Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson
Episodes
Dead to Sin’s Dominion
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If we are united to Christ by faith, we have died to the dominion of sin and must no longer live in it. Today, Sinclair Ferguson reflects on a passage...
Servants for Jesus’ Sake
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can we measure true success in ministry? Today, Sinclair Ferguson opens the Bible passage that was preached at his ordination, verses that have sh...
Following the Light of the World
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Until we come to saving faith in Christ, we remain lost in the darkness of sin and condemnation. Today, Sinclair Ferguson reflects on the verses of Sc...
Come to Christ for Eternal Life
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Being a Christian is not about reading enough of the Bible to balance out our failures; it’s coming to Jesus Christ for eternal life. Today, Sinclai...
The Power of the Spirit in Preaching
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
All truly effective preaching shares one thing in common: it is attended by the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, Sinclair Ferguson focuses on the cruc...
Different Kinds of Preachers
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Faithful, biblical preaching doesn’t have to follow a specific formula in order to bless God’s people. Today, Sinclair Ferguson reflects with grat...
The Effects of Preaching
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What effects should the preaching of God’s Word have on us? Today, Sinclair Ferguson shares words of wisdom from Jonathan Edwards on the influence t...
What Is Wrong with Preaching Today?
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why can it sometimes seem that the preaching in our church isn't bearing much fruit? Today, Sinclair Ferguson considers this problem and explains how ...
How Important Is Preaching?
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whether we’re preachers or listeners, the proclamation of God’s Word plays a role in our lives as Christians. But just how important is preaching?...
Who Shall Separate Us?
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
By God’s sovereign grace, the very things that threaten to separate us from Christ are tools in His hands to make us more like Him. Today, Sinclair ...
Who Is to Condemn?
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With all our falls and failures in the Christian life, what hope do we have of escaping the sentence of condemnation that our sin deserves? Today, Sin...
Who Shall Bring Any Charge?
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Satan accuses the people of God day and night. We’ll never escape his charges of sin and guilt by looking to our merits. Today, Sinclair Ferguson po...
Who Can Be against Us?
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If God is for us, then all the devil’s efforts to destroy us will ultimately fail. Today, Sinclair Ferguson expresses how we can come to the deep, u...
Beloved Bible Verses
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is your favorite passage in the Bible? Today, Sinclair Ferguson turns to one of the most cherished sections of Scripture and begins to address th...
Named in Baptism
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
God places His name on us in our baptism, marking us out as those called to trust in the Father, believe in the Son, and live in the power of the Holy...
Baptized: A New Identity
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Discussions about baptism often focus on what we are baptized with—how much water and how it’s to be applied. Today, Sinclair Ferguson encourages ...
Why Was Jesus Baptized?
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sinners were coming to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. Why did Jesus, the sinless Son of God, ask to be baptized with that same water? Today,...
The Meaning of Baptism
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Baptism wasn't given to us just for the experience of a moment--it's a sign that affects every day of our Christian lives. Today, Sinclair Ferguson re...
The Promise of Baptism
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If we think of baptism primarily as a point of controversy rather than a gift from God, we need to take some time and think again. Today, Sinclair Fer...
Principles for Holiness
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"The way to measure genuine growth in holiness is..." How would you finish that sentence? Today, Sinclair Ferguson draws principles from two figures i...
Sanctification Summarized
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What happens in a person's life that causes a sinner to become a saint? Today, Sinclair Ferguson looks closely at a familiar Bible verse that gets to ...
Sanctification Summarized
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What happens in a person’s life that causes a sinner to become a saint? Today, Sinclair Ferguson looks closely at a familiar Bible verse that gets t...
A More Excellent Way
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sanctification--becoming increasingly like Jesus--takes place more often in the ordinariness of life than in our moments of apparent greatness. Today,...
The Fruit of Sanctification
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Being holy isn't merely about doing the right things. Nor should we mistake being holy with being gifted. Today, Sinclair Ferguson identifies the true...
The Fruit of Sanctification
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Being holy isn’t merely about doing the right things. Nor should we mistake being holy with being gifted. Today, Sinclair Ferguson identifies the tr...
