Richard Holdeman

Youth ministry

Why I "Youth Group"

February 28, 2019

I don’t swallow goldfish or do other stunts to try to impress the kids. I’m in my 50s, and any cool I may have had is long gone. So why am I in the midst of my ninth year running our church’s youth group?

identity in Christ

Seeking Shortcuts to Virtue

February 21, 2019

Yesterday, Jayme Metzgar wrote a fascinating piece in The Federalist, in which she drew parallels between the hate crime hoax perpetrated by actor, Jussie Smollett, and the sin of Ananias and Sapphira described

Judgment of Charity

The Dangers of Confirmation Bias

January 24, 2019

The power of confirmation bias is incredibly strong. If you believe something to be true, you naturally interpret events in such a way that you confirm your thesis.

Christian living

On Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing

October 25, 2018

DTC genetic testing has been a great boon to ancestry work, but it comes with many potential pitfalls.

the church

Disillusioned with Jesus

September 27, 2018

Jesus has a word for you and me when we look at the slow progress of the gospel in the world, the seeming ineffectiveness of the church, or the lack of progress in our own spiritual growth. He says, “And blessed is he who is not offended because of me” (Matthew 11:6, NKJ).

Family

Where Should Your Children Be During Worship?

August 23, 2018

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:14) Where are children supposed to be

Christian living

The Limits of 1 Timothy 2:11-12

April 26, 2018

Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. (1 Timothy 2:

Why My Family Gets the Flu Vaccine Every Year

February 21, 2018

Each year, I make sure that every person in my family receives the flu vaccine. Here is a quick rundown of why: 1. Flu is a serious illness that kills many people every

Common Grace

Giving Thanks for Unbelievers

January 25, 2018

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10) Peter encourages those in the church to use

Authority

Husbands, Be Good Managers

December 28, 2017

1 Timothy 3:4-5 says of those called to the office of ruling elder in the church, “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for

Book of Esther

Big Doors Little Hinges

October 26, 2017

If you visit Heinz Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, you will pass through enormous, oak doors that are fifteen feet high and weigh 800 pounds each.  The amazing thing

Here I Stand

September 28, 2017

An old friend, knowing that I have four daughters, who love Disney princess movies, recently sent me a poem he had written in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.  His poem

Christian education

Nowhere to Hide

May 26, 2017

A few weeks ago it became clear that there were not enough faculty members available to chaperone the senior trip for the graduates of our local Christian school.  Since my wife is considered

Answered prayer

"The Best We Can Hope For"

April 27, 2017

“Great news! That's the best we can hope for.”  So began a recent email from a friend responding to the results of a bone marrow biopsy I had last week.  Back

freedom in Christ

Things May Get Messy

March 23, 2017

Next week on March 29 and 30 Rosaria Butterfield is coming to speak to the Christian community in Bloomington, IN (more information here [https://gentlereformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ROSARIA.pdf]).  Rosaria

Church growth

Who Built That?

February 23, 2017

President Obama famously said while campaigning in 2012, “You didn’t build that,” as a way of emphasizing the role of government in the success of various business ventures.  While seeming to undercut

abortion

He Sees All

January 26, 2017

If you haven’t watched the 3 minute video released by Live Action earlier this week, take the time and do so (http://liveaction.org/abortioncorporation/).  It reveals empirically yet another aspect of

Christ

Above the Clouds

December 22, 2016

Earlier this week, while visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park with my family, I was reminded of the fact that no matter how dark things are in the valleys, the sun is always

church health

The Blessing of Being Uncomfortable

October 27, 2016

Last week I had the privilege of preaching at the installation service of a dear friend who has been in the ministry for over a decade and has just taken a call to

cancer treatment

C1D1

August 25, 2016

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34, NKJ). Today is C1D1 for me.  That stands

Church Government

In Praise of Church Meetings

June 23, 2016

“Let all things be done decently and in order” (1Corinthians 14:40, NKJ)__. As our denomination prepares for the annual meetings of Synod next week, the difficult task of reading and digesting a

Bible

Answering Jihad

March 24, 2016

Every time another Islamic terrorist blows up something or someone, political and media leaders speculate as to the root causes of jihad. What possesses people to sacrifice themselves for the sake of killing

Creation

There is No "Junk" in God's World

February 25, 2016

The human genome has around three billion base pairs of DNA, and yet our best estimates are that this massive amount of DNA only includes about 20,000 protein-coding genes. These genes amount

faith

A Matter of Inches

January 28, 2016

Last spring I was working at home when I received a call from a number that I did not recognize. I let it go to voice mail. The same number called again so

Colts

Too Smart by Half

October 22, 2015

The play of the week in the National Football League was not a spectacular, one-handed touchdown catch or a dramatic kickoff return. No, it was a botched fake punt that some pundits are