Truth and Consequences by Gene Edward Veith Might there be a time when readers of the Bible will not understand -- without a host of reference books -- what a sower is? For most of the world's history, the majority of people made their living from the land. Today the...

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Dr. Sproul has often remarked that his study of philosophy in college was crucial in helping him to counter the liberal theology he encountered in seminary.  Having studied philosophy, he was able to recognize the underlying ideas that shaped the thinking of his professors.  Our culture has been shaped by...

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by R.C. Sproul Years ago, I spoke at a service at a large church in California. After I finished preaching, the associate pastor invited everyone who would like to have prayer to come forward to the long kneeling bench across the front of the sanctuary, and seventy-five or eighty people...

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by R.C. Sproul (Continued from God's Will and Your Job (pt. 3)) In addition to the inner call of God, we recognize that there is such a thing as an external call to labor, a call that comes from people who request our services for their particular mission or purpose....

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by R.C. Sproul (Continued from God's Will and Your Job (pt. 2)) Let us extend the concept of service and obedience to the analogy of human warfare. A crisis besets a nation, and people are summoned in the cause of national defense. Leaving the security and comfort of their homes...

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by R.C. Sproul (Continued from God's Will and Your Job (pt. 1)) Finding Your Vocation The question of vocation becomes a crisis at two major points in life. The first is in late adolescence when a person is pressured into deciding what skills and knowledge he should acquire for future...

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by R.C. Sproul (Continued from The Meaning of Man's Will (Part 3)) When we are introduced to people, the following three questions are generally asked: What is your name? Where are you from? What do you do? The third question is the one that concerns us in this chapter. What...

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Tolle Lege: Take Up and Read by Keith A. Mathison In 2004, Alister McGrath published a book entitled The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall of Disbelief in the Modern World. Although the book did not suggest that atheism was dead, its publication may have been a bit premature....

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Seek Ye First by R.C. Sproul Jr. The kingdom of God is at war. The promise from the beginning was that the seed of the woman, our King, would come and crush the head of the seed of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). Jesus' first step out of the tomb at...

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by R.C. Sproul Just as with the issue of instrumentation, there is controversy regarding the issue of singing in worship. The controversy erupts when we ask what types of songs are appropriate for use in the context of worship. Most of us would agree that what we want in worship...

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Preparing a "Top 5" list of commentaries on the book of Revelation is extremely challenging in a number of ways. Commentators differ on many basic issues, from the structure of the book (recapitulation, chronological ordering, telescoping, etc.) to the basic interpretive approach (futurist, preterist, historicist, idealist, eclectic) to its date...

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by R.C. Sproul (Continued from The Meaning of Man's Will, Part 2) But what about man's will with respect to the sovereignty of God? Perhaps the oldest dilemma of the Christian faith is the apparent contradiction between the sovereignty of God and the freedom of man. If we define human...

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by R.C. Sproul (Continued from The Meaning of Man's Will, Part 1) The Bible teaches, some will say, that we do not always do what we want to do. The apostle Paul laments in Romans 7 that the good he would do he does not do, and the thing he...

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by R.C. Sproul (Continued from The Meaning of God's Will, Part 5) The term free will as applied to man is often glibly declared with little or no understanding of its meaning. There is actually no unified theory of man's free will, but a variety of competing, and often conflicting,...

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Generation to Generation by Scotty Smith With three decades plus change in the pastoral ministry, the gospel seems to be getting bigger and Jesus is appearing more gracious than ever. Maybe that's because I've never been more aware of my brokenness and more disrupted by longings for the day when...

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Pro Ecclesia: For the Church by Justin Taylor Only one book is absolutely essential to save us, to equip us to obey God's will, and to glorify Him in whatever we do. Only one book gives us undiluted truth -- the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Only one...

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by R.C. Sproul Have you ever wondered why there's a universal phenomenon of religion? You can go anywhere on the globe and you'll find evidence of cultic practices of sacrifice. Why is that? I suggest that it is because the original program and prescription for the worship of the living...

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We've begun a Flickr photoset for the Ligonier Reformation Tour 2009. We'll keep adding pictures as we're able. Visit when you click here....

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Session 1: John CalvinAs many people now know, the year 2009 marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, one of the most important figures in Western civilization. Through his faithful ministry of writing, preaching and teaching in Geneva, Calvin left a legacy that continues to impact theworld...

