tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297268972012-01-31T12:56:15.194-05:00Farther from the stage...further into real life.Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comBlogger1801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-33555223276876752192012-01-31T12:56:00.001-05:002012-01-31T12:56:15.211-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Fasting in Critical Situations".  Click on the title to find the audio.] Do you know the children's song "Dare to be a Daniel"?  It's a call for Christians to courageously take a stand for the Lord in any environment...especially hostile ones.  Well, after Sunday's sermon, I decided to challenge us all to "Dare to be a Mordecai."  It doesn't seem to have the

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-15981872298844665112012-01-03T10:34:00.000-05:002012-01-03T10:34:06.097-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Fasting for Deliverance."  Click on the title to find the audio.] Two days ago, our congregation began 40 days of prayer and fasting, and I started a 6-week sermon series called Portraits of Fasting.  Each week, we will look at events in Scripture where fasting takes place, examine the role of fasting, and think about its relevance for our own lives.  We

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-8216628304211590972011-11-15T14:12:00.001-05:002011-11-15T16:14:18.721-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "The Only Hope for Mankind".  Click on the title to find the audio.] Throughout the Bible, God condemns the pursuit of any other gods.  The first commandment tells that we shall have no other gods.  Now, admittedly, there aren't many physical statues of idols in our living rooms, but idols do abound in our culture.  They are primarily idols of the heart, and

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-66030380879632426032011-11-01T16:31:00.000-04:002011-11-01T16:39:47.763-04:00

[The following entry follows a sermon titled "Renewed Intimacy with God".  Click on the title to find the audio.] This last Sunday, we looked at Isaiah 42:18-44:23 in a kind of overview fashion.  If you sit down and read these chapters, you will get a sneaking suspicion that certain themes seem to show up more than once.  Thanks to Alec Motyer's commentary on Isaiah, my hunch that themes were

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-2287057077827653052011-10-25T17:22:00.000-04:002011-10-25T17:22:12.914-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon called "From Fear to Security".  Click on the title to find the audio.] As we looked at Isaiah 41:1-42:17, we found that the prophet predicts the coming of a new world power and the fear that will result (41:2-4).  This strikes fear into the hearts of men and women, which leads them into an idolatry that God confronts.  Fear is a common experience in life...an

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-57464372320282668372011-10-19T00:28:00.000-04:002011-10-19T00:28:55.963-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon called "Revive Us O Lord". Click on the title to find the audio.] This past Sunday, our congregation focused on this statement, in light of the message of Psalm 85: We cannot plan revival, but we should plead for revival and believe God will answer. Feeling stale can be the experience of an individual Christian, and it can be the experience of an entire

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-61211370171984632692011-09-27T09:12:00.002-04:002011-09-27T09:12:25.630-04:00

The Secret to True Christian Living When we Christians are convicted in our hearts about living more completely for Christ or forsaking sin, our usual response is to determine that we will try harder.  So we exert our will power to be kinder, or more patient, or more devoted to Christ.  Or we resolve that no longer will we give in to some particular temptation.  We will be what God wants

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-13879056690682176782011-09-20T18:24:00.002-04:002011-09-20T18:24:49.545-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Can I Really Trust God?"  Click here to find the audio.] The Stepford Children was a made-for-TV movie aired by NBC in 1987, and it was a sequel to the 1975 film The Stepford Wives, which was remade in the last decade (I haven't seen these movies either, but stick with me...I'm going somewhere). In The Stepford Wives, men essentially turn their wives into

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-74669779440747293452011-09-14T09:25:00.000-04:002011-09-14T09:25:13.988-04:00

[This post follows a sermon titled "A Word Fitly Spoken".  Click on the title to find the audio.] Jay Adams has written a little booklet called "What Do You Do When Your Marriage Goes Sour?"  Among the things written about in this helpful booklet, Adams addresses the issue of forgiveness.  He says that, fundamentally speaking, forgiveness is a promise...a threefold promise. He writes, "When you

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-35049156454738987992011-09-06T17:20:00.001-04:002011-09-06T17:20:53.213-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Learning from a King's Sickness".  Click on the title to find the audio.] Do you know what "karma" is?  Found primarily in Hinduism and Buddhism, karma is the idea that one brings on himself either good or bad experiences through previous good/bad behavior, respectively.  It's the notion behind the popular TV sitcom My Name is Earl.  The main character, Earl,

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-21662287142673976022011-08-30T16:23:00.000-04:002011-08-30T16:23:46.885-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Where if Your Trust?"  Click on the title to find the audio.] In Isaiah 36, the impending attack of the Assyrians on the city of Jerusalem brings Hezekiah to his knees...quite literally.  Repentant and knowing his need of the Lord, Hezekiah prays in Isaiah 37:16-20 concerning the Assyrian threat and taunts.  Then, in verses 21-22, God responds to the prayer

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-15025574559395474352011-08-08T16:17:00.001-04:002011-08-08T16:17:59.141-04:00

