own way of carrying and conveying its point. 

It does take effort, and prayer, and time, to make sense of the Bible, but no matter how tough some parts may be, it can be understood.

What we had heard about Italy is that there is a great need for the gospel and that there are few resources and few active gospel works. One idea is true, the other is false.

Once people trust Christ, what do we pray for? Often it seems to shift to the more mundane matters of health and career.

Whatever gifting one has, it is important to be a good steward of that gifting.  We should “fan into flame” what God has put in us. 

Lives are not transformed by to-do lists. They can help, but they remain mostly on the surface.

Tim Keller and Harry Reeder have ministered and helped generations. Let's pray God will continue to raise up new preachers like them.

We have probably all made some, or all, of these mistakes.

God’s pattern is for suffering now to be followed by glory later. It was true for Jesus, for Peter’s readers then, and it is true for Peter’s readers now.

Let us appreciate the privilege of gathered worship and declare with joy that this world is a lie.

Let’s learn to handle Biblical narratives well so that they can do their mighty work in our hearts and those who will hear us.

Good observation of the details in a passage will set us up to accurately learn what the text means.

The more closely we look at and observe the text, the easier it will be to accurately learn what the text means.

Seek to define the values of the church and aspire to be a church that God will trust with newcomers and new believers.

What does the text say?  What does the text mean?  What should the text stir?  This is the Bible study process.

We seek to make that main idea so clear, transformative, evident from the text and applicationally earthed, that we will genuinely have preached the text before we sit down.

Learning to think clearly about your own thinking is a critical skill for the preacher. Study more. Study longer. Study humble. Study persistently.

Let’s evaluate our churches and make sure we are not adding any unnecessary barriers for guests that come along.

No matter how clever you are, what you can make it say is not as good as what God made it say.

When we learn to handle the Word of truth rightly, we start to see the richness God has put in our Bibles. 

We live in an age marked by resistance to authority. The idea of submission has fallen on hard times. But don’t miss either the logic or the blessing of this concept.

The Bible offers us salvation, spiritual growth, maturity and equipping for all aspects of life and ministry.

Let’s take stock of how God would want us to use our eyes this year. After all, they are an essential gateway by which we can guard our hearts.