Hell to Pay
18 years ago, I heard a sermon on Matthew 27:46–Jesus’ cry of dereliction on the cross, “My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?” At one point, the minister who was preaching this message said, “Jesus wasn’t really forsaken;…
Blog
Read MoreHell to Pay
When Discontent Sheep Show Up
Most pastors have heard the complaints of visitors coming from other local churches. It is not uncommon for believers to grow discontent with their circumstances and begin looking elsewhere for a new church family at some point in their Christian…
Consider Me Triggered
I took a camping and backpacking class in college to fill in one of my extra electives. It’s one of the classes I remember the most. We had three trips where we were dropped off on different parts of the…
Ecclesial Theology
Throughout much of the history of the church, theological discourse was largely an in-house project. A broad house to be sure, but even during the upheaval and turmoil of the Reformation, both sides agreed with the basic tenants of historic…
Love and Anger at the Cross?
Last week, Wyatt Graham published a post titled, “The Father Was Not Angry at the Son of the Cross,” in which he rightly explained that God the Father never stopped loving the Son–even when the Son hung on the cross.…
Idols of a Mother’s Heart
If you’re a parent and a Christian, you’ve probably read your share of parenting books. Of the making of self-help parenting books, there is seemingly no end. If, like the writer of Ecclesiastes, you’ve been wearied by such study, Christina…
Idols of a Mother’s Heart
If you’re a parent and a Christian, you’ve probably read your share of parenting books. Of the making of self-help parenting books, there is seemingly no end. If, like the writer of Ecclesiastes, you’ve been wearied by such study, Christina…
An Unexpected Friendship
As Christians, it can be sometimes easy to take the Gospel for granted, to not appreciate or fully understand God’s gift to us of his Son Jesus Christ, how amazing it is to have a relationship with the God of…
The Rhythms of Grace
God has placed us in a world that’s got a rhythm to it. Each day has a sunrise and sunset. Each week has six days of work and a day of rest. Even the four seasons rise and fall with…
The 2018 Year in Review
As 2018 winds to a close, we want to express our deep and sincere gratitude to the many faithful readers of Ref21. We continue our commitment to call the church to a reformation that recovers clarity and conviction about the great…