David Strain, Minister of Main Street Presbyterian Church in Columbus, MS, has a great post over at Letters From Mississippi, on the reason why the Westminster Divines believed images of Jesus are forbidden by Scripture. It is a really quite persuasive argument. You can read it here. I out attempt to honor Jesus by making images of Him we may be dishonoring Him by denying His Person.

J.I. Packer has a section in Knowing God dedicated to the same issue. You can read the section on images of Christ here .

HT: Alex Brown

J.I. Packer, in his masterpiece A Quest for Godliness , highlights what he believes to be the three major principles of biblical interpretation in Puritan expositions. These are three principles we would do well to imitate:

1. Puritan exegetes…do not bring to the Bible the pervasive sense of difference and distance between cultures and epochs that is so much part of today’s mind-set; nor do they bring with them the imaginative ideas of religious evolution that cripple so many modern biblical scholars and corrupt so much of their expository work. Instead of feeling distant from biblical characters and their experiences because of the number of centuries between them, the Puritans felt kinship with them because they belonged to the same human race, faced, fear, and fellowshipped with the same unchanging God, and struggled with essentially the same spiritual problems.

2. Puritan grammatical-historical exegesis of texts, though often naively expressed, is remarkably competent, as any knowledgeable reader of Matthew Henry’s great expository commentary on the whole Bible will soon see.

3. Puritans exegeted Scripture in order to apply it, and as application was the focus of their concern so it was the area of their special strength…

The following video was filmed at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. The lecture was given at a special Thursday evening service at PRTS.

The Church That Christ Builds

The Church That Christ Builds

One of the chief promises God made to Abraham was that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand of the sea. The point is not that we try to calculate how much sand there is and then draw a numerical parallel. Obviously there is too much sand on the shore to number. Throughout the period of revelation, from the time of Abraham to Christ, we find hints that the LORD is fulfilling this promise. One such place is 1 Kings 4:20 where we read, “Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.” God had been faithful to His promises. He had multiplied Abraham’s descendants and given them a king after His own heart (i.e. David) and then a prince of peace (i.e. Solomon). Judah and Israel were prospering by the hand of the LORD. These words come right after the account of Solomon’s rise to the throne and right after God gave Solomon whatever he asked for–wisdom and understanding. The verse is crucial in this context. It is no small detail that Judah and Israel are said to have been “as the sand by the Sea in multitude.” There is a relationship between what is said in 1 Kings 4:20 and 1 Kings 4:29. Back in chapter 3 we learn that Solomon’s request for wisdom is based on the fact that he was called to rule and to govern God’s people. Solomon said, “Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours (1 Kings 3:8-9)?” God did just what Solomon asked and gave him the wisdom and understanding he needed to shepherd His people. In 1 Kings 4:29 we are told, “God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.” God gave Solomon wisdom commensurate for the task. The people were as numerous as the sand on the sea so God gave Solomon a heart so full of wisdom it could not be measured. There is of course a typological relationship, between Solomon and Christ, at work here.

When we come to the New Testament we see that God’s people need the greater than Solomon, who is Himself the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1). We need one “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” We need Him to rule us with His saving grace and wisdom. He is the one who fulfills the promise to Abraham and who rules the true descendants of Abraham (Gal. 3:9; 29) with His wisdom. In Him a people from every tongue, tribe, nation and language are redeemed (Rev. 5:9). We need the seed of Abraham and the greater Solomon to redeem us and rule us with His wisdom. But we also need the wisdom that Christ provides. This is why James writes: “If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and without reproach. But let him ask in faith with no doubting…” We are to come to the greater than Solomon so that we also may receive wisdom and understanding. Our God will give us largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore if we ask for it as Solomon did. Ministers especially need to ask for wisdom since they have been called to watch over, and care for, the people of God. Oh that the Lord would grow his flock and give his shepherds wise and understanding hearts.

Thanks to James Grant for pointing out these lectures. You will find numerous class lectures, lectures on books of the Bible and Sunday School lessons there. The Sunday school lectures look particularly interesting. I think you will find Dr. Poythress to be a brilliant theological with many thoughts that will help set you off on deeper theological investigation.

