The Lord Will Provide

by R. Scott Clark on January 22, 2014

Below is the sermon from last Lord’s Day morning, by Chris Gordon, primary preaching pastor at the Escondido United Reformed Church. He’s also the host of Abounding Grace Radio (San Diego, Phoenix, Seattle/Vancouver) and on the web. Chris preached on Genesis 22 . . . Continue reading →

Fear, Firstborn, And Fire

by R. Scott Clark on January 7, 2014

“For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to . . . Continue reading →

Sometimes A Miracle Is Just A Miracle

by Heidelblog on December 23, 2013

When it comes to Mary’s Magnificat, I find that I cannot take away the messages often proffered. Both the mode and content of her revelation will never be afforded me in any sense whatsoever. God will never speak directly to me, and . . . Continue reading →

On Catechetical Preaching

by R. Scott Clark on December 11, 2013

The reason this is a wonderful practice is that this type of preaching demonstrates the unity of Scripture. In reality, different texts from various authors and generations testify to a unified body of truth. This manner of preaching ensures that we develop . . . Continue reading →

Was, With, And Worked: Audio

by R. Scott Clark on September 27, 2013

UPDATE: Here is the audio from Thursday’s chapel message on John 1:1-3. § One of the things I learned from reading Ned Stonehouse was to ask the question: what does this narrative/passage/text say? In our defense of the essential unity of Holy . . . Continue reading →

A King, A Priest, And A Tithe

by R. Scott Clark on August 26, 2013

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, . . . Continue reading →

One of the Dirtiest Little Secrets About Preaching

by R. Scott Clark on August 24, 2013

One of the dirtiest little secrets about preaching is that many preachers are using what we used to call in radio “a service.” There are, or at least there used to be, businesses that sell jokes and one liners and gags and . . . Continue reading →

Good Story Telling

by R. Scott Clark on August 23, 2013

This video combines two of my favorite topics: The Nebraska Cornhuskers and good story telling. Can you identify what makes this effective?

The Attraction Of Legal Preaching: The Interview

by R. Scott Clark on July 28, 2013

As a follow-up to the post on legal preaching Chris Gordon and I sat down in the Abounding Grace Radio studio to talk through the issue of the attraction of legal preaching. Once again, neither the post nor the episode is a . . . Continue reading →

Perkins: The Basic Principle In Application

by Heidelblog on July 22, 2013

The basic principle in application is to know whether the passage is a statement of the law or of the gospel. For when the Word is preached, the law and the gospel operate differently. The law exposes the disease of sin, and . . . Continue reading →

The Attraction Of Legal Preaching

by R. Scott Clark on July 9, 2013

A legal preacher is a preacher who majors in the law to the neglect of the gospel. In practice, he preaches nothing but law. Continue reading →

Ministers All?

by R. Scott Clark on June 29, 2013

The uniqueness and centrality of the official preaching of the Word is diminished when we equivocate between the official, public, ordained administration of the Word and the unofficial witness to the gospel by the laity. The tendency among evangelical is to describe all . . . Continue reading →

Advice To Young Preachers

by R. Scott Clark on May 27, 2013

Time was that church historians also taught church polity and what is sometimes called pastoral theology. This was, I suppose, because we used to recognize that the study of the history of the practice of the church gives a certainsight into how . . . Continue reading →

Preaching Genesis 1

by R. Scott Clark on May 12, 2013

We’ve been blessed by the ministry of pastor Chris Gordon at Escondido URC. He’s also the proprietor of the Gordian Knot and the host of the Abounding Grace Radio program, currently broadcast in the Pacific Northwest, Phoenix, and San Diego. Recently, he . . . Continue reading →

Leaving, Leaning, and Looking (Phil 3:8-14)

by R. Scott Clark on January 5, 2013

The time after Christmas, including, in some places Boxing Day—for which different etymologies have been given—is a time for writing thank you notes. The Apostle Paul also wrote a thank you letter and the Spirit of God preserved it for us in . . . Continue reading →

Proclaiming, Warning, and Teaching

by R. Scott Clark on November 15, 2012

Rev Mr David Strain and Dr Dennis Johnson

The Rev. Mr. David Strain spoke again this morning to the students and faculty from Colossians 1–2. This time the focus was on the relations between proclaiming, warning, and instructing in preaching. It has been a great joy to have David on . . . Continue reading →

Office Hours: Dennis Johnson on Preaching Christ From All of Scripture

by R. Scott Clark on March 2, 2011

In this episode Office Hours talks with Dr Dennis Johnson, author of Him We Proclaim, about what it means (and doesn’t mean) to to preach Christ from all of Scripture. Don’t forget: We need you to call 760-480-8477 with your question for . . . Continue reading →

Office Hours: Preaching Christ

by R. Scott Clark on January 19, 2011

The Rev Dr Derke Bergsma is a minister of God’s Word. That isn’t just an office he holds but it is what he is, sola gratia. By definition, a minister is a servant of God’s Word, he only announces what God’s Word . . . Continue reading →

Julius Kim on Practical Theology

by R. Scott Clark on December 1, 2010

Don’t Build It or Build a Bigger One?

by R. Scott Clark on June 15, 2010

A giant violation of the second commandment (that’s the one forbidding visible representations of God) burned to the ground yesterday near Cincinnati, OH after being struck by lightening (HT: Brad Lindvall).