Politics But who are we? September 19, 2018 In a new case of the tail wagging the dog, recent research indicates that Americans, whose political views were previously driven by their religious and ethnic identities, are now seeing those religious and
relationships What is encouragement? September 05, 2018 Everyone wants to be encouraging. No one wants to be discouraging. Which isn't to say that all of us are very good at it. The place to start (or restart) seems to be
Jan Hus Jan Hus on Roman Catholicism and Spiritual Authority August 17, 2018 In God's good providence, I found myself reading from Foxe's Book of Martyrs this morning and being amazed at the steadfast testimony of Jan Hus. This Czech priest, philosopher and leader in the
women Resources for Women August 15, 2018 After my last blog post (Fathering isn't easy but it is simple), I received a nice email from a reader asking for a similar article for mothers as well as some recommendations for
Family Being a father isn't easy, but it is simple August 01, 2018 This post is intended to be an encouragement to fathers and fathers-to-be. Sometimes it helps me to boil things down to their essence, to bypass long books and deep discussions to get to
prayer A Lesson from Travels July 18, 2018 I had the opportunity to travel to Asia recently in order to encourage and equip those proclaiming the gospel. As you might expect, those who came to study were greatly appreciative of my
Scripture Why We Need the Bible July 04, 2018 It's a question whose answer is often assumed rather than stated, so it's worth asking: Why do we need the Bible? The Greek church father John Chrysostom spoke powerfully on this question in
Predestination Election: A Useful Doctrine June 20, 2018 "Chosen people" is a phrase I hardly ever hear used in the church or Christian circles. Even in reformed churches who believe wholeheartedly the sovereignty of God in election, we tend
suffering Suffering, Scripture, Prayer June 06, 2018 When we think of Psalm 119, we might think "really long Psalm" or "acrostic song" (i.e., each section starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet) or
God's Promises Adjusting Our Grip on God's Promises May 16, 2018 No one would have called Jacob's life easy. To be sure, he sometimes made it harder than it needed to be but even then it was never a life given to comfort. Early
elders Thinking Wrongly About Leadership May 02, 2018 When we think wrongly about leadership in the church, the church suffers. Sometimes we make the wrong people leaders. Other times we distort the relationship between the church and her leaders. What follows
Be Satisfied With Your Church April 18, 2018 It seems like it's church conference season. Our family lately has benefited from watching addresses from the MLK50 and the Together for the Gospel conferences. We're also looking forward to being at a
Fear Fighting Fear with Fear April 04, 2018 In part 1, we saw how God-given faith is the right antidote to fear. In part 2, we saw how God's perfect love drives out fear. And in part 3, Proverbs showed us
Fear Fighting Fear - Proverbs 3:21-26 March 21, 2018 (This is the third installment in a short series. Click here for the first and second post.) (21) My son, do not lose sight of these-- keep sound wisdom and discretion, (22) and
Fear Fighting Fear - 1 John 4:15-21 March 07, 2018 (15) Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (16) So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has
Fighting Fear: Psalm 56 February 19, 2018 “What are you so scared of?” With such a simple question, our tendency to and hatred of fear are thrown at us by every childhood taunt we can remember. Fear – the kind the
Florida Shooting A Meditation After Violence February 15, 2018 We are the problem, not the solution. We kill generations of children and somehow are able to be shocked when our children take the same attitude toward human life. We are the problem,
abortion Is Your Church Pro-Life? February 07, 2018 Is your church pro-life? Almost everyone reading this blog would say "Yes. Of course." If, by "pro-life", we mean that a church has a stand against abortion tucked away
Jesus He Knows January 17, 2018 Jesus' letters to the seven churches at the beginning of Revelation have often been a source of direction and encouragement. While each of the letters follows the same format, each shines a light
A Suggestion for Prayer January 03, 2018 In this new year, could I suggest you add to your regular prayer list pastors for the church in Asia? As the Holy Spirit continues growing His great work of enlightening and enlivening
law Oh How I Love Your Law! December 20, 2017 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Psalm 119:97 For any number of reasons, this is much easier said and sang than actually done. How do
dinah Dealing with Sexual Abuse as the Church December 06, 2017 [The following, which may be disturbing to some readers, is mostly from a sermon preached recently at Immanuel RPC in West Lafayette. You can listen to the whole thing here.] For reasons beyond
gratitude The Importance of Giving Thanks November 29, 2017 This post is not a week late. Most of our readers in the United States celebrated Thanksgiving last week and are perhaps all turkey-ed out and ready to move on to another holiday
ministry Sanctifying a Slight Suffering November 15, 2017 I'm in my easy chair, where I've spent most of the past five days with a run of vertigo, likely due to a bug. Because this dizziness is mostly what's on my mind,
brazil Praying for more reformation November 01, 2017 In her article [How the prosperity gospel is sparking a major change in the world's most Catholic country](http://s How the prosperity gospel is sparking a major change in the world’s
