https://christchurchpress.com/old-home daily 0.75 2021-09-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d39e06a927f2800017b71e7/1566570067097-LIIOMEIZHAR6P4JAJY6Y/image-asset.jpeg Old Home - Nate Walker “This is Nate’s fav quote. It’s obviously from C.S. Lewis.” ~C.S. Lewis This is just a bit about Nate’s topics of interest. It makes us want to read some of his articles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1603988520671-JOOJDHKUXZYFT8VZ2XLI/image-asset.jpeg Old Home - Jonathan Kiel “This is Jonathan’s fav quote. It’s obviously from Gilead.” ~Marilynne Robinson This is just a bit about Jonathan’s topics of interest. It makes us want to read some of his articles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d39e06a927f2800017b71e7/1566570143061-47T52DRGFI5HUHUHPGN8/image-asset.jpeg Old Home - Brannon Ellis “This is Brannon’s fav quote. It’s obviously from Chesterton.” ~G.K. Chesterton This is just a bit about Brannon’s topics of interest. It makes us want to read some of his articles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1603988431491-PBON677POQD858SDS9DI/image-asset.jpeg Old Home - Matt Boffey “This is Matt’s fav quote. It’s obviously from Nate.” ~Nate Walker This is just a bit about Matt’s topics of interest. It makes us want to read some of his articles. https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/grace-and-legalism monthly 0.5 2021-09-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1630603922353-6STYTVTUN5L8GF9FKMZU/priscilla-du-preez-nF8xhLMmg0c-unsplash.jpg Old Home - The Antidote to a Legalistic Church Culture - We all want it. We want to experience at church the compassion and patience of Christ. We want people to be gentle and kind with one another. We want the broken to come to Jesus and be embraced and loved. https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/remarks-on-the-mask-mandate monthly 0.5 2021-09-02 https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/a-mask-in-leviticus monthly 0.5 2021-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1629988088630-ST0V7TVOEQEF9ZZKB4EK/erge-mahindra-zHhNG4YdiHo-unsplash.jpg Old Home - The Symbolic Meaning of Masks in Leviticus (and Today) - Though the Bible does not have instructions on handling a pandemic (we should not expect such from a pre-scientific text), these chapters are the closest we have to how the Bible views contagion, and how it should be handled by a community. https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/husbands-love-your-wives monthly 0.5 2021-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1626552371488-3LGK3F7CR1QZSWHNQ620/neonbrand-N8XoKjKOT0M-unsplash.jpg Old Home - Husbands, Love Your Wives in These 11 Ways - Recently, we came to Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.…” Our discussion question was, “How does Jesus love his bride, the church?” https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/isf0jb3ks5sd7zlryrt6ujqwmtr42m monthly 0.5 2021-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1620516306464-KMTUWLGSGR02HC4K8OM6/edan-cohen-Q-D-nfK861g-unsplash.jpg Old Home - Who Is the “Excellent Wife” in Proverbs 31? - "An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels" (v. 10). On reading this passage again this week, though, it struck me how marginal motherhood is in this idealized description of a godly wife. https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/gaining-clarity-on-church-and-state monthly 0.5 2021-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1617900780043-SYHXB57APQ2YLAEEFW36/daniel-mccullough-FFsrbYr2TL4-unsplash.jpg Old Home - Gaining Clarity On Church & State - I have often wondered, "Has my view changed over that time?" In reflecting on that question, I realize that it is not so much that my views have changed, but have clarified. Part of God's grace in 2020 has been forcing me to think about church and state relations. Like looking at a blurry image, over the course of the year, the picture has become clearer. https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/healthy-sabbatical monthly 0.5 2021-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1617897973073-8TJNF99BWXX03H6K65DZ/kimo-AUX_FYWjUXY-unsplash.jpg Old Home - 3 Tips for Planning Your Sabbatical - As a pastor, I had not only heard that many times, I had said it many times myself. And I really did believe it. But it left a major question unanswered for me. If I am not the Head, what part of the body of Christ am I? https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/not-what-i-intended-in-that-sermon monthly 0.5 2021-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1617897505876-C5DJLYOUGWEAFHU50EXR/limepic-PfqPmJyKsKQ-unsplash.jpg Old Home - Not What I Intended in that Sermon... - Paul was writing to the church in Corinth; Ezekiel was writing to the exiles in Babylon, etc. He was a pastor or prophet at certain time and place. What did he mean to say to his first audience? We can't just rip Bible passages out of their original context. https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/5-rules-of-thumb-for-the-church-in-covid monthly 0.5 2021-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1614099754770-FKZU3LIFDLDFYREA8GM5/max-bender-olXfar5J3WE-unsplash.jpg Old Home - 5 Rules of Thumb for Church Reconnection in Light of COVID - We are going to be pushed back into fellowship with people we haven't seen in a while and who probably disagree with us. We will need to blend and bring together believers with strong, differing views. Are we walking into new round of conflict and divisiveness? How is this all gonna to go? https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/covid-and-loving-your-neighbor monthly 0.5 2021-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1614099071323-K3UR38XCGITFOB00PQAD/united-nations-covid-19-response-3biD4LTasgY-unsplash.jpg Old Home - How to Love Your Neighbor During the COVID Pandemic - The invisible and unpredictable ways COVID connects people makes the demands of neighbor love both expansive and nuanced. It has touched every area of life. God's people need careful moral reasoning as we walk through this unique time in history. https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/can-my-church-be-on-a-mountain monthly 0.5 2021-09-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1614044767228-LF1OZUCSF0ILG45A9A5U/dave-hoefler-SsgZ_Rd3dzs-unsplash.jpg Old Home - Can Church Happen Alone on a Mountain? - I love hiking, trail running, mountain biking, skiing, backpacking. I feel a real deep sense of happiness out in the wilderness of the PNW. The mountains sing of God’s grandeur and the quiet of solitude is a comfort to my soul. https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/the-gospel-is-a-political-message monthly 0.5 2021-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1604422250577-4NT8QR8WJMELZW3FWM4F/image-asset.jpeg Old Home - The Gospel Is a Political Message - Many Christians feel a real ambivalence about this question. On the one hand, with such hostility around politics in the broader culture, we have to fight desperately to stay united as a church. Why threaten our unity with disagreements about who we are voting for, especially when such disagreements are so emotionally charged? https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/category/Footwear monthly 0.5 https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/category/Fashion monthly 0.5 https://christchurchpress.com/old-home/category/Featured monthly 0.5 https://christchurchpress.com/about-1 daily 0.75 2020-11-04 https://christchurchpress.com/blog-4 daily 0.75 2021-09-22 https://christchurchpress.com/blog-4/blog-post-title-four-fykjg monthly 0.5 2021-09-22 https://christchurchpress.com/blog-4/blog-post-title-three-fgmgb monthly 0.5 2021-09-22 https://christchurchpress.com/blog-4/blog-post-title-two-pek8r monthly 0.5 2021-09-22 https://christchurchpress.com/blog-4/blog-post-title-one-rrn58 monthly 0.5 2021-09-22 https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life daily 0.75 2026-03-16 https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/3-peacemaking-practices-you-can-use-this-week monthly 0.5 2026-03-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/cc1aab9c-17c4-4728-8b10-818553581ef5/unsplash-image-3gAiajAfjXI.jpg Faith + Life - 3 Peacemaking Practices You Can Use This Week - Often when we enter into conflict, we are intent on proving the other person wrong or at fault. We inflate their contributions and minimize our own (if we admit any contributions at all). Jesus is saying plainly that first, we must take responsibility for our own sins and contributions to a problem. