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Evangelicalism’s Rancid Rot Is Inside. It Demands Repentance.

The rot in many segments of the Evangelical church is rancid, and it must be named and purged. If there is to be any course correction, it requires thorough, specific, public repentance, followed by meaningful structural reforms. It sure seems that God, in His divine sovereignty, is exposing and cleansing His Church, for He will... Continue Reading
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Calvin on Work: What a Sixteenth-Century Theology of Labor Can Teach Us Today

In a culture that conditions personal identity on the 70-hour work-week, Calvin’s insistence here acts as a vital reframing of the way we view our lives. This theological guardrail against excessive devotion to one’s career was further reinforced by Calvin’s distinction between sloth and leisure. The former is a sinful neglecting of our callings. The... Continue Reading
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Elders Gather in Kansas City to Launch New Denomination

The synod agreed to establish two initial presbyteries: the Presbytery of the East and the Presbytery of the West, each consisting of approximately 9 to 14 churches that are either in the process of being dismissed from their current denominations or are considering dismissal into the WCA. Each Presbytery met separately to receive churches and... Continue Reading
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Awakened to Wonder

Bryson does not write this book as a believer. Yet, as I read it, I find it to be one of the most worshipful books I have ever read. The point of the book is simple: this world is amazing, impossibly amazing. What we experience every day defies explanation. As I read this book, I... Continue Reading
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Making a Name for Ourselves

While building successful and dynamic churches or ministries can be a good thing, it is also possible that such building can be done as another opportunity to build a name for ourselves. Anyone paying attention over the last decade can see how many churches and ministries have been shipwrecked by the desire for self-glorification. Now,... Continue Reading
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Dads, You Are the Primary Spiritual Influence in Your Children

Dads, you might not realize or be interested or even think it’s fair that such a weight of responsibility falls on you as the primary spiritual influence in the lives of your children. Sorry – you are, whether you like it or even know it or not. In these matters, there’s really not a choice.... Continue Reading
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Islam Meets Its Match in Southwest Virginia—For Now

I viewed an online meeting of the Norton town council which opened their meeting for comments from local citizens.  There were no Muslims present at the meeting.  The response of the local community was very negative toward allowing the establishment of this mosque in their small town.  It was not riotous, but it was robust. ... Continue Reading
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Should We Hold a Funeral for the ‘Third Way’?

No, a Christian’s identity shouldn’t be so tightly bound to a political party that he or she embraces its values uncritically. No, we shouldn’t demand political conformity on disputable matters. But we should also be willing to point out moral asymmetry. We shouldn’t be afraid of being labelled “partisan” for holding to biblical positions. Grace... Continue Reading
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Leadership and Service in Christ’s Church

Recognized (ordained) leaders—pastors, teachers, elders, deacons—set the pace in teaching the Word, discipling the immature, and extending mercy to those in need. And by setting the pace, leaders motivate, recruit, train, and deploy all the members of the body, each with his or her own gifting from God’s Spirit, to engage in ministries of speaking,... Continue Reading
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Who Is the Arbiter of Life?

The advocates of assisted suicide sell it to the public using stories of people suffering extreme physical pain. But the truth is far more complicated. As Michael Brendan Dougherty points out, according to “surveys of people who choose assisted dying, the majority are not in severe pain or suffering a present horror; they are fearful... Continue Reading
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Christian, Be a Gardener

All Christians are called to garden work, and pastors are called to model it—to labor diligently like farmers as we cultivate the health of the saints under our care. (2 Tim. 2:6). Our churches are “God’s field” (1 Cor. 3:9). This simple truth should reorient the way all Christians view the church. Are you cultivating... Continue Reading
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Heart Idols and the Particular Work of Repentance

The strength of a mother’s grief does not establish that her child had become her god. Weariness does not, by itself, reveal an idol of comfort. A person who longs for companionship may need the church to draw near. Sin can be present alongside suffering, but we must understand what we are addressing. Otherwise, we... Continue Reading
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Covenant Protection

Christ is the faithful Covenant Head who never abandons those under His care. Every other covenant derives its strength from Him, and every refuge finds its fulfillment in Him.     God has established various covenant relationships—family, church, and civil government—to provide both protection and accountability. That protection is both physical and moral. It guards... Continue Reading
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