By far the worst thing about the expression “coming to faith” is that it leaves Jesus out. The obvious response is, “No it doesn’t—because we all know that ‘coming to faith’ is shorthand for ‘coming to trust Jesus.’” But do we all know this? Won’t at least some of our hearers take our words at... Continue Reading

Ministers must take seriously the preparation part of their ministry and do the work necessary to not only maintain competence, but desiring to use their time in their study to feed their people with the full measure of faith in offer in the Bible. Here we see why the Directory of Public Worship encourages men to... Continue Reading

The idea of God makes sense of a lot of things. But we can’t pretend that an argument for God in itself means we understand God. To understand God, we need God to communicate with us, to initiate some sort of relationship. He must stoop to our level and use words and concepts that make... Continue Reading

If the church stands by and folds its hands, the corruption and evil in society will only grow. In a modern world, historical creeds and confessions are seen as outdated and retrogressive by the masses. But, unbeknownst to those starved of such delicacies, they are of importance because they serve as a guide and standard of historical... Continue Reading

When we look back, then, across the landscape of what was and what He did during those times, we see time and time again these big and small examples of His faithfulness. Everything from providing a job to helping you take the very next step still in faith is a testimony to His unchanging character... Continue Reading

In pastoring I’ve heard the quip, “ministry would be great if it weren’t for the people.” When you complain that there are too many people, it’s worth remembering that you classify as part of that unfortunate category to someone else. Sometimes we epitomize cities as dens of sin while nature reflects purity and innocence. But... Continue Reading

The nature of this current deception involves the serpent seducing women to take God’s prerogative and decide the life or death of their child in vivo by abortion. This is accomplished by convincing her that the nature of her pregnancy is not two persons but just about her body alone.  The living entity she carries,... Continue Reading

Humans are not mere victims of the flow of history, but responsible actors. Made in the image of God, humans are not only central to the story but uniquely valuable. We are also deeply fallen, often operating from selfish, racist, or other sinful motives. We need not think of America or Americans as either flawless... Continue Reading

Even though our battle is not against physical “flesh and blood” this does not mean our battle is against purely ethereal spirits who have no concrete presence within this world. The principalities are grounded in all sorts of ways, ideas, and – yes – people. This means we are to wield our spiritual sword (Eph.... Continue Reading

God takes special notice of the sins of prophets. They are mentioned first in the general corruption that affected all sorts. There were priests’ sins, princes’ sins, and people’s sins, but the prophets are set in the front. They provoked God greatly. They did the most hurt. “From the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone... Continue Reading