Pastor, Let’s Think This Year: John Calvin as Model of Thoughtfulness
For Calvin, learning was continually part of his life.
In some way Calvin’s educational life is unremarkable. Attending schools at a young age and pursuing degrees are somewhat standard fare. Yet, even in the mundane, we learn from Calvin. If pastors would be theologians, they must give themselves to disciplined study, engaged in rigorous programs of thought. Rising early, reading well, writing precisely, and... Continue Reading
Pastor Loses Job After Church Sign Stating ‘Homosexuality Is Still A Sin’ Causes Uproar
Pastor Justin Hoke of Trinity Bible Presbyterian Church in Weed, California, lost his job following backlash over language used in a recent church sign.
Hoke said that because “the culture has drawn a line in the sand and dared [Christians] to step over,” he came to the conclusion that the church should accept the challenge — not with hate, but by simply preaching “the gospel.” The pastor also noted that he wasn’t “fired,” but that the church faced a potential... Continue Reading
An Unexpected Friendship
"P.S. Be sure to say your prayers. I do every day."
“Wow, I still can’t believe it. Imagine, of the millions of children that Compassion is sponsoring, I was chosen by the president of America to be his sponsored child from many miles away. He became my sponsor when I was 7 years old and he went by the name of George Walker. Looking back, now... Continue Reading
He Sought to Kill Sin with a Pen
John Owen (1616–1683)
He went to hear a famous minister at Aldermanbury Chapel in London. A substitute preacher entered the pulpit. Owen’s companion was all for heading off to another church. But the preacher (whose identity has been lost in the mists of history) preached on Matthew 8:26: “Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith?” It... Continue Reading
A Chance to Die
May I look up. Open my hands. Die to myself.
The heart gravitates so quickly to familiarity and comfort, to knowing and being known. Amy Carmichael wrote, “Missionary life is simply a chance to die.” But even missionary life, with all of its perceived and real challenges, can become comfortable. “Missionary life is simply a chance to die.” It certainly started out that way. There... Continue Reading
From Seminary President to NFL Head Coach
This fall, former Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) Charlotte campus president Frank Reich began his first season as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.
At 45, Reich took a coaching internship with the Indianapolis Colts. He moved up to offensive coaching staff assistant, to quarterback coach for Peyton Manning, to wide receivers coach. He coached for the Arizona Cardinals for a year, for the San Diego Chargers for three, and for the Philadelphia Eagles for two. Imagine Southern... Continue Reading
Charlotte Arbaleste Duplessis-Mornay – Faithful Chronicler, Devoted Wife, Loving Mother
“Truly did I not fear M. du Plessis' grief, whose love for me grows as my sorrow grows, I would fain not survive him.”
Wherever they went, Charlotte cultivated her husband’s friendships and supported his writing projects, such as his Treatise of the Church, an exhortation to right doctrine, and his Treatise on the Truth of Christianity, an apologetic work against atheism, Islam, and other beliefs. Philippe’s works were appreciated in other countries and readily translated into English. Charlotte Arbaleste’s... Continue Reading
Ralph Erskine and His Songs of the Bridegroom
Christ’s unconditional and undeserved love for his bride resounds through many of Erskine’s poems.
Besides his sermons, he is known for his poetry. Today’s readers might be most familiar with his meditation to the smoker of tobacco, in consideration not of health issues (it was actually considered a medicinal herb) of the greater comforts of heaven (each line ending with “Thus think, and smoke tobacco”[2]). Ralph Erskine (1685-1752)... Continue Reading
Skip Resolutions in 2019 — Make a Rule of Life
A Rule of Life is “an intentional, conscious plan to keep God at the center of everything we do.
The Rule is a way to “begin with the end in mind”—to envision a sustainable, thriving walk with the Lord, in his Word, in prayer, in community, in our family, and in our work, then work backward to a set of commitments. It’s not about detailed to-do lists that must be maintained. A Rule of... Continue Reading
End of Year Check-Up Questions For Christians
One of the best times to take your spiritual temperature is at the end of the year as you reflect on what was.
Some of these will apply to you; some of them won’t. For example, you may already have had a spiritual mentor or perhaps because of this season of life, you may not have the capacity or energy to disciple anyone. That’s fine. These questions are provided not to make you feel guilty, but to provide... Continue Reading
