Elliot RitzemaLoneliness is truly an epidemic in our Western culture. Countless people lack any close friends or romantic partners. They join no groups. They go bowling alone. What can churches offer to the lonely? One answer: the practice of public confession...
As a lifelong Anglican, John Stott treasured the Book of Common Prayer. In addition to the prayers found in that great book, he also composed several of his own. These range in subject from doubt to poverty to politics. While he wrote them in...
For almost sixty years of his fruitful career as pastor, writer, and evangelical leader, John Stott used a system of note cards to keep track of quotations and stories that he wanted to use in his sermons and books. With the help of his faithful...
One of the hardest things about preaching is finding a suitable illustration. You’ve prayed, you’ve studied the text, and you’ve written your outline, but now you need a good story or quote to make sure your message has its intended effect. As a...
When the Spurgeon Commentary: Galatians was first announced, it received a positive response and quickly went into development. Now you can use it to study any passage in Galatians. For example, let’s say you want to study Paul’s words about the...
You’ve known this story since you were a kid sitting in front of a flannel board in Sunday school. David, the Israelite shepherd boy armed with a sling and a few stones, defeats Goliath, the giant Philistine warrior. This seemingly mismatched...
A friend asked me recently about what I was doing at work, and I told him a bit about compiling the Spurgeon Commentary: Galatians. He was incredulous. He asked, “You get to read Spurgeon all day?” I don’t actually get to read Spurgeon all day, but...
How many times have we heard that the Bible is a strange and ancient book with little relevance for the modern world? In The Biblical Polemic against Empires, Lanier Burns, research professor of theological studies at Dallas Seminary, provides...
In January, we announced 1,500 Quotations for Preachers, a five-volume series of quotations from throughout church history. These quotations are extremely helpful in putting together sermons, and can easily be pulled into presentations with the...
I have always enjoyed collections of inspiring quotations, but finding the right quotation is not always easy. Whether I’m looking for something relating to a topic or a to Bible passage, I often find that I miss good content because I’m not sure...
Enrich your preaching and enhance your sermon and worship planning with the Logos Pastorum Series. Now available as a seven-volume collection at a great price, the Pastorum Series collection will save you 23 percent off the regular price. We...
Before deciding to go to seminary, prospective pastors ask themselves a number of questions: Has God called me to go? Can I afford it? One question I would encourage you to ask yourself if you are considering seminary is, “Have you thought about...
For those who follow the Western church calendar, today is Ash Wednesday—the beginning of Lent. Lent is a season of preparation that traditionally includes penitence, prayer and fasting, and culminates in the celebration of Easter. In addition to my...
When I took a class on biblical hermeneutics in seminary, we didn’t use a textbook. Instead, we studied the history of biblical interpretation over the last 150 years or so by reading primary sources (OK, in some cases they were English translations...