Set Apart for God
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Bible teaches us a new vocabulary for understanding the Christian life, and one crucial word it gives to our identity is "sanctified." Today, Sinc...
The Anger of Jesus
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus out of love for His friend and out of a holy hatred of the destruction wrought by sin. Today, Sinclair Ferguson exp...
Christ, a Man of Feeling
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scripture reveals not only the power and authority of our Lord Jesus but also His heart as our compassionate Savior. Today, Sinclair Ferguson consider...
Christ, a Man of Feeling
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scripture reveals not only the power and authority of our Lord Jesus but also His heart as our compassionate Savior. Today, Sinclair Ferguson consider...
Rest for Our Souls
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus understands our weakness and draws close to us in our need. Today, Sinclair Ferguson beckons us to come near to the One who provides rest for ou...
He Grew in Favor with God
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To see whether you have a healthy, biblical view of Jesus, turn to Luke 2:52, which says He grew "in favor with God and man." Today, Sinclair Ferguson...
The Personal Jesus
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since the Christian life involves an ongoing transformation of becoming more like Jesus, we need to know what Jesus is actually like. Today, Sinclair ...
The Legacy of a Godly Life
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bill never ministered to large churches or spoke at conferences. But he touched lives by remaining the same constant Christian year after year. Today,...
A Christian’s Enduring Influence
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even if their paths cross only for a season, Christians can leave a lifelong impact on one another's spiritual lives. Today, Sinclair Ferguson remembe...
An Older Friend in the Faith
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hamish didn't set out to be a mentor. He simply took an interest in a young man and encouraged him by his love and zeal for Christ. Today, listen as S...
The Man in Black
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One icy evening in the dead of winter, a stranger asked a young Sinclair Ferguson, "Are you saved, son?" Today, he describes this momentary exchange t...
Our Hidden Helpers
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we read the obscure names that receive greetings in Paul's letters, we're reminded of the everyday Christians who have invested in our own lives....
Shaped by Grace
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Spiritual growth isn't measured so much by the stature a Christian has attained as it is by the distance traveled and the obstacles overcome. Today, S...
Solutions for Distorted Souls
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sin can leave our souls misshapen in subtle ways. Yet the Great Physician offers treatment to reveal and straighten what has gone awry. Today, Sinclai...
The Big-Headed Soul
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pride distorts our thinking, making us more willing to heed our own minds than to submit to the mind of God revealed in Scripture. Today, Sinclair Fer...
Turned In on Ourselves
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Martin Luther described our sinful condition as being "incurvatus in se," turned in on itself. Today, Sinclair Ferguson identifies the damaging effect...
The Shape of the Soul
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
By creating us in His image, God has specially fashioned us for fellowship with Him. But because of sin, our souls have been bent out of shape. Today,...
All the Kingdoms of the World
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The devil offered Jesus the dominion that Adam had lost. This is just what Christ came to regain, but only by the conquest of the cross. Today, Sincla...
The Pinnacle of the Temple
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
By tempting Jesus to jump off the temple, Satan was inviting Him to win followers by parading the miraculous power of God. Today, Sinclair Ferguson ex...
Not by Bread Alone
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whereas Adam rejected God's warning and ate from the tree, Jesus lived not by bread alone but by every word proceeding from the mouth of God. Today, S...
Christ’s Victory in the Wilderness
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus' wilderness temptation isn't recorded in Scripture primarily to help us fight temptation--it marks the beginning of Christ's victory over Satan....
He Was Tempted as We Are
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted. But how could the Son of God really be tempted? Today, Sinclair Ferguson expresses the consolation we find ...
The Gospel according to Isaiah
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Few chapters in the Bible so vividly depict the glory of the gospel in the humiliation and exaltation of Christ as Isaiah 53. Today, Sinclair Ferguson...
The Savior’s Open Ear
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Day by day, Jesus attentively submitted to His Father's Word. This obedience led in one direction: to the cross. Today on Things Unseen, listen as Sin...
