We should not be dismayed at belonging to a “little holy group.”  We are, indeed, pilgrims and priests. Insofar as we are faithful, we can still be salt and light to a world that does not understand us.   “A church is like a human being,” I have often heard. “If it is not growing,... Continue Reading

Transferring human obedience, creaturely obedience, into the life of God implies his creaturehood. That implication must be rejected. As the Bible tells us and consent of the church has confirmed, the Father and Son are distinguished by Fatherness and Sonness. Their relation is one of Fatherness and Sonness.    In 2016 Evangelicals debated about the... Continue Reading

A church that genuinely, faithfully worships Jesus together each week is all the more prepared to live as the church each hour, and a church that lives as the church all week enjoys the sweetest worship together each Sunday.   At best, most Christians spend about one percent of our waking hours in corporate worship. Here’s the... Continue Reading

As we gather and pray on each Lord’s Day, it is as if the veil that separates our life on Earth from the blessings of our loved ones in heaven is thinned. Our prayers, our songs, our hearing of God’s Word read and preached, and our reception of the sacraments give us grace and bring... Continue Reading

If we are in the habit of thanking God for everything that He gives us, we will continue to thank Him! When we rest on God’s word, care about the needs of others, and continually thank God for His provisions, we can remain calm in the midst of the greatest trials.   How can I... Continue Reading

The confusion over the word “evangelicalism” and the ensuing plasticity of the label is truly tragic and leads to unhelpful categorization, theological malpractice, and no small amount of internal strife within evangelical Christianity.   With increasing frequency throughout many sectors of American culture, use of “evangelical” in social discourse is now an epithet. It is... Continue Reading

The Christian faithful need a community of believers who are confident in their faith, who understand not only what they believe but why they believe it, who are encouraging and supportive when people ask questions (even difficult questions), and who love their members even when their members question the truth of their faith.   In... Continue Reading

The power of the belief that we’re alone traps us in shame. It sucks us into the belief that we can get ourselves out of our messes. Break the cycle. Cry out to God. Call your pastor. Connect with a trusted Christian friend. Contact a counselor. You are never alone.   “I’m sure no one has... Continue Reading

Scripture is truly a living and active Word and it takes a living and active God to interpret it rightly. Thankfully, the people of God made alive by the Spirit are given everything we need for life and godliness—both in the Scriptures and in the Spirit.    Writing about Sola Scriptura in his book Biblical Authority After Babel:... Continue Reading

The Lord will not allow the work that He begins in His people to be overthrown even by the most severe attacks of our enemy. And when His children fall, He is willing and able to restore them as they turn from their sin and trust Him for forgiveness.   The Gospels depict the arrest... Continue Reading