Pastoral Insights from a Reformed Baptist Perspective
As many of the blog's readers may have heard, The New York Times recently published an article by Idan Dershowitz entitled The Secret History of Leviticus. In the article the author seeks to explain away the clear prohibition against homosexuality found particularly in Leviticus 18:22, but he really doesn't offer any new "arguments" beyond the … Continue reading Responses to “The Secret History of Leviticus”
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
Today I would like to recommend that the blog's readers check out the new Reformation City ministry. This ministry was begun by three young people who are seeking to use their God-given gifts and talents to share the Gospel and to reform the Church. Two of them, Dan and Laura Murphy, are a part of … Continue reading New Reformation City Ministry
In celebration of my wife's tenth full year of being cancer free, I am posting again the article I wrote about how God saw us through that difficult trial. Of course, the focus here is on my own struggle as her husband, but the article communicates a theology of God's sovereignty over suffering and trials that … Continue reading How the Lord Shepherded Me Through My Wife’s Battle With Ovarian Cancer (Reposted – 10 Year Anniversary)
