June 6th, 2017
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One of the most difficult and painful things to watch is when a covenant child commits apostasy and abandons the faith. It is a tragedy when a child who has been raised in the church, taught to love Christ, and then he or she walks away.
May 30th, 2017
The other day I was watching a show that, surprisingly, made reference to “Dutch Calvinism.” To say the least, I was shocked because ordinarily reference to Christianity is dominated by either a generic evangelicalism, which at times mirrors spiritual mysticism more than biblical Christianity, or Roman Catholicism, which is one of the more common forms of Christianity, at least socially (not theologically) considered.
May 23rd, 2017
My parents always taught me to finish what I start, and this is general advice that I’ve always tried to follow. Sometimes, however, trying to follow this advice can be difficult when reading a bad book.
May 16th, 2017
I regularly get asked about recommended resources for sermon preparation. There is quite obviously an ocean of books out there, so I can’t possibly know which books are the absolute best.
May 9th, 2017
Over the last several years I have tried to ask more questions about my life. In particular, I am trying to ask the question, Why?, more frequently. There are so many things in life that we take for granted and do without question.
May 2nd, 2017
What the well-equipped workshop is to the wood craftsman, the well-stocked theological library is to the minister. Having a good library is one of the most important resources you can have in your ministry.
April 25th, 2017
One of the regular complaints I hear from graduates is that they believe their seminary education did not adequately prepare them for the various counseling challenges they face in the pastorate.
April 20th, 2017
As I approached graduation from WSC, I told my wife that I was willing to consider almost any possible call, with one notable exception – church planting.
April 18th, 2017
When you study for the ministry you will take a number of preaching classes as a part of the Master of Divinity curriculum. One of the inevitabilities is that students end up reflecting the preaching style and conviction of their professor.
April 13th, 2017
Going in to ministry everyone knows there will be opposition. We know that there will be hostile atheists heaping scorn upon us. We know that there will be secularists who wonder why we are so intolerant.
April 11th, 2017
I served on a presbytery credentials committee for nearly a decade. The credentials committee has the task of vetting candidates for the ministry. One of the regular questions that we asked prospective candidates was, “Is your wife in agreement with your desire to pursue the ministry?”
April 6th, 2017
Like most newly-minted seminary graduates looking for work, I am continually checking my e-mail, eagerly anticipating an update concerning my future employment.
April 4th, 2017
It seems like far too many people treat relationships of all sorts as being disposable. As soon as they hit a rough patch of any sort they decide to pull up stakes, move on, and find a new relationship.
March 30th, 2017
They had no concept of the gospel. Living in a remote corner or the world, these people knew little more than each other, their pagan religion, and their paradise home. Then on an especially dark and stormy day, a missionary arrived and, in fear, the half-naked natives hid among the trees.
March 28th, 2017
One of my biggest frustrations in the pastorate is the sense of being alone. In some sense the old cliché applies, it’s lonely at the top.
March 23rd, 2017
It is well known that church planting is an arduous task. The months of preparation, long hours, and immense stress drive many church planters to the brink of burnout. Recognizing this reality, there is a mountain of books, seminars, and other resources being produced to try and help prepare men for this common church planting experience.
March 21st, 2017
One of my favorite books is Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen. This is one of the twentieth-century’s great theological classics.
March 16th, 2017
There is a myth about academic life that it is a solitary endeavor. Imagine lonely, stoic figures plodding single-file into a library to sit for hours, hidden behind walled study carrels, isolated and free from social distractions, a hushed silence strictly observed. The reality of the scholarly life is quite different, however.
March 14th, 2017
Serendipity is one of my favorite words for two reasons. First, it’s not a word you often hear people say and has a unique sound. Say serendipity ten times fast!
March 9th, 2017
Coming to seminary is intimidating. In fact, probably better to say jarring. You thought you knew some theology but now realize you don’t. You thought you were called to the ministry but halfway through semester one you’re not so sure anymore.