There is an interesting structure to the book of Galatians. Paul is, of course, writing this letter because of the threat of the Judaizers who came in to spy out the liberty of the Christians. The Judaizers were saying that one needed Christ and law-keeping (as represented by circumcision) to be accepted by God. The apostle Paul, as you well know, would not tolerate this perversion of the Gospel for even one minute. Therefore, in his defense of the Gospel and it implications he draws several contrasts. They are as follows:

Chapter 2 : Faith not Works

Chapter 3 : Promise (Gospel) not Law

Chapter 4 : Sons not Slaves

Chapters 5 and 6 : Spirit not Flesh

The logical connection between these contrasting principles forms the basis for the argument of the epistle. If one is to be justified (accepted by God as righteous) it must be by faith, not by works. The reason for this is the difference between the promise and the law. Once someone has been justified by faith he has been adopted into God’s family–he is a son of God, not a slave. The freedom that we have by faith in Christ, that makes us sons, is not a freedom to live in the flesh (i.e. the sinful, natural, unconverted lifestyle). We are given the Spirit when we believe and we are called to walk in the Spirit. Chapter 5 is most properly a discourse on the agency and nature of sanctification. If we are in the Spirit our lives will reflect “faith working through love.” The context is not about how we are accepted by God, but how we live once we have been given the liberty of the sons of God. Understanding the contrasting principles of Galatians is the most important thing we can know.

Here is the audio from the 2009 Next Conference :

The Preeminence of Christ (Joshua Harris)

Christ’s Incarnation (D.A. Carson)

Christ’s Life (Kevin DeYoung)

Christ’s Death (C.J. Mahaney)

Christ’s Resurrection (Sinclair Ferguson)

Christ’s Return (Sinclair Ferguson)

HT: Justin Taylor

The following messages were given by Sinclair Ferguson at the 2004 BASICS Conference:

His Sufficient Word – 2 Tim. 3

His Eternal Election - Ephesians 1

His Transforming Spirit - Romans 8

Here is the most recent article Paul Helm has posted on his blog. It is typical, insightful (and on this occasion, sarcastic) Helm on Christianity and culture.

As a nice addition to the previous Eric Alexander post on “The Cross is the Experience of the Father,” you can now watch Sinclair Ferguson’s message from the 2009 Ligonier National Conference, The Holiness of the Father.

HT: Iain Campbell

Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, and I began interviewing theologians and pastors back in June 2008. Interviewing these men has been an enormous blessing. We have learned a lot and had a great time in the process. Below you will find an index that will be updated from time to time. Thanks for listening:

Lane Tipton “The Theological Contributions of Richard Gaffin”
Lane Keister “The Federal Vision”
Gary Johnson Reforming or Conforming
Drew Dinardo Reformed Church Growth
Mark Garcia Union with Christ and Two-Fold Grace
R. Scott Clark Recovering the Reformed Confessions
J. Ligon Duncan The Westminster Confession into the 21st Century
Derek Thomas “The Pastor and the Academy”
Rick Phillips “Cultural Relevance, Mercy Ministry and the Social Gospel”
Jeff Jue “The Eschatology of the Westminster Divines”
D.G. Hart “J. Gresham Machen”
Martin Downes “The Emergent Church and Cultural Captivity”
Greg Reynolds “Preaching in an Electronic Age”
David Hall “The Calvin Quincentenary”
Scott Oliphant The Defense of the Faith
Ron Gleason Herman Bavinck
John Fesko The Reformed Doctrine of Justification
John Carrick The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards
Russel Moore Christ’s Kingdom: Gospel Priorities and Politics
John Muether Cornelius Van Til: A Life
Carl Trueman “A Brief History of Trinitarian Thought”
Stephen J. Nichols Getting the Blues
James White Apologetics and Islam
Peter Lillback Calvin and the Development of Covenant Theology
Phillip G. Ryken Thomas Boston: Preacher of the Fourfold State
D.G. Hart Deconstructing Evangelicalism
Stephen J. Nichols Jesus Made in America
Lane Tipton Van Til’s Trinitarian Theology
Highlights from 2008
Jim Cassidy Reformed Catechesis and the Ordinary Means of Grace
Vern Poythress Redeeming Science
William Dennison The Young Bultmann
G.K. Beale The Erosion of Inerrancy
Dave Garner The Eschatology of Adoption
Cornelius P. Venema Peadocommunion
Richard B. Gaffin Sanctification and the Gospel
Guy Waters N.T. Wright’s Doctrine of Justification #1
Guy Waters N.T. Wright’s Doctrine of Justification #2
T. David Gordon Why Johnny Can’t Preach
Michael Haykin The Church Fathers
James T. O’Brien Puritan Theology
Danny Olinger Geerhardus Vos
R. Fowler White and Keith Mathison The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology
Michael Horton Christless Christianity
Douglas Kelly Systematic Theology: vol. 1 The Holy Trinity
Iain D. Campbell “The Song of David’s Son”
Jon D. Payne In the Splendor of Holiness
Eric J. Alexander A Life in the Preaching Ministry

