Gentle Reformation (Page 106)

Seven Phrases on the Ten Words

May 25, 2013

What’s THAT Have to Do With the Ten Commandments? Have you ever had a conversation with a Christian about an ethical question where they said something to the effect of, “That’s

The Not-So Lost Art of Pharisee Making

May 20, 2013

This week I followed a discussion that started off something like this: “New Presbyterian here. Anything I should know in your humble opinion?” There were many answers given, some humorous, some ridiculous, some

Christ

Paul's Agony

May 17, 2013

Christian conversation about pastoral ministry often includes the expression “a pastor’s heart,” but what does that expression actually mean? Though Scripture may not use the exact phrase in question, it absolutely answers

Corporate Worship

Defining Corporate Worship

May 16, 2013

From a recent class on worship, we hammered out a brief, Biblical, working definition of what a local congregation should be pursuing as it worships the Lord as His holy temple here on

Dennis Prutow

A GenRef Podcast: Interview with Dennis Prutow

May 13, 2013

Dr. Dennis Prutow is the Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (RPTS) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A former Army chaplain, seasoned pastor, and author, Denny's life

Calvinism

For Whom The Bell Toils . . .

May 09, 2013

Rob Bell is back, and the critiques of his latest work are coming in. I’ve not yet had the opportunity to read What We Talk About When We Talk About God, but

The Little Things I'll Miss

May 08, 2013

As the time approaches for my family to move from Indiana to Pennsylvania next month, life has almost been too busy for reflection. Selling and purchasing a home. Finishing teaching one seminary class

Gospel Gleanings

May 06, 2013

In an interview following his retirement, John Piper pointed out that the Bible does not necessarily mean there will not be any type of tear in heaven. Rather, the Scriptures testify that God

John Calvin

Calvin's Counsel on Gentle Reformation

April 30, 2013

While studying for a recent sermon series on the Lord's Supper, I read an interesting passage in John Calvin's 1540 treatise on that sacrament. Toward the end of his

Christian

The New You ...

April 29, 2013

Were you you when you were converted to Christianity? Or, asking about the same idea from a different angle: Are you you subsequent to your conversion? Every Christian should answer with a resolute

preaching

Sermonic Echoes

April 23, 2013

During my seminary days attending Covenant Fellowship Church in Pittsburgh, I was blessed to sit under the preaching of Pastor Ken Smith [http://gentlereformation.org/2013/03/12/a-genref-podcast-interview-with-rosaria-butterfield-ken-smith/] . We witnessed people being

Here Come the Presbyopians!

April 22, 2013

Presbyopia is a “medical condition where the eye exhibits a progressively diminished ability to focus on near objects with age.” That sounds like a horrible condition, of course, but this is not the

Female Body Image

Looking into the People Mirror

April 17, 2013

As Calvin taught in the opening of The Institutes of Christian Religion, we cannot truly know ourselves until we know God. A corollary to that principle (though it must be stated more carefully)

Genesis

A Creative Marriage Thought

April 15, 2013

As we prepare to see a son and then a daughter wed soon (he at the end of May, she the first week of June), my wife and I rejoice over the Lord&

abortion

Browse Worthy: Culture Wars

April 12, 2013

As the cultural wars intensify, here are some links that will assist you: Suicide - Following the suicide of well-known pastor Rick Warren's son last week, there has been an explosion

B.M. Palmer

The Poetic Life of the Christian - Part 3

April 10, 2013

We come now to the third and last post on the poetic life of the Christian. As stated in the first post [http://gentlereformation.org/2013/03/28/the-poetic-life-of-the-christian-part-1/] on this subject, the

Two Adams Met in Me

April 05, 2013

Two Adams met in me. The first enslaved; the Other set free. The serpentblinded_my first father to _God's glory; Yet Seed of woman crushing his head is now my story.

apologetics and Christianity

What Are We Defending? A Simple Plea To Christian Apologists

April 02, 2013

Formal introductions are made, the crowd applauds, and the Christian and non-Christian position themselves behind a lectern, notes in hand. It is a debate, a venue where two worldviews collide in an open

Charles Spurgeon

The Poetic Life of the Christian - Part 2

April 02, 2013

While I do not suffer from color blindness, I do have a condition that might best be described as "beauty blindness." I simply need help from others to see many of

John Flavel

The Poetic Life of the Christian - Part 1

March 28, 2013

A few days ago I spoke to a group of college students about a subject in which I am ill-trained. I gave a talk on poetry. I even spent most of the time

Yosemite's Song: In the Theater of God's Glory

March 27, 2013

I have been in the “theater of God’s glory” (Calvin’s words, not mine). People have told me for years that I need to get to Yosemite Valley. Who has the time?

Internet

Sins of Cyber-Speech

March 27, 2013

Does the following sentence make sense to you? “I found a BFF on FB with my Droid App; his blog made me LOL so hard I had to Tweet.”[1]If so, you

Praying for a Brother

March 25, 2013

Dr. Rich Holdeman [http://gentlereformation.org/contributors/richard-holdeman/], pastor of the Bloomington Reformed Presbyterian Church, contributor here at _Gentle Reformation, _and a dearly loved brother, just announced recently he has been diagnosed with

Calvinism

Flower Power: T.U.L.I.P. Analyzed and Applied

March 19, 2013

James tells us in 1:22 that the person who hears God’s word without doing God’s word is engaged in self-deceit. Obviously, self-deceit is subtle. How are we to know when

Cyprus

Unjust Inclosures

March 19, 2013

At one time large swaths of pasture lands, fields, and forests were open in England for local people to use for such things as pasturing animals, gathering wood, or hunting. Yet through "