The incessant storms of recent times—political, cultural, ecclesial, theological, medical, economic!—have shown how quickly such worldly securities can crumble. Such storms provide a perfect opportunity for the Church’s counter-message to shine most distinctly, as the city on a hill (Matt. 5:14). We are in great need of recovering this lost confidence.   Note: We don’t... Continue Reading

 The Lord’s Supper is a precious memorial to remind people about Jesus’ sacrificial death. But it is not merely a memorial. It conveys special sanctifying grace to Christians who eat and drink in faith because Jesus is spiritually present as his people fellowship with him and each other Read the Passage 23For I received from... Continue Reading

I do not suppose anyone who read this woke up this morning wondering why my third son’s middle name is Joseph. But in the ten plus years since my wife and I gave this name to him, I have never regretted it. No man apart from Christ is perfect. Dr. Pipa will be the first... Continue Reading

Pastor, when you grow weary, you must see that a minister’s weariness isn’t a failure of faithfulness. Weariness results from the reality of our limits. We must acknowledge those limits. If we’re dishonest about our imperfections and insufficiencies, we’ll never be able to appreciate or enjoy God’s perfect sufficiency.   I have an outdated cell... Continue Reading

Prosperity gospel proponents have told me that if I had prayed in faith, my body would have been healed, my son would have been spared, and my marriage would have been restored. It was all up to me. If I just had the faith, I would have had a better outcome. Their words have left... Continue Reading

The ultimate aim of the union between Christ and the Church is righteous rule—a co-reigning with Christ over creation in the new heavens and new earth. This union is not merely for relational joy but for fulfilling God’s purposes in the world. Marriages that cultivate fruitful sexual love model this divine calling, bringing order, stability,... Continue Reading

Imagine that as you arrived at church to worship God on a Sunday morning, you first walked past the graves of friends who had served the church faithfully before going to their rest. Imagine if over there was the grave of a former pastor who had led you to Christ, baptized you, married you, and... Continue Reading

External behaviors or theological knowledge are not the essence of real Christianity. True conversion is an inner transformation, a union with God’s presence in one’s soul. Scougal proposes that a person’s soul, when alive with the life of God, will naturally display virtues like love, joy, humility, and holiness.   If recommendations pique your interest... Continue Reading

Although God does reveal himself in history, this is not the sole domain of revelation. He reveals himself also “in the things that have been made.” God’s law reveals his character. These dimensions of revelation point to a need to synthesize the ways God reveals himself—historical, natural, and written—and to order that revelation in a... Continue Reading

Until the last 50 years, the Reformed tradition has been absolutely clear and consistent on the topic of homosexuality because the Bible is clear and consistent on homosexuality. Any Presbyterian denomination that ignores this biblical truth is sowing the seeds of its own destruction. What has tragically transpired in the mainline Presbyterian church shouts in... Continue Reading