[This post follows a sermon called "A Model for the Church".  Click the title to find the audio.] This past Sunday, we looked at a familiar passage of Scripture when it comes to the life of the early church.  In Acts 2:42-47, we see a kind of model for the church...an ideal for which we can all strive.  No...the early church was not perfect.  After all, they had to deal with sin (Acts 5:1-11),

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-54237262589901426872011-07-26T16:22:00.000-04:002011-07-26T16:22:11.189-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Jesus and the Church".  Click on the title to find the audio, or search "Gray Road Baptist Church" on iTunes.] This last Sunday, we started a four-week sermon series called Church Matters.  We're not just doing this short series to talk about church matters but to remember that the church matters.  This first Sunday, we looked at the identity of Jesus in

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-13730351439435009352011-07-19T20:04:00.001-04:002011-07-19T20:22:07.783-04:00

[This entry follow a sermon titled "Straightening Out Distorted Views of God".  Click the title to find the audio.] Isaiah 34 and 35 paint two very different pictures, yet they are one cohesive picture.  The judgment of God (ch. 34) and the grace of God (ch. 35) go hand in hand.  They rise or fall together.  We cannot dismiss either and maintain a biblical view of God. In the midst of the

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-32416040169944757422011-07-05T17:10:00.000-04:002011-07-05T17:10:15.439-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon called "Trust and Obey".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] Blogs are often used as a soap box of one kind or another.  In the subcategory of 'blogs written by Christians,' it is no different.  It's not unusual to find a man or woman railing against one thing or another in culture or even in the church.  Recently, I was interested to hear Tim Keller comment

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-45377568740865726942011-06-28T17:15:00.000-04:002011-06-28T17:15:14.154-04:00

[This email follows a sermon called "Evaluating Religion".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] For several decades now, "worship wars" have been taking place.  What is a worship war?  Well, in terms of the American church, a worship war is a battle over what style of music will be used in any given congregation.  Let's just call them cultural worship wars, since that's what they really

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-72688015338929400082011-06-21T20:09:00.000-04:002011-06-21T20:09:56.481-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon called "A Sure Foundation".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] This last Sunday, we worked our way through Isaiah 28 and found several things that are uncertain foundations for life.  One of these was political stability, and the way the people of Judah were seeking to keep their stability was through a treaty with Egypt.  Assyria was breathing down their

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-73005399709614183722011-06-14T17:16:00.000-04:002011-06-14T17:16:47.519-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "God's Message for the World".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] The oracles found in Isaiah 13-23 are weighty words. They are called ‘burdens’ in the King James Version, and when one reads through them, we understand why. The writer to the Hebrews wrote, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (10:31), and considering the

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-66073198191047117372011-06-07T17:14:00.002-04:002011-06-07T17:20:13.666-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Here I Am to Worship".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] "Worship is recognizing the supreme value in God, such that one's life is consumed with knowing, exalting, and enjoying Him."  This was the definition of worship I gave on Sunday morning.  It's actually an edited definition I heard many years ago, the origin of which I do not know.  In

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-39027653473974256202011-05-31T15:36:00.002-04:002011-05-31T15:50:20.822-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Living in a Perfect World".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] I realize that 'diversity' is a popular word in our society, and it usually refers to the virtue of variety among the people in a society, whether it is ethnic, racial, cultural, linguistic, or religious diversity.  I agree that the flavor of a society is enhanced by diversity, though my

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-25231981382926463832011-05-24T10:10:00.000-04:002011-05-24T10:10:18.245-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon called "Pride and Faith: Polar Opposites".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] Generally speaking, Charles Spurgeon was not a preacher who systematically worked his way through books of the Bible.  He didn't preach through Romans, then Job, and on and on.  He selected texts from week to week.  In fact, Iain Murray once said that Spurgeon had to have a text '

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-2858475552422535682011-05-10T22:31:00.000-04:002011-05-10T22:31:19.814-04:00

This week's entry was contributed by Chad McFadden.  I hope you will read and be encouraged by his words. “Your life may be the only Bible that some people will read.” This statement has always bothered me. Maybe it is because it is often used as a sort of cop out of engaging an unbeliever with the truths of God’s Word. Maybe it is because I live in America where the Bible is always the number

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-31526504808962085082011-05-03T16:41:00.002-04:002011-05-03T17:23:54.876-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon called "Do Not Be Conformed To This World, Part 2".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] Once I heard the news of the death of Osama bin Laden, I was quite certain that the first sentence of this week's blog entry would read, "I am going to veer off my normal course of gaining my topic from Sunday's sermon due to the news of Osama bin Laden's death."  Yet,

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-66747370040265004302011-04-26T17:16:00.001-04:002011-04-26T17:17:15.510-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon called "The Gospel Concerning Jesus Christ our Lord".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] The Bible is a book about Jesus.  It is all meant either to point us to the person and work of Jesus Christ or to explain how we should live in light of the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Yet, whether it leads us to Him or follows on from Him, the Bible is a book

