August 13, 2010
Jani Ortlund
It was late at night after a long and alarming day at the hospital trying to figure out what was causing our daughter so much trouble with her second pregnancy....
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September 14, 2010Jani OrtlundWorry eats at us. It mires our hearts in apprehension and fear. It saps our strength and drains our peace. And that worry tempts us to believe the myth that... -
September 21, 2010Jani OrtlundWhile we were living in Scotland, my husband’s parents stopped to visit us on their way back to the USA after ministering in India. Their work had been fruitful, but...
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October 5, 2010Jani OrtlundBeing a mother is just plain, hard work. At times, it feels like slave labor! Moms can identify with the cartoon of a toddler looking at a wedding album with his...
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May 18, 2012Jani OrtlundWhat can six seconds do for you? Woman to woman, let me encourage you that just six seconds a day can help safeguard your marriage. -
May 18, 2012Jani OrtlundYoung mother, it seems like everyone wants something from you. And you’re probably already giving way more than you ever thought you could give. But even with all your giving,... -
May 18, 2012Jani OrtlundSomeone is going to be influencing your children, inculcating values and imprinting standards on their impressionable young minds. Let it be you!
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August 27, 2012Jani OrtlundThere are some things I truly can’t do—I can’t win an Olympic gold medal, I can’t figure out calculus, I can’t bear another child of my own. And I’m fine...
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September 12, 2012Jani OrtlundIt is not an infrequent experience of mine. I am getting ready for a new Bible study or luncheon or neighborhood picnic or PTA meeting or family reunion and an...
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September 14, 2012Jani OrtlundMany of us hunger for meaningful Christian togetherness. We attend church seeking friendship and community, but often leave disappointed. To be part of Christ’s body means growing in deeper fellowship than...
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October 3, 2012Jani OrtlundJennie Allen talks with Mary Mohler and Jani Ortlund about the command and privilege of leading others in the way of Jesus.
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October 19, 2012Jani OrtlundBy now, many of you are settling into life without that college freshman you dropped off a couple months ago. Perhaps, like me, the adjustment to empty nesting has been...
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October 25, 2012Jani OrtlundA whole new way of looking at your empty nest. Do this, and it won't be empty long! -
November 9, 2012Jani OrtlundUltimately, a wife's submission doesn't say as much about her view of marriage as it does about her view of God.
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November 23, 2012Jani OrtlundHow do you get your husband to lead you? A look at the right way and the wrong way from the lives of Mary and Sarah.
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December 18, 2012Jani OrtlundJani shares about one particularly difficult December and unpacks Psalm 62:1.
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December 19, 2012Jani OrtlundThis Christmas, let Jani's favorite word guide your thoughts, words, actions, and feelings.
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January 28, 2013Jani OrtlundGod's Word tells us to ponder and to plan. These six questions will help you do just that as you continue on into 2013.
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January 30, 2013Jani OrtlundPeek over Jani's shoulder at five of her lifetime goals—as well as how she broke them down into measurable goals for 2013.
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February 19, 2013Jani OrtlundFour-year-old Lizzie feels certain God will enter sympathetically into her world, her pain. How about you? -
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March 1, 2013Jani OrtlundPrayers Jani prays for the precocious little princes in her life.
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March 28, 2013Jani OrtlundJust as he saw Peter, Christ doesn't see you as who you are today, but as who you will be! -
April 4, 2013Jani OrtlundEdith Schaeffer passed away this week, but her legacy lives on. -
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May 6, 2013Jani OrtlundWhat little Isaiah Daniel Ortlund can teach us about our forever home…
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May 31, 2013Jani OrtlundDo you know a pastor's wife? Would you like to bless her? After forty-one years in a ministry marriage, here are some ways our people have blessed me. -
June 10, 2013Jani OrtlundAfter being married for nineteen years, I had to go back to work. I was torn because I couldn't give 100 percent to both callings, and both our home and... -
June 24, 2013Jani OrtlundWhen Proverbs tells us "the wise woman builds her home," it obviously doesn't mean we must get hammer and nails and actually construct it, though I do have friends who... -
July 3, 2013Jani OrtlundHas your home become little more than a place for everyone to shower and sleep? Jani encourages us to rediscover the rewards of daily connecting as a family over a... -
July 19, 2013Jani OrtlundEach home has its own distinct atmosphere. What does yours feel like? Jani Ortlund encourages you to build an environment where God's love and care will be real to all... -
August 15, 2013Jani OrtlundDiscipleship isn't about first-class Christians trying to bring second-class Christians up to their level. The most important way you can disciple others is by enjoying Christ yourself in such an... -
August 16, 2013Jani OrtlundWe must cultivate in our sphere of influence—our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, churches—spiritual daughters who in turn can pass the Truth on. The younger women among us are our sacred trust...
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September 2, 2013Jani Ortlund"I had no feeling, no hope—none. I blamed my husband. Before marriage I had high expectations and then total disappointment. I gave more condemnation than love. But now I realize... -
September 19, 2013Jani OrtlundMy forty-two-year-old single friend never thought her miracle would come driving from the west in a white suburban filled with children who would change her life in such dramatic ways.... -
September 21, 2013Jani OrtlundListen to Jani's breakout session talk from the Revive '13 conference. -
November 11, 2013Jani OrtlundNo book has affected the world more deeply. How can we raise Bible soaked and saturated children? -
November 21, 2013Jani OrtlundWhat words do you use with God after the "do not resuscitate" papers have been signed? How do you pray for your friend as you hold her hand and she... -
November 29, 2013Jani OrtlundMy mother-in-law died on November 4, and I miss her so. She was a radiant, life-giving servant of Christ who loved me—and many others—with all her heart. We walk in... -
January 21, 2014Jani OrtlundThese past few months have taught me that soon, very soon, my earthly race will be over. How can I go deeper with God, give myself more devotedly to His... -
March 24, 2014Jani OrtlundShe needed me to call back to her, to tell her she'd find Jesus in her journey, and that He was worth every penny, every tear, every effort expended. -
May 15, 2014Jani OrtlundI took it personally when he didn't agree with me, adding hurt to the emotional mix I now had to process. I didn't know how to communicate with this man... -
July 15, 2014Jani OrtlundWe live in a day of exhibitionism, and summer exaggerates the desire for more skin to be shown. Yet, our appearance is one of the most powerful ways we have... -
December 15, 2014Jani Ortlund"What are some of your family Christmas traditions?" our young friend recently asked us over dinner—not an uncommon question this time of year. Christmas, more than any other holiday, seems...
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May 4, 2015Jani OrtlundOne of the best ways to grow as a mom is to learn from experienced moms who have gone before us. Today we'll do that as Nancy speaks to Jani...
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June 10, 2015Ray Ortlund“. . . and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.” Philippians 1:28 When... -
June 11, 2015Ray Ortlund“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at... -
June 14, 2015Ray Ortlund“I spent the day chiefly alone, seeking personal holiness, the fundamental requirement in order to a successful ministry. I was in Burleigh Castle for an hour . . . .... -
June 15, 2015Ray OrtlundShe embraced the secret to practical Christianity, the very thing we today are most disinclined to: “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the... -
June 16, 2015Ray Ortlund“Isaac Hann was a little-known Baptist pastor who served a small church in Loughwood, England, in the mid-18th century. At the close of his ministry the membership of his church... -
June 17, 2015Ray Ortlund“Then began a meeting the like of which I had never seen before, nor wish to see again, unless in God’s sight it is absolutely necessary. Every sin a human... -
June 18, 2015Ray Ortlund“Let us not forget that violence does not exist alone and cannot survive in isolation; it is inevitably bound up with the lie. Between them there is the most intimate, most... -
June 24, 2015Ray OrtlundThe Countess of Huntingdon recalled the funeral service of Rev. Howell Harris in 1773: “On the day Mr. Harris was interred we had some special seasons of Divine influence both upon... -
June 26, 2015Ray OrtlundTherefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 It is not true that the Bible teaches... -
July 1, 2015Jani OrtlundCan you love your husband the way God loves you? God doesn’t just tolerate you, in the Bible—He embraces you. Let’s not be wives who tolerate their husbands. Let’s embrace... -
July 2, 2015Jani OrtlundCan you love your husband the way God loves you? God doesn’t just tolerate you, in the Bible—He embraces you. Let’s not be wives who tolerate their husbands. Let’s embrace...
