The PCA’s system is often described as grassroots because elders from ordinary congregations participate in presbytery and General Assembly. Decisions are not handed down by bishops or imposed by a distant hierarchy. Instead, pastors and ruling elders from the churches themselves gather to deliberate and vote. This participatory structure is one of the great strengths... Continue Reading

When God saved you, he united you to Christ. And you are so closely identified with Christ that his story has become your story. He died, and you died with him. He rose, and you rose with him. In Christ, we have died to sin. Our former life in bondage to sin is over, and... Continue Reading

What Calvin admired most was not merely Bucer’s intellect, but his pastoral wisdom. But what made Bucer so exceptional wasn’t just his theological acumen; it was his pastoral heart.   In 2015, while traveling to Germany for the Frankfurt Book Fair, I took the opportunity to visit Strasbourg to trace the steps of a nearly... Continue Reading

“I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (vv. 6–7).   Juxtaposed as it is next to 2 Timothy 4:1–5, verses 6–8 convey an important motivation for Timothy and... Continue Reading

If my goal is to reach San Diego, I’m not going to be content to be in Cleveland. So, let’s improve upon this idea. How about: “There are many successes on the journey to success.”?   You’ve probably heard something like: “Success is the journey and not the destination.” When I hear this, it seems to... Continue Reading

Psalm 11 is David’s confession that the Lord sees all things, works through all things, and will one day bring justice. When the wicked or unjust attempted to disturb his peace, these truths gave David confidence to take refuge in the Lord rather than fleeing in fear (v. 1). The familiar car pulled into the... Continue Reading

David names what we often avoid naming: sin. Not as a small mistake, but as a real weight between us and God. And he names the mercy God gives: forgiveness, covering, cleansing. The good news is not that we have managed to become impressive. The good news is that God is willing to pardon.  ... Continue Reading

Jesus trained them in two things: proclaiming the message of the gospel and taking authority over the enemy to deliver and heal people. Then He sent them out to do these two simple things: nothing more, nothing less. Wise is the trainer who keeps it simple. If our training doesn’t equip people for this, we... Continue Reading

For David Brainerd — and much later Jim Elliot — God chose that their stories would long outlive them. But what about believers who die young, for whom no book is written? What is the power of their short lives? This is a hard and painful question, especially for those, like Edwards, who stand nearest... Continue Reading

What Paul was setting up for with his compliments in verse 7, he explicitly came to in verses 8-10. The request Paul made would be the most forceful “punch” of the book and was what the whole of the book hinges around. Paul’s relationship to Philemon would be in the future determined by how this... Continue Reading