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-71493865940727418062011-04-12T18:19:00.000-04:002011-04-12T18:19:15.221-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "A King Stands at a Crossroads".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] Several months ago, our congregation studied through the doctrine of the Word of God on Wednesday nights.  I was helped in leading that study by some chapters in Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology...a book I highly recommend.  I am going to write about the authority of God's Word,

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-79832556367977580902011-04-05T17:29:00.001-04:002011-04-05T17:31:01.379-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "The Sinner Becomes God's Spokesman".  Click on the title to listen to the audio.] I still remember that November afternoon in 1999, though I cannot now remember the exact date.  If I cheat and google "1999 Calendar" to make a guess, I would say it was November 7, but that is neither here nor there.  This special service started at 4 PM, exactly one hour after

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-17799088230970348052011-03-26T14:01:00.001-04:002011-03-26T14:19:33.421-04:00

[This entry is a response to an editoral written in the Indianapolis Star on Saturday, March 26, 2011.  It was written by Andy Burnette, pastor of Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Danville, IN, and is called "Use history of faith to stand up for rights."] Dear Mr. Burnette, I read your editorial piece in today’s edition of the Indianapolis Star (Saturday, March 26, 2011). I am writing

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-23536381167640896222011-03-20T19:51:00.005-04:002011-03-22T21:07:38.296-04:00

[The following entry follows a sermon titled "God's Grapes of Wrath". Click on the title to listen to the audio.] Today at Gray Road, we worked our way through Isaiah 5. It is a devastating picture of the trampling of God's kindness and the certainty of God's wrath. In verse 25, Isaiah proclaims, "Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-84059647872347275452011-03-16T08:59:00.003-04:002011-03-22T21:16:34.898-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Go Rest High On That Mountain". Click on the title to listen to the audio.] First...let me give a quick recap of what is happening in Isaiah 2-4. These chapters display a glorious future, a sinful present, and a gracious way forward. God will bring all His purposes to fulfillment, and this will mean that His people will live in perfect peace with Him and with

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-86902837788709580092011-03-08T17:54:00.003-05:002011-03-22T21:17:34.584-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled “Rebellious Children and a Responsive Father”. Click on the title to listen to the audio.] In the opening chapter of Isaiah, God lays out a convincing case against His people. They are a “sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, [and] children who deal corruptly” (v. 4). Their persistent rebellion against God has broken their

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-17851485813474130692011-02-22T10:52:00.003-05:002011-02-22T12:51:05.510-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached by John Tierney. It is titled "Doers of the Word," and the audio is available here.]James 1:21-25 is clear. The fate of those who only hear God's Word without doing is self-delusion. As I listened to John preach Sunday, I appreciated the picture of a tourist...it is spot on for this passage. The "hearer only" may take marvelous tours through Bible study

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-36585396808125544612011-02-15T16:43:00.004-05:002011-02-15T17:19:22.808-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "My Hope and His Strength." It was preached by Kevin Shingleton, and you can click here to listen to the audio.]From Isaiah 40:28-31, we see that God "gives power to the faint" and "increases strength" for those who are weak. These are tremendous promises for us, as we are continually faced with situations in which our weakness is revealed. Yet, this is not a

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-73410410333539596962011-02-01T13:53:00.007-05:002011-02-01T15:51:51.725-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Up from the Grave He Arose". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]The title of this week's entry is a quote from John Owen, who wrote a magnificent work on spiritual growth titled Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers. It's included in an edition of Owen's works called Overcoming Sin and Temptation, edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor. Now,

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-31847372155757655002011-01-18T09:09:00.005-05:002011-01-18T15:45:04.389-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled 'The Wonder of the Cross'. Click on the title to listen to the audio.]Mark 15:33-39 give us Mark's account of the events of the crucifixion. Mark focuses his account on the darkness which covered the land and the tearing of the temple curtain. These two things correspond with the message of the cross, which is that Jesus Christ suffered under the wrath of

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-15855589503299038132011-01-06T10:45:00.002-05:002011-01-06T10:46:55.415-05:00

Psalm 127:3a - "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord..."Do you know what a mantra is? It’s a form of prayer associated with Hinduism. These prayers are spoken repetitiously in the hopes that the power of repetition will mystically bring about the granting of the person’s prayers. One popular example of a mantra, though it’s not exactly a Hindu prayer, is at the end of The Wizard of Oz.