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July 2, 2015Ray Ortlund“Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent... -
July 3, 2015Jani OrtlundWhen you’re frightened by the call to submit in 1 Peter 3, trust God. He is faithful to you. Ultimately, it’s not that you trust your husband, but that you...
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July 3, 2015Ray Ortlund“Suddenly, after ten thousand years of myth and history, we find ourselves floundering in a marsh. The footing upon which our forebears proceeded through life has fallen away and we... -
July 4, 2015Ray OrtlundThough you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with... -
July 7, 2015Ray Ortlund“My wife always says the most important thing about the man as a preacher was, you didn’t notice him. He came quietly into the pulpit, started quietly, and then something... -
July 8, 2015Ray OrtlundLove covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 Rebuke those who contradict sound doctrine. Titus 1:9 When should we cover another Christian, and when should we confront another Christian? The categories that guide... -
July 10, 2015Ray OrtlundI remember the tumultuous days of 1968. The top stories of that year included the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. in April. Two months later, in June, Robert Kennedy... -
July 11, 2015Ray Ortlund“In Kiev, where I found myself on a Sunday morning, on an impulse I turned into a church where a service was in progress. It was packed tight, but I... -
July 14, 2015Ray OrtlundThe paper I read at the April TGC conference in Orlando — “How to build a gospel culture in your church” — is here: Paper Thanks for your interest. I hope it... -
July 15, 2015Ray Ortlund“Without going into wearisome historical details, we need to remember that these letters were written, and the lives they indicate were led, against a background of paganism. There... -
July 16, 2015Ray Ortlund“Dawa . . . also told me that after the killing she saw cowodi above the trees, singing. She didn’t know what this kind of music was until she... -
July 18, 2015Ray OrtlundDo your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your... -
July 19, 2015Ray OrtlundThe power of grace: “Love to the loveless shown, that they might lovely be.” This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition
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July 24, 2015Ray OrtlundThe greatest hymn ever composed? This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition
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July 27, 2015Ray OrtlundYesterday I posted this tweet: “Job chapter 42 is hope for broken friendships. God can reconcile. It does include some honest revisiting of the past.” Some friends then asked me... -
July 29, 2015Ray Ortlund“Christ’s righteousness is so imputed to believers that their justification is not merely the act of a sovereign dispensing with law but the act of a judge declaring the law... -
July 30, 2015Ray Ortlund“The little birds that sing, sing of God; the beasts clamor for him; the elements dread him, the mountains echo him, the fountains and flowing waters cast their glances at... -
August 4, 2015Ray Ortlund“Robert Bruce, the disciple of John Knox and Andrew Melville, died at Kinnaird on July 27th, 1631. He had come to breakfast and his younger daughter sat by his side. ... -
August 5, 2015Ray Ortlund“What happens within a person at that moment when, suddenly torn out of an ordinary life, he is thrust under the jurisdiction of merciless and powerful forces which appear to... -
August 6, 2015Ray Ortlund“Of all the albums that formed the soundtrack to 1967’s ‘Summer of Love,’ The Doors is the one least tethered to its time. More importantly, The Doors’ self-titled disc remains... -
August 7, 2015Ray OrtlundPerformance counts here in Music City USA. And why not? Everyone wants to shine, we do look for excellence, and there really is a lot of impressiveness around. In fact,... -
August 8, 2015Ray OrtlundWorshipGod15: Main Session 4 from Sovereign Grace Music on Vimeo. I thank my friend Bob Kauflin for the privilege of serving at the wonderful WorshipGod15 conference in Louisville last week. This post...
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August 13, 2015Ray Ortlund“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8 Let’s not dictate Sabbath observance today. The point of the Sabbath is a dress rehearsal for a future eternity of glad... -
August 19, 2015Ray OrtlundGod is for us. Romans 8:31 But I have this against you. Revelation 2:4. See also 2:14, 20; 3:3. So, which is it? Is God for us, or is God against us? ... -
August 25, 2015Ray Ortlund“There is not one of who did not receive this new certainty of God in such a way that the whole previous pattern of his life,... -
August 26, 2015Ray Ortlund“The cross of Jesus displays the most awful exhibition of God’s hatred of sin and at the same time the most august manifestation of his readiness to pardon it. Pardon,... -
August 28, 2015Ray Ortlund“Chief corruptions to be watched against: sourness, sadness, timorousness, forgetfulness, fretting, and inability to bear wrongs . . . . Let me resolutely set myself to walk with God through the... -
August 31, 2015Ray Ortlund“We hence see the exuberant goodness of the Creator, who hath not only provided for all the necessities, but also for the pleasure and recreation of all sorts of creatures,... -
September 1, 2015Ray Ortlund“Because its purpose is entertainment, and because people are more easily amused by the comical and ridiculous than by the noble and edifying, sensate art readily resorts to comedy, farce,... -
September 2, 2015Ray Ortlund“I have seen so much emotional blackmail in my ministry, I am jealous to raise a warning against it. Emotional blackmail happens when a person equates his or her emotional... -
September 2, 2015Ray OrtlundJohn Wesley, writing to William Law: London, May 14, 1738. Reverend Sir, It is in obedience to what I think to be the call of God that I, who have the sentence of... -
September 3, 2015Ray Ortlund“The minute a person becomes a celebrity is the same minute he/she becomes a monster. were once perfectly pleasant human beings with whom you might lunch... -
September 4, 2015Ray OrtlundMy TGC ally Rick Phillips makes some good points in his post, “Church Discipline, Contemporary Grace Style”. I thank him for those points. Tullian Tchividjian is my friend too. As far... -
September 5, 2015Ray Ortlund“In the Edwardses’ world, the meaning of life was found in intense loves, including earthly loves.” George M. Marsden, Jonathan Edwards: A Life (New Haven, 2003), page 497. If I were in... -
September 6, 2015Ray Ortlund“If we are Christians and do not have upon us the calling to respond to the lostness of the lost and a compassion for those of our kind, our orthodoxy... -
September 8, 2015Ray Ortlund“Outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:10 “They who avow the doctrines distinguished by the name of Calvinistic, ought, if consistent with their own principles, to be most gentle and... -
September 11, 2015Ray OrtlundLeader: “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” All: And Cain said to his brother Abel,... -
September 12, 2015Ray OrtlundJ. I. Packer, writing in God in our Midst (Ann Arbor, 1987), pages 24-35, proposes that, among the variety of God’s ways, five constants appear in biblical revivals: 1. Awareness of... -
September 15, 2015Ray Ortlund“It is one thing to love the Lord and His service, and quite something else to have an inexpressible longing for revival that cannot be denied. It is one thing... -
September 16, 2015Ray Ortlund“Be not afraid at His sweet, lovely and desirable cross, for although I have not been able because of my wounds to lift up or lay down my head but... -
September 16, 2015Ray OrtlundJani and I are excited to let our friends know about the new website at Renewal Ministries: www.renewalministries.com. RM exists because everyone needs renewal. The gospel assures us that “the... -
September 17, 2015Ray OrtlundGospel doctrine creates a gospel culture. The doctrine of grace creates a culture of grace, as Jesus himself touches us through his truths. Without the doctrines, the culture alone is... -
September 18, 2015Ray Ortlund“Revival occurs as a group of people who, on the whole, think they already know the gospel discover they do not really or fully know it, and by embracing the... -
September 20, 2015Ray Ortlund1. Get thoroughly dissatisfied with yourself. Complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress. . . . When speaking of earthly goods Paul could say, “I have learned to be content,”... -
September 21, 2015Ray OrtlundSome years ago a friend of mine used these three simple categories to objectify the stages of a church’s rise and fall. Movement A healthy church is born as a burst of... -
September 23, 2015Ray Ortlund“I cannot pray but I sin. I cannot hear or preach a sermon but I sin. I cannot give an alms or receive the sacrament but I sin. Nay, I... -
September 24, 2015Ray Ortlund“If you can cry out to Jesus, he will joyfully hear you. If you will give him no rest, he will give you all the rest you need. The Lord... -
September 25, 2015Ray OrtlundBut just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. Galatians 4:29 “The... -
September 25, 2015Ray Ortlund“As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” Psalm 16:3 As for the saints in the land. They are in Christ. ... -
September 26, 2015Ray OrtlundNext Saturday, October 3rd, at Vintage Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, it will be my privilege to teach on spiritual awakening. What does awakening or revival look like?...