Dr. Jon Payne, minister of Grace Presbyterian Church in Douglasville, Ga, has been bringing in excellent preachers and speakers for the past 5 years for their Reformation Heritage Conference. In 2004, Derek Thomas came and gave a series of lectures on Calvin, Geneva and Reformed Worship. Darryl Hart spoke in 2005 on American Reformation Heritage. Iain Murray came in 2006 and spoke on The Scottish Reformation. In 2007 Carl Trueman spoke on the German Reformation; and in 2008 Michael Horton gave a series of lectures on the Reformation and the Means of Grace.

Upcoming Conference speakers include Paul Jones, Joel Beeke, and Carl Trueman. Jones will be speaking on “The Music of the Protestant Reformation” in 2009. Dr. Beeke will be lecturing on “The Dutch Reformation” in 2010; and Dr. Trueman will focus on”The English Reformation.”

This really is a well thought out Conference. There are not many Conferences that focus on a nation by nation contribution to the Reformation. If you are not familiar with Dr. Jon Payne, I want to encourage you to look out for the forthcoming Christ the Center episode where I talk with Jon about Reformed Worship. Jon has authored two books : John Owen on the Lord’s Supper and In the Splendor of Holiness .

Here is the link to my most recent sermon. It was delivered on Sunday evening, April 19, 2009 at Independent Presbyterian Church. The text was John 4:1-30; the title, “Jesus and the Empty Water Pot.” I was struck several years ago, as I read through the account, by John’s mention of the woman leaving her water pot after her interaction with Jesus.

You can find more sermons I preached over the past two years at Sermon Audio, Monergism, and the New Covenant Presbyterian Church Website. If you know people in the Savannah area who are looking for a church home please direct them to these links and the New Covenant website.

James Grant, over at In Light of the Gospel , has pointed out that 16 years of audio from the National Founder’s Conference are now online. As I looked at the various conference themes this one specifically caught my eye. Beeke has three lectures on the Puritans. Errol Hulse also has several. All you Puritan lovers should enjoy these. I have heard two of these lectures by Beeke at different venues and have found them to be very profitable. Enjoy.

For all who are unable to attend Greenville Seminary’s Spring Theology Conference on John Calvin this week, the following evening sessions will be offered via a live webcast:
7:00 PM Tuesday (March 10): Dr. Joseph A. Pipa, Jr.: Calvin the Preacher
7:00 PM Wednesday (March 11): Dr. Joel Beeke: Calvin the Theologian of the Holy Spirit
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It is probable that the whole of Matthew’s Gospel is a typological fulfillment of Israel’s history. This means, of course, that all of Christ’s life is the chronological anti-type of Israel’s experience. Here is a brief explanation:

Matthew opens with the words: “The book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham.” Why only mention David and Abraham? Simply put, they were the two Israelitish covenant heads who were organically related to Christ. Jesus did not come from Moses’ seed, but he did come from Abraham and David. Note also the way that Matthew mentions David first, then Abraham. As the genealogy unfolds he starts with Abraham, moves to David, goes through the exile and finally comes to the fulfillment of the promises. This structure sets the grid for understanding Matthew’s Gospel.

Matthew could have chosen to take the genealogy back to Noah and Adam (as Luke chooses to do) but it appears that he wanted to stop at Abraham to explain the Israel/Christ typology. This is further developed by the reference to Hosea 11:2 in Matthew 2, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” Then by the baptism, the temptation in the wilderness, the Sermon on the Mount, the feeding of the multitudes, the references to David and Solomon, the pronouncement of ‘woes’ on the leaders of Israel, and His death on the cross (i.e. the great exile).
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In our last few posts we’ve been plowing through Bavinck’s analysis of original sin and what was lost by the fall. Human beings did not become ‘sub’ creatures after breaking the covenant or works, but something changed. The original relationship and integrity with God was destroyed when sin took advantage of the commandment. Here is a brief look at Bavinck’s analysis of the nature of sin in what he describes as ‘mystery in variety’.