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-60529938652289525932011-01-03T14:31:00.003-05:002011-01-03T15:46:15.752-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church titled "The Irony of the Crucifixion." Click here to listen to the audio.]Charles Sheldon wrote a book published in 1896 under the title In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? It is the story of a pastor who meets a destitute man and then challenges his congregation to take a one-year challenge. This challenge was to not do anything

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-77200119806800973732010-12-14T09:12:00.003-05:002010-12-14T12:24:16.264-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church titled "In Christ Alone". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]Mark 14:27-52 contains a dramatic series of events. Having finished giving the full interpretation of the Passover meal...namely that the bread is His body and the cup holds His blood...Jesus takes His disciples toward the Mount of Olives. Moving through these

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-71651878718172540772010-11-29T17:39:00.003-05:002010-11-29T17:42:01.453-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached by Glen Lockwood titled "Jesus Christ, Our Passover." Click on the title to listen to the audio.]Today's blog entry was contributed by Glen Lockwood, who preached the sermon the entry follows. Read, and be encouraged.This past week as I was preparing the sermon for yesterday, I couldn’t help but be impressed again by the richness of the Old Testament. The New

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-86522795848813381972010-11-23T21:19:00.003-05:002010-11-23T22:50:47.624-05:00

[The sermon associated with this entry is "Is It Waste or Is It Worship?" Click on the title to listen to the audio.]In Mark 14:1-11, we read an account of what set out to be an ordinary dinner party. However, things changed when a woman's purse opened, and an alabaster flask full of expensive perfume was pulled out. The crash of the breaking flask gave away to the overwhelming scent of its

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-67443765999463748772010-11-18T10:00:00.000-05:002010-11-18T10:00:06.816-05:00

As I read this week's chapter, my most striking takeaway centers on a sentence found on page 124: "What amazes us is justice, not grace." This is absolutely true. It wasn't until I was in seminary that God began to show me the folly of asking, "Why doesn't God save everyone?" it was then, as I was immersed in my studies, that I came to ask, "Why does God save anyone?" I was part of that group

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-51465726336034645452010-11-16T19:16:00.002-05:002010-11-16T20:22:30.389-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, titled "Living with the End in Mind". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]In Mark 13, Jesus speaks about two ends...the end of the temple, and the end of the age. His prophecy would be fulfilled about 4 decades after His death and resurrection, as the Romans finish a prolonged siege on the city of Jerusalem by destroying

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-11285253440326131792010-11-11T16:32:00.002-05:002010-11-11T16:55:38.440-05:00

As I began this chapter of Sproul's book, I was hoping for a rebound from what I saw as an Of Mice and Men fiasco. I was met with a chapter that I truly appreciated. I have never read a biography of Luther, and so I found the narrative of his story fascinating. After all, it's good and comforting to know that flatulence even plagues monks. I'm not sure about recommending it to my congregation

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-34250373154640416792010-11-08T15:19:00.012-05:002010-11-08T16:12:02.693-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, titled "Important Questions About Orphan Care". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]Yesterday was Orphan Sunday, so it was appropriate to preach on orphan care. In two weeks, the congregation I serve will be taking a special offering, part of which will be used to begin intentionally promoting and supporting orphan care. So

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-7434381145032596382010-11-04T09:40:00.003-04:002010-11-04T10:07:04.627-04:00

I have to make a confession right out of the gate...my engagement with the chapter began to fade once Sproul began to relay the plot of Of Mice and Men. I understood the point of all of it...it just didn't strike me like I think it was designed to do. Maybe it was the length of the illustration...I don't know. That was one drawback of the chapter. [My desire is to stay humble in giving even

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-37805633890408430952010-11-02T10:33:00.005-04:002010-11-02T17:06:50.795-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church called "A Tale of Two Religions". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]While our study this past Sunday was on Mark 12:35-44, I would like to focus on the last four verses. Here, there is a distinction drawn between the rich people and the poor widow. It is a stark contrast. Jesus has just finished condemning the superficial,

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-70430977880578224352010-10-28T10:00:00.001-04:002010-10-28T10:00:09.629-04:00

Two things stand out from reading chapter 3 of R.C. Sproul's The Holiness of God this week. The first was the helpful reminder that the holiness of God is not simply one among many of His attributes...it is the defining characteristic of who He is. Sproul writes, "The tendency is to add the idea of holy to this long list of attributes as one attribute among many. But when the word 'holy' is

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-48304838344022174002010-10-25T12:32:00.007-04:002010-10-25T15:40:24.485-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, titled "The Insufficiency of Intellect". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]In Mark 12:28-34, we see a scribe coming to Jesus to have his question answered. Discussions about weightier and lighter matters of the law was familiar among teachers of the law. My guess is that if you were a fly on the wall of a first-century

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-50958399033659633142010-10-21T14:44:00.002-04:002010-10-21T15:04:16.546-04:00

I read chapter 2 from R.C. Sproul's The Holiness of God this week, and it was pretty amazing. It focused on Isaiah's vision and calling in Isaiah 6, and though I have been gripped in the past by reading the text and hearing sermons on it, I was gripped once again as I read this chapter. To begin on a light note, it was good to see that I have something in common with R.C. Sproul. I, too, make