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September 28, 2015Ray Ortlund“At such a day as this, God especially calls his people to the exercise of extraordinary meekness and mutual forbearance. Christ appears as it were coming in his kingdom, which... -
October 2, 2015Ray OrtlundNow in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone... -
October 5, 2015Ray OrtlundWelcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition
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October 6, 2015Ray OrtlundLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi...
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October 6, 2015Ray OrtlundLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi... -
October 6, 2015Ray OrtlundLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi...
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October 6, 2015Ray OrtlundThis Is An H1 Tag Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud...
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October 6, 2015Ray OrtlundLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi...
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October 6, 2015Ray OrtlundLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi...
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October 8, 2015Ray Ortlund“After conversion we need bruising, that reeds may know themselves to be reeds and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature,... -
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October 8, 2015Ray OrtlundLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Voluptatem sit deserunt tenetur, iure totam maiores eius fuga iste maxime cumque molestiae perferendis ratione neque cupiditate numquam corrupti facilis, sunt tempore. This post...
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October 12, 2015Ray OrtlundDo you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? 1 Corinthians 6:15 Our bodies, the humblest part of us, are members of Christ, limbs of Christ, organs of Christ. ... -
October 14, 2015Ray Ortlund“We are justified freely, for Christ’s sake, by faith, without the exertion of our own strength, gaining of merit, or doing of works. To the age-old question, ‘What shall I... -
October 16, 2015Ray OrtlundAs part of our ongoing Peace In The City series, Steve Brown will be speaking this evening from 7 to 9 at Immanuel Nashville, with open Q&A. All are welcome. ...
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October 18, 2015Ray OrtlundBack soon. God be with you. This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition -
October 25, 2015Ray Ortlund“We should be merciful to one another in seeking never to look at the worst side of a brother’s character. Oh, how quick some are to spy out other people’s... -
October 26, 2015Ray Ortlund“For how many a soldier in a concentration camp, weak with hunger and smarting under the whip of the torturers; for how many a person huddling in the last extremity... -
October 27, 2015Ray Ortlund“Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.” Proverbs 5:19 “The quality of her lovemaking is totally satisfying, and its quantity unending. .... -
October 28, 2015Ray Ortlund“You must be born again.” John 3:7 You. This is personal. If I change the subject to someone else’s need, that could be evidence I have not been born again. If... -
October 29, 2015Ray OrtlundHow great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire . . . set on fire by hell. James 3:5-6 “James tells us... -
October 30, 2015Ray OrtlundBut if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all... -
November 3, 2015Ray OrtlundThe prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Jeremiah 5:13 “ are the words of one who has felt himself forced to speak by a greater than human... -
November 5, 2015Ray Ortlund“Worldliness in the church is the number one enemy, and that comes in when we have unspiritual people, and we have unspiritual people too often because they are nominal Christians. ... -
November 6, 2015Ray Ortlund“God’s goodness is a communicative, spreading goodness. . . . If God had not a communicative, spreading goodness, he would never have created the world. The Father, Son and Holy... -
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November 18, 2015Ray OrtlundIf we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:13 “I tell you, if he were to shut you out, dear soul, whoever you may be,... -
November 20, 2015Ray OrtlundJohn Wesley finally saw how little he knew of Jesus in the middle of the Atlantic, on board the Simmonds, when a storm suddenly broke out. A group of Moravian... -
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November 25, 2015Ray OrtlundNow the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars... -
December 1, 2015Ray Ortlund“God has provided for your perfect deliverance from sin in Christ. Everything needed for this purpose was finished by him on the cross. He was your surety. He suffered for... -
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December 2, 2015Ray OrtlundYou are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of... -
December 4, 2015Ray Ortlund“Jesus is no longer visible upon earth; but he has promised his spiritual presence to abide with his word, ordinances and people, to the end of time. Weary and heavy... -
December 9, 2015Ray OrtlundSome Christians seem “all certainty.” Maybe it makes them feel heroic. But they see too few gray areas. Everything is a federal case. They have a fundamentalist mindset. Other Christians seem... -
December 14, 2015Ray Ortlund“‘Edith, I wonder what would happen to most churches and Christian work if we awakened tomorrow, and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning... -
December 17, 2015Ray OrtlundTruly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 My... -
December 22, 2015Ray OrtlundIn dulci jubilo Let us our homage show Our heart’s joy reclineth In praesepio And like a bright star shineth Matris in gremio Alpha es et...
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December 27, 2015Ray Ortlund“God’s goodness is a spreading, imparting goodness. . . . God is more willing to bestow good than we are to ask it. He is so willing to bestow it... -
December 31, 2015Ray Ortlund“Glorify the Lord in your sufferings, and take his banner of love and spread it over you. Others will follow you, if they see you strong in the Lord. Their... -
December 31, 2015Ray OrtlundStart your New Year with gospel hope! This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition
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January 2, 2016Ray Ortlund“I am gentle and lowly in heart.” Matthew 11:29 “Now it is very remarkable that the only passage in the whole New Testament in which the heart of Jesus is distinctly... -
January 6, 2016Ray OrtlundNow and then a commenter asks why I post music videos that are not devoted to God. Most inquiries are courteous. A few are not. In any case, here is... -
January 7, 2016Ray OrtlundThis public event is free and open to all. Please register for childcare at ikidsregister.com. The address of Immanuel Church, our venue, is 4301 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, 37209. Join us! Paul... -
January 9, 2016Ray Ortlund“How can a human being be a god-like ‘everything’ to another? No human relationship can bear the burden of godhood, and the attempt has to take its toll in some... -
January 9, 2016Ray OrtlundThe Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,... -
January 10, 2016Ray OrtlundI think about my dad a lot. I miss him so much it aches. But the most important thing he taught me was this. There is only one way to... -
January 13, 2016Ray OrtlundThere are two levels at which God can bless a church. At one level, God can bless the faithful efforts of the people: “Establish the work of our hands upon... -
January 14, 2016Ray Ortlund“Penitent sorrow is only a purge to cast out those corruptions which hinder you from relishing your spiritual delights. Use it therefore as physic , only when there is need,... -
January 14, 2016Ray Ortlund“Penitent sorrow is only a purge to cast out those corruptions which hinder you from relishing your spiritual delights. Use it therefore as physic , only when there is need,... -
January 15, 2016Ray OrtlundThis public event is free and open to all. Please register for childcare at ikidsregister.com. The address of Immanuel Church, our venue, is 4301 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, 37209. Join us! Peace... -
January 15, 2016Ray OrtlundThis public event is free and open to all. Please register for childcare at ikidsregister.com. The address of Immanuel Church, our venue, is 4301 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, 37209. Join us! Peace... -
January 16, 2016Ray OrtlundDavid Bowie strips away all pleasant denial and faces the reality of death in his song “Lazarus”. If only the rest of the story had also been told. This post was... -
January 16, 2016Ray Ortlund“The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment... -
January 16, 2016Ray Ortlund“The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment... -
January 22, 2016Ray Ortlund“But in Passion Week, as I was reading Bishop Wilson on the Lord’s Supper, I met with an expression to this effect — ‘That the Jews knew what they did,... -
