DeYoung’s main premise is that the Christian life is not impossible, even if we have been led to believe it is. Two culprits are: 1) an inaccurate portrait of life with God, and 2) an unbiblical understanding of our limitations. He reminds us of a comforting truth: we cannot care about everything. We are not... Continue Reading

Christian princes are not church officers, insisted Calvin, but they have “obtained” by God’s sovereign decree. Like David, they should be versed in God’s law in order to apply it justly throughout the nation, leaving the administration of the sacraments and preaching to those with ministerial callings. Calvin’s view resonated with many in Britain where history... Continue Reading

They spent 17 years at Vanga, but their service ended on a rocky note. “Dr. Leslie had a relational falling out with some of the tribal leaders and was asked not to come back,” Ramsey says. “They reconciled later; there were apologies and forgiveness, but it didn’t end like he hoped.” “His goal was to spread... Continue Reading

The Lord is with me. He had not abandoned me. He had not abandoned GraceAnna or our son. God is sovereign. He put me in this closet. He had put GraceAnna in the surgery room. He had prepared us for this moment. And He was with us. I realized that all I could do in... Continue Reading

Hooker called on his countrymen to turn back to God by parting from their rebellious ways and pleading with God not to depart. It is not gold, wealth, and prosperity “that makes God to be their God.” But it is God’s ordinances that bring his presence. Hooker called people to right worship and to find... Continue Reading

It was the General’s dream to have a Christian praying army. While such a notion was not possible, we can only awe in reverence to the idea. Imagine the sight of an opposing army committed and engaged in prayer, ready to battle its enemy forces. Such a thought should tremble our souls and provide comfort... Continue Reading

‘Urban Legends of Theology’ is a profoundly useful book for a wide audience. Pastors and seasoned saints can, like I have, become overconfident that they wouldn’t fall prey to urban legends, especially if they’ve spent years in theological study. This book can also serve the church well as an early introduction to theological thinking. Newer... Continue Reading

Discipleship is inefficient. It’s slow, it’s messy, it can involve going the wrong way for large periods of time, it’s painful, and it always involves suffering. Berry argues that we have come to understand nature to engage in production rather than work in cycles. Churches don’t ‘produce’ anything, but I think if we think of... Continue Reading

Luther is most known for bringing Reformation light to the Church through faithful doctrine.  How better could God demonstrate that than by using a man like Luther to proclaim it?  Seeing all these flaws, against the backdrop of such grace, is cause to realize this truth.  God truly justifies the ungodly, lifts them up as... Continue Reading

As it is often the case with medieval saints (and others in our varied Christian past), we might not agree with everything Aelred wrote. He has been accused of being vague on some issues and unduly soft on others. But his teachings on love and friendship are pastoral and thought-provoking, and his prayers are moving... Continue Reading