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The book of Malachi is the last of the twelve Minor Prophets, and little is known of the author himself aside from what may be inferred from the contents of his book. Unlike Haggai and Zechariah, Malachi prophesied some time after the completion of the temple in 515 B.C. In...

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When I was about four or five years old, my mother found the letter "F" scribbled in crayon on the hallway wall of our home. Since my brother would have been about three and my sister barely a year old, it was clear that I was the culprit, for I...

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Nations are currently experiencing the most volatile economic period in a generation. Many investors here in America have made moves to reduce their risk and put their treasure into securities backed by the U.S. federal government. The government gives us its word that it will guarantee deposits up to a...

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Unify Your Vision for Christian MinistryWhether you are a pastor, Sunday school teacher, elder, deacon, women's ministry director, missionary, youth leader, seminary educator or student, we invite all church leaders and teachers to join Drs. Ligon Duncan, Sinclair Ferguson, Steven Lawson, and R.C. Sproul as they endeavor to equip you for effective,...

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by R.C. SproulWe have all heard evangelists quote from Revelation: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:20). Usually the evangelist applies this text as...

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The goal of Ligonier Ministries' music department is to produce music that exalts Christ and supports the teaching of the Word. Now available at Ligonier.org is sheet music (SATB) with words by R.C. Sproul. These titles will make a beautiful addition to any worship service. Clothed in Righteousness This hymn...

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Pastor's Perspective by Lane Keister All people are supposed to hear the good news of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected from the dead. Not only are all people supposed to hear that salvation has been accomplished in history, they are to hear that any who repent of their sin and...

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by R.C. Sproul If we're children of Christ and we stand before the judgment seat of God on the last day and God says to us, "You're covered by the blood of my Son, and it's a good thing, because you did this, this, this, this, and this," we won't...

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The three epistles of John were likely written from Ephesus between A.D. 80 and 85. This would make them among the last New Testament books to be written. The recipients of these letters were likely members of regional churches associated with the church in Ephesus, which itself was under the...

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Right Now Counts Forever by R.C. Sproul Soli Deo gloria is the motto that grew out of the Protestant Reformation and was used on every composition by Johann Sebastian Bach. He affixed the initials SDG at the bottom of each manuscript to communicate the idea that it is God and...

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Ligonier Ministries' 2009 Summer Fall Catalog is now available. Find resources designed to answer the ultimate questions of life and faith, such as "How can I know the Bible is true?" and "How do I respond to the cultural beliefs around me?" Learn more about Dr. Sproul's newest book, The Prayer of...

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Coram Deo: Living Before the Face of God by Burk Parsons Church historian Mark Noll writes, "In many ways, the defining figure in the history of American evangelicalism is the eighteenth-century revivalist George Whitefield." Prior to America's declaration of independence from England, the Calvinist preacher from England turned the colonies...

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Architectural plans for the three main structures now situated on Ligonier's new campus have been approved by Seminole County in central Florida. This allows for project development to move forward for Ligonier Academy of Biblical and Theological Studies, Ligonier International Headquarters, and Shadowlake Studios, which will house our new media...

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by R.C. SproulHow many times have you heard Christians say (or heard the words from your own mouth), "So-and-so is not a Christian but he's searching"? It is a common statement among Christians. The idea is that there are people all over the place who are searching for God. Their...

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Check out a new list of internet specials with resources discounted 25-60% off the retail price. Resources include commentaries, DVD and CD teaching series, children's books, music and more!...

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Scripture exhorts us to always be ready to make a defense to anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). Are you ready? What would you say if challenged by an atheist or agnostic? What would you say if challenged by...

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by RC Sproul Jr. I was reminded this afternoon of a liturgy within a liturgy that I practice. My two youngest daughters, Erin Claire and Maili had their first dance recital. They are a part of a small ballet group made up of homeschooled little girls in our broader community....

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What is the Lord's Prayer? Is it an actual prayer that Jesus dictated so that His disciples might recite it? Or is it a blueprint that He gave as a guide for His followers' prayers?In The Prayer of the Lord, Dr. R.C. Sproul writes, "Jesus' intent was to give...

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The June edition of Tabletalk is out. This month's theme is "The Parable of the Sower" and it provides an exposition of this parable of Jesus, focusing on the gracious work of God in salvation. Contributors include R.C. Sproul, Daniel Doriani, Michael Glodo, Lane Keister, Robert Rothwell, Scotty Smith and...

Continue Reading Columns from Tabletalk Magazine, June 2009...