When pastors begin ministry in a church, they are the newest people at their respective churches. Relationships are already established among the members. That is why I’ve heard from many church members that a pastor did not seem like “their pastor” until about five years passed.   “I wish I had stayed.” I’ve heard that... Continue Reading

“I am aware that a few objections can be raised about considering our shared heritage through this one book, one that it is written from a PCA perspective. Fair enough, and if I find it too heavily biased I will report that back to you when I write my final review. But based on the... Continue Reading

“Praying people do not view prayer as a magic wand to wave over the world’s problems, but an act of humility that orients the heart and mind towards a more effective way to approach complex problems. It’s an admission of our individual limitations and an expression of hope that someone or something not bound by... Continue Reading

“Some people pursue personal, spiritual growth through fact acquisition, amassing large–even encyclopedic–amounts of knowledge, storing it in their functioning but dis-shelved mental filing system. The thought here is that adequate preparation will prompt decisive action as if large munitions could make up for the lack of a battle plan.”   You’d think Pavlov invented it,... Continue Reading

“The death and resurrection of Christ marked an eschatological event in advance of the end of all things. So, for the New Testament it is not as if the kingdom was offered only to be postponed. A postponed kingdom or eschatology is false according to Scripture.”   I want to start this little essay by... Continue Reading

“Let me tell you,” Carson continued, “our nation’s survival as the pinnacle nation in the world…is rooted in our values system, the values and principles that made us into a great nation. And the real question is: Are we willing to stand up for those values and principles? Or will we allow ourselves to be... Continue Reading

“Think with me about how different Mary was from many in the Pro-Choice movement. Mary embraced God’s authority over her life. In her thinking it was normal and permissible for God to reorder events according to his plan. This reordering should be embraced even if it was different than her own.”   I was rereading... Continue Reading

“God has said that sex is to occur within the framework of marriage (between a male and a female). Therefore, any sexual lust is a craving to experience the intimate pleasures reserved for the marriage apart from this sacred institution. Therefore, it pursues enjoyment apart from and in contrast to God’s clearly revealed will.”   Like... Continue Reading

“If Jesus is to be our mediator, if He is to be our redeemer, it’s essential that He be sinless. How could His atoning life have any significance if He committed even one sin? He’s called the lamb without blemish because His perfection is integral to His redemptive role as the mediator.”   Over the... Continue Reading

“There are striking comparisons between debtors and drug addicts. The way out of both addictions can be very difficult. Those in debt with one income will almost always go into debt with two incomes, just as they will if the one income is doubled. Ninety-eight percent of the time debt is an internal problem, not... Continue Reading