"Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done." Psalm 105:1
Does historical theology matter for the church today? Does it serve only as an academic discipline? Or does it contain practical value for Christian living? Sadly, historical theology generally receives little attention in non-liturgical churches (e.g. Baptist churches). Growing up in baptistic churches, I never considered the greater heritage within which my local church existed, …
Continue reading Book Review: Historical Theology for the Church
In our world today it's not uncommon to see individual believers or entire church bodies abandon their positions on hot-button issues in order to be liked and accepted by the world. Too often church leaders twist the Scriptures in the name of "love" so that sinful acts are not only accepted but are viewed as …
At the onset of summer our church began holding weekly Sunday evening prayer services. Until that time, our regular gatherings were on Sunday mornings, Wednesday evenings, and every third Sunday evening of the month, so my entire married life I've used the majority of my Sunday evenings to prepare my weekly calendar, menu, and grocery list …
On May 19, 2018 our church will host its 3rd annual Practical Christian Living Seminar. Our first two seminars covered topics that are culturally relevant such as biblical sexuality, Internet theology, screen time, and racial reconciliation. This year’s topic, however, is congregational worship, which may not necessarily sound urgent or relevant, but I would argue that …
Currently, our church elders are examining what it means to be a member of our local body of believers. We've searched the Scriptures, pondering the various aspects of church membership, and we've presented our conclusions to the church body throughout several of our members' meetings. A few questions arose out of those meetings that I …
Several weeks ago my wife, Kristen, wrote a blog about discovering a healthy church. If you’ve read it, you may have noticed that she did not write about discovering a perfect church but, rather, a healthy church. In this age, there is no such thing as a perfect church because churches are full of sinners, …
Continue reading Guarding One Another: What is Biblical Church Discipline?
A few months ago I went to the optometrist to have my eyes checked. I put off going for a long time because I knew the doctor would tell me I needed glasses. It was difficult for me to read street signs, the TV was blurry, and I'd get a headache every time I tried …
Over the past several years there has been an explosion of conversation about millennials leaving the church, and the statistics are pretty daunting. For instance, millennials (those born from approx. 1980-2000) represent the largest group of religiously unaffiliated people in the U.S. While there are many in the millennial category who have never attended church …
Recently I learned a difficult but necessary lesson regarding service to others, both inside and outside the church. God used a particular situation in my life to open my eyes to the massive structure that makes up the body of Christ -- each member performing and accomplishing different tasks with one sole purpose in mind: …
Continue reading Arms, Legs, Pinky Toes, and Armpits: We Are the Body of Christ
Proclaim His Name 