We each have those areas in our lives where we struggle more than others. One of the areas in my life that I need to be careful about is the things I say. It is not so much that I say foul or profane things. Rather, it is that sometimes I am careless and say … More Think Carefully Before Speaking
[The following is a transcript from a sermon preached on September 9, 2018; click here to listen to the sermon.] Ever since the Fall, the history of humanity has been one of battle between the seed of Christ and the seed of Satan. Jesus Christ is in the business of recruiting followers to his cause—a … More The Third Mark of a True Church
One of the marks of Christian maturity is being judgmental. The author of Hebrews tells his readers this in the last verse of chapter five: But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14, ESV) The mature believer … More Why Christians Should Be Judgmental
[To listen to the sermon on this topic, click here.] In the previous post, we discussed the topic of the first mark of a true church as identified by the Reformers: the pure doctrine of the gospel. You may remember I noted that someone may be deceived by a false gospel and yet be saved. Nevertheless, … More Baptism and the Marks of a True Church
The gospel is truly the sine qua non of the church. This means that it is absolutely essential and indispensable to the church. Without it, a congregation is not a congregation of the one true God. They may be a congregation of people meeting together, but they do not qualify as a congregation (or “church”) of God. … More Is Calvinism the First Mark of a True Church?
If people are encouraged and empowered to be independent, responsible, critical thinkers in the church, they are more prone to be independent, responsible, critical thinkers in the state. On the other hand, if church members are in a system where they are governed from the top-down, they are far more likely to be disengaged in the civil sphere, abdicating their responsibility to those “over” them. … More The Connection Between Church Polity and Civil Engagement
One of the most practical ways that you can show how important your children are to you is to pray for them. This applies to both fathers and mothers equally, but I will be addressing fathers in this post. … More Praying for Our Children
Of all the commandments in the Bible, there are some that your neighbor would prefer you obey more than others. One of those commandments is the charge to “be kind” (Ephesians 4:32a). While we are required to obey all of God’s commands, I want to focus our attention on one that, arguably, can have the … More Be Kind
It isn’t just important that we look back at history. We must look back at history and ask the right questions. The church today is flooded with teachers who are promoting a view which causes Christians to look to the days ahead with little more than doom and gloom. The future, it is proclaimed, will … More Post Tenebras, Tenebras?
Did Jesus abrogate the judicial law? What about his comments on an eye for an eye? Today, we look at this claim. … More Straw men, Jesus, and the judicial law
