Gospel Living

I mentioned the word "dispensation" Sunday.  Whether you are a theology buff or not, it is an important term to understand in reference to end-times prophecy. Dr. Michael Vlach has posted a helpful introduction to the history of the dispensational theology that is worth checking out . If you want to dig deeper, Vlach recommends 40 resources for understanding dispensationalism better .

This was a message to the adult Sunday School class at Old Plank Road Baptist Church, Jacksonville FL, on December 30, 2012.  Thank you once again for having us come and fellowship with you! e are having a wonderful time back in Jacksonville.  We’ve lived in California since 2005, and, of course, our Florida family is the one thing that we miss the most.  I was asked recently to sum up my time out there in lessons learned.  The main thing I’ve gleaned   from the professors and pastors at the Master’s College and Seminary is a deeper reverence for God’s Word.  That sounds strange, because I went out there in part because I already had a love for Scripture and wanted to learn more.  Even so, I know now that I was not truly and fully explaining God’s Word to people when I taught. Understand, teachers of God's Word can love the Bible but not reflect that love when it comes to some of their interpretations.  For instance, perhaps...

Here are my final two parts to the series on how Christians should read and apply the Old Testament.  If you haven't read/listened to the first part, it is commanded that you do so now . Some words of caution before beginning: as this was to originally be a two-part series, there are only notes for two parts.  Also, there was a problem recording the third and final part, resulting in a longer re-recording of the session with a small reduction in audio quality. Notes for Parts 2 and 3 ( PDF ) Audio for Part 2 ( MP3, 36:19 ) Audio for Part 3 ( MP3, 51:02 )

Here is the first part of a message series I delivered at church.  How do we as NT believers read and apply the Law and the rest of the OT? Both in my notes and in the audio, I reference this being a two-part series.  However, a change in the service schedule coupled with my inability to trim down the material (you know I can be long-winded) turned this into a three-parter. The first part was delivered November 28. Audio (MP3, 1 hr) Notes (PDF)

Listen to Mp3 Michael Vlach opens with good humor, laughing at ourselves as dispensationalists. He cites Kenneth Gentry's play on Jeff Foxworthy's comedic bit, which is not listed in the notes. Here is a link to Gentry's post . Some of the better ones: If you always leave the top down on your convertible — just in case. If bar code scanners make you nervous. If you are a book collector and you long to locate a copy of The Late Great Planet Earth in the original Greek. If you believe that the term "Early Church Fathers" refers to J. N. Darby, C. I. Scofield and Lewis Sperry Chafer. If you get excited when you see a sentence with a parenthesis. If you count trampoline aerobics as "Rapture Practice" in your 4:00 am devotions each morning. (You get extra credit if you believe the neighbors who live in the apartment below you are non-Christians and are persecuting you because they complain.) If your personal hymn favorite is: "My hope is built on noth...