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-27516869173496408112010-10-18T17:51:00.002-04:002010-10-18T17:57:15.756-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached by John Tierney at Gray Road Baptist Church, titled "Why Do Bad Things Happen...?"]Today's blog has been written by John Tierney, who preached in my place during yesterday's service. John writes:On an otherwise non-descript day, Moses saw a bush that was burning, but wasn’t burning. In the ensuing encounter with God, he learned that he would be going before

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-85334906278619537652010-10-14T11:29:00.003-04:002010-10-14T11:53:57.460-04:00

For the next several weeks, I will be reading The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul, one chapter a week. I am doing so as part of Tim Challies' group: Reading Classics Together. If you're interested in joining us on the journey, just go to www.challies.com. This Thursday blog will be my comments and reflections following each chapter.Chapter 1 of this modern classic begins with a biographical

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-54875123978131313252010-10-12T09:33:00.005-04:002010-10-12T11:36:44.720-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church: "Jesus Answers a Theological Riddle". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]In Mark 12:18-27, the Sadducees approach Jesus with something of a theological riddle...a question that is meant to stump Him and discredit Him as a teacher. Thinking about the question as a riddle throws my mind to old Batman episodes in which the

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-58719768618358520852010-10-05T11:31:00.003-04:002010-10-05T16:05:05.580-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, titled "Jesus Escapes a Political Trap". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]As we read Jesus' interaction with the Pharisees and Herodians in Mark 12, we hear the Lord say, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (v. 17). In the political climate of Jesus' day, there was an

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-22599015115015012462010-09-28T10:26:00.003-04:002010-09-28T12:08:03.083-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church. The title is "Why We Speak to Nations", and you can find the audio by clicking on the title.]This past weekend, our congregation had a missions conference. Missionaries gave testimonies about work being done in Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Chile, South Africa, and here in Indianapolis. We had the opportunity to be encouraged

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-83085676880767599872010-09-21T13:53:00.003-04:002010-09-21T15:16:30.507-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, titled "Jesus' Authority Rejected". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]The two sentences that grounded our study of Mark 11:27-12:12 are these: (1) Jesus' authority is rejected by men. (2) Those who reject Jesus' authority will be rejected by God. This is what we see in the religious leaders confrontation of Jesus. In

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-72650953467792553752010-09-13T19:18:00.002-04:002010-09-13T19:27:51.359-04:00

[The following entry follows a sermon preached by Glen Lockwood at Gray Road Baptist Church. It's called "Powerful Prayer", and you can click on the title to listen to the audio.]This week's blog entry was written by Pastor Glen Lockwood. Pastor Lockwood wrote the following words:In my mind, the greatest illustration of persistent, persevering prayer in the Bible is the story of Daniel’s praying

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-57633532589220566162010-09-07T12:04:00.007-04:002010-09-07T16:00:21.125-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, titled "Jesus and Authority." Click on the title to listen to the audio.]There is a commercial on the USA network in which different actors from various shows say something unique about themselves. Things like "I am Irish," "I am an adoptive father," "I am an olive-skinned fellow," etc., fill this one-minute ad, which is meant

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-61374257373472589572010-08-31T10:40:00.004-04:002010-08-31T11:41:49.821-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church by the title "The Beginning of the End". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey marks the beginning of the end of His earthly ministry. He purposely declares Himself to be the Messiah through His method of entrance, and He receives the honor due to the Messiah through

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-37630460717435392492010-08-24T10:51:00.002-04:002010-08-24T11:47:49.091-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, titled "The Blind and the Blind". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]Throughout the book of Mark, we see the blind. We see blind crowds, blind religious leaders, and blind disciples. Oh, these people can see their surroundings just fine, but they are blind to the person and work of Jesus. The Bible says that one of the

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-40798854555234069512010-08-17T10:54:00.002-04:002010-08-17T10:58:47.276-04:00

[The following entry follows a sermon preached by Steve Smith at Gray Road Baptist Church. The title is "Christian Living: Explained and Exemplified", and you can click on the title to listen to the audio.]This week's blog entry has been written by my ministry colleague at Gray Road...Steve Smith. He preached in my place and has written the following encouraging words for us to consider.Hello

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-81642988479928393022010-08-02T10:42:00.006-04:002010-08-02T14:25:27.236-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, titled "Jesus and Children". Click on the title to listen to or download the audio.]No, this is not a blog entry centered around Don Henley's politically-driven song from 1989. I'm not going to spend time analyzing the lyrics or speaking to his reversal of the wording of Isaiah 2:4. I'll leave that to you, especially since you may

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-81335197013096839292010-07-26T20:23:00.003-04:002010-07-26T22:34:20.091-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church titled "Jesus and Marriage". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]We interrupt this blog entry to bring you the following two book recommendations. The first is John Piper's This Momentary Marriage. This book helps set the foundation of marriage from a biblical perspective, and it does so in a very practical way. Second

