I've had two good experiences preaching today--in the morning at Duke Street Baptist Church in Richmond (SW London) and at St Helen's Bishopsgate [Anglican] this evening.  I saw some old friends at both, and had good  conversations afterwards with the respective pastors--Liam Goligher and William Taylor.  Both men are doing good gospel work in different settings.  Both are committed to expositional preaching, and both understand Scripture well and are gifted to teach others.  Among several of the men here, I've seen a real desire to give themselves to the training of others, a desire which is always wise for the future of the church.

My sermon topic in the morning was "Church Discipline" (Duke Street) and in the evening "The Reliability of the Bible" (St. Helens).  In both I was trying to instruct & persuade, especially those who may have had questions or objections.  Neither was the typical expositional sermon.  In both, I tried to make the gospel clear.  I pray that my ministry was truly evangelical today.  Martin Luther in his lectures on the psalms talks about the heavenly profit of the gospel ministry (Martin Luther, First Lectures on the Psalms II, Works II.441). I hope and pray that there was some such profit today.  It's not always obvious, is it?  But it is such a privilege to get to preach this great news.  Such a privilege.