You ARE the Church…if
All this talk about “doing” church instead of “being” the church seems to be resurfacing and will continued to do so until …
The Church as a Garden-Temple, Field and Building
Commenting on 1 Cor. 3:9, Beale/Carson make the following observations (which unites the organic and building metaphors for the church/temple): The comparisons …
Jesus or Paul: Who Founded the Christian Faith and Church?
N.T. Wright offers this brief explanation concerning whether Jesus or Paul founded the Christian faith and church: There is a sense in …
The Two Marks of a Valid Christian Church from J.I. Packer (Concise Theology)
J.I. Packer offers these brief definitions of the two marks of a church: 1.The faithful preaching of the Word of God. This …
Simple Faith or Super Faith? Credible Faith or Incredible Faith? What’s Necessary for Baptism?
Baptist churches often struggle in what amount of faith is adequate before one should be baptized. Some prefer super faith, while others …
Should Church Membership be Based on the Lowest Common Denominator?
From John Piper: Local Christian communities, called churches, are built around shared Biblical convictions, some of which are essential for salvation and …
Party Pranks, Class Humiliation, Jean Valjean, and the Genuine Invitation from Jesus
Luke 14:23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, …
Pastors Need an Off-season
Earl Weaver once said: “A manager wins games in December. He tries not to lose them in July. You win pennants in …
“I am a big fan of the church”
I appreciate Greg Stier’s words, pasted below, which is a response to the post, Spiritual but Not Religious Persons More Likely to Have …
Prayer of Racial Reconciliation
Father in heaven, we praise and thank you for your wonderful gift of life, as we acknowledge you, the one Creator and …
’Twas the commission of our Lord – A Baptism Hymn
Here is a little baptismal hymn I found in my research to compile as many hymns on baptism as possible. This is …
A Great Baptism Hymn by a Great Baptist, Adoniram Judson
There aren’t a whole lot of great baptism hymns out there. And when I saw baptism hymns, I mean hymns that are …
Lifting Up Your Hands During Prayer
This study note is from the ESV Study Bible on 1 Timothy 2:8 Lifting … hands is a typical posture for prayer …
Revivalists and Sacramentalists
I appreciate sacramentalists, but agree with Wilson that they often overstate their case, often making “staggering claims”. I have asked some of …
Charismatic Disorderly Vigor, Correct Tidy Deadness, or Both?
Packer speaks in affirming fashion of the charismatic renewal in the church as better reflecting the Spirit’s Lordship. Such “disorderly vigor” is …
The Perfect Church Service According to C.S. Lewis
The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of. Our attention would have been on God. —C. S. Lewis
Book Review of Joshua Harris’s Why Church Matters
Joshua Harris, a household name in evangelical households due to his hit book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, is not as well known …
Luke Timothy Johnson: “The church can become transformed as church by reading together as church.”
One of the reasons we read the Scriptures congregationally, responsively, and why I read the sermon text with the congregation standing is …
John Stott on the Centrality of the Church
“If the church is central to God’s purpose as seen in both history and the gospel, it must surely also be central …
The Powerful Pulpit as Necessary for Kingdom Growth
J.C. Ryle says the following (from commentary on Luke): Let us observe, secondly, that one of the principal works which the apostles …
Luke, Jesus, and Eucharistic Community
Luke: Belief, A Theological Commentary on the Bible (Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible) by Justo L. Gonzalez While all the …
The Public Reading of Scripture – Why?
I’ve been asked recently why we devote a portion of every Lord’s Day worship to the public reading of Scripture. It’s a …
More Curate, Less CEO in Pastoral Ministry
Mark Galli has a wonderful article at CT (Link) that discusses the need for pastors to be more life-giving and less the CEO …
Peter, Petros, Petra: The Man, The Confession, or Both?