A Light for the Nations
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The prophet Isaiah described the Messiah as One who would be forsaken so that people from every nation could be accepted before God. Today, Sinclair F...
A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In our weakness, we are as bruised reeds and dimly burning wicks. But Jesus, in His mercy, mends His people and fans them into life. Today, Sinclair F...
Meeting Christ in the Old Testament
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many people are interested in finding Christ in the Old Testament, but often we miss the most important element of this approach to Scripture. Today, ...
The Family of God
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Greater than all of Scripture's pictures describing the church is the biblical reality itself: we are the family of God. Today, Sinclair Ferguson unfo...
The Temple of God
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As living stones, Christians are being built up together to display the glory of the Lord in their fellowship. Today, Sinclair Ferguson examines the B...
The Bride of Christ
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scripture describes the church as a bride preparing to appear in unblemished splendor before her loving Bridegroom. Today, Sinclair Ferguson shows how...
The Flock of God
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When sheep hear the familiar sound of their shepherd's voice, they draw nearer to him and to one another. Today, listen as Sinclair Ferguson reflects ...
The Body of Christ
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why does the New Testament describe the church as the body of Christ? Today, Sinclair Ferguson conveys the significance of seeing Jesus as our Head an...
A Marble Pulpit in South Carolina
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A pastor's love for his people isn't so much worked up as it is sent down. Today, Sinclair Ferguson takes us to a pulpit in South Carolina, beloved fo...
Home
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Home" may be a word that brings joy or sorrow. Today, Sinclair Ferguson thinks on several homes in his life and reminds Christians where our home mos...
A Seminary in Philadelphia
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was one of the hardest decisions of a young Scotsman's life to go and teach at an American seminary. But there, God blessed him with friends. Today...
A Seminary in Philadelphia
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was one of the hardest decisions of a young Scotsman’s life to go and teach at an American seminary. But there, God blessed him with friends. Tod...
Room C37
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a university bedroom, an 18-year-old Sinclair Ferguson was prompted to study the books of the Bible and the great Christian classics. Today, he imp...
A Little Pulpit in Scotland
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some locations mark our lives forever because of what God did for us there. Today, Sinclair Ferguson takes a mental visit to the pulpit he sat under w...
The Glory of God’s Providence
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Through all the hardships of his life, God brought Joseph to the right place at the right time and made him the right man for the task at hand. Today,...
Instruments of God’s Providence
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
All of God's people have a role to play in the good purposes of His providence. Today, listen as Sinclair Ferguson examines the way that God used Jose...
Instruments of God’s Providence
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
All of God’s people have a role to play in the good purposes of His providence. Today, listen as Sinclair Ferguson examines the way that God used Jo...
The Mystery of Providence
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While the doctrine of providence does not relieve us from going through hard times, it reassures us that God knows what He is doing. Today, Sinclair F...
God Meant It for Good
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The story of Joseph is filled with jealousy, deception, and sorrow. Yet in the end, Joseph says, "God meant it for good" (Gen. 50:20). Today, Sinclair...
All Things Work Together
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In painful circumstances, we sometimes ask, "Why is this happening to me?" Today, Sinclair Ferguson reflects on the comfort of God's providence and Hi...
The Spirit of the Father
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When the Holy Spirit indwells us, one of our first and highest privileges is to address God as "Abba! Father" (Rom. 8:15). Today, Sinclair Ferguson ex...
The Spirit of Christ
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus, in His human nature, relied on the power of the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish the work of our redemption. Today, Sinclair Ferguson reflect...
The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The very same Holy Spirit who indwelt Jesus throughout the course of His life now dwells in every believer. Today, Sinclair Ferguson begins to unfold ...
Another Helper
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus promised His disciples that He would ask the Father to give them "another Helper" (John 14:16). Today, Sinc...
Knowing the Holy Spirit
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Often when people talk about the Holy Spirit, their attention focuses on the gifts and blessings He bears in our lives. Today, Sinclair Ferguson chall...
