Why My Family Gets the Flu Vaccine Every Year February 22, 2018 Each year, I make sure that every person in my family receives the flu vaccine. Here is a quick rundown of why: 1. Flu is a serious illness that kills many people every
Common Grace Giving Thanks for Unbelievers January 25, 2018 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10) Peter encourages those in the church to use
Authority Husbands, Be Good Managers December 28, 2017 1 Timothy 3:4-5 says of those called to the office of ruling elder in the church, “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for
Book of Esther Big Doors Little Hinges October 26, 2017 If you visit Heinz Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, you will pass through enormous, oak doors that are fifteen feet high and weigh 800 pounds each. The amazing thing
Here I Stand September 29, 2017 An old friend, knowing that I have four daughters, who love Disney princess movies, recently sent me a poem he had written in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. His poem
Christian education Nowhere to Hide May 26, 2017 A few weeks ago it became clear that there were not enough faculty members available to chaperone the senior trip for the graduates of our local Christian school. Since my wife is considered
Answered prayer "The Best We Can Hope For" April 27, 2017 “Great news! That's the best we can hope for.” So began a recent email from a friend responding to the results of a bone marrow biopsy I had last week. Back
freedom in Christ Things May Get Messy March 23, 2017 Next week on March 29 and 30 Rosaria Butterfield is coming to speak to the Christian community in Bloomington, IN (more information here [http://gentlereformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ROSARIA.pdf]). Rosaria
Church growth Who Built That? February 23, 2017 President Obama famously said while campaigning in 2012, “You didn’t build that,” as a way of emphasizing the role of government in the success of various business ventures. While seeming to undercut
abortion He Sees All January 26, 2017 If you haven’t watched the 3 minute video released by Live Action earlier this week, take the time and do so (http://liveaction.org/abortioncorporation/). It reveals empirically yet another aspect of
Christ Above the Clouds December 22, 2016 Earlier this week, while visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park with my family, I was reminded of the fact that no matter how dark things are in the valleys, the sun is always
church health The Blessing of Being Uncomfortable October 27, 2016 Last week I had the privilege of preaching at the installation service of a dear friend who has been in the ministry for over a decade and has just taken a call to
cancer treatment C1D1 August 25, 2016 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34, NKJ). Today is C1D1 for me. That stands
Church Government In Praise of Church Meetings June 23, 2016 “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1Corinthians 14:40, NKJ)__. As our denomination prepares for the annual meetings of Synod next week, the difficult task of reading and digesting a
Bible Answering Jihad March 24, 2016 Every time another Islamic terrorist blows up something or someone, political and media leaders speculate as to the root causes of jihad. What possesses people to sacrifice themselves for the sake of killing
Creation There is No "Junk" in God's World February 25, 2016 The human genome has around three billion base pairs of DNA, and yet our best estimates are that this massive amount of DNA only includes about 20,000 protein-coding genes. These genes amount
faith A Matter of Inches January 28, 2016 Last spring I was working at home when I received a call from a number that I did not recognize. I let it go to voice mail. The same number called again so
Colts Too Smart by Half October 22, 2015 The play of the week in the National Football League was not a spectacular, one-handed touchdown catch or a dramatic kickoff return. No, it was a botched fake punt that some pundits are
baptism mode Why We Sprinkle September 24, 2015 A number of years ago a new family in our congregation had just completed the membership class and was preparing to join the church. They were planning to present several children for baptism.
Confessional theology Doctrine and Evangelism August 27, 2015 Several months ago I received the following email from a former student at Indiana University. “You do not remember me but I was in one of your Biology classes at IU. I teach
Blackhawks He’s Invested Too Much July 23, 2015 Last month the Chicago Blackhawks won their sixth Stanley Cup Championship as a professional ice hockey franchise. More impressively, this is their third title in the last six years. Given the team’s
Covenant Theology Baptism and the Burden of Proof May 28, 2015 Who bears the burden of proof in the argument over infant baptism? The New Testament (NT) neither explicitly commands the baptizing of infant children of believers nor forbids it. Sometimes what is NOT
Baptism Represented, Sealed, and Applied April 23, 2015 Last Lord’s Day our congregation had the pleasure of witnessing the baptism of a covenant child born into one of our families. When infants are baptized, parents take vows. We understand the
Ministers A Professional Ministry February 26, 2015 A number of years ago John Piper famously wrote, “We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry… The more professional we long to be, the more spiritual death we
Fear Threats Real and Perceived January 22, 2015 Humans have an incredible capacity to fear. A certain type of fear is actually a gift to us in a fallen world because it enables us to sense and avoid danger. The problem
