"Read the Bible, ladies and gentlemen. It sheds great light on the commentators" ------------------------------------------------- Bob Burns. The Raw Bible.

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:25–26). Here is one of the most beautiful fruits of grace—a heart that is content, more given to worship than demand and more given to the joy of gratitude than the anxiety of want. It is grace and grace alone that can make this kind of peaceful living possible for each of us. Won’t you reach out today for that grace? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paul Tripp. Crossway Daily Devotional. July 2025

- True wisdom is rooted in the fear of God - Wisdom without humility is impossible. How can we be wise if we do not know our proper place in reality? - Wisdom is focused in and delights in worship - A wise person understands that knowledge and facts are insufficient to deal with our deepest loves. - When we find true wisdom, we find not a book, not a list of sayings, but a person, Jesus. Denis Haack. January 2025. www.sagechristianity.com.

Westminster Shorter Catechism question and answer #155: Question: How is the Word made effectual to salvation? Answer: The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of enlightening, convincing, and humbling sinners; of driving them out of themselves, and drawing them unto Christ; of conforming them to his image, and subduing them to his will; of strengthening them against temptations and corruptions; of building them up in grace, and establishing their hearts in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

“…putting your entire existence in the hands of One whom you cannot see, touch, or hear is far from natural. This is why faith [in Christ Jesus] is only ever a gift of divine grace. You and I have all the power in the world to doubt and no independent power at all to believe. So, if you are living by faith, don’t proudly pat yourself on the back as if you did something great. No, raise your eyes and your hands toward heaven and thank God for gifting you with the desire and ability to believe.” _______________________________________________________________ For further study and encouragement: Luke 7:1–17 Paul Tripp. New Morning Mercies.