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-15370525302251326232010-07-19T20:53:00.004-04:002010-07-19T21:51:33.481-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church titled "Greatness as a Disciple of Jesus, Part 2". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]When we read Mark 9:43-50, there is no doubt that Jesus wants His disciples to pursue holiness. They must identify those things which cause them to stumble or sin, they must take radical action to remove such sin from their lives, or they

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-39749575525840838662010-07-12T22:53:00.004-04:002010-07-12T23:51:20.988-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church titled "Greatness as a Disciple of Jesus". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]The gospel of Mark points us to "Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (1:1). In the first 7 1/2 chapters, we see mounting evidence of Christ's power over nature, demons, disease, and death. In chapters 8, 9, and 10, we see Jesus turn to His disciples and

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-68445952953747865442010-07-05T16:05:00.005-04:002010-07-05T17:07:40.522-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Hope for the Hopeless." Click on the title to listen to the audio.]Jesus is the only hope for the hopeless. The Scripture reveals a desperately sinful humanity with no hope of standing justified before a holy God. It is in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, God has all that is necessary so that all who believe in Christ are justified and have peace

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-85590830596479956572010-06-28T11:58:00.005-04:002010-06-28T13:43:17.373-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, titled "A Glimpse of Jesus' Glory." Click on the title to listen to the audio.]In Mark 9, we read of Jesus' transfiguration before Peter, James, and John. In this moment of revelation, three disciples get to see the kingly splendor...the majesty...the glory of Jesus. This is unlike the glory that one might associate with an

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-75304018037823223962010-06-21T10:25:00.005-04:002010-06-21T13:53:27.704-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church. The title is "Jesus Defines Discipleship", and you can get the audio by clicking on the title.]One of the great benefits of preaching, teaching, or studying your way through a book of the Bible is that you get to deal with every passage in that book. One of the challenges of this same approach is that you have to deal with every

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-80363587338204587582010-06-14T09:40:00.005-04:002010-06-14T13:39:07.048-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, entitled "Turning Toward the Cross". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]In Mark 8:22-33, we see progression in the work of God. In the encounter with the blind man (v. 22-26), we see that Jesus progressively heals him, laying hands on him twice. Then, we see that this healing was like a visible parable as the passage

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-2358094237995302562010-06-08T00:10:00.002-04:002010-06-08T01:05:44.594-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church entitled "Jesus Cares for Dogs and Deaf Men". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]As I continue to think more about the deaf man in Mark 7, I cannot help but think more about the power of God in evangelism. I know that, at first glance, these two things may not seem to be connected in any way, but let's meditate on it a

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-33841063168166001272010-05-31T13:05:00.007-04:002010-05-31T16:09:19.303-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, entitled "Beware of Following in the Pharisees' Footsteps". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]As we study passages about the Pharisees and their errors, it is wise to take a long look at ourselves to consider ways in which we may be like them. In Mark 7, we see that the Pharisees were a deceived bunch. Though they were

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-58234805980299523492010-05-24T20:45:00.002-04:002010-05-24T21:29:40.400-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church entitled "The Men Who Missed the Meaning of the Miracles". Click on the title to get the audio.]If you follow the disciples through the gospel of Mark, you will see that the author is constantly reminding you of their inability to fully comprehend the identity of Jesus. This is very clear in Mark 6:45-52 and 8:1-21. After two

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-80461855857249461412010-05-17T17:12:00.004-04:002010-05-17T18:32:10.961-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church preached by Kevin Shingleton, entitled "The Heart of Jesus and His Ministry." Click on the title to get to the audio.]As a pastor, I don't often get to listen to live preaching. I can listen on my computer or my mp3 player, but this past week, I had the privilege of listening to lots of live preaching. I attended a conference on

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-35359643196107770082010-05-03T21:12:00.004-04:002010-05-03T22:06:45.597-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church entitled "Learning from Jesus' Interns". Click on the title to listen to the audio.]In Mark 6, Jesus sends out His apostles two by two to preach in many villages. This mission is not a break in the work He had been doing to that point. In fact, the sending of these men is an extension of His ministry. His words became their words..

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-87082813514460578752010-04-25T22:47:00.007-04:002010-04-26T11:43:38.010-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church entitled "Hard Soil in Jesus' Hometown." Click on the title to listen to the audio.]In the first six verses of Mark 6, it is clear that the people of Nazareth are familiar with Jesus. From verse 3 alone, we see three things with which they are familiar. First, they recognize that His teaching is astonishing, beyond anything they

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-64863727956596349052010-04-19T09:29:00.003-04:002010-04-19T11:47:42.814-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, entitled "Jesus: Lord Over Disease and Death." Click on the title to get the audio.]Reflecting back on the message of Mark 4:35-5:43, it is amazing to see Mark's repetitious teaching of hopelessness, Jesus' power, and faith. The men who were called to be His apostles (3:14) would eventually go out to preach two by two (6:7). To

