As Jesus did with the rich man (v. 18), he now makes clear to his disciples that, left to ourselves, ‘this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God’ (v. 27). God’s kingdom completely upends the economy of this world. And the shameful death of Jesus on the cross is its... Continue Reading

When you interact with others, do you speak of Jesus as if you were dying? If you’re dead, no scorn can touch you, no persecutor’s torments hurt. No jail can keep the dead locked up. “We died before we came here!” declared Stephen Foreman[1].   Have you ever tried to life your life like you... Continue Reading

Scripture is full of advice on marriage and family. The nuclear family is created by God. Father, mother, and children. When those in the home follow God’s Word and plan, the family works well. When that plan is broken, so are the families.   With the disintegration of the nuclear family, an ever-increasing divorce rate,... Continue Reading

The best seats are those that are near to others. It’s easy to fill up seats at church like a tube carriage, dotting ourselves around the room, leaving big gaps. On the tube, it would be weird to go and sit right next to the only other person. But, church isn’t like a tube carriage.... Continue Reading

There is wisdom in listening to and learning from doctors and experienced caregivers. But Christians have the full resources of the all-wise God available to them — by God’s Spirit, through his word, and among his people. Generational ministry lives in the church, Christ’s body; we are meant to work together as we honor the... Continue Reading

“We thank God for Joni and Friends Missouri—and the donors that make their programs come to life. You truly do hold us up when our strength is all but gone. Thank you, from the bottom of our weary souls, for being the hands and feet of Jesus—for loving your neighbors and helping us get through... Continue Reading

The message seems clear: the national leadership can communicate as it wishes, while the rest of us should practice restraint. For commissioners who care deeply about the EPC’s future, this feels less like a call to unity and more like an attempt to avoid dealing with the real issues. It is an approach that risks... Continue Reading

The Abide Project began, not as an attempt to chart a new direction, but precisely to avoid it.  The only unprecedented developments have been the deliberate attempts to protest and defy the decisions of Synod, and the subsequent failure of classes to keep such congregations accountable.   Recent Synods of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC)... Continue Reading

“Respect” for tradition is not enough when cultural hurricanes threaten to blow Anglicans off the narrow pilgrim way. Just as “respect” for God is a far cry from the “trembling at My word” that God seeks (Isa. 66:2), and just as the Ethiopian eunuch asked how he could understand Isaiah without someone guiding his interpretation... Continue Reading

After waiting to see if the 2023 synod might accommodate churches with different views, Sherman Street Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids led the way to the exit. In its resolution it wrote: “Our policy of full inclusion is settled, as is our determination to allow space for a variety of views and to embrace the resulting... Continue Reading