January 22, 2016Ray Ortlund“But in Passion Week, as I was reading Bishop Wilson on the Lord’s Supper, I met with an expression to this effect — ‘That the Jews knew what they did,... -
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January 30, 2016Ray OrtlundYesterday it was my honor to address the pastors at The Pastors’ Conference of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. I thank my friends there for their many kindnesses. Attached... -
January 30, 2016Ray OrtlundYesterday it was my honor to address the pastors at The Pastors’ Conference of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. I thank my friends there for their many kindnesses. Attached... -
February 3, 2016Ray Ortlund“I am doggedly sworn to irrelevance, insofar as relevance implies a corrupt indebtedness to modernity. . . . My deepest desire as a theologian is to be permitted to study... -
February 3, 2016Ray Ortlund“I am doggedly sworn to irrelevance, insofar as relevance implies a corrupt indebtedness to modernity. . . . My deepest desire as a theologian is to be permitted to study... -
February 4, 2016Ray Ortlund“Let us look at our lives in the light of this experience and see whether we gladly glory in weakness, whether we take pleasure, as Paul... -
February 4, 2016Ray Ortlund“Let us look at our lives in the light of this experience and see whether we gladly glory in weakness, whether we take pleasure, as Paul... -
February 9, 2016Ray OrtlundThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7 “ contains in a nutshell the whole Israelite theory of knowledge. . . . The... -
February 9, 2016Ray OrtlundThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7 “ contains in a nutshell the whole Israelite theory of knowledge. . . . The... -
February 10, 2016Ray Ortlund“When the heart is cast into the mould of the doctrine which the mind embraces, . . . when not the sense of the words but of the things is... -
February 10, 2016Ray Ortlund“When the heart is cast into the mould of the doctrine which the mind embraces, . . . when not the sense of the words but of the things is... -
February 15, 2016Ray OrtlundThe resurgence of a gospel-centered paradigm of life and ministry in our time has the makings of historic revival. Clearly, God is doing great things, and we are glad (Psalm... -
February 15, 2016Ray OrtlundThe resurgence of a gospel-centered paradigm of life and ministry in our time has the makings of historic revival. Clearly, God is doing great things, and we are glad (Psalm... -
February 18, 2016Jani OrtlundDiscipleship isn't about first-class Christians trying to bring second-class Christians up to their level. The most important way you can disciple others is by enjoying Christ yourself in such an... -
February 23, 2016Ray Ortlund“Two things urgently needed in ministers, if they would attempt great advances for the kingdom of Christ, are zeal and resolve. Their influence and power for impact are greater than... -
February 23, 2016Ray Ortlund“Two things urgently needed in ministers, if they would attempt great advances for the kingdom of Christ, are zeal and resolve. Their influence and power for impact are greater than... -
February 25, 2016Ray Ortlund“When the devil accuses us and says, ‘You are a sinner and therefore damned,’ we should answer, ‘Because you say I am a sinner, I will be righteous and saved.’ ... -
February 25, 2016Ray Ortlund“When the devil accuses us and says, ‘You are a sinner and therefore damned,’ we should answer, ‘Because you say I am a sinner, I will be righteous and saved.’ ... -
February 26, 2016Ray Ortlund“Consider your state. You are a pardoned sinner, not under the law but under grace, freely, fully saved from the guilt of all your sins. There is none to condemn,... -
February 26, 2016Ray Ortlund“Consider your state. You are a pardoned sinner, not under the law but under grace, freely, fully saved from the guilt of all your sins. There is none to condemn,... -
February 27, 2016Ray Ortlund“People today are afraid to be alone. This fear is a dominant mark of our society. Many now ceaselessly sit in the cinema or read novels about other people’s lives... -
February 27, 2016Ray Ortlund“People today are afraid to be alone. This fear is a dominant mark of our society. Many now ceaselessly sit in the cinema or read novels about other people’s lives... -
March 3, 2016Ray OrtlundFriends, Jani and I will now be traveling for a bit. I will be unable to blog during this time. Thanks for checking in. God be with you! This post was... -
March 3, 2016Ray OrtlundFriends, Jani and I will now be traveling for a bit. I will be unable to blog during this time. Thanks for checking in. God be with you! This post was... -
March 18, 2016Ray OrtlundA long flight to Asia two weeks ago gave me the time to read Sinclair Ferguson’s wonderful new book, The Whole Christ (Crossway, 2016). The wisdom of this book guides... -
March 18, 2016Ray OrtlundA long flight to Asia two weeks ago gave me the time to read Sinclair Ferguson’s wonderful new book, The Whole Christ (Crossway, 2016). The wisdom of this book guides... -
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March 27, 2016Ray Ortlund“When Jesus expels demons and heals the sick, he is driving out of creation the powers of destruction, and is healing and restoring created beings who are hurt and sick. ... -
March 30, 2016Ray Ortlund“I have been crucified with Christ.” Galatians 2:20 So you’re a faithful pastor. You’re walking with the Lord. You’re preaching the gospel. You’re loving the people. You’re trying to evangelize, teach,... -
April 1, 2016Ray Ortlund“Over half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen... -
April 2, 2016Ray OrtlundHave a reputation for gentleness. Philippians 4:5, Phillips “One of the nicest compliments I have ever heard about L’Abri was from a young architect who made a profession of faith at... -
April 6, 2016Ray Ortlund“I have put my soul, as a blank, into the hands of Jesus Christ my Redeemer, and desired him to write upon it what he pleases. I know it will... -
April 7, 2016Ray Ortlund“Possibly one of the most devastating things that can happen to us as Christians is that we cease to expect anything to happen. I am not sure but that this... -
April 9, 2016Ray Ortlund“The central problem of our age is not liberalism or modernism, nor the old Roman Catholicism or the new Roman Catholicism, nor the threat of communism, nor even the threat... -
April 20, 2016Ray Ortlund“Augustine expressed his faith not with his heart alone, for the heart does not think . . . nor with his mind alone, for he never grasps truth in the... -
April 28, 2016Ray OrtlundOn 15 August 1937, under intense political pressure, Ernst Käsemann preached a sermon in Germany which led to his arrest. His text was Isaiah 26:13 and these wonderful words, “O... -
April 30, 2016Ray Ortlund“ my favorite word in the lexicon of the English language. It’s a word I’m depending on. The universe operates by Karma, we all know that. For every action... -
May 4, 2016Ray OrtlundYesterday the Indiana primary confirmed that we are moving into a new America, starting in November. In past elections, there seemed to be a positive path forward somewhere. This time,... -
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May 10, 2016Ray OrtlundWilliam Bradford, leader of the Pilgrims, describes the remarkable love with which they cared for one another during that horrible first winter: “But that which was most sad and lamentable was,... -
May 13, 2016Ray Ortlund“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:3 Very soon I will report in, and so will you. “For we must all appear before the judgment... -
May 18, 2016Ray OrtlundAnd walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant aroma and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2 We white Christians mean well, but it’s hard... -
May 19, 2016Jani OrtlundDiscipleship isn't about first-class Christians trying to bring second-class Christians up to their level. The most important way you can disciple others is by enjoying Christ yourself in such an... -
May 21, 2016Ray Ortlund“We would be careful not to circumscribe the conditions under which God’s grace can enter a human life. However, speaking empirically, we would suppose that conversion to the Christian faith... -
May 25, 2016Ray Ortlund“If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable; think of it as a place for correction, and it’s not... -
May 28, 2016Ray Ortlund“We sit by and watch the Barbarian. We tolerate him. In the long stretches of peace we are not afraid. We are tickled by his irreverence. His comic inversion of... -
May 29, 2016Ray OrtlundThis is my grandson. He is lost in thought, contemplating a toad. All else has faded away, for a toad is at hand. And, surely, this is why God made... -
May 31, 2016Ray Ortlund“Be intoxicated always in her love.” Proverbs 5:19 It’s a good translation. The verb is used elsewhere for a man staggering in drunkenness (Isaiah 28:7). The sage’s point is that a... -
May 31, 2016Ray OrtlundI am posting this chapel address by Dr. Hudson T. Armerding at Wheaton College from November 15, 1996, primarily, because of how he prays at the beginning (4:55 to 5:53). ...