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/some-thoughts-on-mentorship monthly 0.5 2026-03-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/95096313-d10f-4c95-b085-43657383b927/joseph-sharp-IaVp3mb_SkE-unsplash.jpg Faith + Life - Some Thoughts on Mentorship - The burden of a mentor is to see Christ formed in his mentee, that is, Christ’s character and affections. It is to love what Christ loves, think his thoughts after him, and do his will. This is the goal of mentorship. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/some-thoughts-on-emotional-hurt monthly 0.5 2026-03-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/71488502-5b17-4798-8a67-0c914c01ee51/unsplash-image-SPVSeCN7p58.jpg Faith + Life - Some Thoughts on Emotional Hurt - Some of the pain we experience in the conflict is not from the other person, but because we are wounded. And to have healthy conflict resolution, we absolutely need to be self-aware about the presence of these sore spots. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/tcs-statement-on-creation monthly 0.5 2025-10-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/0345f857-4629-40da-9c25-9f43c519f47c/unsplash-image-eKU3JGNCCMg.jpg Faith + Life - TCS STATEMENT ON CREATION - At TCS, we believe all truth—about God, creation, and humanity—is revealed in the inerrant Word of God. In contrast to modern Scientism, we affirm that science depends on the foundations of Scripture, not the other way around. This article explains our rejection of evolution, our belief in a six-day creation, and our respect for the range of faithful Reformed views on Genesis 1. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/3-levels-of-reading-the-bible monthly 0.5 2025-07-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/2c21cf6e-01ca-4f57-b2fa-6d5e98b7bf1f/unsplash-image-9zsHNt5OpqE.jpg Faith + Life - 3 Levels of Reading the Bible - This article, originally delivered as a charge to students at Trinity Classical School, invites readers into a lifelong habit of engaging God’s Word deeply—through reading, study, and meditation—for the sake of knowing Christ and living wisely. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/some-thoughts-on-emotional-healing monthly 0.5 2025-05-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/63e60549-d863-48e6-8175-0f976b97aec9/unsplash-image-4WMcSCO9hVk.jpg Faith + Life - Some Thoughts on Emotional Healing - Often, what people refer to as emotional healing is the experience of having their pain lessened. But pain reduction is not equal to healing. True healing does involve a reduction in pain, but not all reductions in pain are an indication of healing. This is why discerning actual emotional healing can be challenging. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/timothy-keller-his-spiritual-and-intellectual-formation monthly 0.5 2025-05-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1848d07e-2c92-43db-bca0-21b4dd738acf/Keller+copy.jpg Faith + Life - Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation - Tim Keller’s preaching and writing deeply shaped my approach to ministry. While I don’t agree with him on everything, his impact on the church—and on me—is undeniable. His life offers lessons that continue to shape us today. To that end, I want to highlight four takeaways from a recent biography about Keller. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/mending-bodies-saving-souls-a-history-of-hospitals-by-guenter-b-risse monthly 0.5 2025-05-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/d218b0fa-2ff7-46d9-8bac-ba39103c8f67/unsplash-image-7ttdoSqHlrI.jpg Faith + Life - Mending Bodies, Saving Souls: A History of Hospitals, by Guenter B. Risse - Hospitals, like many of society’s most vital institutions, have deep Christian roots that are often overlooked today. Guenter B. Risse’s Mending Bodies, Saving Souls: A History of Hospitals explores this history, and while it was a challenging read, it offered valuable insights into how Christians shaped medical care throughout the centuries. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/why-dont-we-say-he-descended-into-hell monthly 0.5 2025-05-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/4ca155d9-3044-4da2-a092-08a09783dee3/unsplash-image-zfvr_8hDngc.jpg Faith + Life - Why Don't We Say, "He Descended into Hell"? - At Christ Church Bellingham, we say Jesus “descended into the grave” rather than “hell” in the Apostles’ Creed. This change wasn’t arbitrary—it reflects careful theological and historical reasoning. We’ll explore why this wording matters and how it aligns with Scripture. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/what-to-think-about-magic monthly 0.5 2025-02-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/26021935-c7c5-4d9f-8852-131a8749f778/unsplash-image-3n7DdlkMfEg.jpg Faith + Life - What to Think About Magic? - Is magic always evil, or is there more to consider? A question from a student got me thinking about how Scripture and Christian tradition approach this topic. Let’s take a closer look. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/things-we-all-need monthly 0.5 2025-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/ec6d0460-8d01-4485-8c99-fe61c267d2cc/unsplash-image-Nu6IGoTrh3Q.jpg Faith + Life - Things We All Need - To know Christ and him crucified. To trust God with all our hearts. To have the Spirit. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/what-to-do-when-things-dont-sit-right monthly 0.5 2024-12-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/faf8fd40-a7fe-4b15-a92d-eacb1f7f789f/unsplash-image-BuNWp1bL0nc.jpg Faith + Life - What to Do When Things Don’t Sit Right? - Have you ever felt unsettled by something—a conversation, a decision, or even a passage in the Bible? Intuition, our ability to quickly sense and assess, is a powerful gift. But as helpful as it can be, intuition can also mislead us, especially in our spiritual lives. What do we do when God’s word challenges our feelings or instincts? This article explores how progress in faith often means embracing discomfort, trusting God’s truth over our emotions, and growing through what doesn’t sit right. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/a-new-study-on-spanking monthly 0.5 2024-11-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/db47ca09-a883-40c7-ba23-9171be7cb572/unsplash-image-HptxPPct2d4.jpg Faith + Life - A New Study on Spanking - Spanking is a challenging topic in today’s parenting landscape, and within our church, it’s sometimes seen as unusually emphasized. At last year’s Parenting Conference, we discussed spanking openly, as many parents struggle to talk about it yet are curious about its role in raising children. Reflecting on my own journey, I now see the value of addressing this practice clearly and without shame. Grounded in biblical wisdom and supported by recent studies, this article explores why many Christian parents view spanking as beneficial, emphasizing the need for it to be done with love, self-control, and a commitment to guiding children in truth. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/still-stuck-in-a-pornography-addiction-try-this monthly 0.5 2024-10-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/aaf6f169-c46f-4df8-b56c-948711bdf695/unsplash-image-aIRBGPafi74.jpg Faith + Life - Still Stuck in a Pornography Addiction? Try This - Last year, Pastor Nate outlined three key strategies for overcoming sin—gospel, community, and behavior—in his article, “What Should I Do if My Husband is Addicted to Pornography?” This summer, I saw these principles in action as I led a group of men through Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace. By applying these strategies, the men made significant progress and have remained porn-free for over three months. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/reading-list monthly 0.5 2024-10-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/bf77db87-734e-4651-89de-fd9d2b425b12/unsplash-image-Oaqk7qqNh_c.jpg Faith + Life - Reading List - Editor's note: To mark the end of Dr. Rob Rayburn’s “My Life in Great Books” series, we thought it fitting to compile a comprehensive list of his recommendations—all 152 of them. Dr. Rayburn is arguably the most well-read minister in our presbytery, and anyone who has had the privilege of hearing him preach or lecture can attest to his vast knowledge. If he recommends a book, you can be sure it’s worth your time. Why not print out this list and start working your way through it? https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/my-life-in-great-books-books-to-die-with monthly 0.5 2024-09-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/28bb2519-cb2f-43a0-b0e0-0380baadcc15/unsplash-image-Bj7Pt0ZMBOk.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: Books to Die With - Through the years, I have thought about what books would sit on my bedside table as I came to die, added books to my list or subtracted them, and then, in the providence of God, had the opportunity to put my choices to use. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/my-life-in-great-books-books-likely-to-be-unfamiliar-to-presbyterians monthly 0.5 2024-09-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/b910bfc5-2789-4f9b-99a1-a68f9963ab8e/unsplash-image-tofagMI_UCM.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: Books Likely to be Unfamiliar to Presbyterians - Other Christian traditions have also produced enormous libraries of Christian books, and it shouldn’t surprise us that some very special and valuable books will be found where Presbyterians would be unlikely to go looking. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/three-rules-for-succeeding-in-college monthly 0.5 2024-09-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/f7a33579-42a7-4b89-9d30-f810cae21072/unsplash-image-3aVlWP-7bg8.jpg Faith + Life - Three Rules for Succeeding in College - Studies are important, and so is preparing for the responsibilities on the other side of your diploma, but Jesus warns that you can gain the whole world and forfeit your soul, so I’m eager to give you advice about the latter. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/my-life-in-great-books-poetry monthly 0.5 2024-08-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/d1904aac-f9ca-4f8a-867f-bf61abf4e385/unsplash-image-hjwKMkehBco.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: Poetry - Poetry must be a very important, even essential, means of human communication because there is so much of it in the Word of God. Certain subjects require it, or, at least, only poetry can do them full justice. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/my-life-in-great-books-prayer monthly 0.5 2024-08-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/3eeea8e8-adfa-4684-9a5f-befa1bdefe3c/unsplash-image-vtCBruWoNqo.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: Prayer - As you may know, Christians have not all thought about prayer in the same way, nor have they practiced prayer in the same way. There are a vast library of books on prayer and reading these books will be a great encouragement in the life of prayer. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/how-to-talk-to-your-teens-about-their-sexual-sin monthly 0.5 2024-07-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/33f26261-46c6-4b09-b706-c6a23caed0fc/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - How to Talk to Your Teens About Their Sexual Sin - How do you help a teen deal with the shame of sexual sin? How do you talk with your teen when they do sin sexually? https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/train-your-teen-to-use-tech-wisely monthly 0.5 2024-07-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/d4f98166-26c3-46b8-a67a-40b633c982d0/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Train Your Teen to Use Tech Wisely - Your role as a parent is not simply to allow some things and not others, nor to enforce rules. Especially as your child enters the teenage years, your role is to train your child in making wise choices. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/contemplation-and-action-twin-beams-of-the-christian-life monthly 0.5 2024-06-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/cd305b8f-6ae6-4f4b-b8f0-27b5f17a7f1c/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Contemplation and Action: Twin Beams of the Christian Life - The ministry and the spiritual life belong together. … When our ministry does not emerge from a personal encounter, it quickly becomes a tiring routine and a boring job. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/guiding-a-child-through-repentance monthly 0.5 2024-05-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/43cd8a0d-9575-4cce-9862-a1ba1c0a4161/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Guiding a Child Through Repentance - These kinds of conversations happen regularly for every parent—from the time that their children start talking until they move out. One of the most important disciplines for Christian parents is to use these conversations as a time to lead children to Christ. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/rule-of-life-part-two monthly 0.5 2024-05-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/30791781-c4e7-4b37-9a3f-caeb81232439/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Rule of Life, Part 2: How to Make and Follow One - A Rule is about planning or organizing your life around your goals as a Christian. It’s drawing a line backward from who you want to be to what you are doing now to become that person. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/rule-of-life-part-one monthly 0.5 2024-04-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/7e517487-e7f3-4025-bc6d-1aa82c5292f5/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Rule of Life, Part 1: What Is a Rule of Life? - As our culture descends further and further into the mindless void of technology and media consumption, more and more people are grasping for some structure to help them direct their lives in meaningful ways. And Christians are looking for structures that help them direct their lives Godward. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/are-the-sons-of-god-angels monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/b8cab932-957b-4217-bc7c-a59a059ed2f9/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Are the “Sons of God” Angels? - Are the “sons of God” worshipers of Yahweh who have intermarried with pagans, or are they angels who have gone into human women? How can we decide which interpretation is the right one? https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/my-life-in-great-books-sermons monthly 0.5 2024-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/9b3bea18-c705-499b-8127-b0a4d3c66c35/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: Sermons - In this seventh installment in our series we come to another type of book that has been published throughout virtually the entire history of Christian publishing: sermons. Throughout the ages, many Christian books have been, in fact, the publication of sermons, often a series of sermons. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/lets-think-about-alcohol monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1e4053e0-b9a5-4889-8595-7244f84edf81/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Let’s Think About Alcohol - Christians in the Reformed tradition have tended to have a culture of liberty around these substances, emphasizing how they are gifts from God that should be received with thanksgiving, rather than condemned because of legalism. How should we, as Christians, think about alcohol? https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/learn-through-your-body-lenten-opportunities monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/94fe124c-80e6-4f44-aa30-991d40be643d/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Learn Through Your Body: Lenten Opportunities - Lent is a season for the body. Through the imposition of ashes and cycles of fasting and feasting, Lent kneads—through our bodies, into our souls—truths we cannot live without. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/my-life-in-great-books-spiritual-life monthly 0.5 2024-02-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/00f338bb-060e-447b-a539-b4fcb769dea0/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: Spiritual Life - The great works of Christian devotion are classics precisely because they put timeless truth in memorable form. These books reproduce the lessons their brilliant authors learned from observing their own lives and the lives of others with Holy Scripture in hand. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/sports-on-the-lords-day monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/200d4cc1-a101-4bc7-b2e3-442629fe50e5/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Sports on the Lord’s Day - As Christianity has declined in our society, sports have taken on a more cultic quality in American life. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/my-life-in-great-books-apologetics monthly 0.5 2024-01-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/ebfb38d8-7b64-4d75-9fab-5fb2ce4a91d7/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: Apologetics - As our society falls more and more under the spell of a newly ascendant paganism, Christians have more reason to know apologetics and to become familiar with its arguments, first for the encouragement of their own faith, and then for the intelligence of their interaction with unbelievers. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/teen-dating monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/7949591d-d632-4cd2-965a-48b07a7d832a/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Teen Dating - Many in our church will want a clear set of rules about what is allowable and what is not. But we have to be careful about that kind of thing, because it is easy to create a kind of legalism around this topic, and we have to resist that. At the same time, parents need practical instruction. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/the-rule-of-faith-and-liturgical-changes monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/ffe26ff8-34fd-4820-afec-8217145a199f/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - The Rule of Faith and Liturgical Changes - Especially in a generation in which Christian faith is in decline and the world is becoming increasingly hostile to Christian faith, the members of our church need clarity on what Christians believe. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/a-quick-outline-of-the-book-of-revelation monthly 0.5 2023-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/9303a24f-f2ec-42b7-abe6-bc43832c1268/GettyImages-1455346190.jpg Faith + Life - A Quick Outline of the Book of Revelation - Revelation is filled with many patterns and deep meanings. It has cycles and imagery, double meanings and careful foreshadowing. It is Jesus’s book of the Bible. And it is the great masterpiece of literary history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/73a69287-1e00-4847-bc33-77a3a023a4f6/Screenshot+2023-09-21+at+12.57.15+PM.png Faith + Life - A Quick Outline of the Book of Revelation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/37e85621-f56f-4cde-98db-02714fd9e98b/Screenshot+2023-09-21+at+12.57.29+PM.png Faith + Life - A Quick Outline of the Book of Revelation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/babylon-the-great-interpreting-the-book-of-revelation monthly 0.5 2023-11-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1d6cd46e-4ab2-4c87-bd8a-15169a8363d6/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - “Babylon the Great”: Interpreting the Book of Revelation - Revelation is highly dependent on the Old Testament and rarely uses new imagery that has not already been utilized in earlier Scriptures. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/election monthly 0.5 2023-09-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/f913eeaf-a46d-43e2-af4d-febc4ea2bed7/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Election - How is it that Jesus has only shed his blood for the elect, yet John says he takes away the sins of the world? How is it that God desires all to be saved yet doesn’t elect all to be saved? https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/ny-life-in-great-books-biography monthly 0.5 2023-08-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/25f915a4-8207-405c-b3c9-4ea609c1f53c/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: Biography - Biography adds the weight of reality to the Bible’s teaching of the Christian life. It has the power to make the life of faith more beautiful and desirable than we might think it to be, if our only acquaintance with that life is what we observe in ourselves or in the Christians we know. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/my-life-in-great-books-autobiography monthly 0.5 2023-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/92fc0629-530d-4328-861a-7a209c094cad/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: Autobiography - We tend to think of our lives as too small to be of any real importance, but the living God is in our lives making them what they are! We are all, every one of us, en route to positions of immortal greatness. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/how-to-develop-and-maintain-a-habit-of-daily-prayer monthly 0.5 2025-01-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/7bdceb49-6a7a-4181-aafa-3bfb5257f8d4/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - How to Develop (and Maintain) a Habit of Daily Prayer - The Scriptures don’t spell out why morning and evening prayer is important, but we can venture a solid guess: it brackets the whole day with dependence on God. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/help-me-study-the-bible-daily-and-actually-understand-it monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/4c82a350-66bc-4a19-852f-a5e6b24d5c7d/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Help Me Study the Bible Daily—and Actually Understand It - If you are going to get your cues for Bible reading from the Bible itself—and you should—then you would read it daily and diligently. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/get-away-to-plan-your-life-a-simple-8-step-process monthly 0.5 2023-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/7b10146e-9882-4dd8-bbbb-98003094e07b/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Get Away to Plan Your Life: A Simple 8-Step Process - Take time to pray through each of these categories and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in how the Lord can be honored in each area. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/submission-and-headship-in-the-home-part-2-husbands monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/408ad0b8-c1ae-4b59-adb8-606bd27bbbe3/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Submission and Headship in the Home (Part 2 -Husbands) - In the Apostle Paul’s mind, the symbol of husbandhood is the cross. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/submission-and-headship-in-the-home-part-1-wives monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/dce925d6-3325-4d01-a5ed-b04818343f52/image-asset.jpg Faith + Life - Submission and Headship in the Home (Part 1 - Wives) - The gospel should shape everything about how a husband and wife relate to one another. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/parenting-teens monthly 0.5 2023-05-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/2a802aa8-feb1-44e0-b80a-0decc7566d42/unsplash-image-UrvkgTFMeng.jpg Faith + Life - Parenting Teens - As we treat them like fellow adult Christians, we give them the chance to start acting like that as well. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/great-books-church-history monthly 0.5 2023-04-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/42289a15-a2ce-4f5f-807e-62d836cfa48a/unsplash-image-PupvsDtj1Pc.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: Church History - “The church has often been renewed in spiritual life because she was reminded of her history.” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/did-jesus-rise-on-sunday monthly 0.5 2023-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/2b59d436-fc3d-4f0b-ab43-27092d26e317/unsplash-image-v2HgNzRDfII.jpg Faith + Life - Did Jesus Rise from the Dead on a Sunday? - “Some who insist on retaining the Old Covenant day of worship—the seventh day Sabbath—defend the theory that Jesus rose from the dead on Saturday.