The Reformed Soteriological System and the Federal Vision System
Only when the true marks of grace are discerned can we be certain of our salvation and attain the joy and felicity that God has for believers. The Reformed soteriological system exists on the backdrop of the original relationship of God with man in creation. In this system, man was created righteous and in fellowship... Continue Reading
Avoiding Chronological Snobbery – A Call to Add Church History to a Healthy Spiritual Diet
Studying the history of the church soberly reminds us that we take our place in the ranks of the army of God. We take up the same battle-beaten armor that the saints of old used. We use the same weapon, the gospel of Jesus Christ Many of us may struggle with the feeling that the... Continue Reading
Lessons from Lausanne: Things are not Always that Simple
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ will go forward at the rate and in the way that our sovereign God wants it to, leaven being kneaded into the lump of bread. We must simply yield our lives to that truth and live with the tension of the mysteries around us. It is Wednesday at the Third... Continue Reading
How We Think About Hell (and Heaven)
As I heard someone put it recently, it is certainly true that you can be a farmer to the glory of God, but no one will be saved from the fires of hell just because you are. At Covenant College we talk a lot about the biblical concept of calling, referring first to God’s call... Continue Reading
The Stigma Of The Small – Promoting the Intimate Church
Let’s shift from thinking of ourselves as small church leaders to being intimate church leaders. Let’s stop dwelling on size and start working with our strengths. You may be wondering why this project is not called Small Church. It is because the size of a congregation has nothing to do with its health. Carl F.... Continue Reading
Are black evangelical scholars being ignored?
Black evangelical scholars are all over America and hopefully they will be able to start contributing to conversations about the direction of evangelicalism. Protestant mainline churches seem to be far more interested in tapping into the resources of African-American theological scholars in ways that evangelicalism seems unwilling or incapable of doing… Are there black evangelical... Continue Reading
Young Souls in Transition — Emerging Adults and the Church
We can sit idly by and watch these young people emerge on their own, or we can step in as friends, guides, and fellow strugglers. The stakes, as this important study makes clear, could not be higher “I mean, I have my beliefs in my head,” the young man said. “But I don’t enjoy the... Continue Reading
What the Founders knew: Faith enhances freedom
The original Tea Partier, Samuel Adams… took as strong a view of the connection between religion and liberty as any of the Patriots. Religion fueled virtue, Adams wrote, and “the public liberty will not long survive the total extinction of morals.” The Tea Party movement seems conflicted about religion. Prominent Tea Partiers, including Glenn Beck,... Continue Reading
Pastor Appreciation Month, Part 2: What Does A Pastor Do?
A number of years ago, one of my boys came up to me around Christmas with a very serious question. He said, “daddy, is Santa real?” In my head, I quickly reviewed all thing things a parent might say either for or against Santa Claus. I paused, and replied, “of course he was. Santa’s real... Continue Reading
Affirming Kids – Consider small ways to make kids feel important and valued.
My small effort…won’t dramatically change the staggering percentage of kids who feel adults view them negatively. Still, I do hope that my conversation…helped him sense that adults in his world do care about him Several years ago I read a Search Institute report that outlined 40 developmental assets children and youth need built into their... Continue Reading