The covenant of redemption is the glorious doctrine that before the cosmos was created, our Trinitarian God covenanted to redeem a people for the honor and glory of His name—the Father choosing who would be redeemed, the Son agreeing to purchase their redemption, and the Holy Spirit agreeing to apply Christ’s redeeming work to the elect.  ... Continue Reading

“We see the maelstrom even in conservative denominations. I can see the beginnings of it in my own denomination. I recognize it because I’ve seen it before, it is deja vu all over again. And just as I’ve seen before, it is catching conservative clergy unprepared. It is the same old thing. They’re frightened into... Continue Reading

“Some of our refugee neighbors are family in Christ who have endured persecution. Others do not know God, and the hardship they’ve endured — unspeakable as it is — pales in comparison to their eternal future if they remain separated from Christ.”   As I surveyed my table at our church’s Mother’s Day tea, I... Continue Reading

“Why was Luther’s marriage so precious to all he stood for as a Reformer? Why was he so eager to let the world see that he was such a devoted husband and father? In short, he believed that, beyond upending the legalistic culture of vows of celibacy, his gospel rediscovery radically re-shaped the reality of... Continue Reading

The lie Satan told in the Garden of Eden—“you can be like God”—is the same one that propagates the need for perfection. Christ would rather pastors humbly admit they’re not God, and thus, can’t do all things well at the same time. Wisely embracing limitations allows pastors to determine where they want to strive for excellence... Continue Reading

Singing is not merely a performance; it is an intimate form of interaction. Singing was created by God to be a divine discourse. It is an honest form of communication made holy by the expression of the very things we often consider to be unholy—that is, our doubt, anger, despair, or any other difficulty.    Why... Continue Reading

What you did not do is compare the dogma Rome churned out with the plumb line of God’s word. Even if you could read Latin, and did have access to a rare and expensive copy of the Bible, you still didn’t question the Pope’s teachings. This explains why monks and priests and cardinals and bishops who could... Continue Reading

The Lord may call us to serve in our weakness to do a work, not so much through us, as in us. It is not the Lord’s only purpose to save a people for himself. The Lord intends to glorify his people as they glorify him. The Lord may call us to do things that are entirely... Continue Reading

Not long ago I started a social media discussion on boundaries through this Instagram meme: “There’s room in your heart for everyone, but there’s not room in the car.” The idea behind the meme: We should love and be willing to serve everyone without exclusion, but we ought be selective with our close travel companions,... Continue Reading

A father who cuddles his hurting daughter is ministering comfort, a doctor who tends to a wound is ministering healing, and a pastor who carries out his calling well is ministering truth. His unique role is not to solve problems but to minister the Word to the people under his care. He ministers the Word... Continue Reading