The underlying qualifications for elders are straightforward. They must be men who cannot be charged with having rotten hearts. How many job descriptions for pastors, or elections for elders start with these qualities? Often, you’ll see keywords at the beginning of a pastoral job posting that is more “CEO” than Christ-like. Read more
The families of pastors/elders often report feeling forgotten and neglected as their husband and/or father spends a notable amount of his time, energy, and emotions shepherding a church of God’s people. I suspect in most cases the lack of attention towards home isn’t intentional. Responding to a supernatural calling, these men are led to care for the flock God has placed under them. Yet, in their efforts to fulfill their calling, they forsake a primary obligation - even disqualifying themselves. Read more
There’s a common misnomer applied to Adam and Eve regarding their pre-Fall nature, and you’ve probably heard it before. The statement is that before the Fall, Adam and Eve were “perfect”. Now, before you sharpen your heretic-probing pitchforks I’m not stating that Adam and Eve were created sinful or anything other than “good” (as God Himself proclaimed). What I am saying is that by their very nature of being created in a state of innocence, they weren’t perfect. Here are two reasons why Adam and Eve were never perfect Read more
If you have enjoyed our blog, we invite you to try our podcast. We think (hope) you will enjoy it as well. It is available through most podcast providers, as well as, embedded below. Read more
This is such a rare occurrence. I mean really, how often do Christmas and Sunday land on the same day? What are we to do? Canceling might be a little extreme, so why not bump it to another day? Nothing really changes. We could still do all the things we love to do, it would just be on a different day. Read more
Which catechism is the most influential and understandable for kids? Some may argue that the Westminster Shorter Catechism is the best. Or that the Heidelberg is the most applicable. Or that modern ones like the New City Catechism are the easiest for kids to grasp. But while those are helpful tools, they are not the most influential catechisms for children. Read more
The ongoing effects of the Fall are devastating. But when curse and deny God they are lashing out at the One who sustains them, preserves them, and stays His wrath against them. Yes, these three ways God has preserved humanity are hard to swallow. We die at a younger age than those who went before us. Creation had to be restrained because of how harsh it was to live in the world after the Fall. And He created governments as guardrails to keep us from acting on our worst desires, and to act as the civil judge when we do. God’s common grace is a reminder of the human condition. It’s a testimony of the evil we’re capable of practicing. Ultimately, we need God to protect us from ourselves. Read more
Recently, The Chosen posted an image of the actor who plays Christ with a line from season 3 that is supposedly a “mic drop” moment for the show’s producers. It shows the character responding to one of the Pharisees by saying, “I am the Law of Moses.” While many flocked to the post in support of the “mic drop,” many others expressed how flatly unbiblical this is. They rightly said that Jesus is not the Law, but that the Law... Read more
At any moment, by the merit of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians have the divinely given right to approach God with anything through prayer. The One who created and sustains the universe not only can hear your prayers, He wants to. Prayer is absolutely amazing because Christians have a more challenging time getting in touch with their local water company than directly communicating with the Lord and creator of the entire universe. If that fact about prayer doesn’t excite you, I honestly believe that nothing will. Read more
While this may seem like a small item to some readers, I contend it is a considerable thing. If we, in word and deed, deny the creeds and confessions, we also deny the clarity of scripture and God's faithfulness to His church over the ages. The gospel is clear, understandable, and reliable; creeds and confessions evidence this. Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In