Jesus + Nothing = Everything (An Analysis)
In the end, the issue is not so much about the necessity of preaching salvation by grace. Rather, sometimes error comes in the form not by what people do say, but by what they fail to say. And, as J I Packer has so eloquently reminded us, “A half-truth masquerading as the whole truth becomes... Continue Reading
What the Christian Needs from Their Pastor
This is a plan suggested by an anonymous parishioner and cited in Rediscovering Expository Preaching (John MacArthur and the Master’s Seminary Faculty, 1992, Word Publishing, pp. 348-349). Fling him into his office. Tear the “Office” sign from the door, and nail on the sign, “Study.” Take him off the mailing list. Lock him up with... Continue Reading
What Should We Preach? Christ!
Whatever else we may discuss, whatever theological points we may consider, the Christian Church has a calling to present Christ to the world and call all men to come to Him for salvation. What should Christian pastors preach? The short answer: Christ. As the Apostle Paul said, “I determined not to know anything among you... Continue Reading
The Simple Things, the Good Things: Billy Graham Library and an Advent Renewal
Life and ministry is not about me, it is about Christ. It is about Christ for a world of lost sinners in need. It is about coming to Him, “Just as I am without one plea.” It is about the simple things, the good things. Peggy Noonan once said that the most profound things are... Continue Reading
Applying Volf: Ordained ministers who are politically active: caution!
“A misunderstanding of how our faith should function can provide fertile ground both for the lure of temptation and the power of systems.” —Miroslav Volf As Miroslav Volf’snew book argues, the Christian faith is intrinsically a public, prophetic faith. Any attempt to deny this injures not only the Church but also the “City of Man”... Continue Reading
Should Churches Be Permitted to Worship on Public School Premises?
Sometimes a yoga class is an exercise class and sometimes it’s worship. Sometimes a luncheon is one-part prayer service and one-part lunch. Park Slope Presbyterian (PCA) may do “God’s work” in the city of Brooklyn, but it is as much a social justice operation as it is a church. This week the United States Supreme... Continue Reading
Learning to Read the Gospel Again – How to address our anxiety about losing the next generation.
Imagine a church in which children and adults of all ages, races, and classes were bound together by their common love for the words of the gospel. If Christians can learn, week after week, to read the story of Jesus of Nazareth—to love what we read, to be loved by what we read—then surely the... Continue Reading
Do The Three Abrahamic Faiths Worship The Same God?
(Recently at) Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a widely respected Evangelical center in the Boston area, Miroslav Volf gave a lecture…He is…a professor at the Yale Divinity School. His book Allah: A Christian Response was recently published. Its central thesis was reiterated in the lecture at Gordon-Conwell: Yes, one can say that Christians and Muslims believe in... Continue Reading
‘But He Never Hit Me’: A Christian Primer on Emotional Abuse
Contrary to what many believe, domestic abuse is not about an angry person losing their temper and lashing out at their spouse. Rather, it is a pattern of behaviors that people use to establish dominance in their relationships. Deb* still has a hard time saying she was abused. Her husband knew the Bible well and... Continue Reading
Is Sexual Redemption Optional?
(Augustine) wrote, “Give me chastity and continence, but not yet. For I was afraid lest Thou shouldest hear me so, and soon deliver me from the disease of concupiscence, which I desired to have satisfied rather than extinguished.” The influence of postmodernism is reshaping the outreach of some evangelical churches to minister sexual redemption in... Continue Reading