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Revelation 1:5-10 really is the master key to unlock the structure of the book. While the throne of God, the trumpets, bowls, and seals all play a central role in this book, the book would be, as I noted in the previous post, meaningless without its Christological structure. Put simply, the book is about Jesus Christ–specifically with regard to His first and second coming. And is this a surprise to us? It shouldn’t be if we have come to see that the Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ and the work He does in His first and second coming. Isn’t this what Jesus taught to His disciples on the road to Emmaus, concerning the doctrine of the Old Testament, when he said to them, “O foolish ones and slow in heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and entered into His glory ?” There, Jesus proceeded to open the Scriptures and “beginning with Moses and the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself .” Peter also explained this when he wrote, “10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow (1 Peter 1:10-11).”
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When I was an intern at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, I had the privilege of working with Dr. David Apple and the mercy ministry outreach. From a youth, my dad frequently took me to nursing homes where he would help lead worship services. John H. Skilton, late Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, introduced my father to this great need. John visited almost every nursing home in Philadelphia. He left a testimony of real desire to see the kingdom of God advance in the lives of needy men and women.

Nursing Home ministry is a responsibility and privilege that is often overlooked by the church. I think there are a several reasons for this. First, you will never grow a church by ministering in a Nursing Home. You will never get a sudden surge of people into the church pews (or cushion seats if you are more cutting edge) by focusing on Nursing Home Ministry. Your church will not visibly grow, but Jesus’ church will. I imagine that there have been many elderly men and women who have come to saving faith on account of some loving child of God coming into a Nursing Home, or Assisted Living Center, and spreading the love and the word of Christ. The fields are rip for harvest in a Nursing Home.

Another reason Nursing Home/Assisted Living ministry has not received greater emphasis is on account of the fact that it takes a great deal of commitment and care. Most of us, if we are honest, do not want to commit to or care about things like ministering to needy, sick and dying people. Sadly, I know that this is true in my own life.

The final reason nursing home ministry is not carried out more frequently is on account of the lack of training. It takes a great deal of training to understand how to ministry to needy people. It can often be difficult, because of our lack of knowledge. We cannot lay all the blame on the first two reasons. It is on account of this that David Apple and I brought Ed Verbeke, former chaplain of the RPCNA Retirement Home, to Tenth to do a one day training seminar. Ed is a dear friend, who preached at Anna and my wedding. Ed has "Brittle Bone Disease" and has been the subject of care and need for most of his life. Despite (or perhaps on account of ) this malady, Ed is one of the most productive Christians I know. The grace of God, working through Ed’s own needs, has enabled him to care for and serve those who are needy. Ed has a unique gift in ministering to the elderly and shut-ins. I think you will find that this seminar contains some of the best training for Nursing Home Ministry available. You can find the videos here .

You can also find a Nursing Home manual, written by Tom McCormick, posted below the videos. Tom has served in Nursing Home ministry for many years and had his introduction to it through Dr. Skilton.

William Still, in his short commentary on the book of Galatians, explained–in the most vivid way–the reality of the division God sets between redeemed man and the fallen world on account of Christ crucified. He wrote:

We like to think of the double crucifixion, envisaged here, in theatrical terms. There stand the world, and there stand I, and between us stands the cross. Viewed from the world’s side I am crossed out, because branded with that hateful cross the world has no time for me. Viewed from my side the world is crossed out, for through my faith in Christ’s death I have also died to the world; so that I and the world are agreed on one thing, and one only; that through Christ we have equally and mutually no time for each other.

The second introduction, or the second feature of the introduction, of the book of Revelation is actually a Triune salutation. John writes:

“Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits before the throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and freed from our sin with His own blood and has made us kings and priests to our God.”

There are several significant details in the salutation. In the first place, it is a Triune blessing. Grace and peace come to the people of God from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is not so clear on the surface, because of the way in which each Person of the Godhead is spoken of, or from the order in which each member of the Godhead is mentioned.

