If you're new here to Servants of Grace, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Very few books stand the test of time and even fewer last twenty years and then go through a revision and update. Putting Amazing Back into Grace is a book that has been read and studied by many people throughout the years. I first read this book back in high school and it helped me at that time to think through what I believe about...

We live in a very consumer-driven society. We are able to access whatever we want, however we want, whenever we want. I never have to leave my house to shop. I don’t have to pick up the phone to order a pizza. And I get to have things my way. Have you ever noticed how easy it is for that same thinking to creep into how we view the local church? It’s really subtle how it sneaks up on us. The easiest way to tell is when we...

This post ends the series on discernment. The first post on discernment is here: http://servantsofgrace.org/2012/02/15/the-role-of-discernment-in-spiritual-growth/   The second post is here: http://servantsofgrace.org/2011/02/17/developing-a-doctrinal-framework-for-discernment/ Today, we conclude this series on discernment by developing a plan for discernment. The importance of personal discernment cannot be overstated because those who...

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, from Preaching and Preachers (pp 139-140): The fact is that the world expects us to be different; and this idea that you can win the world by showing that after all you are very similar to it, with scarcely any difference at all, or but a very slight one, is basically wrong not only theologically but even psychologically. Our Lord attracted sinners because He was different. They drew near to Him because they felt...

As soon as I learned to read as a young child I began devouring books of all kinds. In my early teenage years, the focus of my reading shifted from reading only my Bible to beginning to read theology books of all kinds. Whether it’s reading commentaries, books on a variety of theological topics, or biographies, I have a huge passion perhaps even leaning to an addiction to reading books. It was with great excitement then that I read LIT! A...

In the first blog http://servantsofgrace.org/2012/02/15/the-role-of-discernment-in-spiritual-growth/ I discussed the importance of doctrinal discernment. In this second installment, I will discuss the importance of building a doctrinal framework for the purpose of knowing which theological hills to die on. Every Christian should develop the ability to think rightly about spiritual matters. Every Christian should be like the Bereans of Acts...

Reading is a passion of mine and something I greatly enjoy. Being in seminary encourages this passion of mine, and being a reviewer for many different Christian publishers helps me to read widely across the theological spectrum. Often times in researching for various writing projects for ministry and seminary I come across a book, I wish I had more time to really reflect on. While reading Excellence The Character of God and the Pursuit of...