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June 2, 2016Ray Ortlund“Unbelief says: Some other time, but not now; some other place, but not here; some other people, but not us. Faith says: Anything He did anywhere else He will do... -
June 4, 2016Ray Ortlund“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16 The Westminster Larger Catechism: Q. What are the duties required in the ninth commandment? A. The duties required in the ninth commandment... -
June 5, 2016Ray OrtlundIn the film “Lawrence of Arabia,” after Lawrence has been humbled by his discovery of his own weakness, he and his friend Ali have a conversation: Lawrence: I’ve come to the... -
June 8, 2016Ray OrtlundCongratulations to the entitled, for they grab what they want. Congratulations to the carefree, for they shall be comfortable. Congratulations to the pushy, for they shall win. Congratulations to the greedy, for they... -
June 9, 2016Ray Ortlund“There are certain things which have to be said over and over again, of necessity, and yet this is the marvel and the wonder of the cross, that however many... -
June 13, 2016Ray OrtlundThe risen Jesus appeared to a Christian named Ananias and commanded him to go find Saul, now blinded by the glory he had seen on the Damascus Road. Ananias was... -
June 18, 2016Ray Ortlund“It is one thing to love the Lord and His service, and quite something else to have an inexpressible longing for revival that cannot be denied. It is one thing... -
June 19, 2016Ray Ortlund“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,” and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. Proverbs 24:33-34 “Your danger and... -
June 23, 2016Ray Ortlund“The church’s ever-living Head knows how to usher in creative epochs, to rally his people to some converging point through the lapse of centuries, and to gather up under this... -
June 29, 2016Ray Ortlund“. . . that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19 “The definition of ‘fullness’ is neither superiority nor maturity but stretchability. It means we have... -
June 30, 2016Ray OrtlundThree significant differences between the Qur’an and the Bible are considered here: TheQuran_and_TheBible_handout This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition -
July 1, 2016Ray Ortlund“I could tell you a case of a man back home, forty-five years old – a pagan, illiterate, who knew nothing about Christ. Then he was brought by grace, through... -
July 5, 2016Ray OrtlundWhen I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fastWhen the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fastI could never keep my hold through life’s fearful pathFor...
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July 9, 2016Ray OrtlundThis morning at Immanuel Nashville one of our fine members, Mr. David Tolbert, proposed three compelling questions for us all to consider, with further implications. With David’s kind permission, I... -
July 10, 2016Ray OrtlundThis morning at Immanuel Nashville one of our fine members, Mr. David Tolbert, proposed three compelling questions for us all to consider, with further implications. With David’s kind permission, I... -
July 10, 2016Ray Ortlund“Let us then as Christians rejoice that we see around us on every hand the decay of the institutions and instruments of power, see intimations of empires falling to pieces,... -
July 11, 2016Ray Ortlund“Let us then as Christians rejoice that we see around us on every hand the decay of the institutions and instruments of power, see intimations of empires falling to pieces,... -
July 14, 2016Ray Ortlund“In Kiev, where I found myself on a Sunday morning, on an impulse I turned into a church where a service was in progress. It was packed tight, but I... -
July 14, 2016Ray Ortlund“I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will then pick up the... -
July 15, 2016Ray Ortlund“I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will then pick up the... -
July 15, 2016Ray Ortlund“In Kiev, where I found myself on a Sunday morning, on an impulse I turned into a church where a service was in progress. It was packed tight, but I... -
July 20, 2016Ray OrtlundOne of the books from my dad’s library which I received after his death in 2007 was this one: He had his assistant use this book to keep a record of... -
July 20, 2016Ray OrtlundOne of the books from my dad’s library which I received after his death in 2007 was this one: He had his assistant use this book to keep a record of... -
July 27, 2016Ray Ortlund“It is an instructive and solemn fact, brought out in the history of more than one revival, that when a whole neighborhood had been well watered with the showers of... -
July 28, 2016Ray Ortlund“It is an instructive and solemn fact, brought out in the history of more than one revival, that when a whole neighborhood had been well watered with the showers of... -
August 1, 2016Ray Ortlund“. . . ministering spirits sent out to serve . . . .” Hebrews 1:14 God sends out angels to serve “those who are to inherit salvation,” as Hebrews 1:14 goes... -
August 2, 2016Ray Ortlund“. . . ministering spirits sent out to serve . . . .” Hebrews 1:14 God sends out angels to serve “those who are to inherit salvation,” as Hebrews 1:14 goes... -
August 3, 2016Ray Ortlund“We should never come to with true Christians without regret and without tears. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Believe me, evangelicals often have not shown it. We rush in, being... -
August 3, 2016Ray OrtlundEveryone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I... -
August 4, 2016Ray OrtlundEveryone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I... -
August 8, 2016Ray Ortlund“When you encounter a present-day view of Holy Scripture, you encounter more than a view of Scripture. What you meet is a total view of God and the world, that... -
August 9, 2016Ray Ortlund“When you encounter a present-day view of Holy Scripture, you encounter more than a view of Scripture. What you meet is a total view of God and the world, that... -
August 15, 2016Ray Ortlund“Men are afraid to have good thoughts of God. They think it is a boldness to eye God as good, gracious, tender, kind, loving. I speak of saints. They can... -
August 16, 2016Ray Ortlund“Men are afraid to have good thoughts of God. They think it is a boldness to eye God as good, gracious, tender, kind, loving. I speak of saints. They can... -
August 16, 2016Ray OrtlundA gospel-beautified church is defined by the mega-fact that the gospel is good news for bad people. That good news is preached and sung and memorized and meditated on and... -
August 17, 2016Ray OrtlundA gospel-beautified church is defined by the mega-fact that the gospel is good news for bad people. That good news is preached and sung and memorized and meditated on and... -
August 19, 2016Ray OrtlundIn 1851 a group of British missionaries to Tierra del Fuego was forced to winter in the bitter cold while they waited for their supply ship to arrive. It came... -
August 20, 2016Ray OrtlundIn 1851 a group of British missionaries to Tierra del Fuego was forced to winter in the bitter cold while they waited for their supply ship to arrive. It came... -
August 22, 2016Ray OrtlundBut if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all... -
August 23, 2016Ray OrtlundBut if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all... -
August 25, 2016Ray OrtlundThere is a reason why a book like Jerry Bridges’ The Blessing of Humility matters so much. The depth of personal spirituality represented here is not in our DNA. We... -
August 26, 2016Ray OrtlundThere is a reason why a book like Jerry Bridges’ The Blessing of Humility matters so much. The depth of personal spirituality represented here is not in our DNA. We... -
August 30, 2016Ray OrtlundWhat a week the Lord gave us! Grateful. The post Our Immanuel “Week of Waiting” appeared first on The Gospel Coalition. This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition
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August 31, 2016Ray OrtlundWhat a week the Lord gave us! Grateful. This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition
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September 6, 2016Ray OrtlundFifty years ago today, 7 September 1966, my dad and mom gave me a new Bible. It was my senior year in high school, the first week of two-a-day football... -
September 6, 2016Ray OrtlundFifty years ago today, 7 September 1966, my dad and mom gave me a new Bible. It was my senior year in high school, the first week of two-a-day football... -
September 7, 2016Ray OrtlundFifty years ago today, 7 September 1966, my dad and mom gave me a new Bible. It was my senior year in high school, the first week of two-a-day football... -
September 12, 2016Ray OrtlundO. Hobart Mowrer, the psychologist, set himself to understand more deeply our hollowed-out emotional lives. He noted that, commonly, when we perform a good deed, we advertise it, display it,... -
September 12, 2016Ray OrtlundO. Hobart Mowrer, the psychologist, set himself to understand more deeply our hollowed-out emotional lives. He noted that, commonly, when we perform a good deed, we advertise it, display it,... -
September 13, 2016Ray OrtlundO. Hobart Mowrer, the psychologist, set himself to understand more deeply our hollowed-out emotional lives. He noted that, commonly, when we perform a good deed, we advertise it, display it,... -
September 19, 2016Ray OrtlundOutdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10) I wonder if Romans 12:10 is one of the most under-obeyed commands in Scripture. I wonder if we have lowered our standard to... -
September 19, 2016Ray OrtlundOutdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10) I wonder if Romans 12:10 is one of the most under-obeyed commands in Scripture. I wonder if we have lowered our standard to... -
September 20, 2016Ray OrtlundOutdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10 I wonder if Romans 12:10 is one of the most under-obeyed commands in Scripture. I wonder if we have lowered our standard to... -
October 4, 2016Ray Ortlund“Whenever a change occurs in the religious opinions of a community, it is always preceded by a change in their religious feelings. The natural expression of the feelings of true... -
October 4, 2016Ray Ortlund“Whenever a change occurs in the religious opinions of a community, it is always preceded by a change in their religious feelings. The natural expression of the feelings of true... -
October 5, 2016Ray Ortlund“Whenever a change occurs in the religious opinions of a community, it is always preceded by a change in their religious feelings. The natural expression of the feelings of true... -
October 5, 2016Ray OrtlundWhat do you have going for you everything is against you? What will not fail you when what you thought was true and solid and real collapses beneath you? Who... -
October 5, 2016Ray OrtlundWhat do you have going for you everything is against you? What will not fail you when what you thought was true and solid and real collapses beneath you? Who... -
October 6, 2016Ray OrtlundWhat do you have going for you everything is against you? What will not fail you when what you thought was true and solid and real collapses beneath you? Who... -
October 9, 2016Ray OrtlundThe book is available at amazon here. The post Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel: interview appeared first on The Gospel Coalition. This post was originally published on The Gospel...
