Rooted & Unwithered

As a Puritan writer noted, the fattened calf appears for a while to have everything that it could desire, yet it does not know that it is ripe for the slaughter. So, it is with the prosperity of the wicked; it only fattens them for the soon coming day of judgment. To read this meditation and other resources for knowing and loving God's Word, visit bcnewton.co

Dead Men Preaching is a monthly series aimed at bringing sermons from the past into the ears of the present. This month's sermon is by Robert Murray M'Cheyne on John 1:14: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." For more sermons and other resources for knowing and loving...

Again, the wicked are not so. They do not yield fruit in season for the benefit of others; instead, they only hinder the good of others until they are at last driven away. To read this meditation and other resources for knowing and loving God's Word, visit bcnewton.co

This is my discussion of the thirteenth chapter of Thomas Watson's book,  Heaven Taken by Storm , from 2020. Visit  bcnewton.co  for more resources for knowing and loving God's Word. Questions for Reflection Which category of reproof resonated most with you? Did Watson accurately describe any reasons why you are (or have in the past) neglected offering holy violence? What will your repenta...

Do you walk in  the counsel of the wicked , stand in  the way of sinners , or sit in  the seat of scoffers ? Do you take no  delight  in the Scriptures and never  meditate  upon them? If so, then you certainly cannot claim to be rooted  like a tree  in God’s Word as the blessed are. You, therefore, meet the criteria of the wicked. To read this meditation and other resources for knowing and loving...

This is my discussion of the twelfth chapter of Thomas Watson's book,  Heaven Taken by Storm , from 2020. Visit  bcnewton.co  for more resources for knowing and loving God's Word. Questions  for  Reflection Which of the metaphors for offering violence most resonates with you? Why? Which of Watson’s reasons for offering violence’s you find most compelling? Why? What is the danger of moderat...

He loves us far more and far better than we love ourselves, and as our Creator, He knows what is best for us far better than we do. So why would we not submit ourselves to Him? Why would we not trust that He will shepherd us throughout this life and through death’s dark valley? To read this article and other resources for knowing and loving God's Word, visit bcnewton.co To read the full New Ci...

The prosperity described within this psalm runs far deeper than our bank accounts or physical possessions can ever go. Indeed, this prosperity is guaranteed in Christ to even the poorest of believers. To read this meditation and other resources for knowing and loving God's Word, visit bcnewton.co

This is my discussion of the tenth and eleventh chapters of Thomas Watson's book,  Heaven Taken by Storm , from 2020. Visit  bcnewton.co  for more resources for knowing and loving God's Word. Questions for Reflection It seems that Christians often either ignore Satan completely or blame him for everything. Do you tend to fall onto one side or the other? Which of Satan’s treacheries that Wa...

Since our church will soon begin to go through the New City Catechism as a part of Lord’s Day worship, I hope to increase my own use of the instructional resource by writing out meditations upon each question. I also hope that those meditations will be worth sharing here to stimulate your own meditation upon each doctrine. May the Holy Spirit, who “convicts us of our sin, comforts us, guides us, g...

Let us plant ourselves in Him who alone will bring us to “completion at the day of Jesus Christ” ( Philippians 1:6 ), for apart from this steam of divine grace none of us can endure till the end. To read this meditation and other resources for knowing and loving God's Word, visit bcnewton.co

This is my discussion of the eighth and ninth chapters of Thomas Watson's book,  Heaven Taken by Storm , from 2020. Visit  bcnewton.co  for more resources for knowing and loving God's Word. Questions for Reflection In what ways has the Lord’s Day replaced the Sabbath for Christians, and why is that so important? In what ways do you sanctify the Lord’s Day? Why does Watson place such an imp...

These are certainly not exhaustive and will undoubtedly be tweaked as our daughter continues to grow and we gain two more little ones. Therefore, I do not offer these up as an aged guru whose journey is complete but as a fellow traveler pointing out whatever provisions or snares that I see along the way.

Are these things true of you? Does your life bring forth the fruits of the Spirit or the fruits of the flesh (see Galatians 5:19-21)? Are you also bearing your fruit in its season? Are you keeping in step with where the Spirit has you, or are you like a horse or mule that “must be curbed with bit and bridle” to stay near (Psalm 32:9)? For more meditations and resources for knowing and loving God&#...

Dead Men Preaching is a monthly series aimed at bringing sermons from the past into the ears of the present. This month's sermon is by G. Campbell Morgan on Mark 11:27 through the end of chapter 12. For more sermons and other resources for knowing and loving God's Word, visit bcnewton.co

Perhaps we are looking at the whole thing from the wrong angle. Instead of being afraid of how intelligent AI is becoming, maybe we should take warning of how artificial we are becoming. For the links referenced, visit the article here .

Christian, if you do not delight in and meditate upon God’s Word, you are planting yourself in a parched, desert land. You are depriving yourself of the stream of living water granted to you by our  triune  God. Plant yourself, therefore, beside this stream, and drink deeply each day. To read this meditation and other resources for knowing and loving God's Word, visit bcnewton.co

This is my discussion of the seventh chapter of Thomas Watson's book, Heaven Taken by Storm , from 2020. Visit bcnewton.co for more resources for knowing and loving God's Word. Questions for Reflection Have you practiced self-reflection as a spiritual discipline in the past? If so, how has Watson changed how you view the practice? Why is rooting our self-examination in the Word of God so important...

Do not lose heart, brother pastor, and keep preaching the Word. The fruit of the seed is in God’s hand; let us devote ourselves to faithfully  sowing the Word . For more articles and resources for knowing and loving God's Word, visit bcnewton.co

Root yourself in the forest of God’s kingdom today by giving your time and trust to God’s holy Word. For more rooted theology for the unwithered church, visit bcnewton.co

This is my discussion of the sixth chapter of Thomas Watson's book, Heaven Taken by Storm , from 2020. Visit bcnewton.co for more resources for knowing and loving God's Word. Questions for Reflection How did you understand meditation before reading this chapter? How has your understanding of meditation changed now that you have read Watson’s thoughts on the subject? Which of Watson’s six matters f...

I am no prophet to be able to predict the future success or defeat of the American Dream. I do know, however, that “what has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun” ( Ecclesiastes 1:9 ). We should not be surprised, therefore, to find our society repeating itself. For more rooted theology for the unwithered church, visit bcnewton.co

Blessed are those whose delight in God’s law is evidenced by their constant chewing and tasting of its eternal truths. For more meditations and other resources for knowing and loving God's Word, visit bcnewton.co

This is my discussion of the fourth and fifth chapters of Thomas Watson's book, Heaven Taken by Storm , from 2020. Visit bcnewton.co for more resources for knowing and loving God's Word. Questions for Reflection What does Watson mean by hearing the Word? Do you attend to the hearing of the Word with the devotion that he describes? Are your prayers marked by holy violence? Which of Watson’s points...

It is our responsibility as parents to instruct our children how to guard against the wiles of the world while also preserving their innocence. We do our children no favor by presenting a fantasy of the world as harmless to our children. For more rooted theology for the unwithered church, visit bcnewton.co