Pastoring Is Tortoise Work: A Lesson for the Young and Aspiring
Are you frustrated when things don’t happen as quickly as you expect? Consider two observations, both drawn from events described in the book of 1 Samuel.
Let’s be honest. Much too often “making things happen” is a fruit of nascent pride. The proud in spirit feel they must force a quick fix when faced with prolonged circumstantial ambiguity. They are compulsive and cannot trust God with what they do not understand about His timing. Too self-interested to wait, they attempt to... Continue Reading
Why Modern Prophecy Is False and God’s Word Is Inerrant and Sufficient: A Response to Sam Storms
I am concerned by the ongoing practice of using the Lord’s name in vain and attributing to the Holy Spirit utterances of the flesh and words that originated in the mind and heart of a man rather than God himself.
Today, it’s a common thing to hear people claiming to hear messages from God. The “God told me” language is a cancer within the body of Christ that must be rooted out. This language is published in books, repeated in powerful stories by conference speakers, and is embraced as normative practices in many local churches... Continue Reading
Jesus Calling: The PCA’s Yuck Factor
My previous two articles are designed to get two fingers in the back or our own throat– to confront ourselves publicly, rather than ignore our evangelical brethren politely.
Jesus Calling isn’t what we do in the PCA. PCA ministry doesn’t do that. Let’s just drop it. It is pointless. Who needs to dwell on things vaguely unpleasant? Methodists are Methodist, and they are Christians. Who should judge another man’s servant? I’m busy doing God’s work. That book doesn’t belong in my sphere of... Continue Reading
When “Helping” Kids Hurts Them
Why the generation accessing the most mental therapy is the most mentally unhealthy.
For Christians who understand that human beings are more than matter that can be molded and medicated, the need for a book like this is even more obvious. Divine revelation and millennia of insight suggest that much of what passes for “psychological trauma” today is spiritual brokenness. Spiritual healing can take the form of counseling... Continue Reading
Steeped in Fragility
Jonathan Haidt describes how a smartphone-based childhood works against making children resilient.
For the vast majority of children, mental-health treatment will not be necessary. Kids are resilient. Just as a smoker who quits will immediately boost his life expectancy, kids who spend less time and attention on platforms designed to be addictive and anxiety-inducing have a chance to bounce back. Haidt’s proposals can help give them that... Continue Reading
Tame Tongues
Jesus keeps the heart and the tongue intricately connected.
James has already told us that it is impossible for humankind to tame the tongue (v. 8). So what do we do? Jesus tells us that it is not first our tongues, but our hearts, that are the real culprit. “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a... Continue Reading
Individualism and the Churches
The church is not just a resource for individuals to use in their pursuit of their personal agendas. It is their family.
‘Who am I?’ is an understandable question in a secular world. What can I say about myself? Am I the mere transient product of the forces of blind chance? Many young people are anxious over such questions. Therefore, the church and its teachers have for the last decade or so rightly responded to this question assuring... Continue Reading
Faith or Repentance—Which Comes First?
Repentance is not the cause of our pardon, but it is a necessary fruit which flows from faith.
True faith is grounded in Christ’s work alone, not in anything we do. Yet, let me be clear: there is no pardon of sins without repentance (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30). Repentance proceeds from faith; it does not precede faith. The cause of our pardon is Christ through faith. If repentance preceded faith, then our work... Continue Reading
Assisted Suicide and the Happiness Imperative
The West’s moral revolution collides with itself.
Where once bodies were givens that decisively shaped our identity, now they can be reconstructed if their sexed nature is a hindrance to a sense of psychological well-being. Inevitably this plays into all issues of life. Abortion is considered a right because the baby in the womb can be a hindrance to the happiness of the... Continue Reading
Christians Are Part of Something Bigger than the Local Church
We are a small part of a much bigger kingdom of God. How incredible!
We have brothers and sisters who worship in churches with different labels above the door. They might differ from our church in how they think about baptism, church government, or worship. They might have different emphases to how we go about things. This is also good for us to reflect on. The way our local... Continue Reading
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