scandalous sin Demythologizing Biblical (and modern day) Heroes November 01, 2025 If it’s difficult to hear the reality about David, or about heroes in our day who commit scandalous sin, imagine how hard it is to have been hurt by those heroes.
Christian Nationalism America Belongs to Christ, not to Christians August 14, 2025 When those who preach Christ’s lordship over the nation also trip every alarm the Bible sets to warn of false prophets, it becomes clear that the dominion they promote is not Christ’s, but their own.
trust A Blessing for Beleaguered Believers June 20, 2025 My clumsy poetical attempt to help some hurting, disillusioned people feel seen, and to remind them most essentially of the love of our heavenly Father, who sees in secret . . .
Elderly (Still) in Awe of the Aged December 21, 2024 This is an edited version of a previous post. It seemed especially appropriate to repost in light of the recent homegoing of two greatly beloved, exemplary servants of the Lord, Ken Smith and
sanctification How Biblical is the "If THAT guy can fall . . ." Response to Moral Failure Among Christian Leaders? September 25, 2024 . . . are all believers really just one or two steps away from catastrophic moral failure? Is this how Scripture wants us to think of ourselves? What does this say about the efficacy of the Spirit’s sanctifying work within new creations in Christ?
children of God Paternity, Prepositions and Painful Prayers July 29, 2024 The Christian life is the graced process of becoming in practice who we already are in position.
church and culture How "Back in My Day . . ." Harms Our Witness in ". . . Such a Time as This." January 22, 2024 We need to be ever mindful that an unbalanced view of the past reveals a faulty scale of evaluation at work in the present (Proverbs 11:1).
Anger Tempering our Tempers August 18, 2023 When we’re sinfully angry, we want to say a lot - to other people, ranting out loud to ourselves, and perhaps especially online. When we’re righteously angry, we want to pray a lot – sometimes without words!
Marriage An Unfaithful View of Marriage April 15, 2023 . . . what isn't as obvious to us is just how pervasively sexual cruelty is preached and taught in our circles.
ninth commandment Breaking the Ninth Commandment on a Global Scale - and what confessional, Reformed Christians can do about it . . . February 27, 2023 God has provided us with unprecedented means to redress an egregious historical and ongoing defiance of his holy law . . .
Christmas 'Tis the Season for Topigetical Sermons December 03, 2022 . . . the issues which surface for debate among Reformed believers during Christmas season are vitally important to the health, well-being and biblical faithfulness of Christ’s church . . .
wolves How to Spot a Wolf June 12, 2022 Wolves justify themselves by their powerful ministries, but the Shepherd judges them based on God’s moral precepts. And he finds them lacking.
Confessionalism "If you had one shot . . ." OR: Polemics about Confessions... April 08, 2022 If you’re a Protestant Christian, imagine that someone you don't know asks you to explain in one sentence (no run-ons!) why your church doesn’t pray to Mary or the
beauty The Bible's Beautiful Both/And October 08, 2021 In the Psalms, dogmatic doctrine is a work of art.
regret Redemptive Regret August 13, 2021 Moral aspirations pursued outside Christ's redemptive work prove merciless. In the grips of graceless religion, regret over past sin twists godly sorrow into legalistic self-loathing.
Ecclesiology A "Canceled" Synod? June 10, 2021 “Christians who can no longer listen to one another will soon no longer be listening to God either ..."
connection Unfathomable Interrelationship April 24, 2021 If you feel these days like anxiety is literally in the air, you might be right ...
Writing Literary Efforts to Magnify the Word April 15, 2021 ...writing is rewriting. Christian writers recognize that the Bible is the only perfect book ever written. Our writing is imperfect, worthy of critique and yet hopefully helpful to readers in showings something of the truth, beauty, and goodness of our Savior.
easter "Jesus and Resurrection? What's This Babbler Trying to Say?" April 03, 2021 But this accidental tourism soon turns sour: “the city was full of idols.” That discovery drives him to do what he loves best: he preaches. This piqued the attention of the philosophers...
Hermeneutics Fighting our way out of Forced Perspectives February 11, 2021 What Scriptural words from our Savior are staring us straight in the heart while, under the influence of unexamined, forced perspective, we let our eyes pass over them, time and time again?
new year "...and a happy new year"? December 31, 2020 This year we must resolve by God’s grace to distinguish between ungodly anger and godly anger, to put the former to death, and to feel and employ the latter only when necessary.
Christian Liberty Disabling Idolatry October 31, 2020 All of the deprivations we’re enduring provide an abundance of opportunity to identify with, serve, and learn from those different from us. May we never squander opportunities for empathy on prideful personal entitlement!
culture Mandates, Meaningful Ministry, and Martyr Complexes September 10, 2020 When we pull the spiritual fire alarm every time the ideological temperature goes up in our culture, we lose the ability to recognize and respond biblically to the true emergencies.
James Privilege Matters, Part 2: Autonomous Anonymous July 09, 2020 As believers, our response to allegations of systemic sin in society must not be knee-jerk defensiveness; instead, we must drop to our knees in humble self-examination before the law of our loving Savior.
James Privilege Matters, Part 1 June 11, 2020 ... how dehumanizing must it feel to not even be able to say that the lives of people like you actually matter without being corrected ...