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/8014fc60-09af-42fa-93b8-aaf5b8800ab5/unsplash-image--0gBnnMdQPw.jpg Faith + Life - Did Jesus Rise from the Dead on a Sunday? - “The practice of Sunday worship rests on the firmest Biblical footing.” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/cross-victory-over-death-deep-deep-love monthly 0.5 2023-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/4a942ac9-8665-4bde-b671-57ae5aa8e5ab/unsplash-image-1AVTo_bdHWs.jpg Faith + Life - Good Friday: The Cross is God’s Victory Over Death - “Only the resurrected Son of God has the audacity to offer you the reversal of death itself.” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/morning-devotions monthly 0.5 2023-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/fe53e0ba-b81d-40e0-ad43-25ab29fd15ea/unsplash-image-FY4JiP8uDZ0.jpg Faith + Life - On Why You Should Do Your Devotions in the Morning - “Each morning of your life is an intentional picture of Christ’s redemption and God’s renewal of all things. It truly is a fresh start.” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/how-does-god-forgive-sinners monthly 0.5 2023-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1ece1bb2-b7b9-4aea-a596-936585b61c35/unsplash-image-4MDUVZ0hsdY.jpg Faith + Life - How Does God Forgive Sinners? - “God has a perfectly real and objective ground for forgiving and declaring sinners righteous…” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/great-books-intro monthly 0.5 2023-04-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/dbc3bc26-ca2b-40ef-8d5a-179d0a45fc24/unsplash-image-NIJuEQw0RKg.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: An Introduction - “My purpose is not to make you scholars, but to make you deeper and wiser Christians and to give you the same thrill that I have felt in encountering the truth of God beautifully, skillfully, and winsomely portrayed.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/4608f330-b411-4fb0-a3ef-3d5d0ea6d95d/unsplash-image-iyKVGRu79G4.jpg Faith + Life - My Life in Great Books: An Introduction - “From the very beginning, Christianity has been a reading faith.” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/ash-wednesday-deep-deep-love-excerpt monthly 0.5 2023-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/f1418d35-ef74-47dc-9b95-601991c50b5b/unsplash-image-BuNWp1bL0nc.jpg Faith + Life - Ash Wednesday: An Excerpt from “The Deep Deep Love of Jesus” - “Suffering isn’t a sign that God has rejected someone. It’s God’s love that compelled him to share in our suffering.” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/grumbling-vs-authenticity monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1dce3907-6748-4859-8af9-b96f3a3136b2/unsplash-image-W5OwUWIvMa8.jpg Faith + Life - Grumbling vs. Authenticity: What’s the Difference? - “The Bible has warnings about boldly embracing whatever comes out of our hearts.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/0cc1247c-a170-4b84-96b9-7c487db17d2a/unsplash-image-VTE4SN2I9s0.jpg Faith + Life - Grumbling vs. Authenticity: What’s the Difference? - “The kind of authenticity celebrated by the Bible is when a tender and believing heart expresses itself in words.” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/god-send-harmful-spirits monthly 0.5 2022-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/ed1fa71c-3472-4198-bf55-b2a7e9f8ee64/unsplash-image-gZzUo--BTZ4.jpg Faith + Life - Does God Send Harmful Spirits? - If God is not “the author of sin”, how can he cause Saul to act in this sinful way? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/c0dce80b-1f37-40e6-b4d8-015186b30ce7/unsplash-image-CYswOLYDUXY.jpg Faith + Life - Does God Send Harmful Spirits? - “The Lord not only uses evil spirits like this to judge the wicked, but also, he uses them to refine his saints.” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/how-to-discuss-bible-soar monthly 0.5 2022-11-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1668291068859-VCJNXH346HE0E7DENXGC/unsplash-image-MIf25phxNlE.jpg Faith + Life - How to Discuss the Bible (Without It Going Off the Rails) - “In every setting, [this method] has birthed rich explorations into life, theology, and God.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1668291423483-IUI2O7H9KE6BG3EVA4R3/unsplash-image-hZEDtbQbWko.jpg Faith + Life - How to Discuss the Bible (Without It Going Off the Rails) - What might God bring about if you commit yourself to a communal life around his word? https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/baptized-lords-supper monthly 0.5 2022-10-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/b955b244-2e6c-4ab2-9015-8b56f335d470/unsplash-image-9UW_8aVN8mA.jpg Faith + Life - Why Do You Need to be Baptized to Take The Lord’s Supper? - “The unifying principle in all five of these reasons is God’s covenantal relationship to his people. The covenant is the great source of security and assurance in the Christian life. “ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/28d505e2-85f9-4a8e-a58a-858b9b0ecf21/unsplash-image-LoGnr-w1D8E.jpg Faith + Life - Why Do You Need to be Baptized to Take The Lord’s Supper? - “Baptism joins a person to the body of Christ, and so that is why it makes sense for baptized persons to receive the body and blood of the Lord” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/husband-addicted-pornography monthly 0.5 2022-10-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1665446779469-M9V8KZRFMHFPQ1TD4NAT/unsplash-image-bPlXOYJDvSk.jpg Faith + Life - What Should I Do if My Husband is Addicted to Pornography? - “Pornography is a false god, so repentance that will truly be transformative must deal with and explore what is happening in the heart.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/89ed2279-5ba4-4683-9b61-1a46fd2cb190/unsplash-image-xM4wUnvbCKk.jpg Faith + Life - What Should I Do if My Husband is Addicted to Pornography? - “An overly humble spirit should not keep a wife from saying, ‘This absolutely has to stop.’” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/db2b0cdd-9ce5-411f-8777-8204c8bf867c/unsplash-image-KdeqA3aTnBY.jpg Faith + Life - What Should I Do if My Husband is Addicted to Pornography? - “As your pastor, I want you to know this is why I am here. A big part of my work as a pastor is shepherding members of our congregation through trials like this.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/e3a24401-41c8-410e-945f-4ef2c36092a8/unsplash-image-iQWvVYMtv1k.jpg Faith + Life - What Should I Do if My Husband is Addicted to Pornography? - This whole process should be surrounded with prayer, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12). https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/can-god-have-regret monthly 0.5 2022-10-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/0efd4084-0532-4ab6-9e59-ef504c44e2f5/unsplash-image-sckLONKzPJM.jpg Faith + Life - Can God Have Regret? - If God is unchanging, how can he change his mind? How can he grieve and have regret? Does he not know everything? https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/the-truths-we-eat monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1635787242894-353VJ4FQHOIEEWMWRLMJ/unsplash-image-qa74Yh6-xlc.jpg Faith + Life - The Truths We Eat - A few days prior, the doctor had told us she had at most two weeks left to live. I planned to see her that afternoon and again the following Thursday to get in some final quality time. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/ko3rywrad2wjde0ff4ylm24jfmhz6k monthly 0.5 2022-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/97cb1c96-4bd7-4462-8f03-ad4eb4367036/unsplash-image-OEUDX2oT8hU.jpg Faith + Life - Cremation or Burial for Christians? - I was having a conversation recently with friends about whether they were planning to be cremated. At one point, one of them said, "Christians need to think about this more." The topic rarely comes up in preaching, so I thought I'd offer four guiding principles here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1638385644044-05JCYJWXEBH84ISQLD3I/unsplash-image-1AVTo_bdHWs.jpg Faith + Life - Cremation or Burial for Christians? - Historically, pagans burn bodies and Christians bury them. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/can-these-bones-live monthly 0.5 2021-12-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/bb4c0962-7ec7-4ab9-9eaa-d547bb863898/127.Ezekiel%25E2%2580%2599s_Vision_of_the_Valley_of_Dry_Bones.jpg Faith + Life - Can These Bones Live? - The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1639182717764-RN7VAL79KLX2MFQMGJCH/unsplash-image-u6OnpbMuZAs.jpg Faith + Life - Can These Bones Live? - Son of man, can these bones live? O Lord GOD, you know. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/god-why-havent-you-acted-yet monthly 0.5 2021-12-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1638577115842-JFM90MJ9394TD9EDBXLO/unsplash-image-TvwK0iwRfqo.jpg Faith + Life - God, Why Haven’t You Acted Yet? - Have you ever been in a heated argument and been so sure of your position, but then later, after you’ve cooled down a bit, you saw more clearly where you were wrong? Or have you ever sent an angry email or text, only to wake up the next morning with a pit in your stomach, because you knew your emotions got the best of you? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1638577287889-5B63EKMMCV4QD0CV9UFR/unsplash-image-dDvR7eD6pf8.jpg Faith + Life - God, Why Haven’t You Acted Yet? - What the people are pleading for in Isaiah 64, God answers in Luke 2—he sends his Son in the flesh. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1638576511380-S3QI6QEOE1FQQO7O44JM/unsplash-image-4NcRnBQyXgU.jpg Faith + Life - God, Why Haven’t You Acted Yet? - Advent calls us to turn from our list of problems we wish God would fix and give attention to what we are called to do: remember God. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/love-other-people-like-your-dog-loves-you monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1632506508693-897YKGPLS2UFFQXHJBC7/unsplash-image-UtrE5DcgEyg.jpg Faith + Life - Love Other People Like Your Dog Loves You - The other vet agreed on grounds of her overall strength (she had been losing weight and declining, though we didn’t know exactly why). So my family gathered around her at the vet and said good-bye. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1632531191805-C90C5MGJQV10NT8AHNOW/dog+bumper+sticker.jpg Faith + Life - Love Other People Like Your Dog Loves You https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/how-god-throws-a-party monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1635803072599-TJVTVI4XMGJVA6XZJ37E/unsplash-image-joKme0a_XV8.jpg Faith + Life - How God Throws a Party: 7 Lessons in Hospitality from the Prodigal Son - So goes the line that transforms prisoner 24601 into a man of compassion: Jean Valjean in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/da8bc203-aa93-4dd1-ba81-4cc8683c4915/431px-Pompeo_Batoni_003.jpg Faith + Life - How God Throws a Party: 7 Lessons in Hospitality from the Prodigal Son - The parable begins by establishing the foolishness of the son who forsakes his father and spoils his inheritance on reckless living. It ends by celebrating his return. The table is set for the wandering one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1635804342260-2SACI4KPI209E7PU3EIA/unsplash-image-ZrhtQyGFG6s.jpg Faith + Life - How God Throws a Party: 7 Lessons in Hospitality from the Prodigal Son - How can a Christian show the world what God is like? One of the best ways is to throw a party. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/husbands-love-your-wives-in-these-11-ways monthly 0.5 2023-06-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1688068690533-1OMXPQ7PNEGDYQATRFEI/image-asset.jpeg Faith + Life - Husbands, Love Your Wives in These 11 Ways - Recently, we came to Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.…” Our discussion question was, “How does Jesus love his bride, the church?” https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/who-is-the-excellent-wife-in-proverbs-31 monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1620516306464-KMTUWLGSGR02HC4K8OM6/edan-cohen-Q-D-nfK861g-unsplash.jpg Faith + Life - Who Is the “Excellent Wife” in Proverbs 31? - She cares for her household (vv. 15, 21) which likely includes children, but probably included servants, other workers, and extended family, too. Children are only mentioned at the end: they “rise up and call her blessed” (v. 28). But her activities are far more expansive than motherhood. The emphasis is on the fruit of her hands (v. 31) more than the fruit of her womb. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/can-church-happen-alone-on-a-mountain monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1632508729057-39GELQWRBDKSPNGIHWLI/dave-hoefler-SsgZ_Rd3dzs-unsplash.jpg Faith + Life - Can Church Happen Alone on a Mountain? - I truly sympathize with the cultures throughout history who have built altars on high places and temples on mountain tops. The divine feels so much closer in those places. Every culture has viewed mountains as spiritual places, and ours is no different. Busy modern people often experience much more peace, tranquility, contemplation, and wonder in the hills than they do in a church service. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1635960846270-PI5P35ZCSND0M2TFHWC4/unsplash-image-KU66acygwIY.jpg Faith + Life - Can Church Happen Alone on a Mountain? - The fact that the church is full of people—the very thing that makes it so much harder to do than going on a hike—makes it that much more pleasing to God. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/four-things-immature-christians-have-in-common monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1632506256725-F0XFU4Z0MXX1QMRN02YU/unsplash-image-GDXcY3sNqcQ.jpg Faith + Life - Four Things Immature Christians Have in Common (That Means All of Us) - (The fourth one is on grace and forgiveness; read it first if you are the guilty, self-condemning type. Seriously.) https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/how-to-love-your-neighbor-during-covid monthly 0.5 2021-11-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1614099071323-K3UR38XCGITFOB00PQAD/united-nations-covid-19-response-3biD4LTasgY-unsplash.jpg Faith + Life - How to Love Your Neighbor During the COVID Pandemic - The invisible and unpredictable ways COVID connects people makes the demands of neighbor love both expansive and nuanced. It has touched every area of life. God’s people need careful moral reasoning as we walk through this unique time in history. https://christchurchpress.com/faith-life/the-dignity-of-human-beings-and-the-majesty-of-god monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1632505641357-WBHD146DZCI5IAWE4I1M/unsplash-image-R03V_bwMTw8.jpg Faith + Life - The Dignity of Human Beings & the Majesty of God - Orthodox Christianity, in contrast, values people because they bear the image of God, not because they are in themselves of ultimate value. This is why the Bible prohibits murder and why capital punishment exists: “whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6). It is precisely because of the unsurpassed worth of God that we place lesser - yet still profound - worth in humankind. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission daily 0.75 2026-02-17 https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/a-resource-for-the-season-of-lent monthly 0.5 2026-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/f68a330a-f655-4693-a7e2-c33627d59266/unsplash-image-TNlHf4m4gpI.jpg Ministry + Mission - A Resource for the Season of Lent  - A few months ago our church released a new tool to help our congregation read God’s word and pray together throughout the week. It’s an app called The Reformed Hours of Prayer, which organizes our communal life around seven hours of prayer, from waking to bedtime, rotating new prayers each day of the month. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/a-vision-for-pnw-churches-part-2-worship monthly 0.5 2026-03-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/bd52b510-43d5-4384-9f17-d2a7d5cd6aa5/unsplash-image-Lf5uWtax5kg.jpg Ministry + Mission - A Vision for PNW Churches (Part 2): Worship - Worship is by far the most important cultural event in human society. What happens there deeply forms our view of God, our view of ourselves, our view of the world, and how we live our lives. For the church to become a robust cultural force in the 21st century, we must reclaim the historic vision of biblical, Reformed worship. This is the source from which all the springs of cultural renewal must flow. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/a-vision-for-pnw-churches-part-1 monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1767899412785-4UX4XUWHX8EJT2J6XKPQ/unsplash-image-M0QL8kzmGko.jpg Ministry + Mission - A Vision for PNW Churches (Part 1) - My prayer for the congregations of the PNW is that they “have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” That is the definition of spiritual maturity. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/should-reformed-churches-observe-ash-wednesday-and-lent monthly 0.5 2025-05-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/350b47b8-bf24-4499-84e0-bda22a514e11/unsplash-image-m7U6Zk-wU4M.jpg Ministry + Mission - Should Reformed Churches Observe Ash Wednesday and Lent? - Why would a Reformed church take up practices so closely associated with Roman Catholicism? That’s the honest—and loving—question a pastor friend asked me this past Lent. In this article, I share my response: a biblical, confessional, and pastoral case for why observing Ash Wednesday and Lent can be a faithful expression of Reformed wisdom—not a departure from it. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/the-mature-gospel-centered-church-part-2 monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/0681b86c-13cb-4970-a833-81b1f08b680e/unsplash-image-U_b-eSviHvs.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Mature Gospel-Centered Church (Part 2)  - In reflecting on what it means to be a gospel-centered church, the question arises: does spiritual maturity involve moving beyond the gospel, or is the gospel integral to every stage of our faith journey? It could seem that maturity means shifting focus from the gospel to the law. But is that true? As Tim Keller famously said, “The gospel is not just the ABCs of the Christian life but the A to Z of Christianity.” This article builds on earlier discussions and seeks to explore the profound ways in which the gospel remains foundational—not just at the beginning, but throughout the entire journey of faith. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/how-to-fill-our-lives-with-songs-of-praise monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/b20d30bc-b808-41b5-a9e2-77b4c415214e/unsplash-image-ekHSHvgr27k.jpg Ministry + Mission - How to Fill Our Lives with Songs of Praise - We live in a culture that doesn’t sing. Our culture listens (quite a lot) to other professionals who sing. But for most cultures in history, singing was an activity for common people. And certainly throughout the Bible, singing is crucial to a life lived to God’s glory. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/the-mature-gospel-centered-church monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/3ff7e749-964c-4ed7-8de0-878ba2251cd8/unsplash-image--wT0iS-TSZM.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Mature Gospel-Centered Church - Since our founding our church has been, and continues to be, a gospel-centered church. We believe the gospel alone has the power to make us into a people of joy, freedom, and righteousness. But the gospel-centered movement has received some criticism of late—namely, that since its constant aim is to motivate the Christian life by God’s grace, it can at times fail to give practical instructions to believers about how to live as a Christian. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/the-main-reason-peace-is-so-important monthly 0.5 2024-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/5fa008f5-ddd8-44eb-a889-231f1f3e1384/unsplash-image-iRVq6avVGDE.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Main Reason Peace Is So Important - Paul commands us to “be at peace among yourselves” (v. 13). In a sermon I gave a few weeks ago on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28, I discussed how this command relates to avoiding unnecessary burdens on your leadership by not quarreling with each other. I'd like to offer further explanation to clarify what I mean. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/in-defense-of-kneeling-in-confession monthly 0.5 2024-08-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/39f68028-f502-4157-ba6f-0b46d8885b19/unsplash-image-1urNubNAQbI.jpg Ministry + Mission - In Defense of Kneeling in Confession - We use our bodies to help us understand what is happening spiritually and to bring our hearts into it. Kneeling in prayer, specifically, became a formal part of confession during the Middle Ages—and it remained a feature of Reformation worship, even as the Reformers (rightly) discarded the sacraments of penance and confession. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/why-you-should-care-about-general-assembly-and-know-what-it-is monthly 0.5 2024-06-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/372494a4-d403-42ce-8b50-4c36d1c0c82c/PCA-2024-General-Assembly.jpg Ministry + Mission - Why You Should Care about General Assembly (And Know What It Is) - It is important for church members to understand the kinds of decisions that are made at General Assembly. They signal broader movements in evangelicalism in America, but more importantly, they affect the way our pastors pastor, our elders rule, and our ministries do ministry. And so, they affect you. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/seven-principles-for-raising-christian-children monthly 0.5 2024-06-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/ed16522d-bf31-4296-858d-32077b2c36e0/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - Seven Principles for Raising Christian Children - As a church, while we will benefit from wisdom wherever it is offered, we will not be making new parenting fads the core of our parenting philosophy. The basics around what the Bible teaches about being a Christian parent are more than sufficient for nurturing children in the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/how-angry-is-god-our-father-about-our-sin monthly 0.5 2024-05-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/ab4ad87a-9d1f-48b0-8544-d8d3982d5e34/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - How Angry Is God Our Father about Our Sin? - How can our Father love us and hate our sin at the same time? How should we imagine God’s disposition toward us as we wrestle through life in the flesh? The Scriptures are complex on this topic, but when we fit them together, we see that ultimately, God wants us to know what a good Father he is, wants us to take sin seriously, and wants us to be assured of his love and our salvation. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/counsel-for-the-unequally-yoked monthly 0.5 2024-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/4e4ba504-d1d0-4f77-9899-123cd155d990/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - Counsel for the Unequally Yoked - If you have to choose between Christ and your spouse, the choice must be Christ. Christians should be committed to marriage but not yield their identity to it. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/the-case-for-egg-hunts monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/caa91403-7d36-4e96-8529-5fbed971335f/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Case For Egg Hunts - Are pastels and Easter baskets a distraction? Is an egg hunt fitting for Resurrection Sunday? https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/why-you-and-your-children-should-take-wine-at-the-lords-supper monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/e0220bf0-fe21-47d0-b42e-32c9cf7a2311/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - Why You (and your children) Should Take Wine At The Lord's Supper - It is very clear that the early church used wine and not grape juice. Grape juice did not even exist in Jesus’ day. It was an invention of the 19th century and was a part of the prohibitionist movement. Up until that point, using wine in communion had been the universal practice of the church in all her branches, Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/a-critique-of-the-lost-world-of-genesis-one-by-john-walton monthly 0.5 2024-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/2ffca15a-c2f4-4fc8-9bba-64d5ebfa2c01/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - A Critique of The Lost World of Genesis One by John Walton - As much as his book makes valuable observations about how Genesis 1 sees the world as a temple in which God seeks to dwell and make his home, there were two underlying assumptions that guided his reading of Genesis that seem to be deeply problematic and, ultimately, just wrong. