The Mystery of Children’s Church
Keeping our covenant youth in worship is not impossible if we think about the promises God has made to us
Your children will grow up not segregated from public worship and the means of grace. They’ll grow up a part of the community of the redeemed and watching baptisms. They’ll see the supper administered and they’ll ask, “When can I have it?” They’ll hear the Law and the Gospel and they’ll grow up knowing that... Continue Reading
Moore Than A Birthday
The Lord used the suffering of an empty cradle to teach me what it means to love two sons more than I ever would have known possible
Five years ago a baby was born but his name wasn’t Benjamin. It was Maxim. Five years ago a few weeks from now, another baby was born but his name wasn’t Timothy. It was Sergei. The two of them languished in a Russian orphanage for over a year until the Lord directed our steps to... Continue Reading
22 Mistakes Pastors Make in Practicing Church Discipline
Church discipline should be practiced, but with care and a biblical focus
They pursue discipline for any reason other than for the good of the individual, the good of the church, the good of the onlooking community, and the glory of Christ. Jonathan Leeman, “Appendix: Mistakes Pastors Make in Practicing Discipline,” Church Discipline: How the Church Protects the Name of Jesus (9Marks; Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 139–40: Pastors sometimes make the... Continue Reading
Don’t Forsake the Old Hymns
The decline of hymnody is harmful to the theology and music quality in many of today’s churches
Someone told me recently that in his church, “If we can’t line-dance to it, we don’t sing it!” People do not like to stand and sing for 15 minutes or more at a stretch — period! If you don’t believe that statement, ask your people. They will tell you quickly that it’s too long to... Continue Reading
Family
The privilege of having children is also a lifetime stewardship
How thankful I am that Sunday after Sunday large numbers of our children are brought down to the front for the children’s sermon by their fathers—I hope that sight strikes visitors as the unusual and gospel-driven reality it is!
Why No Denomination Will Survive the Homosexuality Crisis
Sometimes the best way to preserve unity is to admit that we don’t have it.
Third ways don’t work either. It may sound like a brilliant compromise to deploy another study committee, but this merely kicks the can down the road. It says “pass” on the crisis, only to push the crisis into someone else’s lap a few years later. The denomination must fish or cut bait. It must decide what it really believes.
Who’s Afraid of the Means of Grace?
No Fear! 2kers are confident (though doubts afflict us all) that God’s word will abide.
The 2kers I know are not afraid of engaging the culture. We do so daily in the variety of callings God has granted. The fears that lurk around 2k are those of its critics who seem to be afraid that the kingdom will not come without the culture wars or the redemption of “all things.”... Continue Reading
Freedom of Worship is NOT the same thing as Freedom of Religion
Freedom of religion means the right to live according to one’s own faith…in practice, both “in public or private,” without interference from the state.
If the freedom of worship assault against freedom of religion succeeds, creed-motivated philanthropic and service organizations such as the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and religiously sponsored schools, hospitals, nursing homes, pregnancy counseling centers, etc., will be forced to choose between acting contrary to their faith and closing their doors.
It’s a Topsy-Turvy World in PCUSAville
Most well-meaning liberals believe with all their hearts that they are indeed pursuing the gospel. It’s just that they have redefined the gospel.
The Book of Confessions, though the primary part of our Constitution (as recognized by our Book of Order, which is the secondary part of our Constitution) no longer stands over the Book of Order, but rather holds the position of a quaint museum piece of what our forebearers once believed.
Pope: Church must preach what God says not what people want to hear
…the Ontario Bishops regularly consulted a diverse advisory group of lay people for advice on how to confront the issue.
Are Christians lacking a well-worded way to present Christ’s teachings on homosexuality to our modern culture? We’ve been in this battle for four decades. It’s time to get our talking points in order and face this issue, that clearly cannot be avoided, head on. Perhaps just speaking the truth in charity and leaving the outcome to the Holy Spirit is all that is necessary.