The following passage has been the subject of much interpretive debate: Matthew 16:13–19 (ESV) — 13 Now when Jesus came into the …
The Sabbath: From 1 in 7 to 1 Forever
Christians begin the week with the joyous celebration of Christ’s resurrection. This resurrection vindicated Jesus’s labors throughout his life and grants to …
The Necessity for Communal Witness to the Gospel
Pastor Brad House, from Mars Hill, discusses the sorry state of community in our country and in our churches in this brief …
The Attractional, Devotional, and Missional Jesus
Luke 4:38–44 (ESV) — 38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with …
Book Review of “Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion”
DeYoung, Kevin & KIuck, Ted. 2009. Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion. Moody: Chicago, IL This …
Prayer of Confession from CRC Psalter
This is the prayer of confession we used our last Lord’s Day (8-7-2011) at Sovereign Grace Fellowship for those wanting to know …
Jonathan Parnell on “An Elder Qualification We Often Forget”
Here is a brief post (via An Elder Qualification We Often Forget – Desiring God) that links to a video from Jeff Vanderstelt, pastor of …
Trinity Psalter’s Prayer of Confession
God, be merciful to me; On Thy grace I rest my plea; In Thy vast, abounding grace, My transgressions all erase. Wash …
Great Post on “12 Reasons Why Church Membership Matters”
Jonathan Leeman has a brief concise post on why church membership simply makes sense. It is a self-evident inference from the Scriptures. …
Book Review of David Platt’s “Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God”
Platt, David. 2011. Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God. Multnomah: Colorado Springs, CO. I want to …
New 9 Marks Journal is Out, Examines Church and Parachurch Relationship
For those of you into reading some great material for free, I encourage you to check out the 9 Marks journal. The …
Flame – “Church Leadership”
Flame goes hard on this track. He advocates a two office ecclesiology. I happened to be a 2 1/2 office guy. I …
Shai Linne – “Expository Preaching”
All pastors should heed Shai Linne :)
Luther, Melanchthon, and 1 Cor. 7:14
Wright comments on Luther and Melanchthon’s understanding of 1 Corinthians 7:14, The key for Luther is faith, for all things are pure …
Stephen the Levite – “Church Membership”
I am thrilled and excited at what I see God doing in His church and grateful that he is raising up young …
Lampmode + Mark Dever = Hiphop Presentation of 9 Marks
The Church // Promo 1 from The Lamp Lounge on Vimeo.
Questions and Answers: “I’ve met people who say that they have left the ‘institutional’ church. How do I respond?”
This question has been asked many times. I am saddened by the “de-churched” movement, but grateful that it usually only lasts one …
What Kind of Church is Sovereign Grace Fellowship (Nampa, ID)?
Will Mancini has identified 12 types of churches in his article over at ChurchLeaders.com: 4 KINDS OF GROWING CHURCHES Neo-transcendence attractionals: Big crowds are …
Question and Answer (in a page or less): "Where and When did the Church Begin?"
Question and Answer (in a page or less) Where and When did the Church Begin? The Church began in the eternal counsel …
One Catholic Church?
James Davison Hunter says that, “…Christianity in North America…is a weak culture; weak insofar as it is fragmented in it’s core beliefs …
Tim Keller on Ministry to the Poor
Tim Keller explains how the gospel motivates and informs ministry to the poor in this Themelios article.
3 Very Different Documentaries on Christian Engagement: "Hell House", "Jesus Camp", and "Lord, Save us from Your Followers"
Well, with my new Netflix subscription in effect, I was able to take in a few documentaries (I am a big documentary …
Kevin De Young's Suggestions for Transformation in the Church…easier than you thought, but probably too demanding for you to actually do (please prove me wrong!!!)
C.J. Mahaney blogged a recap of Kevin De Young’s recent conference message on the Church. Here is the blog and here is …
"I want a real chaplain who believes in a real God and a real hell!"
“I want a real chaplain who believes in a real God and a real hell…your uncertainty is making things worse…I need someone …
A Baptismal Homily
Here is a link to the audio. Here is my sermon outline: Romans 5:18-6:14 Baptism Signifies a Changed Identity Pastor Rick Hogaboam, …
How Do the Church and Kingdom Triumph on Earth
In my last post, I referred to Wilson’s postmillennial view of the Church/Kingdom relationship. His post explains how he believes the Kingdom …
Church and Kingdom
Kevin DeYoung has noted before that people talk a lot about the Kingdom of God, but don’t always have a fully biblical …