How to Preach David and Goliath with Balance: A Case Study of Finding Christ in the Old Testament (Part I)
A helpful return to an emphasis of finding Christ in all of the Scriptures, particularly the Old Testament
I do not have the expertise or the zeal to address the question as a whole. However, I believe that a simple case study can do some good in showing this balanced approach to preaching from the Old Testament. Let us consider the famous story of David and Goliath and different ways we might approach... Continue Reading
PCA Minister Eugene Case Honored on His Retirement as Stated Clerk of Grace Presbytery
Case served as Clerk of the Presbytery for 22 years
Gene was elected Stated Clerk of Grace Presbytery in January 1992 and has continued to serve the Presbytery as Stated Clerk since that time until January 2014, when he declined to be nominated for that office again….during his tenure as Stated Clerk, Grace Presbytery has been blessed by Gene’s labors, leadership, integrity and organizational skills,... Continue Reading
Police Arrest US Street Preacher in Scotland for Calling Homosexuality a Sin
U.S. preacher and former Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff arrested in Scotland for breach of the peace and for using "homophobic" language in the condemnation of sin
Milano explained he began street evangelism eight years ago when he realized “that I love myself more than I love lost people.” He admitted that “I was more concerned about me than where they would spend eternity – I was more concerned about what they thought of me instead of what they think of Christ.”... Continue Reading
To Be Tired of Luther…
The preaching of God's word was the power of the Reformation, not force.
… is to be tired of life. Most of those who know anything about Luther’s life tend to think of his appearance at the Diet of Worms in 1521 as the point at which he was most vulnerable — the isolated reformer surrounded by the massed forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic... Continue Reading
Finding Sexual Freedom in Augustine’s Confessions
Sex is a gift from God, but not one to be exalted over the Creator.
For Augustine, sex is not evil—it is the gift of a good God. Like all creaturely gifts, sex is intended by God to lead us to him, resulting in the love and praise of his name. However, as Adam’s children, our loves are profoundly disordered. Pleased with God’s gifts, we displease God by loving the... Continue Reading
What’s the Difference between the Ontological and the Economic Trinity?
The difference between the "being" of God and the "roles" of God.
We distinguish among the three persons of the Godhead in terms of what we call the economy of God. It is the Father who sends the Son into the world for our redemption. It is the Son who acquires our redemption for us. It is the Spirit who applies that redemption to us. We do... Continue Reading
For Those Who’ve Lost Themselves
We find ourselves in losing ourselves to the mundane, to the pleasure of God.
You find yourself in losing yourself. You find yourself in the midst of the mundane, in the simple service unobserved. It is in the quiet flourishing of gifts that go unheralded. Who are you? You are more than others see. You are the sum of your moments lived not for worldly accolades, but lived for... Continue Reading
Texas Textbooks: A Case Study for Creationism’s Staying Power
The foundation for our feuds between science and religion are rooted in the Seventeenth Century.
Some will tell you that the culture wars began in the 1960s battles over sex education or the 1970s abortion fights. I’m convinced that the origins of today’s red-versus-blue troubles lie in the theological feuds of the seventeenth century. That’s when the ancestors of today’s evangelicals developed a powerful—and intellectually hazardous—way to defend their interpretation... Continue Reading
Less Buffer More Free Speech
After arguments Wednesday, the Supreme Court seems set to roll back buffer zones around abortion centers.
“Speech is powerful,” Roberts wrote in 2011. “It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and—as it did here—inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker. As a nation we have chosen a different course—to protect even hurtful... Continue Reading
Federal Judge Denies Second Episcopal Church Request to Seize Diocese of South Carolina Identity
Court Rejects Bishop vonRosenberg's effort to 'rehash' its failed arguments
In his ruling, Judge Houck said, “It appears Bishop [Charles G.] vonRosenberg is using the motion to express his disagreement with the Court’s ruling and to ‘rehash’ previously presented arguments. … As such, Bishop vonRosenberg’s motion is improper and reconsideration is not justified.” Bishop vonRosenberg had asked Judge Houck to effectively overturn a state court... Continue Reading