“Just Do It?” Obedience and the Need for Grace
Thoughts on Augustine and Pelagius
In 405 AD, a British monk named Pelagius attended a public reading of one of the best-selling of books of that decade – and of all time. And he didn’t like what he heard. … It was Augustine’s awareness of his continuing inward struggles after conversion and baptism that lay behind the famous statement that... Continue Reading
Connecting with the Older Streams of Hymnody
The old hymns of the faith provide the bridge to connect the Bible with our personal experience
He saw the need to begin singing substantive songs – songs rich in scriptural allusion and doctrinal truth – that would help bridge this gap. The worship lexicon of these students was anemic. They did not have a good means of connecting the Bible with their own personal experience. The old hymns of the faith... Continue Reading
The Manner Is the Message
Our view of God is not just determined by our pastor’s message but by our pastor’s manner
If our pastor’s preaching is harsh, demanding, and condemning, etc., then we’ll view God as an unyielding judge who’s never satisfied with our best efforts. If our pastor’s preaching is jokey, humorous, and laugh-a-minute, then we’ll view God as a circus clown who’s just out to make us His buddies. Think back to the pastor... Continue Reading
State Roadblocks Could Complicate Marriage Momentum
If the Supreme Court doesn’t end bans on same-sex couples’ marriages in all 50 states this June, then the constitutional bans in most of the states across the country could prove a stumbling block to the current momentum in the years to come.
Talk of momentum, however accurate it might be regarding public opinion polls, is quickly going to hit a roadblock — 30 of them in fact — that won’t simply crumble after an impassioned floor speech or, as with Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, after learning that he has a gay son. The roadblocks are the 30... Continue Reading
Davidson Bylaw on Religion Faces Scrutiny
Trustees uphold bylaw requiring Presbyterian president but some students, faculty object.
The trustees’ announcement in April sparked growing opposition from students and faculty. Since then, nearly 650 members of the college community signed a student petition online called “Sufficient Support,” asking school trustees to amend the religious requirement. Davidson’s faculty and alumni boards also each passed resolutions this month expressing disappointment the trustees hadn’t acted. Some... Continue Reading
Trustees offer modified charter language to ARP General Synod
An announcement from the Erskine College and Theological Seminary Board of Trustees
As part of its meetings May 23-24, the Board of Trustees of Erskine College and Theological Seminary voted to approve language for a proposed charter change regarding trustee removal. This proposed language addresses three important standards for trustee removal: cause, due process, and board approval. It also delineates the roles both Erskine and the ARP... Continue Reading
‘Things Which Become Sound Doctrine’
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Confessional and Theological Identity in the 20th Century. (Part 3)
Today the church stands at a crossroads where it is likely to go one of two ways—it can pursue a broad and pragmatic evangelicalism or a self-consciously Reformed identity. The former is perhaps the path of less resistance, but the contemporary identity crisis of American evangelicalism today suggests that this is not the best choice.... Continue Reading
Evangelical Leaders Stand By Pastor Accused Of Abuse Cover-Up
But not everyone is rushing to Mahaney’s defense.
Mahaney took a leave of absence in 2011 after other pastors in the Sovereign Grace network charged him with “expressions of pride, unentreatability, deceit, sinful judgment and hypocrisy.” Six months later, the group reinstated Mahaney, declaring full confidence in him. Last October, the same month that the lawsuit was filed, Mahaney told the Sovereign Grace... Continue Reading
No Truth Without Love, No Love Without Truth: The Church’s Great Challenge
We sin if we call homosexuality something other than sin. We also sin if we act as if this sin cannot be forgiven.
Such were some of you . . . The church is not a place where sinners are welcomed to remain in their sin. To the contrary, it is the Body of Christ, made up of sinners transformed by grace. Not one of us deserves to be accepted within the beloved. It is all of grace,... Continue Reading
How Do You Shepherd and Prepare Your 13-year-old Son for Manhood?
Advice for parents helping their sons transition from boy to man
Parents, I don’t think you have to take a trip as we have planned to do with each of our children. If you are able to afford it and do it, great. Regardless, I urge you to be very intentional about not waiting on these kinds of conversations that should be taking place much earlier... Continue Reading