The parable is addressed to farmers, sinners, strugglers, and dull hearers—not primarily as a philosophical debate on Mars Hill concerning abstract categories of elect and non-elect.   This article is a reflection of a sermon I preached last Sunday at La Iglesia Presbiteriana Comunidad de Cristo1 in the Republic of Panama concerning the Parable of... Continue Reading

What sets the Christian religion apart is that it is a religion centred on worship of the only triune God who calls us into a relationship with him by his grace through faith in Jesus Christ and, by that alone, grants his people salvation from which any works that follow are evidence of the fact... Continue Reading

Why would we want to think about ourselves, the lesser, when we can think about Jesus, the infinitely greater? This happens directly, when we worship and serve Him, and also indirectly, when we love and serve others for His glory.   On the first day of a vacation, I received a phone call that marked... Continue Reading

Theological growth demands that we look beyond isolated, inspirational verses and embrace the rigorous coherence of the Christian worldview.   Every time a Christian opens the Bible, their heart is rightly filled with gratitude for God’s grace. This quiet, personal devotion is a beautiful and vital part of the Christian life. Yet, if our personal... Continue Reading

Passages referencing God as Creator, or creation itself, appear in every section of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Tanakh—the Law, the Prophets (Former and Latter), and the Writings. They appear in the New Testament as well—the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as the epistles of Paul, Peter, and the author of Hebrews,... Continue Reading

Abraham models for us the posture of a mature believer in a fallen world. We are called to live peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18). We should strive to live with such integrity, grace, and honesty that even our unbelieving neighbors are forced to say, “God is with you in all that you do.” Yet,... Continue Reading

Despite the current egalitarian ethos in our culture, neither consensus nor opposition within a group is biblically determinative of a leader’s effectiveness. Neither are they an assessment of whether or not the leader is exhibiting character and integrity as he follows the Lord in his calling. Absalom won the hearts of the people over against... Continue Reading

It is easy to succumb to the temptations of the temporal city of man. How we spend our time is telling—we have choices to make. Is our time spent on what is temporary or what is eternal—materialism or the Word of God? Consumption for ourselves or helping another person in need? Feeding our eyes with... Continue Reading

God proclaimed about Himself: “Even from eternity, I am He” (Isaiah 43.13).  Therefore, this eternity of God means that He is the sure and steadfast dwelling place for all His creatures (Deuteronomy 33.27). He is Lord over time, existing both above time and within time for His own glory and purposes. He is totally free... Continue Reading

God is sovereign; humans are responsible; he gets all the glory. We don’t understand how this all works together, and that’s okay. He’s God and we’re not. The challenge is to remember that we’re not God, to refuse to stand in judgment over him, and to thank him for his mercy as we plead for... Continue Reading