Upcoming Sermons

We will be finishing up 1 John this week with a look at 1 John 5:13-21, with an specific focus on vs. 16-17.  Then I will start a series on establishing a Christian, or biblical, worldview.  The series with look something like this, but I am still working on the particular order and arrangement: 9/9: [...]

Read Full Post »

Calvin on the pride of man

“But herein appears the shameful ingratitude of men.  Though they have in their own persons a factory where innumerable operations of God are carried on, and a magazine stored with treasures of inestimable value – instead of bursting forth in his praise, as they are bound to do, they, on the contrary, are the more [...]

Read Full Post »

Sound Words

Paul instructs Timothy and Titus to teach sound doctrine, or sound words, to their congregations. Both of the congregations were in their own state of trouble and distress, yet Paul’s apostolic instruction to these young men was that they teach. He did not give them a specific ten step method of church revitalization and multiplication; [...]

Read Full Post »

1 John 5:14-15: A Quote

“The fundamental characteristic of all truly Christian intercession is that the will of the person who offers prayer should coincide with God’s will.  Prayer is not a battle, but a response; its power consists in lifting our wills to God, not trying to bring his will down to us.” – Stephen Smalley, Commentary.

Read Full Post »

A Worksheet on Covenant Theology

Uploaded here is a worksheet I put together in October of 2005 as a help in understanding Covenant Theology, which is very integral to the Reformed understanding of the Scriptures.  As a reminder, this is a worksheet, so it is meant to be “worked” through, not just read.  Covenant Theology Worksheet

Read Full Post »

Keeping His Commandments

This week I preached from 1 John 2:3-6, 3:21-24, 5:2-3, and the title of my sermon was “Blessed Assurance.”  The reason for the title is that if you take John at face value without having any background understanding, we would all be in question of our salvation.  In 2:3 John writes, “We know that we [...]

Read Full Post »

Food For Thought on the topic of Submission…

A seminary friend of mine submits her thoughts on submission.  Click Here

Read Full Post »

Calvin on “the righteousness of the faithful”

“For whenever Scripture speaks of the righteousness of the faithful, it does not exclude the remission of sins, but on the contrary begins with it” (Commentary of 1 John).

Read Full Post »

Communion Preparation

For preparing the congregation for Holy Communion, I have sent several emails in the past few days. The three before today were simply the appropriate questions and answers from the Heidelberg Catechism. And for the final email I wrote this:

Read Full Post »

False Prophets and the Early Church

The Teachings of the Twelve Apostles, often referred to as The Didache, is a very instructive piece as to the teachings of the early church.  Most date this short catechism to the 2nd century AD.  I have pasted here its short section on how to treat traveling teachers and prophets for food for thought, for [...]

Read Full Post »