All the Old Testament prophets, from Moses to Malachi, were “preachers.” Today, every Christian is called by God to be a preacher. God has called all believers to “preach” the gospel to all people. And as you do you will probably sound a bit “preachy.” And that’s OK.   The Cambridge dictionary defines “preachy” as... Continue Reading

Exodus 3 brings us before Jesus Christ, the Holy Lord. Let us remember our sin, remove our shoes, and hide our faces.   Flagror non consumor French Protestant pastors chose this motto as they gathered in 1583 for their 12th National Synod. It means “I am burning, I am not consumed.” It was grimly apt.... Continue Reading

The Bible provides a far more comprehensive worldview for understanding justice, morality, identity, and the solution not only to interpersonal problems, but to the foremost problem of all: sinful humanity’s separation from a holy God.   Racism based on skin shade has, sadly, dramatically increased in recent decades as new philosophies in support of racism... Continue Reading

As Jesus brings His pattern for prayer to a close, He includes two petitions—forgiveness from sin and preservation from temptation and evil.   For Part 1, see here: The Lord’s Prayer (Part 1)–Proclaim & Defend We come to the final two elements in Christ’s pattern of prayer for his disciples as recorded in Luke’s gospel.... Continue Reading

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