What Does a Future Merger of the ECO and the EPC Mean for the PCA?
With the possibility of realignment within American Presbyterianism, the PCA can once again, and with one voice, be the conservative, confessional, and complementarian Presbyterian Church in America.
But what does this mean for the PCA? Because of the recent exposure of the progressive vision by a few in the PCA, increasing numbers of pastors have been made aware and have begun the process of mobilizing a coordinated effort. If the aforementioned merger does occur—and I believe it will—progressives can exit slowly, having... Continue Reading
A Polity to Avoid Like the Plague
If the structures aren’t there, things go awry and the whole house of cards comes crashing down.
There is a particular ecclesiological problem that is absolutely toxic. Actually, there are several. But there is one that rears its head frequently that, should you see it, I would counsel you to keep well away. That is the leader who surrounds himself with only with yes-men. It is the polity that puts one man... Continue Reading
Don’t Confuse Important Things for the Chief Thing and Act Like it is the Only Thing
The problem comes when we make a priority of the church the only priority of the church and they all stem from out ecclesiology: what is the church and what is the church to do?
Most issues that we face day to day within the church stem from a faulty understanding of who the church is and what it is called to do. When people leave the church – sometimes legitimately, often less so – their issues typically stem from a difference in ecclesiology. The people leaving may not recognise... Continue Reading
Abuse of Faith
20 years, 700 victims: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders resist reforms.
It’s not just a recent problem: In all, since 1998, roughly 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct, the newspaper found. That includes those who were convicted, credibly accused and successfully sued, and those who confessed or resigned. More of them worked in Texas than in any other state.... Continue Reading
The Key To Making the Most Out of Congregational Singing
Singing is not just a vertical act, but also a horizontal one.
Of course we sing to God, but we also sing for one another. God is the object of our worship, but our singing is also a means of mutual encouragement. In our singing, we all have equal opportunity to proclaim truth. When we open our mouths to sing, we all take on the role of teacher, of encourager. My... Continue Reading
Immutability and Pastoral Ministry
Christ makes all the theological abstractions concrete; he brings all the prodigal speculations back home.
For this high and lofty doctrine to have any life-giving impact in our daily struggles and joys, it must be transposed through the words of Christ and metabolized in the work of Christ. What, then, does this doctrine look like when condensed into a solid state? When it begins to take on a recognizable shape... Continue Reading
Reconsidering Revoice & its Advocates
The aim and goal of the Christian life is holiness and it stands to gospel reason that God does not stand in the way the believer’s progressive conformity to Christ.
At this point, Hill may, must and does argue that homosexual orientation is not sin. Perhaps the question begging to be asked is why talk about homosexual orientation as something God does not want to remove but rather to leave like a thorn in the flesh? Is sexual orientation a thorn or not? Nevertheless, what... Continue Reading
Balancing Ministry and Family Time
Sadly, many men leave the ministry due to erring one way or the other in what is often a delicate balance.
We must remember that ministry in the New Testament is life on life. For the Apostle Paul, the church was not a distant group before which he occasionally appeared. They were his spiritual family, with whom he lived and ministered. How does a pastor most healthily balance ministerial service with family time? This tension... Continue Reading
The Disappearance of Honor
Honor is assaulted not only from the world but also from within the church and from within the home.
Many men don’t show proper honor to their wives, and they even sometimes laugh when their children speak or act dishonorably to their mothers. I am repeatedly shocked to hear children speak disrespectfully to their parents, yet the shock begins to wear off when I see their parents speak disrespectfully to others, particularly online. Similarly,... Continue Reading
Don’t Ignore the “Speed Limit”: How the Sufficiency of Scripture Should Make Us Patient
Fast growth is good, even desirable! But it appears to be unusual in Scripture.
Unbelievers see things more clearly than we think. They sniff out our attempts to market Jesus. They see through our sales pitches. They’re far more serious about their worldview than we give them credit for. And I think our ignorance of this fact offends them even more than the content of our worldview. Why do we... Continue Reading
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