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-87505075990770076002010-04-12T20:19:00.003-04:002010-04-12T21:22:22.070-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church entitled "Jesus: Lord Over All Demons." Click on the title to get the audio.]For anyone familiar with the contemporary Christian group Mary Mary, you'll know the song "Shackles (Praise You)." My mind often thinks in song lyrics, and after a week of studying Mark 5:1-20 about Jesus and the Gerasene demoniac, this song got stuck in

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-87869762073616574832010-04-05T10:34:00.002-04:002010-04-05T11:50:11.150-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, entitled "The Message of the Resurrection." Click on the title to get to the audio.]"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared..." (1

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-13593115524600716162010-03-29T11:04:00.006-04:002010-03-29T12:19:26.178-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, entitled "Jesus: Lord of All Nature." Click on the title to listen to the audio.]It is sometimes dangerous to become too familiar with certain texts in the Bible. I can already hear the objection: "Dangerous? How could being familiar with the Bible be dangerous?" Well, I do not mean that learning more from any given text of

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-29592097141352084682010-03-22T15:40:00.004-04:002010-03-23T08:25:07.814-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, entitled "Insight into God's Kingdom." Click on the title to get the audio.]In thinking about the teaching of Mark 4:21-34, I keep coming back to one word: kingdom. The four statements used in this sermon to summarize the text all include the word...1. The kingdom of God is revealed in Jesus Christ. (v. 21-23)2. The kingdom of God

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-88774998174742848592010-03-15T16:19:00.002-04:002010-03-15T16:58:02.150-04:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, entitled "Different Responses to the Same Jesus, Part 2." Click on the title to listen to the audio.]In thinking about the parable of the soils in Mark 4 for the last two weeks, it's been a wonderful reminder of encouraging truths. First, the gospel seed is the only seed that will produce gospel results. It seems simple, but

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-89833438582923079652010-03-08T14:49:00.002-05:002010-03-08T16:13:14.267-05:00

[These thoughts follow a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church called 'Different Responses to the Same Jesus'. Click on the title to get the audio of this message.]The parable of the soils in Mark 4:1-20 exposes an important truth for all of us who are concerned to spread the gospel. Specifically, Jesus teaches that there will be different responses to the same gospel. Far from

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-52822788951375853852010-03-01T13:25:00.003-05:002010-03-01T15:17:34.772-05:00

[These thoughts follow a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church entitled "The Family Ties of the Savior." Click on the title to find the audio of that message.]Looking at Mark 3:31-35, we see that physical family ties are not what matters in being related to Jesus. Being related to Jesus...having a vital, spiritual connection to Him...is based on how one responds to Jesus. Jesus says, in

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-34851456878104348222010-02-22T13:56:00.005-05:002010-02-22T16:31:09.210-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church entitled "Jesus: Deranged, Demonic, or Deliverer". Click on the title to find the message online.]As I think back over Mark 3:20-30, and all that was said about it in the message from yesterday, I want to take a few moments and focus on the point of the first parable Jesus tells. Jesus said, "If a kingdom is divided against itself,

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-12200519607054635212010-02-15T10:05:00.003-05:002010-02-15T10:15:45.208-05:00

[This post follows a sermon preached by Glen Lockwood at Gray Road Baptist Church, entitled "The Enemy Within." Click on the title to listen to that message.]Today's entry has been written by guest blogger, Glen Lockwood. Pastor Lockwood served Gray Road Baptist Church for 25 years, and he continues to be a blessing to our congregation. Here are his thoughts after yesterday's service:As I

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-39844058156067941712010-02-08T01:30:00.000-05:002010-02-08T01:30:00.298-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church, entitled "Taking Jesus On His Terms." Click on the title to listen to the message.]Tonight, I began a five-day Biblical Counseling Training Conference (BCTC). I am excited about what the next five days will bring. They will be long, but I'm sure they will also be profitable. The conference is hosted by Faith Baptist Church in

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-23623658573878229672010-02-01T15:38:00.002-05:002010-02-01T16:25:58.545-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church entitled, "The Lord of the Sabbath, Part II." Click on the title if you'd like to listen to that message from Mark 2:23-3:6.]The Bible has a lot to say about pride...more than I could possibly cover in one blog entry. However, let me roll out a short list of texts that address this sin...this vice.1. "It is better to be of a

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-11315119700748543432010-01-27T11:28:00.002-05:002010-01-27T12:02:11.311-05:00

Sometimes, our minds make unusual connections, jumping from one memory to another until we finaly arrive at something. If we do this in conversation, it often comes out as a random change of subject to a totally unrelated topic. This morning, my memory took me on a musical journey back to my senior year of high school, in the spring, on my grandmother's carport. We call her JoJo, and we'll get to

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-86674460206016649932010-01-25T10:59:00.004-05:002010-01-25T14:18:53.080-05:00

[These thoughts follow a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church. If you would like to listen to that message, just click on "The Lord of the Sabbath, Part I".]In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was a day that was set apart from the rest of the week. It was enjoyed by God in creation and commanded for God's people to remember. I will not take the time to reiterate all that background

