No Little Sins?
After reading Nick’s article on whether some sins are worse than other sins, a related conversation came to mind. Some time ago, I was talking with a man who did not believe in the scriptural truth regarding eternal judgment. He…
Category Reformation21
Considering Exceptions
It is not uncommon for ministers in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)–the denomination in which I pastor–to lament a lack of doctrinal uniformity among fellow pastors in our denomination. It is also not uncommon for ministers in the denomination in…
When Preaching is Not Your Thing…
Pastoral ministry is exceedingly difficult; and, anyone would be hard pressed to find a pastor who hasn’t entertained the thought of what life would be like if he were to do something else. Loving God, His church, and His people…
Continual Prayer for Revival
In the last post on the revitalization of the eighteenth-century Baptists, we considered the way in which prayer was a central cause. The passing years did not diminish John Sutcliff’s (1752-1814) and Andrew Fuller’s (1754-1815) zeal in praying for revival…
Are Some Sins Worse Than Others?
One of my close friends was telling me about a recent interaction he had at a Reformed seminary with a student who was preparing to go into college ministry. In the course of their conversation, my friend and this seminarian…
Before You Go…
I have served the same small congregation for over seven years now. I am not one of those who would consider myself to have had phenomenal success in the ministry–by most metrics. We did not grow exponentially and send out…
How to Discourage Your Minister in the New Year
I recently had someone come to see me who was struggling in their church. In all honesty it would have been hard to be more depressed by what they had to say. I had very little sympathy with their complaints…
The Church Jesus Attends
A friend of mine was recently speaking to a pastor of a large congregation about how things were going in ministry. This particular pastor proceeded to tell my friend that a prominent public figure was coming to speak at the…
Cultural Myths About Truth and Love
A witness for Christ in any age–and certainly in this present age–requires a prayer-saturated, Christ-centered, Gospel-motivated, Bible-shaped, Spirit-filled and God-glorifying commitment to “speak the truth in love.” But this essential command for effective Gospel ministry to both those not yet…
Why We Love New Beginnings
We all love new beginnings. When we enter a new year, most of us tend to think back on the past year–we look back at the accomplishments and failures and wonder if the forthcoming year will yield more progress and…