Better Than Wine | Song of Songs 1:2-4

On By Cole NewtonIn Sermons, Song of SongsLeave a comment

 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!For your love is better than wine;your anointing oils are fragrant;your name is oil poured out;therefore virgins love you.Draw me after you; let us run.The king has brought me into his chambers.We will exult and rejoice in you;we will extol your love more than wine;rightly do they love you. Song of Songs 1:2-4 ESV I sing of arms and a man. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Call me Ishmael. Marley was dead. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Great …

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The Fear of Jacob

On By Cole NewtonIn MeditationsLeave a comment

Having just finished rereading Genesis, I am struck once more by the life of Jacob. Although all the patriarchs were flawed, Jacob is incredibly so. He is a grasping man, always reaching for his own way whenever the opportunity presents itself. But this reading, I have also noticed Jacob's great fear. Of all the patriarchs, …

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Rules for Reading the Greatest Song | Song of Songs 1:1

On By Cole NewtonIn Sermons, Song of SongsLeave a comment

The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. Song of Songs 1:1 Song of Songs has a complicated place in church history. On one hand, God's people have treasured it as though it were a first among equals. Jewish Rabbi Akiva is famous for saying that all the ages are not worth the day that God …

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How Often Should We Take the Lord’s Supper?

On By Cole NewtonIn Articles, The Table of the KingLeave a comment

The simple and honest answer to the title's question is: as often as you do. When Christ held up the cup, He said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me" (1 Corinthians 11:25). In other words, there is no explicit command …

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Question 50: What Does Christ’s Resurrection Mean For Us?

On By Cole NewtonIn Meditations, New City CatechismLeave a comment

The opening line beautifully captures the heart of the resurrection: Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected. That final phrase physically resurrected is crucial. There are some who are fond of the Christ's teaching but deny the physical resurrection, saying instead that His resurrection was metaphorical. That is not the Christian confession. …

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11 Thoughts for 11 Years of Pastoring

On By Cole NewtonIn Articles1 Comment

Yesterday (February 1) marked the eleventh anniversary of my pastorate at Western Meadows Baptist Church. Here then are eleven thoughts from eleven years of pastoring. CLARITY FOSTERS UNITYTHICK SKIN; TENDER HEARTA SHEPHERD, NOT A CEOPASTORING TAKES TIMETEACH FIRST, AND MAKE BIG CHANGES SLOWLYORGANIZING SERMONS BY YEARTHE PRIMARY WORK IS LARGELY UNSEENREADING WIDELY AND DEEPLYLEARNING THE …

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Question 48: Where Is Christ Now?

On By Cole NewtonIn Meditations, New City CatechismLeave a comment

The ages before the birth of Christ are called BC, before Christ. The years after are called AD, which does not mean after death. Rather, it stands for a Latin phrase: anno Domini (the year of the Lord). We are now counting years since the arrival of Christ. And though He died, He did not …

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Doom-scrolling Mozart

On By Cole NewtonIn ArticlesLeave a comment

The internet gives us a false omniscience, presenting everything from everywhere to everyone at any time. But we are not God. We were not designed for omniscience. Not even the digital imitation. Yet here it is. Everything. All the time. I can listen to the greatest performances of Mozart, ponder over the most beautiful artwork …

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Question 48: What Is the Church?

On By Cole NewtonIn Meditations, New City CatechismLeave a comment

This is not an easy question to answer, especially whenever we consider the church local or universal, visible or invisible. Thankfully, this answer applies to both. God chooses and preserves for himself a community elected for eternal life. Those opening words contain terms that can be uncomfortable for some Christians, but this is simply language …

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