When to Cancel Church for Bad Weather? January 23, 2019 Winter Storm Harper forced some churches to cancel services from the Midwest to the Northeast in the U.S. last week. Church leaders kept an eye on the storm and faced sometimes gut
Depression Recovering from the Most Depressing Day of the Year January 22, 2019 Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have survived another Blue Monday, the proverbial “Most Depressing Day of the Year”. The 3rd Monday of January brings, per the “Blue Monday Formula”, a perfect
3GT Episode 117: Living in Arminianville January 22, 2019 While Kyle's off floating around on a cruise ship somewhere, Barry and Scott remain behind hunkered down in Arminianville. Left behind, they discuss how to survive and thrive as Calvinistic strangers in a
Presenting Some Unique Opportunities on MLK Day January 21, 2019 One of the many joys I have in working at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh is the interactions I have with brothers and sisters in the African American community. From such things
Christian living Mis_ _ _ g January 19, 2019 Something has gone missing from our collective psyche. It used to form an essential part of our understanding of life. It helped us navigate a world where bad things happened and prompted us
Better Late than Never – Thoughts on Deathbed Conversions January 18, 2019 In the last couple of weeks I have come across two men who professed faith just before their deaths, which has prompted me to think about the subject. Here are some thoughts, in
Assurance Hanging in There – or Hanging onto Christ? January 17, 2019 Most readers are probably familiar with the phrase, “Hang in there!” It all began with a poster of a Siamese cat hanging from a bamboo pole produced by Los Angeles photographer Victor Baldwin
Poverty Principles of Poverty, part 1 January 16, 2019 I have never met a Christian that didn't care about the poor. I'm sure they exist, but in my limited experience, they are thankfully few. But a recent dive into the book of
3GT Episode 116: Ligonier's State of Theology January 15, 2019 Not too long ago, Ligonier Ministries released its biennial "The State of Theology" survey results. Playing Mr. Gallup Poll himself, our pastor decides to ask the same questions to the parishioner and professor
Why the Church Needs to Pray the Imprecatory Psalms January 14, 2019 For those unfamiliar with the term "imprecatory," that word describes sections where the wicked are cursed in the psalms ("imprecation" meaning a curse against someone). Here are a few examples.Lead me, O
Christian witness Boldness for Jesus January 12, 2019 Introduction I've just been working through the Gospel of Matthew in my devotions recently, and I came this morning, 15th of December, the Year of our Lord, 2018 (some four weeks ago now!
suffering, sympathy, empathy, redemption A Sympathy for Empathy January 10, 2019 I can do absolutely nothing to know that pain from my children’s perspective, much less to lift it from them and bear it myself. But I’d do it in a heartbeat if it were possible. I can help them in some ways, but in no way can I actually be them.
The Strength of Waiting January 09, 2019 The following guest article is by Jennifer Blankenship. Jennifer is a member of Second Reformed Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis and serves as the church's office manager.I’m sure we’ve all been
A Day To Be Kept January 09, 2019 In the 1970s, my mother had known Christ for less than a decade. As a young wife and a new mother, she was eager to learn how to live the Christian life. The
3GT Episode 115: The Bleep January 08, 2019 In 1972, the comedian George Carlin did a routine on a comedy album about the seven swear words you cannot say on TV. It led to a Supreme Court case! Yet today those
Toward a More Meditative Life January 07, 2019 Quiet. No, that's not an exclamated command of "Quiet!" at you. Rather, it is an offer, a place noun, hopefully an expression of a desire that you have. You need, and I need,
A Thankful Heart January 07, 2019 A good way to start the day is by turning Psalm 103 into prayer!This Psalm is all about the Covenant - its blessings (v1-5), LORD (v6-14), permanence (v15-19), and right responses (v20-22)
No Third Way January 06, 2019 This morning I began to teach the little ones God's songs - the theme of Psalm 1, I explained, was 'Two Ways'.The first section, I went on, speaks of two paths -
Christian living Designed for smiling January 05, 2019 3000 years ago King Solomon wrote:A cheerful heart is good medicine,but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)A joyful heart makes a cheerful face,But when the
The Overgrown Tree of False Theology January 04, 2019 Imagine a tree “run riot into three very large and overgrown branches.” The tree is ancient and gnarly with a large trunk and a canopy that fills the sky. It is impressive to
Why Pray for the Media? January 03, 2019 Why pray for the media? The answer is simple. Because God answers prayers offered up for the media.Consider that in 2018 two of the heralded heroes of Sports Illustrated, Time, ESPN and
Storing Up God’s Word as a Precious Treasure January 03, 2019 It was an unusually warm winter day, and I had taken the day off. My plan was to engage in some needed inside activity. Then I saw the weather report. 50 degrees? On
Internet The Internet's Gifts in 2018 January 02, 2019 While probably idiosyncratic and not very comprehensive, this seemed like a good day to reflect on some of the blessings God's brought my way through the internet. Though I love a good internet-bashing
3GT Episode 114: P is for Perseverance January 01, 2019 As a child, the parishioner, like many in the evangelical world, went to the altar again...and again...and again. Somehow during those years, it seemed like salvation never stuck. So he raises
The Joy of Blogging December 31, 2018 I try not to blog too much about this blog, but every now and then duty calls. I wanted to make our readers aware of a few matters. We won another "Challies&