John describes the Father as “Him who is and who was and who is to come.” He is the everlasting God. The One who has no beginning and no end. Though the Father is not mentioned by any particular name, and though this same description is applied to Jesus in verse 8, the construct necessitates this interpretation. The Father has already been mentioned at the beginning of the book by the name “God.” It is surely taught in Scripture that the Father and the Son are each God in every way that makes Him God. Deity is clearly attributed to the Spirit as well, in such places as Acts 5 where it is said that Ananias and Saphira have lied to the God by lying to the Holy Spirit. But, in the realm of redemption (i.e. the work of the economic Trinity) the Father is often referred to simply as “God.” The other confirmation is the reference to the Spirit and the Son in the subsequent verses.

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First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS has recently added a page where you can download audio files of talks, given over the past 5 years, at the Twin Lakes Fellowship . You can find them here . It looks like they may be in the process of adding more.

Nick Needham, Professor of Church History at Highland Theological College, has a series of lectures on various figures in church history here. Prof. Needham is a very gifted church historian. The following are the lectures available at Monergism:

• John Chrysostom #1
• John Chrysostom #2
• Athanasius on the Deity of Christ #1
• Athanasius on the Deity of Christ #2
• The Life and Times of John Knox #1
• The Life and Times of John Knox #2
• Life and Times of John Knox #3
• Life and Times of John Wycliff #1
• Life and Times of John Wycliff #2
• Life and Times of John Huss
• Luther’s Life Up Until the Diet of Worms
• Luther: From the Diet of Worms to the Peasants Rebellion
• Luther: From the Peasant’s Revolt to Ongoing Reformation
• Life and Theology of John Calvin #1
• Life and Theology of John Calvin #2
• Life and Theology of John Calvin Q & A #3
• Life and Theology of John Calvin Q & A Continued #4

My Lord and My God (John 20:24-31)
Streams of Living Water (John 7:37-39)
The Pastor as Son of the Heavenly Father(2008 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors)
The Pastor as Son of the Earthly Father(2008 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors)
The Pastor as Father of His Family and His Flock(2008 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors)
Panel Discussion
What is Evangelicalism
What Makes You Greater Than King David (Matthew 11:2-19)
The Dissatisfied, the Smug, and the Broken (Matthew 11:16-30)
How to Wait for the End (Matthew 24:36-25:46)
An Apostolic Dispute and Justification (Claris Conference)
Justification, Righteousness and the Cross of Christ (Claris Conference)
The Authority of Scripture
Evaluating a Complex Movement
A Biblical Mediation on Truth and Experience
The Night of Questions (John 3:1-21)
Difficult New Testament Passages

For quite some time now I have been recommending a six part series on Baptism by Edward Donnelly. Rev. Donnelly is the pastor of Trinity Reformed Presbyterian Church, in Northern Ireland. He is also the Principal and Professor of New Testament at the Reformed Theological College, Belfast. Edward Donnelly is one of the finest preachers alive. If you have not heard him, I recommend every sermon he has at Sermon Audio. But you really must listen to this series on baptism:

Baptism #1

Baptism #2

Baptism #3

Baptism #4

Baptism #5

Baptism #6

Here is the link to a great James Boice Sermon on a call for Theology in the church. It is based on Ephesians chapters 2 and 3. Boice affirms David Wells’ concern that the evangelical church has become worldly, and has abandoned God’s word. This is a superb message.

Here is the link to sermons that Dale Ralph Davis preached during his time (1988-1993) at Aisquith Presbyterian Church in Parkville, MD . Currently, Rev. Davis is the Pastor of Woodland Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, MS. You can find his recent sermons here. Dr. Davis is also well known for his Old Testament Commentaries, published in the Christian Focus series. The set includes his commentary on Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings. I would also recommend this book for any preacher of the Gospel.

The three latest Christ the Center programs are now online:

Martin Downes on The Emergind Church and Cultural Captivity
Greg Reynolds on Preaching in an Electronic Age
David Hall on The Calvin Quincentenary

You can find the other Christ the Center episodes at Castle Church.

Here is the link to sermons preached by Philip Graham Ryken, in 1996 and 1997, at College Church in Wheaton, IL. You can also find several D.A. Carson sermons, preached at College Church, here. When you follow the link go to “speaker” search, select the names above, and hit the magnifying glass link button below the speaker name. This will bring up all the sermons that they preached at College Church.

