Author: Pastor Rich Lusk
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1 Samuel 26 Sermon Follow-up: Sanctified Swagger
1 Samuel 26 is a story of sanctified swagger. Women often doubt such a thing exists, but most men know it does. What happens in 1 Samuel 26? David takes Abishai with him into the heart of Saul’s camp. They’re outnumbered 3000 to 2. David is a total underdog. But he knows God loves the…
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The Meaning of Old Covenant Circumcision
What was the meaning of circumcision in the Abrahamic covenant? Remember the context in which circumcision was instituted: right after Abraham tried to produce the promised seed in his own strength with Hagar. The sequence of Gen. 15-16-17 is critical. Abraham is given the promise of the seed (chapter 15). But then he tried to…
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Lessons from Judges 11
In Judges 11, Jephthah had been tasked with leading his people and defending them from the Ammonites. At first he seeks a diplomatic solution. But it quickly becomes apparent there will be no peaceful resolution to the conflict. The king of Ammon responds to Jepthah by making a false accusation about Israel’s history – he…
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Letters to Young Adults
A letter written to a young woman and a young man, as they enter into adulthood: — Letter to a young woman: Dear E, While we don’t live close by where we have the privilege of seeing you growing up, we know your family and we know what your parents’ hopes and expectations for you…
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Psalm 110 and Priestly Warfare
By time we reach the end of psalm Psalm 110, the dead bodies are piling up. In verse 1, Christ’s enemies are made into a footstool for his feet. In verse 2, he rules in the midst of his enemies — and has a scepter to smite them. In verse 5, he shatters kings in the…
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JBJ on Future Expectations and Present Duties
The future, though, cannot be envisioned. It is no good if we all join the neo-Puritans, or the Reconstructionists, or the renewed Orthodox, or the discipleship Charismatics. God has taken hold of Christendom and He has torn it apart. He intends to put it back together again in a new Kingdom Establishment. We cannot advance…
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Aquinas on Double-Signification
Aquinas on biblical interpretation: “[T]he author of Holy Scripture is God, in whose power it is to signify his meaning, not by words only (as man also can do) but also by things themselves. So whereas in every other science things are signified by words, this science has the property that the things signified by…
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Inescapable Deaconesses
Deaconesses are inescapable. Every healthy church has deaconesses, whether they call them that or not, whether the recognize them or not, whether they organize them as such or not. Every healthy church has older women who teach and counsel younger women, per Titus 2 – a ministry of women to women. Every healthy church has…
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Why the Feminists Can Never Win: Progressivism’s War with Reality
One of the problems with feminism is that its stated goals are impossible to achieve. They conflict with reality. Take Emma Watson‘s definition of feminism: “For the record, feminism by definition is: ‘The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic, and social…
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Preaching the Extremes
Preachers need to preach the extremes. (HT: Rob Rayburn) When preaching free grace, make it as radically free as you can make it. Make grace amazing, astonishing, marvelous. Pour on the love and mercy. Give them comfort and consolation. Give them peace and assurance. When preaching human responsibility and obedience, ratchet it up as much…
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