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October 9, 2016Ray OrtlundThe book is available at amazon here. This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition
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October 10, 2016Ray OrtlundThe book is available at amazon here. This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition
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October 17, 2016Ray OrtlundIn a sermon entitled “The Temper of Jesus, or, Grace to the Chief of Sinners,” Benjamin Grosvenor (1676-1758) presented the risen Jesus addressing his apostles, as they were about to... -
October 17, 2016Ray OrtlundIn a sermon entitled “The Temper of Jesus, or, Grace to the Chief of Sinners,” Benjamin Grosvenor (1676-1758) presented the risen Jesus addressing his apostles, as they were about to... -
October 18, 2016Ray OrtlundIn a sermon entitled “The Temper of Jesus, or, Grace to the Chief of Sinners,” Benjamin Grosvenor (1676-1758) presented the risen Jesus addressing his apostles, as they were about to... -
October 30, 2016Ray OrtlundToday is the official launch of my new book on marriage. But this is not a book of handy tips for married people, helpful as that might be. Nor is... -
October 30, 2016Ray OrtlundToday is the official launch of my new book on marriage. But this is not a book of handy tips for married people, helpful as that might be. Nor is... -
October 31, 2016Ray OrtlundToday is the official launch of my new book on marriage. But this is not a book of handy tips for married people, helpful as that might be. Nor is... -
November 1, 2016Ray OrtlundTherefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. James 5:16 “Orders of a Religious Society Meeting in Fetter’s Lane, in obedience to... -
November 1, 2016Ray OrtlundTherefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. James 5:16 “Orders of a Religious Society Meeting in Fetter’s Lane, in obedience to... -
November 2, 2016Ray OrtlundTherefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. James 5:16 “Orders of a Religious Society Meeting in Fetter’s Lane, in obedience to... -
November 8, 2016Ray Ortlund“Now we must ask, what happens when someone has been hurt by my sin? The Bible teaches that the moment we have confessed this sin to God, the shed blood... -
November 8, 2016Ray Ortlund“Now we must ask, what happens when someone has been hurt by my sin? The Bible teaches that the moment we have confessed this sin to God, the shed blood... -
November 9, 2016Ray Ortlund“Now we must ask, what happens when someone has been hurt by my sin? The Bible teaches that the moment we have confessed this sin to God, the shed blood... -
November 18, 2016Ray OrtlundGod’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5 “The Comforter gives a sweet and plentiful evidence and persuasion of... -
November 18, 2016Ray OrtlundGod’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5 “The Comforter gives a sweet and plentiful evidence and persuasion of... -
November 19, 2016Ray OrtlundGod’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5 “The Comforter gives a sweet and plentiful evidence and persuasion of... -
December 6, 2016Ray Ortlund“The main condition of spiritual life, according to 1 John 1, is fellowship with God; and the prerequisite for communion with God is ‘walking in the light,’ which may be... -
December 6, 2016Ray Ortlund“The main condition of spiritual life, according to 1 John 1, is fellowship with God; and the prerequisite for communion with God is ‘walking in the light,’ which may be... -
December 7, 2016Ray Ortlund“The main condition of spiritual life, according to 1 John 1, is fellowship with God; and the prerequisite for communion with God is ‘walking in the light,’ which may be... -
December 7, 2016Ray Ortlund“. . . the end to which all church order, on the Puritan view, was a means, and for which everything superstitious, misleading and Spirit-quenching must be rooted out, was... -
December 7, 2016Ray Ortlund“. . . the end to which all church order, on the Puritan view, was a means, and for which everything superstitious, misleading and Spirit-quenching must be rooted out, was... -
December 8, 2016Ray Ortlund“. . . the end to which all church order, on the Puritan view, was a means, and for which everything superstitious, misleading and Spirit-quenching must be rooted out, was... -
December 29, 2016Ray Ortlund1. Set an infinite value on immortal souls. 2. Gain all the information you can about “the snares and delusions in which these heathens are held.” 3. Abstain from all English manners... -
December 29, 2016Ray Ortlund1. Set an infinite value on immortal souls. 2. Gain all the information you can about “the snares and delusions in which these heathens are held.” 3. Abstain from all English manners... -
December 30, 2016Ray Ortlund1. Set an infinite value on immortal souls. 2. Gain all the information you can about “the snares and delusions in which these heathens are held.” 3. Abstain from all English manners... -
December 30, 2016Ray OrtlundTo eat, to breathe to beget Is this all there is Chance configuration of atom against atom of god against god I cannot believe it. Come, Christian Triune God who lives, Here am I Shake the world again. Francis... -
December 30, 2016Ray OrtlundTo eat, to breathe to beget Is this all there is Chance configuration of atom against atom of god against god I cannot believe it. Come, Christian Triune God who lives, Here am I Shake the world again. Francis... -
December 31, 2016Ray OrtlundTo eat, to breathe to beget Is this all there is Chance configuration of atom against atom of god against god I cannot believe it. Come, Christian Triune God who lives, Here am I Shake the world again. Francis... -
January 4, 2017Ray Ortlund“There has been a long tradition which sees the mission of the Church primarily as obedience to a command. It has been customary to speak of ‘the missionary mandate.’ This... -
January 4, 2017Ray Ortlund“There has been a long tradition which sees the mission of the Church primarily as obedience to a command. It has been customary to speak of ‘the missionary mandate.’ This... -
January 5, 2017Ray Ortlund“There has been a long tradition which sees the mission of the Church primarily as obedience to a command. It has been customary to speak of ‘the missionary mandate.’ This... -
January 10, 2017Ray OrtlundSo the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of... -
January 10, 2017Ray OrtlundSo the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of... -
January 11, 2017Ray OrtlundSo the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of... -
January 19, 2017Ray Ortlund“I am royal, I am lordly, I am mighty, I am honored, I am exalted, I am glorified, I am powerful, I am all-powerful, I am brilliant, I am lion-brave,... -
January 19, 2017Ray Ortlund“I am royal, I am lordly, I am mighty, I am honored, I am exalted, I am glorified, I am powerful, I am all-powerful, I am brilliant, I am lion-brave,... -
January 20, 2017Ray Ortlund“I am royal, I am lordly, I am mighty, I am honored, I am exalted, I am glorified, I am powerful, I am all-powerful, I am brilliant, I am lion-brave,... -
February 1, 2017Ray Ortlund“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. . . . For this reason the gravest question before the Church is... -
February 1, 2017Ray Ortlund“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. . . . For this reason the gravest question before the Church is... -
February 2, 2017Ray Ortlund“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. . . . For this reason the gravest question before the Church is... -
February 2, 2017Ray Ortlund“In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of... -
February 2, 2017Ray Ortlund“In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of... -
February 2, 2017Ray Ortlund“In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of... -
February 7, 2017Ray OrtlundIn Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism, Iain Murray draws four lessons from that conflict: 1. “Genuine evangelical Christianity is never of an exclusive spirit. Any view of the truth which undermines catholicity has... -
February 7, 2017Ray OrtlundIn Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism, Iain Murray draws four lessons from that conflict: 1. “Genuine evangelical Christianity is never of an exclusive spirit. Any view of the truth which undermines catholicity has... -
