Wallace’s book, Uniting Church and Home, has been blamed (or praised) for starting the “family integrated church” movement which rejects age-segregated practices like Sunday school. But he never started the movement. And he never said age-segregation was wrong. As he states in his book: “By a ‘house-hold approach’ I do not mean moving out of... Continue Reading

“The Bible presents no mere philosophical or moral message, but is the gripping account of the plan of redemption promised, accomplished, and applied by God himself. God shows himself to be at work on the stage of history, and with sovereign mastery lays out an intricate plot concerning the birth, life, death, and resurrection of... Continue Reading

“On a recent Wednesday night at the 92nd Street Y, longtime Rolling Stone editor Anthony DeCurtis interviewed Aretha Franklin about her forthcoming album. It was the first public preview, and I was placed on the guest list because of a connection I have to Mr. DeCurtis. After the interview, the audience was invited to submit... Continue Reading

In all of the discussions I have read on worship, I have not come across any real discussion outside of Block’s book of the aesthetics of reading out loud.  Given the fact that Protestantism – in fact, biblical Christianity – is a religion of the Word spoken, we need to give more attention not only... Continue Reading

Unfortunately, the sexual revolution has made it more difficult to imagine passionate philos apart from eros. That’s why revisionist historians read romantic notions into Teddy Roosevelt’s affectionate letters to his closest friends. People wonder out loud about Abraham Lincoln’s sharing a bed with his friend, Joshua Speed. It’s hard for our society to understand how... Continue Reading

You want to honor Jesus don’t you? You know that whatever you do is to be done for his glory. Here’s the main way you can do that. No – that’s not a misprint, not an exaggeration. Being optimistic about the Lord isn’t just a way of honoring him. It’s the way. Ultimately, all other... Continue Reading

Throughout these pages we are reminded that God is sovereign and He always comes to the aid of His people. The triune God will have complete victory over all His enemies of every era. The main focus of John’s writing is the soon-coming judgment on Jerusalem and Satan’s being ultimately cast into the eternal punishment... Continue Reading

Is every instance of divorce sinful in God’s sight?  Did Jesus forbid all divorce?  Does God hate all divorce?  The answer to each of these questions is the same: No.  God himself “divorced” Israel for her spiritual adultery.  Also, I mentioned last week that a good translation of Malachi 2:16 is “If one hates and... Continue Reading

Let’s face it, it’s easier for parents to wave goodbye, “kiss, kiss!”, and have some uninterrupted peace while they are trying to listen to the sermon. Even now that my kids are old enough to be quiet, I still have to worry about getting them to actually pay attention. And I see those paper airplanes... Continue Reading

“Following on from my articles on eldership (here and here), today I’m listing my Top 10 Books for Elders, with the recommendation that elders read at least one of these books on eldership every year. Why not do it together with fellow-elders? If you know of other good books on this topic please leave your suggestion in... Continue Reading