Sermon evaluation – Haddon Robinson

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Haddon Robinson offers the following as ‘a comprehensive check-up: questions to ensure you are covering the essentials.

I think that such questionnaires are useful as starting-points.  However, when used as prescriptons for preaching excellence, they can lead to sermons that are predictable, formulaic and unimaginative.  In other words, they can be helpful servants, but rotten masters.  Preachers should used such tools regularly at the beginning of their ministry, and occasionally thereafter.  Once these ‘essentials’ have been covered, much interest and helpfulness can be generated precisely by the intelligent and creative breaking of some of these rules.…

What is textual preaching?

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Textual preaching is notoriously difficult to define with precision.  This is partly because of the name itself (shouldn’t all preaching be based on the biblical text?), and partly because it overlaps someone with other types of preaching (expository and topical).

But even if precision not possible, we can note some of the leading characteristics of textual preaching, and then talk about possible benefits and pitfalls.

Notable exponents of textual preaching include: John Wesley, Charles Simeon, C.H.…

Christians need the gospel too

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Some seem to think that the gospel is relevant only at the point that a person becomes a follower of Christ.  After that, the work of Christ in saving sinners can be safely left behind, and we can move on to other matters.

Not so, argues Derek Thomas.

Consider:

In Rom 1:15, Paul expresses his eagerness to preach the gospel to those who are already believers.

In Rom 16:25 the apostle asserts that the gospel is able to strengthen those same believers.…

Two encounters with Jesus

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Ian Paul compares and contrasts two encounters with Jesus: that of Nicodemus (John 3) and of the Samaritan Woman (John 4):

John 3 John 4
Who is involved? A respectable named Jewish man An outcast unnamed Samaritan woman
Who initiates the encounter? The person themselves Jesus
When does the meeting occur? In the evening In the broad daylight
What is the literal significance of this? In a hot climate, it would be natural to meet to discuss things in the evening—and Nicodemus might have been wanting to keep the meeting secret or at least discreet.
…

Quotes on grace

Walking With Giants Posted on by

‘Grace is getting what we don’t deserve.  Mercy is not getting what we do deserve.’ (Anon)

‘We were born broken.  It is the grace of God that mends us.’

‘Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it.’ (Thomas Aquinas)

I am not what I might be,
I am not what I ought to be,
I am not what I wish to be,
I am not what I hope to be;
But I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle, ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’…

Arminianism and Calvinism – what’s the difference?

Walking With Giants Posted on by

J.I. Packer writes:

‘The basic difference between the two positions is not, as is sometimes thought, that

  • Arminanism follows Scripture while Calvinism follows logic, nor that
  • Arminianism knows the love of God while Calvinism knows only his power, nor that
  • Arminianism affirms a connection between believing and obeying as a means and eternal life as an end which Calvinism denies, nor that
  • Arminianism discerns a bona fide “free offer” of Christ in the gospel which Calvinism does not discern, nor that
  • Arminianism acknowledtes human responsibility before God and requires endeavour in the Christian life while Calvinism does not.
…

Grace underpins every aspect of redemption

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Grace undergirds

(1) the doctrine of election to life. Paul wrote concerning the core of believing Jews, “there is a remnant chosen by grace” (kat eklogen charitos, Rom 11:5; cf. Eph 1:4–6).

(2) The doctrine of effectual calling. Concerning his life-transforming encounter with Christ near Damascus, the apostle wrote, “God … called me by his grace” (Gal 1:15).

(3) The doctrine of faith. Luke described disciples in Achaia as “those who by grace had believed” (Acts 18:27).…

Free will – a short bibliography

Walking With Giants Posted on by

A short bibliography focussing particularly on works dealing with the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England (Article X of which is entitled, ‘Of Free Will’)

Boice, James Montgomery, Foundations of the Christian Faith, IVP, 1986.

Calvin, John, Institutes

Davie, Martin, Our Inheritance of Faith A Commentary on the Thirty Nine Articles, Gilead Books, 2013.

Demarest, Bruce, The Cross and Salvation

Edwards, Jonathan, On the Freedom of the Will

Gatiss, Lee, The Manifesto of the Reformation — Luther vs.…

Compatibilism

Walking With Giants Posted on by

‘Compatibilism’ refers to the view that divine sovereignty and human responsibility, being both taught in Scripture, must be compatible with each other, even if we cannot see exactly how.

A key conviction of semi-Pelagian and Arminian thinking is that the will must be free, otherwise we could not be held responsible for our actions:

‘Unless man is really free, he cannot be justly held responsible for his actions, any more than for the date of his birth or the color of his eyes.

…