“It is particularly important for elders not to be quarrelsome. As men who are called by God to shepherd the church into greater conformity to Christ, they themselves are to be exemplary in Christian character. The way of Christ that they teach and commend to others should be noticeably evident in their own lives.”  ... Continue Reading

“The Reformers focused on God’s living Word, Jesus Christ, made known in God’s written Word, the Bible. The great theme and controlling contour of their preaching was Jesus Christ, for he is the supreme focus, substance, and purpose of God’s revelation.”   Just as the gospel of justification by faith in Christ alone was the... Continue Reading

“If you want your staff member to be an actual member of your ministry team and not just an employee, then they need to know—and be regularly reminded—of their purpose and significance within the overall mission and body of the church.”   Leading and managing church staff can be one of the most challenging and... Continue Reading

Digital natives have a hard time believing that people survived without smartphones and laptops, but as Jesus says, it’s better to lose something temporary than something eternal. The key is to take whatever measures are necessary to fight against besetting sins. That’s the only way to win a fight to the death.   I was... Continue Reading

The Covenanters mounted a witness against the sin of slavery unlike any other in both North and South. First, their antislavery ideals antedated even the Quaker abolitionist movement; Covenanters were some of the first people in Britain or America to take a public stand against the institution.   In a class in my congregation, we... Continue Reading

Many are like Nicole and they have left the church because they have enough people telling them about what to do and have never heard anyone tell them “It has been done.” They have left the church because the church was too busy giving them more rules to follow instead of preaching to them the gospel... Continue Reading

Good accountability draws us into the presence of God in prayer. Why? Because only at the throne of grace before our merciful Father can we plead for escape from temptation, for holiness, and for restoration.   Looking back at my former life as a Roman Catholic in New England, I can almost smell the varnish... Continue Reading

Augustine thought he could handle the difficulties of the ministry, but quickly realized that his own strength and skill were of no value.  By experience he learned that he wasn’t as strong and skillful as he thought: it was as if God was laughing at Augustine for thinking he could do something on his own... Continue Reading

Jesus says, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Transparency is living our lives reflecting Jesus’s light as we acknowledge our need for gospel reminders, accountability, and repentance.   “James, would you pray that our church would be willing to have awkward conversations with each other?” “Huh?” Seriously,... Continue Reading

The two letters reflect the central issues under debate during the Reformation: the formal principle (sola scriptura) and the material principle (sola fide). Notice, these are the same theological tenets at stake in Luther’s Reformation two decades earlier.   Celebrations of the Reformation typically revolve around the larger-than-life reformer, Martin Luther. On this Reformation Day,... Continue Reading