The nature of saving faith makes preaching Christ necessary devotionally. While saving faith receives the whole Word of God because it is God’s Word, “the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace” (WCF 14.1).   When... Continue Reading

“I have, over the years, read through a good number of the English translations available, including some of the more obscure ones. I have learned something from each one, and I have benefitted from each one.”   Except in certain very conservative Christian circles, the KJV is no longer the exclusive Bible of the English-speaking... Continue Reading

Sixty percent of Americans who never attend church during the course of a year view themselves as Christians. But a sincere perusal of Scripture shows a much tighter relationship between the Christian and the church. In fact, contrary to the practice of most Americans, God not only calls believers to attend church but to bind... Continue Reading

Likely for some the fear of losing a house or a job might prove to be too much of a temptation and they would stay home most of the time. For others though, I suspect that the church would become more of an oasis and far sweeter than ever before. Something they would never, ever,... Continue Reading

Much has changed in my understanding of biblical hope. It now underlies pastoral visits and counseling. Instead of only a few choice texts, I see hope throughout the Scriptures. This buoyant hope as a fountain of joy deeply affects my living, preaching, and teaching. Although I failed in that pastoral setting 35 years ago, the... Continue Reading

Instead of lamenting that something isn’t our preference and folding our arms in protest, perhaps we can humble ourselves and participate anyway. Perhaps we can be open-minded to the diverse ways God’s people worship him, and not just tolerate but even participate in this diversity, learning to love it.   When it comes to church worship music,... Continue Reading

“The reality is that we all know people who have had mental illness, depression, anxiety, and other problems. The more we talk about [mental illness] and bring it out of the shadows, the more understanding and compassion we’ll have, and I think the better care people will get,” Achtyes told LifeWay Research. “And don’t we... Continue Reading

“Yesterday we looked at real examples of when women feel valued and honored in their church. Today we’re sharing moments or things that are said in church life that have made women cringe.”   To coincide with the release of Kathleen Nielson’s new book, Women and God, we conducted a survey. It invited Christian women... Continue Reading

Most surveys indicate that around a quarter of the population of South Korea (around 50 million) identify as Christians. Despite years of systemic opposition to Christianity under the Japanese during the Second World War, the devastation of the Korean War leading to many Christians from what is now North Korea becoming refugees, and decades of... Continue Reading

Definitions of preaching abound but a biblically faithful definition goes something like this: Christian preaching is the Triune God’s ordained means by which he uses men filled with his Spirit to reveal the meaning of his written word to a particular congregation of the bride of Christ Jesus for the glory of the Father. Truly, more could be said.... Continue Reading