Jeff Jue, Associate Professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, spoke with us about the issues of eschatology in the theology of the Westminster Divines. Dr. Jue did his doctoral work on this subject at the University of Aberdeen.1 Jue argues that our understanding of the eschatology of many of the Divines has often been misunderstood. You can find the program here. Dr. Jue’s Doctoral Dissertation can be found here.

[1]Jue, Jeffrey K. Heaven Upon Earth : Joseph Mede \(1586-1638\) and the Legacy of Millenarianism. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer, 2006.

The most recent Christ the Center episode is online. We had the privilege of interviewing Richard D. Phillips, senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC. The topic we chose to discuss with Rev. Phillips was “Cultural Relevance, Mercy Ministry and the Social Gospel.” You can listen to the interview here.

You can also find Rick Phillips’ sermons here.

We recently interviewed Derek Thomas, Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS and John Richards Professor of Practical and Systematic Theology at RTS Jackson, over at Christ the Center. Dr. Thomas was kind enough to engage us on questions concerning ministry in the church of Christ and in the academy. You can listen here. Other Christ the Center interveiws can also be found here.

First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS has an interesting set of sermons by Ligon Duncan on Biblical Priorities:

Our Contemporary Context 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Biblical Preaching 2 Timothy 4:1-2
How in the World Should We Worship Psalm 29:1-2
What’s the Big Deal About Doctrine Titus 1:1-2
Biblical Godliness 1 Timothy 6:11
Biblical Family Life Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The Biblical Gospel 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
The Gospel Applied 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
A Biblical Understanding of Conversion Psalm 51:1-19
Biblical Evangelism Matthew 28:18-20
What’s So Important About Church Membership Heb 13:17; Mt 28:19
Let’s Grow Mat 28:19; I Tim 1:5
Glorifying God, Loving Others, Blessing the Nations 1 Corinthians 10:31
Biblical Church Leadership 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Joel Beeke gave three pre-conference talks at the 2008 Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. The second lecture had to do with the minister and pride. It is one of the most convicting and yet helpful messages on this subject I have heard. You can listen to it here. The other two messages will be available shortly. The first was on Temptation and the Intercession of Christ, and the third was on Receiving Criticism in the Ministry.

The audio from the 2008 Resolved Conference is now available online. You have to register for free in order to download the audio. Speakers include John Piper, C. J. Mahaney, John MacArthur, Rick Holland, and Steve Lawson, etc. This past conference was on the doctrine of Heaven and Hell.

For other excellent sermons on Heaven and Hell you can go here.

The name of this conference was inspired by Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions.

Last week we interviewed Mark Garcia on Christ the Center. Mark is the author if Union with Christ and Two-fold Grace in Calvin’s Theology. You can listen to the interview here

Here are some more lectures delivered at the Westminster Confession of Faith Today Conference. These messages were given together with various PCA General Assemblies. If you are wondering about copyright issues, or if you would like to purchase MP3 downloads, read here. You will also find Sinclair Ferguson lectures, delivered at the WCF Today Conferences and at GA, at the link above. The links below with take you to my imeem.com page where you will be able to listen to the lecture.

Ligon Duncan – The Covenant Theology of the Westminster Standards

Ligon Duncan - Calvin, Westminster and the Lord’s Supper

Derek Thomas – Trinitarian Theology in the Westminster Confession

Phil Ryken - Oliver Bowles and the Westminster View of Gospel Ministry

Chad VanDixhoorn - Westminster’s Debate on the Imputation of Christ’s Active Obedience

Carl Trueman – The Westminster Confession and Sacra Doctrina

Sean Lucas – Coalescing Conservative Dissent: Southern Presbyterians and Confessional Revision in the 1930′s

Doug Kelly - The Westminster Standards on the Sabbath

Al Mohler - The Reading, Preaching and Hearing the Word of God

John Fesko - Lutheran and Reformed Confessions on Justification

This past March Phil and Lisa Ryken spoke on marital issues at Taylor University. The fist talk listed below was given by Phil. The following two were Phil and Lisa.

Loving the Way Jesus Loved (VIDEO)
Loving the Way Jesus Loved (AUDIO)

The First Twenty Years are the Hardest(VIDEO)
The First Twenty Years are the Hardest (AUDIO)

This is My Lover, This is My Friend (AUDIO)

I posted this before and then removed it and could not figure out how to post it in the same place. So, here is the link to R. Kent Hughes sermons.

