To Dykstra, what the congregational letter describes as “Neland’s journey toward LGBT+ inclusion” has been a move away from Scripture. “I don’t think that all of a sudden after 2,000+ years of scriptural interpretation that things have suddenly changed. I think that unfortunately our church is following cultural norms and listening to the ways of... Continue Reading

Abuses of manliness exist. That’s why the caricatures are so easy to draw. But unless we’re also willing to admit that manliness exists, and that it’s not only approved but commanded by God, we will continue turning the males who attend churches into something God never intended. Oh, they may be gentle, emotionally-expressive, and compliant,... Continue Reading

The deity of Christ, the Bible being the word of God, the bodily resurrection of Christ, salvation by grace alone through faith alone, and the physical return of Jesus. These, if you will, constitute mere Christianity, and Christians should unify around these core teachings. When it comes to non-essentials, however, like the method of baptism, the... Continue Reading

There is nothing wrong with a church offering many different activities and programs and studies. Each of them can be a tremendous blessing and a part of a well-balanced spiritual diet. Each of them can provide an opportunity to serve and to be served, to deploy our gifts for the good of others and to... Continue Reading

Whilst the sin that leads to church discipline (and, how we do that is another post for another day – but we don’t eject people from the church at the first sign of trouble) isn’t a cause for celebration, the fact that it has to be used again speaks to the fact that we are,... Continue Reading

In 1 Timothy 3:3, Paul writes that the elder must be “gentle.” Paul isn’t looking for men who act gentle in one or two arenas of life, or who do something gentle several times a month to save face. The roots of gentleness grow deep in his soul. To exhibit this quality, a man must... Continue Reading

To function effectively a Presbyterian church (at local, presbytery, and General Assembly levels) needs not just elders, (presbyters) participating — it needs elders of both types (teaching and ruling, pastors and lay) in numbers sufficient to represent and serve the churches. A Presbyterian church is incomplete with only one type of elder. There ought to... Continue Reading

You mentioned how the Lord has blessed your ministry; now share some of these blessings with your wife so she can rejoice with you. Tell her about the discoveries you’ve made in your devotional reading of the Word. Share your excitement about the sermon outline of a difficult passage you landed on—how it finally came... Continue Reading

We shouldn’t confuse [social justice], though, with the central mission of Jesus, which was to preach the truth (Mark 1:38) and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10) by becoming a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). Sure, he healed the sick and performed many miraculous signs, but these were also intended to authenticate his main... Continue Reading

As a local church carries out its ministry, as it attempts to serve broken and messy people with all their complexities, as it attempts to navigate life in a hostile culture, it will inevitably be faced with areas in which leaders and members disagree among themselves. There will be different instincts, different impulses, different feelings,... Continue Reading