In the year 1610, Jan Uytenbogaert and forty-one other followers of Jacob Arminius crafted a remonstrance (a formal protest) consisting of five articles of opposition to the Belgic Confession and the Reformed faith. These five articles of the of the followers of Arminius, who became known as the Remonstrants, were officially reviewed and condemned by … Continue reading The Other 5 Points of Calvinism
An Example of the Way Scripture May Be Undermined in a Sermon
Following are notes taken as I listened to a June 21, 2015, sermon by Pete Cocco delivered at Minier Christian Church in Minier, Illinois. I had originally posted these notes not long after he had delivered the sermon and while he was still the director of a local campus ministry. I then took the post … Continue reading An Example of the Way Scripture May Be Undermined in a Sermon
Family Worship: Some Practical Guidelines
Having considered the decline of family worship, as well as some biblical principles and positive benefits to support its practice, I'd now like to offer several basic guidelines that should govern our thinking and practice as we endeavor to implement family worship in our homes. Be consistent and persistent To achieve consistency, we need to … Continue reading Family Worship: Some Practical Guidelines
Family Worship: Some Positive Benefits
Having considered the decline of family worship (Part 1) and some biblical support for its practice (Part 2), we look now at some positive benefits, which in turn supply another argument for its restoration. As Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether we eat, drink, or whatever we do, we’re to do all to … Continue reading Family Worship: Some Positive Benefits
Family Worship: Its Biblical Basis
In Part 1, we defined family worship as "the occasion in which the members of a given family gather together in order to participate in special acts of worship, such as the singing of praise, the reading and hearing of Scripture, and the offering of prayer to God." In this segment of our study, we'll … Continue reading Family Worship: Its Biblical Basis
Family Worship: Its Decline
I attended a Christian University along with 5,000 other students, most of whom came from Christian homes. Although I never conducted an official survey, my general impression was that very few of my fellow Christian students had grown up in homes where family worship had been regularly practiced. It was a foreign concept to most … Continue reading Family Worship: Its Decline
Is Our Worship Good Enough for God?
In this day and age, many churches have spent a lot of time considering or debating, the question, "Which musical style is best for worship?" But I would like to pose a more crucial question regarding worship. Is God pleased with any of our worship, considering how sinful we are? Are even our best efforts … Continue reading Is Our Worship Good Enough for God?
Palm Sunday: What Does it Mean? by Bob Gonzales
Jesus begins His final week of ministry by entering Jerusalem amidst a jubilant celebration. Multitudes greet Him, shouting “Hosannas” and waving palm branches in their hands, as He enters the city. For this reason, Christian tradition refers to this day as “Palm Sunday”—the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry. The fact that Christians through the centuries… via … Continue reading Palm Sunday: What Does it Mean? by Bob Gonzales
Coming in April: The Pursuit of Glory
Here is the Contents, Foreword, and first chapter: Johnson, Jeffrey D. Pursuit of Glory (sample)
3 Things I’ve Learned in my Pastoral Rookie Year.
About one year ago I was ordained by Grace Bible Church of Conway as one of the pastors. I have been a member here since 2011 and grew in service and responsibility over a few years before being ordained. I've learned a lot over the past year but what I've learned were not new concepts … Continue reading 3 Things I’ve Learned in my Pastoral Rookie Year.