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A Word about Stats for the Growth and Size of…

Ryan Burge, who is Professor of Practice at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis, and who co-authored “The Great De-churching” with Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando grads Jim Davis and Michael Graham, has released an article called “What’s Happening with America’s Seminaries?” on his Substack that has gotten a lot of attention on X. I love to read Ryan’s work. His article has tons of helpful and accurate information and analysis. What he has done is take the ATS ADT (The Association of…

Rejection

The Lord's Day Morning June 19, 2011 “Rejection” Luke 20:9-18 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 20 as we continue our way through the gospel of Luke together. Now let's look at Luke 20, verses 9 to 18. And remember, we're in the final week of Jesus’ life. This parable is told in each of the three synoptic gospels — Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record this parable. Not all of the parables that occur in each of the gospels are found in all the other gospels. The gospel writers have particular reasons for highlighting certain aspects of Jesus’ teaching. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they tell us exactly what we need to know. The fact that the Lord repeats this parable three times…

O Give Thanks Unto the Lord

If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Psalm 107 as we begin our journey through the fifth book of the Psalms together. This psalm, that begins the fifth book of the Psalter, is a call for the redeemed to give thanks. The context is the return of the people of God from exile and you see that in the very first words. The Lord has redeemed them from trouble and done what? “Gathered them in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” This is a psalm sung on the occasion of the return of the children of Israel from exile. Now this psalm is not the only psalm that addresses the issue of thanksgiving. Many, many psalms address the importance of gratitude and thankfulness in the believer's life. In fact, the psalms teach us…

In the Temple

The Lord's Day Morning June 5, 2011 “In the Temple” Luke 19:45-20:8 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke 19. We’ll begin right at the end of the chapter at verse 45 and continue on to Luke 20 verse 8. It is Monday of what we call Holy Week. On the Sunday of that week, Jesus has triumphantly entered into Jerusalem and His followers have shouted “Hosanna, to the One who comes in the name of the Lord!” as He enters in on a donkey in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. On Monday, He cleanses the temple. He casts out the money changers in the outer courts that are defiling what should be a holy place, a place of worship, what He calls here His Father's “house of prayer.” And on probably Tuesday morning,…

Kingdom Investments

The Lord's Day Morning May 8, 2011 “Kingdom Investments” Luke 19:11-27 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I would invite you to turn with me to Luke 19. We’re going to be looking at verses 11 to 27. In my old New American Standard Version this parable is called “The Parable of Money Usage.” Perhaps in the Bible that you’re looking at today it will be called “The Parable of the Ten Minas,” although some of you, your English translations may be…

Today Salvation Has Come to This House

The Lord's Day Morning May 1, 2011 “Today Salvation Has Come to This House” Luke 19:1-10 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you’d turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter 19, we are coming to a passage that is very familiar to you. Perhaps you first heard or sung about this passage in Vacation Bible School as a child if you grew up in the church. How many of you could still sing “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he”? I can. I see some hands out there. I…

The Third Day He Will Rise Again

The Lord's Day Morning April 24, 2011 “The Third Day He Will Rise Again” Luke 18:31-34 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 18. We’re going to be looking especially at verses 31 to 34. As you turn there, I'd invite you to turn back — keep your finger in Luke 18 — and turn back to Luke 9, and you’ll see why in just a moment. Keep your fingers in both places. You've figured out now why we've…

Your Faith Has Made You Well

The Lord's Day Morning April 17, 2011 “Your Faith Has Made You Well” Luke 18:35-43 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 18. We’re working our way through the gospel of Luke together and I'd like to direct your attention to verses 35 to 43. Now for those of you who are very close observers, you will be thinking to yourself, “Ligon, you are skipping some verses because the last time we finished in verse 30.…

The Poor Man (Who Thought He Was Rich)

The Lord's Day Morning April 10, 2011 “The Poor Man (Who Thought He Was Rich)” Luke 18:18-30 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 18 as we continue to make our way through the gospel of Luke together. And as you’re turning there, I want you to see a couple of things that will help you understand the context of this passage. First, there is a question that is asked at the outset of this passage by a man who is…

Entering the Kingdom of Heaven Like a Child

The Lord's Day Morning April 3, 2011 “Entering the Kingdom of Heaven Like a Child” Luke 18:15-17 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, let me invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 18. We’re continuing our way through the gospel of Luke together, and we're looking at a short passage today in verses 15 to 17. As you’re turning to that passage, let me encourage you to look at the story that immediately precedes it, which we studied together last week,…