Deliberately mine the historic tradition of psalmody and hymnody for worship.  Not that anything written by anyone still alive is to be excluded.  Far from it.  But try to make sure the songs of worship reflect the chronological sweep of the church’s life, from the Book of Psalms onwards.  Make people aware that praise did... Continue Reading

But many times, probably more than we would like to believe, a church member leaves a local body because he or she has a sense of entitlement. I would therefore suggest that the main reason people leave a church is because they have an entitlement mentality rather than a servant mentality.     Numbers of gifted... Continue Reading

God has designed the pronouncement of a Scriptural blessing or benediction to be the conclusion or culmination of the corporate worship of his people. By it the people who have gathered together in God’s name and with his presence among them depart with the assurance that God has indeed been in their midst and that... Continue Reading

Every Christian should remember one basic fact, namely that the New Testament books are distinctive because, generally speaking, they are the earliest Christian writings we possess. None are earlier. If so, then it seems that the books included in the New Testament are not as arbitrary as some would have us believe. On the contrary,... Continue Reading

The current state of our preaching is driven by an admirable desire to show our age the relevance of the gospel. But our recent attempts have inadvertently turned that gospel into mere good advice—about sex, about social ethics, about how to live successfully. This either offends or bores our culture. A renewed focus on the... Continue Reading

According to the report, “when children of divorce reach adulthood, compared to those raised in intact families, they feel less religious on the whole and are less likely to be involved in the regular practice of a faith.” The report points out a striking disparity between people from “intact families,” two-thirds of whom say they... Continue Reading

Let us pursue now what we will enjoy in glory then. For what started with one man, called out of paganism, and joined to his barren wife, will one day come to culmination on the other side of the seven seals with a vast array of singing saints more numerous than the sand on the... Continue Reading

Now, again, having relationships (or sharing in appropriate efforts like Bible distribution) should not mean forsaking one’s theology. Nor does it mean forging ties with bodies that are clearly outside the faith. There are all sorts of horrific things done in the name of “ ecumenicalism” that the wise pastor will steer clear from. The... Continue Reading

What is unique about the Heidelberg Catechism is its warm and personal tone. Church historian Philip Schaff said it was “a product of the heart as well as the head.” It presents pastoral guidance that is robustly theological. Unlike some other confessions of the period, it is nearly devoid of polemics. Its tone is irenic.... Continue Reading

One cannot help but wonder “Whatever happened to “faith alone”? Are we not being led to believe that rather than “justified by faith” that our “faith is justified” by the evangelical magisterium? Is the kingdom of God now synonymous with a particular visible institution to which one must give their nod of approval? Scary stuff.... Continue Reading