Reconciliation in Christ
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The disintegration of relationships in this world is rooted ultimately in our alienation from a holy God. Today, Sinclair Ferguson reflects on the rec...
Redemption through His Blood
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
By nature, we are slaves to sin who need to be redeemed. But the good news is this: Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, has purchased His people with His own ...
God Justifies the Ungodly
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We can never be more justified than when we came to faith in Jesus--nor any less--for it is Christ's righteousness and not our own that makes us right...
The Propitiation for Our Sins
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all deserve the wrath of God for our sin. But in the wonder of God's mercy and the terror of His justice, Christ was crushed in place of His people...
Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We cannot separate the blessings of salvation from the One in whom they are found and experienced, Jesus Christ. Today, Sinclair Ferguson describes th...
One Person, Two Natures
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We must not think of Christ's incarnation as a mixture: partially of God and partially of man. Nor should we imagine that He is two persons. Today, Si...
One Person, Two Natures
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We must not think of Christ’s incarnation as a mixture: partially of God and partially of man. Nor should we imagine that He is two persons. Today, ...
Co-Essential with the Father
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It isn't theoretical musing that drives us to understand the two natures of Christ in His incarnation. Today, Sinclair Ferguson explains that only Jes...
Truly God and Truly Man
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is a marvel beyond our ability to fully comprehend: the eternal Son of God took on a human nature for our salvation. Today, Sinclair Ferguson draws...
The Person of the Son
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If we are to give our minds to reflecting on Christ with wonder and worship, we first need to fill our minds with the truth about Christ. Today, Sincl...
The Person of the Son
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If we are to give our minds to reflecting on Christ with wonder and worship, we first need to fill our minds with the truth about Christ. Today, Sincl...
Thinking about Jesus
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As people constantly bombarded with fragments of information, we can find it difficult to focus our thoughts on what is most important. Today, Sinclai...
Consecrated to God
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We see the holiness of Christ not only in His separation from sin but also in His loving devotion to His Father and His people. Today, Sinclair Fergus...
Consecrated to God
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We see the holiness of Christ not only in His separation from sin but also in His loving devotion to His Father and His people. Today, Sinclair Fergus...
Dwelling in Eternal Light
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Although the seraphim have never sinned, they cover their faces as they worship in the presence of God. Today on the Things Unseen podcast, listen as ...
The Thrice-Holy One
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What do we mean when we talk about the holiness of God? Today, Sinclair Ferguson reflects on the characteristic of God that may be most difficult for ...
The Simplicity of God
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
God is not made up of separate parts, such as wisdom, power, and holiness. All of His attributes are simply who He is in His essence. Today, Sinclair ...
Knowing God
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Let us never forget the breathtaking privilege and wonder of knowing God. Today, Sinclair Ferguson identifies the first lesson we must learn when thin...
The Glory of Pentecost
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the old covenant, God revealed Himself through prophets, priests, and kings. But this changed with the coming of Christ and the outpouring of the S...
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At Pentecost, the same Holy Spirit who had empowered the life and ministry of Jesus was now poured out upon the church. Today, Sinclair Ferguson expla...
Welcome to the Last Days
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The day of Pentecost was a visible sign from God that world history has entered a new era. Today, Sinclair Ferguson provides the Bible's answer to tha...
Seeing through the Lens of Scripture
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Peter's Pentecost sermon, we hear a man whose mind has been renewed: he now sees all things through the lens of Scripture. Today, Sinclair Ferguson...
What Was Pentecost All About?
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We might naturally think the day of Pentecost is all about the Holy Spirit. Yet Peter's sermon in Acts 2 focuses ultimately on Jesus. Today, Sinclair ...
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The New Testament regularly describes our redemption in Trinitarian terms. Today, Sinclair Ferguson shows that knowing the work of the Father, Son, an...
What Jesus Taught about the Trinity
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some Christians wonder if the Trinity is an impractical doctrine. Yet Jesus devoted some of His most important hours with the disciples to teaching th...
Baptized into the Triune Name
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In baptism, we are named for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, claimed by the triune God to live in His family. Today, Sinclair Ferguson explains what...