PURITAN: All of Life to the Glory of God
It was their firm commitment to the Word of God that distinguishes them from other groups throughout church history.
In the documentary, PURITAN: All of Life to the Glory of God, you will walk through the hallways of history to discover this group of people who sought to purify the Church of England and would eventually flee for religious freedom. You will learn names like John Bunyan, Thomas Goodwin, Richard Sibbes, John Owen, Richard... Continue Reading
Why God Made Us in His Image
What is the purpose of being created in the image of God?
I contend that God is, in His Trinitarian self, an orderly community of selfless love. And He made us in His image for this purpose: to create, sustain and extend orderly communities of selfless love across the globe. “What do Christians mean when they say ‘the image of God.’”That was the question asked by... Continue Reading
He’s Just Blind
The fact remains that the Lord must open the eyes of the blind; no man can do it.
Be encouraged that it doesn’t depend on you to lead people to Christ. You are just a sower using the only Seed that can bring forth fruit, the Word of God. That is the only weapon at your disposal and God is the only one who can make it go deep into the heart of... Continue Reading
The New Testament, the Ring of Truth, and the Difference with Mythological Legends
Close contact with the text of the Gospels builds up in the heart and mind a Character of awe-inspiring stature and quality.
“No man could ever have invented such a character as Jesus. No man could have set down such artless and vulnerable accounts as these unless some real event lay behind them.” (J.B. Phillips) J. B. Phillips (1906-1982) is perhaps best known today for his book, Your God Is Too Small. He was also a periphrastic Bible... Continue Reading
Sure of our Salvation
Being sure of where we stand with God as his children is not optional; it is an essential of faith.
In both the Old and New Testaments, Scripture speaks openly about the many ways in which the faith of true believers is challenged, shaken and sometimes plunged into doubt and even despair. The Psalms contain more than a few examples of the saints faltering in their faith and crying out to God in fear and... Continue Reading
God Is Incomprehensible
Theologically speaking, to say God is incomprehensible is not to say that God is utterly unknowable. It is to say that none of us can comprehend God exhaustively.
God remains incomprehensible because He reveals Himself without revealing everything there is to know about Him. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever” (Deut. 29:29). It’s not as if we have no knowledge of God or as if we... Continue Reading
Counseling Confessionally
The Westminster documents in relationship to counseling.
How is it that people really change? Or, What does sanctification look like worked out in the life of a counselee? In the course of a counseling case, a counselor may need to not only teach a counselee how to be sanctified, but, even more basically, help the counselee understand what sanctification is or how... Continue Reading
God Says it…That Settles it?
Bumper sticker theology?
Now truth be told, I must admit that I too am guilty of using the very same reductionistic argument in an adult church-school class or two in the past—and ashamedly, I believe it may have even made it into a sermon at one point! But can’t we do better? Doesn’t the Bible speak with greater... Continue Reading
Here Are 5 Tips for Conversations in Our Tense Cultural Moment
Our goal is to patiently, but boldly, engage our culture as opportunities arise.
In our conversations, it’s easy to get frustrated, even irritated, when our non-Christian friends don’t “get it.” But, we need to remember what Paul says, “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him and he is not able to understand them” (1 Cor 2:14).... Continue Reading
Don’t Try to Hit a Home Run
Aim for a faithful, honest discussion of God’s word.
A Bible study leader’s primary job is faithfulness to the Lord and his Word. Our task is to help our friends engage with the Scriptures, not to push our own agenda or inflate our reputation. Let’s give ourselves to careful Bible study practices, leaving enough preparation time to write questions that lead our friends to... Continue Reading