Throughout this year on the White Horse Inn the hosts have been making the argument that, unlike the law, the gospel is not in us by nature but must be preached into us from the outside. This is why the proclamation of “Christ and him crucified” is the primary task of the Great Commission. But if the gospel is really to be understood as a foreign announcement, is it enough to hear about it in sermons once a week? If the law is in us by nature and our consciences regularly accuse us of sin hour by hour, shouldn’t we learn to preach the gospel to ourselves? On this edition of the program, Michael Horton discusses this issue with Joe Thorn, author of Note To Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself.
Preaching the Gospel to Yourself
Series: The Great Commission
Preaching the Gospel to Yourself
20 min
Series: The Great Commission
Preaching the Gospel to Yourself
20 min
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Series • 32 Episodes
The Great Commission
Explore AllThe Great Commission Survey
Is it more important to “be the gospel” to others, or to “preach the gospel”? To our surprise, sixty-nine percent of the Christians we polled sided with the idea of being the gospel. On this broadcast the hosts continue to interact with the results from our recent survey of Christians at a conservative Evangelical convention, […]
The Gospel Commission
On this edition of the program the hosts introduce their new theme for 2011: The Great Commission. In this important mission statement, Jesus does not begin with the imperative, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” Rather, he first tells his disciples that, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to […]
Gospel-Focused
There is a lot of talk these days about “living the gospel” or “being the gospel,” as if we ourselves are the good news. Some even say that the church is an extension of Christ’s incarnation, as if Jesus came to provide the moral example or template for us to complete. There is only one […]
The Gospel of the Kingdom
The kingdom of God can only be defined by attending closely to its unfolding in history. The reign of God takes different forms in this history, but its goal is nothing less than God’s dwelling in the midst of his people in righteousness, peace, and justice. But how does the Kingdom of God advance? What […]
Exile, Exodus, & Conquest
Starting with Matthew’s Gospel is like walking into the middle of a movie. We have to go back to the Old Testament in order to see the unfolding plot of which Jesus Christ is the main character. On this program the hosts will explore the themes of exile, exodus and conquest showing how they each […]
The Mission Statement
The Great Commission is both deep in its intensity (making disciples, not just converts) and wide in its extensiveness (“into all the world”). But even where it was once strongly preached and professed, the Gospel’s light seems today to be a flickering candle. How do we take the message of the gospel into all the […]
Is Faith in Christ Necessary?
According to a recent Pew study, 70% of Americans agreed with the idea that “many religions can lead to eternal life.” What’s more striking is that when this same question was put to self identified evangelical Christians, 57% agreed. So is this view correct, or is faith in Christ the only way to heaven? That’s […]
Abrahamic Faiths
What is the relationship between Christianity and other “Abrahamic faith traditions?” Is Abraham really the father of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, and if so, does this mean that each of these religions are legitimate ways to God? What are we to do with Abraham himself and the other Old Testament patriarchs? Since they didn’t have […]
The Strategic Plan
In the Great Commission, Jesus did not merely tell his followers to “go into all the world,” but he also gave us specific instructions for the mission of the church. He said we are to preach, baptize and make disciples. Sounds pretty simple, but are these elements high on the priority of the average Christian […]
Lost Tools of Discipleship
Jesus tells his followers to “make disciples of all nations.” But what does it mean to become a disciple, and what are today’s churches doing to fulfill this mission? Is this something for new converts only, or is it also something that we all participate in and pass on to our children? On this edition […]
Spiritual Disciplines
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Meditation as a Bridge to Prayer
Meditating upon the Law of the Lord leads us to prayer. The goal is that as you meditate, the Spirit brings conviction, thanks, praise, or some other reality up into your heart. It is with these realities in mind that you then approach God directly in prayer. In this sense, prayer is truly conversation with God, and there is much to discuss. We talk to God directly concerning the things upon which we have reflected.
Help! Saved but Still Sinning
Sanctification isn’t effortless. The act of dying to sin implies spiritual battle and life-long war against sin. Living unto righteousness implies costly, intensive labor that daily says “no” to sin and “yes” to Christlikeness. So what do we do when we fail yet again? How can we overcome feelings of failure, defeat, and self-loathing when we sin?
The Weight of Steadfastness
What if the discomfort we’ve avoided—the very trial we’ve begged God to remove—is the instrument our loving Father is using to bring us to completion, the place where lasting joy is found?
What Does a Protestant Vision of Spiritual Formation Look Like?
Kyle Strobel joins Michael Horton to discuss different views of spiritual formation, how pastors and theologians from church history have approached this topic, and why seasons of desolation (spiritual dryness) are meant for our good, not punishment.
