We think we show our love for God by doing all the things. Well, if we love him, we do obey him. But we don’t show love for him by abusing ourselves in his service; we plan regular times of refreshment, of enjoying his presence and the beauty of where he has placed us in... Continue Reading

“This decision was not reached lightly. Unfortunately, several of our players have refused to wear the scheduled Pride Night jersey and the club decided that hosting the event is more important than forcing players to wear jerseys they are not comfortable with and playing the game,” the team wrote in a statement.   A minor... Continue Reading

We often evaluate God’s faithfulness according to immediate circumstances. When prayers remain unanswered, suffering continues, or difficulties persist, we are tempted to conclude that God has forgotten his promises. The resurrection challenges that conclusion. The disciples believed Good Friday was the end of the story. Easter morning revealed that God’s providence had been accomplishing something... Continue Reading

There are at least three good reasons not to stay in my comfort zone:  God wants me to grow, mature and to be tested and made stronger. Going beyond my comfort zone will produce this.     My comfort zone may be the place where I am now, unless I’m presently being stretched. To stay... Continue Reading

That’s the question every follower of him answers every morning, in the face of every temptation, every conflict, every constricting pressure to compromise, with a resounding yes.  What’s your answer?  If at times this week the answer has been no, God is inviting us to examine ourselves this morning, to see Jesus again, to come... Continue Reading

We as a society now are thoroughly technological. Our increasing capacity to manipulate and even to seemingly remake nature is essential to our pursuit of self-glorifying autonomy. The capacity to act more efficiently, to modify ever-more around us, to produce greater with less work, these all plant an assumption of constant progress in our minds.... Continue Reading

God uses suffering to break us of self-dependence and bring us to rely on Him. He helps us learn that He alone can bear the full weight of our pain, and give us strength and life when we feel only weakness and death. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  ... Continue Reading

I have worn eyeglasses since the 8th grade. I put them on as I rise from bed and take them off when I turn out the light at night. I set them “continually before me.” Everything is seen through those lenses, and therefore, everything is clear. The presence-centered man or woman does the same.  ... Continue Reading

This year continued a several year trend of encouragement. The GA continues to do good work to strengthen the PCA, and give us cause for great optimism.   This week was the 53rd General Assembly (GA) of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Over 2,000 Teaching and Ruling Elders joined in Louisville, Kentucky, to do... Continue Reading

We’re to be set apart, totally holy, totally different not in some areas but in every area of life.  Our lives are meant to be so inexplicably different, such a conundrum, to those around us that they can’t help but eventually ask us why?     How do we reach the world around us for... Continue Reading

The king gets off his throne and sits in dust. There is a decree issued for humans and animals to fast and cry out to God. The message of the Lord has had an impact on the city. And God relents.     “Can I have another go?” is an often-used phrase in our house... Continue Reading

God honors persistent prayer. It doesn’t mean he’s always going to eventually grant it. That’s not the point. The point is for us to remain steadfast, to remember his promises, to know that he is God even when we’ve lost a ring. He tells us to keep asking, so we will—even if it never happens. ... Continue Reading

Abram would be identified with God to such an extent that what people do to him, they are seen as doing to God himself. Abram would be God’s representative, if you like, as if he was in God’s family. However you treat Abram is how you treat God. Does that idea sound familiar to you?... Continue Reading

One of the humbling things about a bad morning is how quickly it reveals what is really in me. I can blame the time, the lack of sleep, and even the messy house. And those things are a pain, they really are, but I’m sure they don’t create impatience out of nothing. Instead they draw... Continue Reading

The disciples had followed Peter fishing but had caught nothing. But suddenly Jesus appeared on the seashore and instructed them, which yielded a great catch. When the discerning apostle, John, realized it was the Lord and told Peter, Peter jumped in the water and swam to shore, and the boat followed (because he was a... Continue Reading

It was their duty to protest against mere formalism, to stress moral duty, to urge the necessity of spiritual service, and to promote the interests of truth and righteousness. If the people departed from the path of duty, they had to call them back to the law and to the testimony, and to announce the... Continue Reading

