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RTS 2024 Generosity Report

Many of our Reformed Theological Seminary friends and supporters have probably been receiving the RTS 2024 Generosity Report that was just recently mailed out. It is a testimony to God’s generous provision and to the faithful, sacrificial giving of thousands of our partners. We give thanks for what the Lord has supplied, what he has enabled us to do, and indeed what he has given us the privilege to do for him, for the church, this last year. Below are just a few of the highlights. In 2024, RTS donors contributed $12.9 million to RTS, supporting 2,038 students, and enabling them to take…

Seven Miles with Jesus

The Lord's Day Morning “Seven Miles with Jesus” Luke 24:13-27 January 8, 2012 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 24. We’ll begin today in the thirteenth verse. The story of the disciples walking to their homes in Emmaus is one of the great resurrection stories. Of the eleven resurrection stories, none is greater than this one. Luke alone recounts this story. We learn it from the good doctor as he tells us about these disciples who were almost inconsolable in their grief after the crucifixion and death and burial of Jesus Christ. And as they’re walking slowly on their way to the hometown of Emmaus, they are met by the risen Savior on that first Lord's Day. And what infuses is one of the great…

Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem

Turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 122. This psalm is well-known to us because I think all, or at least most of us, love it when Bill Wymond and Connie Wadsworth and the choir sing that beautiful excerpt from C. Hubert Parry's, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD!’” as the choral introit on Sunday mornings here at First Presbyterian Church. It's my favorite introit of all time. I could listen to it multiple times every day and never get tired of it. And so parts of this psalm we know by heart, maybe because of that. For those of us who grew up in the south, we may also know this psalm for another reason. Since the formation of the nation-state of Israel in 1948, our dispensational friends have very often produced bumper stickers and…

Perplexed, Frightened, Incredulous Marveling!

The Lord's Day Morning January 1, 2012 “Perplexed. Frightened. Incredulous…Marveling!” Luke 24:1-12 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to the gospel of Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter. Today, on the first Lord's Day of the new year, we come to the last chapter of the gospel of Luke. We've been in Luke for a couple of years now and now for a few more weeks we’ll be in this gospel. And it's so encouraging to be thinking with Luke about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on the first day of a new year. I want you to be on the lookout for a number of things in the reading as we look at Luke 24:1-12. First of all, notice how Luke draws your attention to the reaction of the women and the…

John – On Christmas

The Lord's Day Morning December 25, 2011 “John — On Christmas” John 1:1-14 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to the gospel of John. We’ll be looking at John 1 verses 1 to 14 this morning. John does not begin his gospel with an account of the nativity of Christ. You’ll find accounts of Jesus’ birth and the events surrounding that birth in Matthew and in Luke but not in John. John does not begin his gospel with a…

Called to Serving and Shepherding

The Lord's Day Evening December 4, 2011 “Called to Serving and Shepherding” Acts 6:1-6; 1 Peter 5:1-4 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III As the children make their way to their classes, let me invite you to take your Bibles in hand and I'd like you to keep your bulletin close by as well and have it open to the section which is marked, “Guide to the Evening Service,” because during our mediation tonight I want to direct your attention to two things in that evening guide, one…

The Best Gift of Christmas

The Lord's Day Morning December 4, 2011 “The Best Gift of Christmas” Matthew 1:18-23 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to the gospel of Matthew, Matthew chapter 1. We’re going to be looking together at verses 18 to 23 today. For the last number of years we have focused on themes during December relating to the incarnation and nativity of Christ and we're going to do that again this year looking at what we're calling,…

Where Do We Look For Help?

Take your Bibles in hand and turn with me to Psalm 121. We continue our way through the songs of ascent. We said the last time, in describing the meaning of that term, that is probably refers to the pilgrims on their way from various parts of Israel ascending to Jerusalem, which is on a mountain, coming up from the valleys and the byways and the highways on their way to Jerusalem for worship at the great festival. And so these songs are pilgrim songs sung by those who are on their way to…

On The Sabbath They Rested

The Lord's Day Morning November 27, 2011 “On The Sabbath They Rested” Luke 23:50-56 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke 23. We’re going to be looking at verses 50 to 56 today, so we’ll come to the end of the chapter as we continue our way through the gospel of Luke. We've been looking at the crucifixion of Jesus and now Luke brings us to the ultimate point of Jesus’ humiliation — His burial. And he goes into…

I Cried. He Answered

If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Psalm 120. Bill Wymond and Josh Rieger and I regularly look for serviceable, metrical psalm versions that would work with tunes that are familiar to it if we don't have one in the Trinity Hymnal. And I believe — Josh, am I right? — that Bill Wymond wrote that text that we just sang tonight. We couldn't find one that really worked with the tunes that you know and so Dr. Wymond provided that. It's an excellent rendering…