“Evangelism no longer means that the job of Christians is to secure formal affiliations, shore up denominational identities, and expand Christian hegemony in Western culture. Evangelism is less and less about programming and institutions, more about relationships and authenticity.”   When Craig Ellis was growing up, he picked up the sort of adventure book meant... Continue Reading

“Reformed theology has been reduced to what we often call the doctrines of grace — familiar beliefs such as total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. Of course, we should value these truths of Scripture, but when we fail to stress the larger framework that covenant theology provides, our... Continue Reading

“Like Moses, our humility is not in our ability to slink like a worm, to self-deprecate at every compliment, or to lose hope in any success. It is to look away from ourselves entirely and draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, to the one who gives mercy and help in time of... Continue Reading

“When it came to Sabbath observance, if anyone understood that which was required by the Fourth Commandment of God’s Moral Law, Jesus was that man. And there was no greater expert on Sabbath observance than the Son of God.”   Jesus knew the Greatest Commandment. He understood perfectly how to love the Father with all his heart, soul,... Continue Reading

“Miller was well-loved by his students at Old Princeton and he taught a broader range of subjects than would be considered justifiable today. This was a time before the rise of the narrowly defined specialist. Miller was, like the later Princetonian Benjamin B. Warfield, a true Renaissance man. There was no pitting of the life... Continue Reading

“Is the travel ball opportunity your 7–14 year old kid has more important than Friday nights and Saturday mornings at home with the family? Is it more important than being at church on Sunday morning?”   I have friends I respect whose kids have played (and some who do play) travel ball, and I mean... Continue Reading

“I like my Christianity in the same way I like my whisky: undiluted. Watered-down Christianity is weak, insipid and tasteless. Politicians will love it, but when the salt loses its saltiness, nothing remains for it except to be thrown out.”   Kenny MacAskill in his very interesting and stimulating article (“I might not ‘do religion’ but... Continue Reading

Prison may prove a fertile environment for growing gripes, but for Paul jail fed his praise. So it is without compunction that he curtly instructs the Philippian church to “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Phil 2:14).   Early in 2007 Pastor Will Bowden of Kansas City realized his church had a chronic problem... Continue Reading

“Jerry Falwell Jr., whose father, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, founded Liberty University and the Moral Majority movement, and the Rev. Franklin Graham, whose father, Billy Graham, is estimated to have preached the Gospel to millions of people, now find themselves forces of their own. Both are trying to balance their own identities, and their father’s... Continue Reading

“How does material wealth deceive us? By making promises it can’t keep. Money promotes itself as the answer to our problems, a barometer of God’s blessing and his ability to provide for us. It makes us think our value lies in how much we are able to accumulate, and it promises to provide a type... Continue Reading