We take people who are hurting, angry, confused, or offended, and instead of leading them toward Christ, we lead them deeper into themselves. We teach them to linger over evil. We nurse the wound. We baptize the grudge. We turn the complaint into a cause. We make rebellion sound like wisdom. And God calls it... Continue Reading

Outcomes of this Assembly could perhaps settle some matters, sparing continued advocacy for the near term. Then, again, the PCA may have over one hundred overtures next time around if the enthusiasm for procedural improvement continues.   Between the assemblies, attention had been given to the nomination of the next Stated Clerk and the attempts... Continue Reading

The 53rd General Assembly completed its work by acting on the full slate of Overtures Committee recommendations, approving several key BCO changes and committee reports, while rejecting others. The Assembly then adjourned sine die after worship, with the 54th General Assembly scheduled for Milwaukee in 2027. Full details and vote tallies are in the report.... Continue Reading

Every church is shaping the next generation, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Children are learning what worship means. Teenagers are learning what Christianity values. Young adults are learning what the church believes. The question is whether they are being formed primarily by Scripture and sound doctrine or by the assumptions of the surrounding culture.   This... Continue Reading

The world says, “You were born this way.” Christ says, “You must be born again.” One message chains a man forever to his desires. The other promises to make him new. One leaves sinners exactly where they are. The other raises dead men to life.   One of the most influential slogans in modern history... Continue Reading

The teachings and outcomes of Islam regarding the treatment of women stand in marked contrast to Christianity. Only the Bible provides consistent guidance that values women and truly protects them from misuse.   This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of a cinematic and cultural icon of the Islamic world. What the movies Ben Hur and... Continue Reading

“This was a targeted program of ritualized torture and subjugation as a means of ethnic domination. In other words, these gangs are conducting war against the White British using serial child rape and torture as a form of conquest.” May God awaken and purify the anger of the British people and may He act on... Continue Reading

The Christian should not wear one face at church and another at school, online, at work, or with friends. Christ calls us to integrity—to wholeness—to sincerity before God and men.…You may fool your parents, your pastor, or your friends, but you cannot be two-faced before God.   Let’s keep this question constantly before us: Who... Continue Reading

Do you desire faithful preaching? Do you hunger to be reproved, rebuked, and exhorted by the word? Or does the scratch of flattering preaching appeal to you more than the voice of the Shepherd? Come with that expectation. He promises to meet you there.   Most Christians think of a sermon as a man explaining... Continue Reading

In Matthew 12:30-32, Jesus’ warning is meant to shake the proud, not crush the repentant. His invitation to humble hearts still stands today when He said, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). No matter what your past contains, if you come to Christ in repentance and faith, you... Continue Reading

Cynicism, on the other hand, is a belief condition whereby the soul hasn’t merely grown tired; it has drawn a wrong conclusion. It has crossed from “I’m exhausted” to “I’ve stopped trusting the process (and the Lord).” And that crossing is a spiritual threshold that rest alone cannot reverse.   Last week, I presented a... Continue Reading

The first two days of the PCA General Assembly have gone remarkably well…The successes of Wednesday do not guarantee the outcome of Thursday’s business.   While much business remains to be settled by the PCA General Assembly, the first two days have been full of accomplishments for the Old School wing of the PCA. Tomorrow... Continue Reading

On Wednesday the 53rd General Assembly approved the majority of Review of Presbytery Records recommendations and heard reports from Mission to the World, Mission to North America, Covenant College, Covenant Theological Seminary, and others. The Ad Interim Committee on Christian Nationalism also presented its partial report. Full details and vote tallies in the report.  ... Continue Reading

Out of this love for humanity, the Word of God became human, so that we might receive salvation. This gracious gift, for Clement, looks primarily like a regeneration of the human person: in other words, salvation means eternal life, yes, but one that looks like holiness, freedom from the passions of the flesh, and the... Continue Reading