February 8, 2017Ray OrtlundIn Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism, Iain Murray draws four lessons from that conflict: 1. “Genuine evangelical Christianity is never of an exclusive spirit. Any view of the truth which undermines catholicity has... -
February 9, 2017Ray Ortlund“It is the supreme art of the devil that he can make the law out of the gospel. If I can hold on to the distinction between law and gospel,... -
February 9, 2017Ray Ortlund“It is the supreme art of the devil that he can make the law out of the gospel. If I can hold on to the distinction between law and gospel,... -
February 9, 2017Ray Ortlund“It is the supreme art of the devil that he can make the law out of the gospel. If I can hold on to the distinction between law and gospel,... -
February 19, 2017Ray OrtlundWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These... -
February 19, 2017Ray OrtlundWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These... -
February 20, 2017Ray OrtlundWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These... -
February 21, 2017Ray Ortlund“Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense... -
February 21, 2017Ray Ortlund“Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense... -
February 22, 2017Ray Ortlund“Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense... -
February 27, 2017Ray OrtlundIt is very much in the Devil’s interests that we despair. If he can get us to believe any of these three demoralizing lies that he loves to whisper into... -
February 27, 2017Ray OrtlundIt is very much in the Devil’s interests that we despair. If he can get us to believe any of these three demoralizing lies that he loves to whisper into... -
February 28, 2017Ray OrtlundIt is very much in the devil’s interests that we despair. If he can get us to believe any of these three demoralizing lies that he loves to whisper into... -
February 28, 2017Ray Ortlund“You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9) You and I are not integrated, unified, whole persons. Our hearts are deeply divided, more... -
February 28, 2017Ray Ortlund“You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9) You and I are not integrated, unified, whole persons. Our hearts are deeply divided, more... -
March 1, 2017Ray Ortlund“You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9 You and I are not integrated, unified, whole persons. Our hearts are deeply divided, more... -
March 2, 2017Ray OrtlundA nice church filled with nice people doing nice things will make no impact in the intensity of our times. Every hybrid form of “Christianity” deserves to die, and will... -
March 2, 2017Ray OrtlundA nice church filled with nice people doing nice things will make no impact in the intensity of our times. Every hybrid form of “Christianity” deserves to die, and will... -
March 3, 2017Ray OrtlundA nice church filled with nice people doing nice things will make no impact in the intensity of our times. Every hybrid form of “Christianity” deserves to die, and will... -
March 6, 2017Ray Ortlund“I love the simplicity of the Scriptures, and I wish to receive and inculcate every truth precisely in the way, and to the extent, that it is set forth in... -
March 6, 2017Ray Ortlund“I love the simplicity of the Scriptures, and I wish to receive and inculcate every truth precisely in the way, and to the extent, that it is set forth in... -
March 6, 2017Ray Ortlund“I love the simplicity of the Scriptures, and I wish to receive and inculcate every truth precisely in the way, and to the extent, that it is set forth in... -
March 10, 2017Ray Ortlund“I have calmed and quieted my soul.” Psalm 131:2 How did David get into that quiet place before God? He forsook ambition. “My eyes are not raised too high,” he wrote... -
March 10, 2017Ray Ortlund“I have calmed and quieted my soul.” Psalm 131:2 How did David get into that quiet place before God? He forsook ambition. “My eyes are not raised too high,” he wrote... -
March 11, 2017Ray Ortlund“I have calmed and quieted my soul.” Psalm 131:2 How did David get into that quiet place before God? He forsook ambition. “My eyes are not raised too high,” he wrote... -
March 16, 2017Ray OrtlundIn a sermon preached during the First Great Awakening, George Whitefield laid bare the four archaeological layers always uncovered in true repentance. Preaching on “They have healed the wound of... -
March 16, 2017Ray OrtlundIn a sermon preached during the First Great Awakening, George Whitefield laid bare the four archaeological layers always uncovered in true repentance. Preaching on “They have healed the wound of... -
March 17, 2017Ray OrtlundIn a sermon preached during the First Great Awakening, George Whitefield laid bare the four archaeological layers always uncovered in true repentance. Preaching on “They have healed the wound of... -
March 19, 2017Ray OrtlundWhen I preach through the Ten Commandments, each sermon has four points, because each commandment does four things at once. First, each of the Ten Commandments is revelation. Each one gives... -
March 19, 2017Ray OrtlundWhen I preach through the Ten Commandments, each sermon has four points, because each commandment does four things at once. First, each of the Ten Commandments is revelation. Each one gives... -
March 20, 2017Ray OrtlundWhen I preach through the Ten Commandments, each sermon has four points, because each commandment does four things at once. First, each of the Ten Commandments is revelation. Each one gives... -
March 28, 2017Ray Ortlund“Get back to your burdens” (Exodus 5:4). That’s what the Pharaoh said to God’s people as they groaned under the subhuman evil that slavery is. “Get back to your burdens”... -
March 28, 2017Ray Ortlund“Get back to your burdens” (Exodus 5:4). That’s what the Pharaoh said to God’s people as they groaned under the subhuman evil that slavery is. “Get back to your burdens”... -
March 28, 2017Ray Ortlund“Get back to your burdens” (Exodus 5:4). That’s what the Pharaoh said to God’s people as they groaned under the subhuman evil that slavery is. “Get back to your burdens”... -
March 29, 2017Ray OrtlundThe beautiful “one another” commands of the New Testament are famous. But it is also striking to notice the “one anothers” that do not appear there. For example, sanctify one another,... -
March 29, 2017Ray OrtlundThe beautiful “one another” commands of the New Testament are famous. But it is also striking to notice the “one anothers” that do not appear there. For example, sanctify one another,... -
March 30, 2017Ray OrtlundThe beautiful “one another” commands of the New Testament are famous. But it is also striking to notice the “one anothers” that do not appear there. For example, sanctify one another,... -
April 5, 2017Ray Ortlund“God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son.” Romans 1:9 There was, for Paul, a deeper dimension to his gospel ministry, far beyond... -
April 5, 2017Ray Ortlund“God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son.” Romans 1:9 There was, for Paul, a deeper dimension to his gospel ministry, far beyond... -
April 6, 2017Ray Ortlund“God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son.” Romans 1:9 There was, for Paul, a deeper dimension to his gospel ministry, far beyond... -
April 18, 2017Ray Ortlund“We are justified freely, for Christ’s sake, by faith, without the exertion of our own strength, gaining of merit, or doing of works. To the age-old question, ‘What shall I... -
April 18, 2017Ray Ortlund“We are justified freely, for Christ’s sake, by faith, without the exertion of our own strength, gaining of merit, or doing of works. To the age-old question, ‘What shall I... -
April 19, 2017Ray Ortlund“We are justified freely, for Christ’s sake, by faith, without the exertion of our own strength, gaining of merit, or doing of works. To the age-old question, ‘What shall I... -
April 24, 2017Ray OrtlundFifty years ago today Dr. Edward John Carnell died. My purpose now is to honor him from a personal angle of vision. I believe that the second most important reason... -
April 24, 2017Ray OrtlundFifty years ago today Dr. Edward John Carnell died. My purpose today is to honor him from a personal angle of vision. I believe that the second-most important reason we... -
April 24, 2017Ray OrtlundFifty years ago today Dr. Edward John Carnell died. My purpose today is to honor him from a personal angle of vision. I believe that the second-most important reason we... -
April 28, 2017Ray OrtlundWe experience three kinds of suffering in this life. One, deserved suffering. We sin, and we suffer misery for it. Sin always spawns misery. It’s all sin can do. So, deserved... -
