God the Son is not merely the Son because of a title or a name. He is the Son because He is begotten of the Father from eternity past. This is who He is. Likewise, God the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit because He eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. This goes... Continue Reading

A common critique is that the doctrine of justification by faith alone makes for lazy Christians. The objection goes something like this: If I am justified merely by faith and not works, then there is no need for me to do good works. But the Reformers scoffed at that notion, because it misinterprets what God... Continue Reading

Reformed worship is not for everyone. I’ll admit that, but it is based on deep theological convictions and it has been thoughtfully developed over the past five hundred years. So please don’t come to our church and complain that we don’t offer Whoppers or Big Macs.    Many articles have been written that lament the... Continue Reading

Gaining a good working knowledge of history in general and church history in particular is incumbent upon all believers….If we are not learning from history, we will be continuously repeating its mistakes.   Something far too many people today fail to do is learn history, and to learn from it. And that includes far too... Continue Reading

Talk about their loved one. Don’t pretend that nothing is wrong….Grief is nothing to ignore or fear. When we don’t talk to people about their loved one who died, we make them feel lonely and out in the cold.   I experienced profound grief when my mother died when I was in my twenties. She... Continue Reading

This is what is means to live without Jesus: we live in ways that are driven by lust, by selfishness, and by greed. That is how all of us have lived at some point. Yet, because of Jesus, we are in a new place, we have a new identity, and the old way of living... Continue Reading

Worship According to the Word makes a huge difference in the life of every church. This difference will be clearly seen in the health of the church and its impact on the world.   “Be sure you make it according to the pattern shown you on the mountain” (Exodus 25:40; 26:30; Hebrews 8:5) Introduction A... Continue Reading

Plant the truth that needs to be said, and let it take root in the mind, sprout in the heart, and then produce fruit from the hands. Gospel change looks to the process of being conformed to the truth, not forced into a mold.   Our Struggle with Progress I’m coming up on two years... Continue Reading

Singing hymns throughout my life has reminded me of biblical truths and helped them sink deep. It has lifted my heart in worship to God. It has connected me to a long line of brothers and sisters who wrote and sang these same theological truths together centuries before me.    In the Presbyterian church I... Continue Reading

As a mini-cosmos, the tabernacle enabled God to live among his people. But what happens when that mini-cosmos becomes defiled by sin and death? The remedy was the Day of Atonement ceremony, as the blood of sacrifice cleansed both God’s house and his people.   The Lord God created the first couple, Adam and Eve,... Continue Reading