First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC, Makes Statement of Contrition on Race
Regarding the names James Henley Thornwell and Benjamin Morgan Palmer, the Session unanimously called for the “immediate removal of the Thornwell and Palmer names on church buildings, the summer lecture series, and church publications.”
“We reaffirm that all people are made in the image of God. We also reaffirm our historic stance that the Gospel should be offered freely to all sinners regardless of race or ethnicity through preaching and teaching of God’s holy, inerrant, and infallible Word.” At First Presbyterian Church, all people are welcome regardless of race... Continue Reading
How Church History Will Help You Defend the Faith
John of Damascus (676-749) is a model for how rich theology fuels Christian evangelism.
John succeeded his father as a key advisor to the Muslim ruler, Caliph Abd al-Malik (r. 685–705). After a long life of service in the public realm John left his public position in the early part of the eighth century in order to embrace a monastic lifestyle in a monastery near Jerusalem. John was a... Continue Reading
Supporting Missionaries
It was a simple challenge, but it changed my life.
We shouldn’t be surprised at this simple approach to missions. When we consider missions through the lens of Scripture, we find that these twin roles of giving and going reflect the Lord’s approach, and this approach predates even the creation of the world. This is revealed clearly in the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. In... Continue Reading
Disciple-Forming Corporate Worship
While discipleship certainly involves teaching truth to the mind, that is not enough since discipleship is more than data transmission.
Many evangelicals today consider corporate worship as simply a Christian’s expression of authentic devotion toward God. Yet corporate worship is not merely expressive; corporate worship is formative. This is how corporate worship fits into the Great Commission: the liturgy of a church shapes the liturgy of life. Every church has as its mission the... Continue Reading
Unsound Teaching Produces Unsound Churches
We must be striving for ongoing reformation as we seek to honor God through biblically informed worship and a lifestyle that is consistent with a pursuit of holiness.
The unadulterated Word of God is what the local church needs. Anything else will not fulfill the people and will lead to unrest, lawless behavior, and ultimately will be so dull that it will not penetrate the hearts of people and will be incapable of saving the soul (James 1:21; 1 Tim. 1:10; 2 Tim.... Continue Reading
Pastors, Covid, and Criticism
These are difficult days for everyone. Your fuse may be shorter than normal, your perspective skewed by weeks or months of enforced isolation – and so might your pastor’s. If you love them, support them.
Lockdown has removed this sense of intimacy and security for your pastor, so that his preaching has not been just to members, but in a marketplace. Most Christians will have (or ought to have) stuck with their own online ministry, but in the back of his mind and the depths of his heart there lurks... Continue Reading
Your Culture and Your Preaching – Part 2
Five categories of cultural influence on our public speaking.
Do we tend to take the stance of the celebrity expert, or the authoritarian scholar, or use the indirect authority of gentle encouragement? It is not just whether we speak with authority or not, but how that authority is wielded. This is about whether we are more direct or indirect, instructive or suggestive, bold or... Continue Reading
The Evangelical Church’s Confused Witness on Race: Part 3
The apparent obsession of many of the leaders in the SBC and the PCA with white racism is rooted in white guilt.
Racism will be with us until Christ consummates His marriage with His Bride, the church. But God’s wisdom shows us that the best way to help blacks and other minorities is not through welfare, affirmative action, or confessing our racism—unless, of course, we really are racist In Part 2 of this series, we presented the... Continue Reading
Is The Church’s Officer Class Surrendering?
They have declared that the purpose of the Gospel is racial reconciliation rather than reconciliation of sinful man to a holy and righteous God.
So now even the Gospel is subverted to meet the needs of the gods of Diversity and Inclusion. They have pimped the Gospel to to appease people who will never be appeased. They have declared that the purpose of the Gospel is racial reconciliation rather than reconciliation of sinful man to a holy and righteous... Continue Reading
Athanasius
Guarding Against Heresy and Holding Fast to Sound Doctrine
The ancient historian Rufinus tells us (Church History 10.15) that the eminent bishop of Alexandria, named Alexander, was sitting by the sea one day when he glanced up to see some boys playing a game on the beach: not tag, nor chasing after a ball, nor swimming. These Christian boys were mimicking the actions they had... Continue Reading
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