April 28, 2017Ray OrtlundWe experience three kinds of suffering in this life. One, deserved suffering. We sin, and we suffer misery for it. Sin always spawns misery. It’s all sin can do. So, deserved... -
April 29, 2017Ray OrtlundWe experience three kinds of suffering in this life. One, deserved suffering. We sin, and we suffer misery for it. Sin always spawns misery. It’s all sin can do. So, deserved... -
May 3, 2017Ray OrtlundOn December 26, 1944, Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda of the Japanese army was sent to the Philippine island of Lubang. His mission was to resist the American advance, and he... -
May 3, 2017Ray OrtlundOn December 26, 1944, Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda of the Japanese army was sent to the Philippine island of Lubang. His mission was to resist the American advance, and he... -
May 4, 2017Ray OrtlundOn December 26, 1944, Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda of the Japanese army was sent to the Philippine island of Lubang. His mission was to resist the American advance, and he... -
May 16, 2017Ray Ortlund“To the question ‘What is Romans all about?’ a variety of answers might be given. . . . An interesting point emerges if we approach the epistle statistically. . .... -
May 16, 2017Ray Ortlund“To the question ‘What is Romans all about?’ a variety of answers might be given. . . . An interesting point emerges if we approach the epistle statistically. . .... -
May 17, 2017Ray Ortlund“To the question ‘What is Romans all about?’ a variety of answers might be given. . . . An interesting point emerges if we approach the epistle statistically. . .... -
May 22, 2017Ray OrtlundTo call anything an “institution” today can be its death sentence, including a church. Should we be ashamed of the institutional aspects of our churches? What is an institution? An institution... -
May 22, 2017Ray OrtlundTo call anything an “institution” today can be its death sentence, including a church. Should we be ashamed of the institutional aspects of our churches? What is an institution? An institution... -
May 23, 2017Ray OrtlundTo call anything an “institution” today can be its death sentence, including a church. Should we be ashamed of the institutional aspects of our churches? What is an institution? An institution... -
June 1, 2017Ray OrtlundThe Rev. William Still, a patriarch of the Church of Scotland in the 20th century, preaching on Romans 5:5 and the love of God being poured into our hearts, said... -
June 1, 2017Ray OrtlundThe Rev. William Still, a patriarch of the Church of Scotland in the 20th century, preaching on Romans 5:5 and the love of God being poured into our hearts, said... -
June 2, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by:Ray Ortlund The Rev. William Still, a patriarch of the Church of Scotland in the twentieth century, preaching on Romans 5:5 and the love of God being poured into our... -
June 12, 2017Ray Ortlund“Later on in my ministry I faced another crisis that equally influenced the writing of my books. It came after I had already been a pastor for ten years in... -
June 13, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by:Ray Ortlund “Later on in my ministry I faced another crisis that equally influenced the writing of my books. It came after I had already been a pastor for ten... -
June 22, 2017Ray OrtlundYes, I really have heard that objection. But there are many ways one can cast doubt on the Bible. It’s a huge subject, and it quickly becomes technical. But, for... -
June 23, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund Yes, I really have heard that objection. But there are many ways one can cast doubt on the Bible. It’s a huge subject, and it quickly becomes... -
June 28, 2017Ray OrtlundWilliam C. Burns was preaching in Perth, Scotland, in 1840. His biographer writes, “The power indeed that attended his words, and the effects which often in the most unexpected quarters followed... -
June 29, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund William C. Burns was preaching in Perth, Scotland, in 1840. His biographer writes, “The power indeed that attended his words, and the effects which often in the most... -
July 7, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund Richard Baxter, in A Christian Directory (Ligonier, 1990), page 140, lists seven benefits of looking by faith to the Lord, as to no other, for our... -
July 7, 2017Ray OrtlundRichard Baxter, in A Christian Directory (Ligonier, 1990), page 140, lists seven benefits of looking by faith to the Lord, as to no other, for our deepest delight. Updating... -
July 15, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund Gospel + safety + time. It’s what everyone needs. A lot of gospel + a lot of safety + a lot of time. Gospel: good news for bad... -
July 15, 2017Ray OrtlundGospel + safety + time. It’s what everyone needs. A lot of gospel + a lot of safety + a lot of time. Gospel: good news for bad people through the... -
July 22, 2017Ray OrtlundGalatians 2:11-21 has been unsettling me for forty years. Paul rebuked Peter publicly — for what? They agreed on gospel doctrine: “We know that a person is not justified by... -
July 23, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund Galatians 2:11-21 has been unsettling me for forty years. Paul rebuked Peter publicly — for what? They agreed on gospel doctrine: “We know that a person is... -
July 25, 2017Ray OrtlundI will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 It is possible for two psychologies to coexist in our hearts at once—pain... -
July 26, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 It is possible for two psychologies to coexist in our... -
August 7, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund When Peter said to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” the Lord replied, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood... -
August 9, 2017Ray Ortlund“The work of the Spirit can be compared to mining. The Spirit’s work is to blast to pieces the sinner’s hardness of heart and his frivolous opposition to God. The... -
August 10, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund “The work of the Spirit can be compared to mining. The Spirit’s work is to blast to pieces the sinner’s hardness of heart and his frivolous opposition... -
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August 16, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund This post was originally published on The Gospel Coalition
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August 21, 2017Ray OrtlundIn his Thoughts on Religious Experience, Archibald Alexander asked why we grow so slowly as Christians. First, he rounded up the usual suspects: “The influence of worldly relatives and companions, embarking... -
August 22, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund In his Thoughts on Religious Experience, Archibald Alexander asked why we grow so slowly as Christians. First, he rounded up the usual suspects: “The influence of worldly relatives... -
August 28, 2017Ray OrtlundIntensely felt, openly demonstrated love between manly men of God—who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Three ways to create that culture in our churches: One, “Outdo one another... -
August 29, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund Intensely felt, openly demonstrated love between manly men of God – who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Three ways to create that culture in... -
September 6, 2017Ray Ortlund“hen classic justification, based on the propitiatory work of Christ, is absent, human beings will grasp for substitutes, often grotesque ones. . . . We have here [in the French... -
September 7, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund “hen classic justification, based on the propitiatory work of Christ, is absent, human beings will grasp for substitutes, often grotesque ones. . . . We have here... -
September 8, 2017Ray Ortlund“I could tell you a case of a man back home, forty-five years old – a pagan, illiterate, who knew nothing about Christ. Then he was brought by grace, through... -
September 9, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund “I could tell you a case of a man back home, forty-five years old – a pagan, illiterate, who knew nothing about Christ. Then he was brought... -
September 19, 2017Ray OrtlundWritten by: Ray Ortlund Dear Husband, I thank God for this moment with you. I only wish I could be present with you and look into your eyes and speak as earnestly...
