Discernment is based on an objective standard, the Word of God—not a subjective feeling or experience. It encompasses everything that can be classified as good or evil, including our beliefs regarding truth and error and our actions as being either righteous or unrighteous.   In 1 John 4:1, the apostle gives us an exhortation to... Continue Reading

We need to stand against the winds of culture and speak clearly to issues of the day. But we cannot let how something “looks” to those inside or outside the church dictate our faith or practice. Who cares how a moderator’s ruling “looks?” Was it according to Scripture, the BCO, and Robert’s Rules? Those are... Continue Reading

Let the church be a place where names are safe. Where reputations are protected. Where speech is guarded. Where Matthew 18 is not optional, but instinctive. And let the ninth commandment no longer be seen as a footnote in the Decalogue, but as a flaming sword guarding the peace of the body of Christ.  ... Continue Reading

Spiritual authority belongs to the Bible, churches, and pastors. It’s the authority that Scripture asserts over every person’s life, particularly as Scripture is mediated and applied in the lives of believers by churches and pastors. To be sure, Christians do not depend directly on church authority for their salvation. For that reason, they should remain... Continue Reading

Stop waiting for the church to do what God has called you to do. The soul of your child is not a community project. It is a sacred trust. And one day, when they stand before God, they will not be judged by how entertaining their youth group was. They will be judged by whether... Continue Reading

The safest place to stand is in the center of a biblically faithful church. God never designed us to stand alone. He gave us the body of Christ. He gave us shepherds to protect us, brothers and sisters to encourage us, and the regular rhythms of teaching, prayer, and fellowship to sustain us.   It... Continue Reading

These beings, who aspire to be in the image of God, seek to fill the earth with their offspring as God has commanded, but they go about it in the wrong way, abusing the marriage relationship to serve their corrupt desires and seeking to make a name for themselves, following the pattern of Cain (6:4;... Continue Reading

The Greatest Commandment is still relevant to us. Indeed, nothing is more relevant. It stands as a summary of the final goal of the life of faith. We have begun to love God already (Romans 8:28). This is a first consequence of our salvation. Let us seek those means that the Holy Spirit will use... Continue Reading

Cromwell’s experience and theology of conversion are key to his understanding of the Christian life. Together they affirmed the goodness of God’s wise sovereignty and his eternal rest in Christ.   The life of Oliver Cromwell is fascinating. From his role in the 17th century English civil war, to his appointment as “Lord Protector” (head... Continue Reading

The time God gives us is a gift, not an entitlement. When a repairman is late, the call-waiting tunes seems interminable or the check-out seems ridiculously slow, it’s so easy to get frustrated and internally shout: “Stop wasting my time!” But at the end of the day, it’s not my time at all. God has... Continue Reading