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-41416838911606393632010-01-18T11:35:00.004-05:002010-01-18T16:00:04.950-05:00

[These thoughts follows the sermon, "Out with the Old, In with the New". If you'd like to listen to that sermon, just click on the title.]"No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins - and the wine is

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-314887350204571112010-01-11T12:02:00.003-05:002010-01-11T13:25:01.494-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church. To find and listen to "The Divine Dinner Party," click here.]Mark 2:17: "And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.'"These are incredible words spoken by the Lord Jesus. Looking into the eyes of those who

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-55693800702343880462010-01-04T11:45:00.004-05:002010-01-04T12:47:15.272-05:00

[This entry follows a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church. If you would like to listen to that message, click here and find the sermon entitled "Who Has the Authority to Forgive?"]Have you ever heard someone say this?..."God has forgiven you. Others have forgiven you. What you need is to forgive yourself!" Go back, read it again...what do you think about that statement? It is a

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-86222111413324556602009-12-29T11:53:00.002-05:002009-12-29T12:01:10.353-05:00

BY GUEST BLOGGER, STEVE SMITH[This entry follows a sermon preached by Steve Smith at Gray Road Baptist Church.]For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God was with me.

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-18715962523947497592009-12-20T22:07:00.006-05:002009-12-21T11:51:13.670-05:00

[These thoughts follow a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church. If you would like to listen to that message, just click here and listen to "Christmas According to Micah."]"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-7163201160184048422009-12-14T09:30:00.006-05:002009-12-14T10:26:59.247-05:00

[These thoughts follow a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church called"The Healing Hand of Jesus". If you would like to listen to that message, just click here.]Almost two years ago, I got on a plane and traveled to Liberia, West Africa, in order to obtain a visa for my newly adopted daughter, Georgia, and bring her home. Before leaving for 3 1/2 weeks, I wrote a prayer/devotional guide

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-46936401543643515392009-12-07T10:08:00.006-05:002009-12-07T13:26:25.695-05:00

[These thoughts follow a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church. If you would like to listen to that message, just click here.]Today, as I reflect on Mark 1:29-39, I can't help but continue to dwell on the fact that Jesus' priority in His routine ministry was preaching. I must confess...I may be dwelling there because preaching is a big portion of what God has called me to do. While I

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-70747971653057959722009-11-30T08:48:00.006-05:002009-11-30T12:47:26.238-05:00

[These thoughts follow a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church. If you would like to listen to that message, just click here.]Before we begin, it would be helpful to read Ephesians 6:10-20. Click here to read it if you don't have a Bible handy. (By the way, I have been greatly blessed and helped by the British pastor Derek Prime in this text, and if you are familiar with him, don't be

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-31901198382244184602009-11-23T08:00:00.001-05:002009-11-23T08:00:03.185-05:00

(For those who do not attend Gray Road Baptist Church but follow this blog, my family and I were blessed to receive a card shower from our congregation yesterday...November 22, 2009. This letter is a response to those gifts.)Dear Gray Road Baptist Church,Yesterday, I held a microphone at our Praise Offering banquet and thanked you for the card shower which was presented to me and my family. Now

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-24289566907677659562009-11-16T10:09:00.002-05:002009-11-16T11:44:35.529-05:00

To listen to yesterday's sermon, just click on http://www.grayroad.com/index.cfm/pageid/723 and then select the sermon entitles "What Does the Temptation of Jesus Reveal?" In our study of Mark 1:12-13, we learned that Jesus is the submissive, sinless, successful Savior. Mark wants us to know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (1:1), and Jesus' temptation reveals just that.Our primary

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-48336842918891646452009-11-13T07:30:00.001-05:002009-11-13T07:30:00.291-05:00

Below are the last four reasons for the importance of the trinity, taken from chapter 1 of Dr. Bruce Ware's book...Father, Son, & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance. The six reasons previously posted are stated without the extra thoughts, and then the last four have been added (each with part of Dr. Ware's elaboration of the reason).TEN REASONS TO FOCUS ON THE WONDER OF THE TRINITY1

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-10177395341033185842009-11-11T07:30:00.000-05:002009-11-11T07:30:01.315-05:00

As promised, here are some more reasons for the importance of the trinity, taken from chapter 1 of Dr. Bruce Ware's book...Father, Son, & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance. The first three reasons are stated without the extra thoughts, and then three more have been added (each with part of Dr. Ware's elaboration of the reason).TEN REASONS TO FOCUS ON THE WONDER OF THE TRINITY1.

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29726897.post-85145313149380388952009-11-08T22:50:00.000-05:002009-11-08T22:52:58.276-05:00

Additional thoughts on Mark 1:9-11. (These thoughts follow a sermon preached at Gray Road Baptist Church. If you would like to listen, just go to the sermons page (http://www.grayroad.com/index.cfm/pageid/723) and the title is "The Identity of Jesus")"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw

Toby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244489295902919877noreply@blogger.com