I went to Jonathan after the talk and said, “I’m Jewish, so I suppose this isn’t for me.” He had a good response: “Jesus himself was Jewish! He’s the Jewish Messiah, the one the Jews were waiting for. If you follow him, you’ll be following your own Messiah.”   My background is liberal Judaism—Judaism without... Continue Reading

“We begin the service with the Call to Worship—God calling His people out of the world into His presence. There is an intentional covenantal element to this act of being called forth and set apart. The following hymns/songs of praise reflect the nature and character of who God is and what He has done.”  ... Continue Reading

“Christianity has always had a stream of thought that regards creation with real suspicion. Many Christians have felt that creation, be it the body, or food, or wealth, is partly evil. Drawing from Greek Platonism, the body is seen to be inferior to the spirit, a kind of temporary vehicle that trips up our spirit,... Continue Reading

“Those who are regenerated and growing in their adoration of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are to find their souls drawn towards like-minded worshipers. After all, they do have the same beliefs, interests, passion, and Holy Spirit dwelling within.”   Fellowship is a fairly common word in ecclesiastical circles, but what exactly is it?... Continue Reading

“We should ask God to deliver us from Satan’s attacks of unbelief and discouragement. We should learn to resist them in the power of Christ (see James 4:7). Trusting God for the grace to endure adversity is as much an act of faith as trusting Him for deliverance from it.”   In times of doubt, difficulty,... Continue Reading

“The church needs to present a case for biblical sexuality that is appealing and that engages the best of modern thought. The virtues of chastity and lifelong marriage are enriching, but after fifty years, the church has still not devised a compelling response to the sexual revolution.”   The Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v.... Continue Reading

“But as gay rights have gained wider acceptance over the past few years, many evangelical colleges have found themselves facing a predicament. Policies forbidding gay relationships have brought negative media attention and increasingly frustrated students, both of which could turn disastrous for religious colleges already struggling with tight budgets and uncertain futures.”   Page 15... Continue Reading

“If we don’t make evangelism a priority, we will slowly but surely revert to the easier position of adopting a silent strategy of relying on transfer growth. That in itself is a massive issue – albeit hardly a new one. But when this mindset creeps into church planting networks, it is even more toxic.”  ... Continue Reading

“In my early years of marriage when Matt was in seminary and our leisure time was devoted to reading, I devoured A Chance to Die, the story of Elisabeth’s own hero Amy Carmichael. Besides being challenged by Amy’s exemplary life, I was encouraged that my hero had a hero.”   I was 15 years old... Continue Reading

“The top ten list of presbyteries with the most “departing” congregations include: Charlotte was ranked first, losing 17 congregations, Mid-South was second with 16 congregations gone, Cascades and Central Washington tied for third place, each have 14 congregations depart.”   Charlotte Presbytery has had the most congregations to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) while Sacramento... Continue Reading