Here is the link to loads of Kent Hughes’ sermons. Kent Hughes was Senior Minister of College Church in Wheaton, IL. for twenty years. He is the author of fourteen volumes of commentaries in the Preach the Word series, published by Crossway.

Jim Cassidy, Pastor of Calvary OPC in Ringoes, NJ, has audio lessons on Geerhardus Vos’ Self-Disclosure of Jesus. This is not one of Vos’ easier works to understand, so these classes are particularly helpful. The following are the links to each weekly lesson. Chapters 6 and 7 do not have audio links:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 8

Covenant Church (PCA) in Houston, TX has had some noteworthy speakers at their Theology Conferences over the past 18 years. Speakers include Sinclair Ferguson, Geoff Thomas, O. Palmer Robertson, Joseph Pipa, Rick Phillips, and Morton Smith. These are some of the most important theological subjects and richest scriptural passages for the church today.

Doctrines of Grace (1990)
Geoff Thomas on Depravity (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Sinclair Ferguson on Election (Ephesians 2:1-14)
Sinclair Ferguson on Particular Redemption (2 Cor. 5:12-6:2)
Geoff Thomas on Effectual Calling (2 Cor. 5:18-21)
Sinclair Ferguson on Christian Living (Rom. 8:10-37)
Geoff Thomas on Assurance (1 John 5:11-13)
(The first part of lecture is a bad recording. For better quality scan forward a bit.)
Geoff Thomas on Worship (John 4:19-26)
Joseph Pipa on Election and the Free Offer of the Gospel (Matt. 11:20-30)

Doctrine of Man (1991)
Doug Kelly Man Created in the Image of God (Gen. 1:26-28)
Donald Macleod The Fall and its Consequences (Gen. 3:1-24)
Donald Macleod Original Sin
Doug Kelly What is the Purpose of Man (Mark 12:28-34)
Donald Macleod The Nature/Condition of Redeemed Man
Doug Kelly Redeemed Man’s Relationships (Rom. 8:14-16)
Doug Kelly Glorification (2 Cor. 4:6-5:12)
Q & A Session

Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (1993)
George Knight Laying the Foundation for Roles
O. Palmer Robertson Dr. Luke and the Compassion of Christ (Luke 1:46-55)
O. Palmer Robertson Jesus at Prayer (Luke 3:21-22)
George Knight The Apostle’s Teaching on Roles (1 Cor. 11:11-12)
George Knight Answering Questions on Roles (Acts 6:1-7)
O. Palmer Robertson The Holy Spirit in Luke’s Gospel (Acts 2:16-18)
O. Palmer Robertson Perspectives on the Crucifixion (Luke 23:26-49)
George Knight Applying the Biblical Truths on Roles (Matt. 20:20-28)

Who is the True Israel of God? (2003)
O. Palmer Robertson The Israel of God in the Past
O. Palmer Robertson the Israel of God Present and Future
O. Palmer Robertson Israel and the Priesthood of Christ (Heb. 7:1-15)
O. Palmer Robertson Israel and the Coming Kingdom (Acts 1:1-6)
O. Palmer Robertson The Israel of God and Romans 11 (Rom. 11:1-32)
O. Palmer Robertson The Gospel for All Nations (Matt. 24:1-14)
O. Palmer Robertson A Plentiful Harvest, Few Laborers (Matt. 9:18-38)

Sola Fide: Justification by Faith (2006)
Rick Phillips on Justification by Faith (Rom. 3:21-26)
Morton Smith The New Perspective on Paul (Rom. 1:1-17)
Rick Phillips What Makes a Christian? (Rom. 4:9-11)
Morton Smith Salvation and the Covenant of Works (Gen. 1:26-2:17)
Rick Phillips The Purpose of the Sacraments (1 Peter 3:18-22)
Morton Smith Covenant, Baptism and Redemption (Gal. 3:1-14)
Q & A Session
Morton Smith Justification and Sanctification (James 2:18-26)
Morton Smith The Four Causes of Salvation (Rom. 3:9-31)
Morton Smith Benefits of Justification by Faith Alone (Rom. 5:1-11)

Here is the link to a sermon series on James preached by Joseph Pipa. Dr. Pipa is the president of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, the seminary I attended.