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/the-church-calendar-pt2-church-holidays-we-celebrate-at-christ-church-bellingham monthly 0.5 2024-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/60f64e43-9c8d-48a0-9210-0ab8d150f96f/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Church Calendar, Pt. 2: Church Holidays We Celebrate at Christ Church Bellingham - In this article, we outline the holidays within the calendar that we celebrate, and how that looks in practice. Our hope is that you are able to join in the celebrations with more understanding and thus find them to be more fruitful experiences. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/women-deacons-what-the-bible-teaches monthly 0.5 2023-12-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/b7354acb-29c2-4816-8ccf-9b0a247b44c2/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - Women Deacons: What the Bible Teaches - The priesthood and the eldership of the Old Testament and the ministry and eldership of the New Testament are unmistakably male offices. If the diaconate in the New Testament broke with this pattern, the change would have represented a dramatic revolution in biblical polity. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/the-church-calendar-from-scripture-to-church-history-part-1 monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/e2c933ee-65b9-4731-93a3-52e46949e466/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Church Calendar: From Scripture to Church History (Part 1) - There is a very human desire to participate in seasons and commemorate important events. It is important to follow the Reformed instinct and seek an answer from the Scriptures, to discover if the historical church calendar has a foundation in the Scriptures or if it solely grew out of church tradition. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/baptizing-babies-the-pastoral-argument-part-two monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/481b6aa8-b92c-4d1d-88d9-007f74ee55b6/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - Baptizing Babies : The Pastoral Argument (Part 2) - The basics of the pastoral argument are that the Bible gives us permission to regard the children of believers as Christians who need to be discipled, not unbelievers who need to be converted. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/baptizing-babies-five-scriptural-arguments-part-one monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/702b9cea-b18f-44c9-b361-c0f439c9d66d/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - Baptizing Babies: Five Scriptural Arguments (Part 1) - The basic promise of God’s covenant with his people in the Old Testament was to be a God to them and to their children after them. In fact, the Lord gave the lavish promise to those who love him that he would be a God to their descendants to a thousand generations. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/reverence-for-gods-word-in-worship monthly 0.5 2023-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/39ac8862-fe30-4307-956a-addf7537c253/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - Reverence for God’s Word in Worship - The Word of God is central to our life as a church. It is the power by which God speaks and creates a Bride for his Son. For us to give God’s Word the reverence, love, wonder, faith, and obedience it deserves, we must think carefully about the role it plays in our life together. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/catechizing-kids-and-young-people monthly 0.5 2023-08-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/e05d0137-b0f6-49ae-8740-7697d78ac994/image-asset.jpg Ministry + Mission - Catechizing Kids and Young People - One of the primary ways Christians throughout history have passed down the faith to their children is through catechisms and confessions. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/children-in-church monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/ebdb908f-e4cf-41c6-a1d0-5a646208704d/unsplash-image-IsLMV9Tane4.jpg Ministry + Mission - On Children in Church: Why and How - “Church is not a lecture hall but a family gathering at our Father’s table.” https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/disobeying-pastors monthly 0.5 2023-03-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/8c336bdf-2b1f-4a55-b3b0-4bbce4f36622/unsplash-image-vt2efWhbs-E.jpg Ministry + Mission - Disobeying Pastors - A lack of Christ-like character is the evidence that Jesus does not know a minister, and when that happens, Jesus says, “Beware!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/25f345ec-b1de-43cc-994c-11187a72b6d7/unsplash-image-oLdm7mnhDic.jpg Ministry + Mission - Disobeying Pastors - “The individualism of our culture makes submission seem so alien and unnatural. We likely need more exhortations and encouragement in the other direction.” https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/should-women-be-ordained monthly 0.5 2023-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/f6d427c3-ecd7-4847-b2a1-b6e7c80462be/51301-woman-pastor.630w.tn.jpg Ministry + Mission - Should Women be Ordained as Elders and Deacons? - “Generally speaking, when the universal church has had such unified agreement about a certain area of biblical teaching, it is unwise to deviate from it.” https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/position-paper-women-in-office monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/d0cd615e-6741-4359-ad74-ea6305d676a4/Screen+Shot+2023-03-27+at+5.15.04+PM.png Ministry + Mission - On Women in Church Leadership - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/offices-officeholders monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/6fdb0ef6-8d95-4f0d-8961-ad355430023a/unsplash-image--NXNaE9lu6w.jpg Ministry + Mission - On Church Offices and Officeholders - For us, ability carries authority along with it. Why is that? https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/ministerial-uniforms-tcs monthly 0.5 2023-03-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/f50d614b-bdfb-4de2-bc79-02f75fa2edff/unsplash-image-v77i2MaGSLw.jpg Ministry + Mission - Six Reasons Why Ministerial Uniforms are Helpful and Wise - “All clothing is rhetoric and speaks to a set of norms and values.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/6b1e8450-728f-4dc9-8b0a-6824a57a3124/Screen+Shot+2023-02-17+at+1.30.59+PM.png Ministry + Mission - Six Reasons Why Ministerial Uniforms are Helpful and Wise - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/b7f7c8a0-c977-4bb9-8df8-c135e5d62e73/TCS+Ministerial+Uniforms+%281%29.jpg Ministry + Mission - Six Reasons Why Ministerial Uniforms are Helpful and Wise - “There’s value in distinctive dress that reminds us of their expertise or calling.” https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/sudden-death-evening-service monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/3d74bcd6-b2f7-487c-9f27-d03bf3f79894/unsplash-image-fYZGUY1FGpA.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Sudden Death of the Evening Service - “Across the ages, the number of those who found eternal life in the Lord’s Day evening worship of the Christian church must be very large.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/2515a09a-42bf-42f7-bd30-275097dd6e07/unsplash-image-LrWiFN7tibU.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Sudden Death of the Evening Service - “Surely we should have a very good reason why we should abandon the practice of the Christian centuries to be in God’s house, to sing his praise and hear his Word, twice on the Lord’s holy Day.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/a27797f1-5873-4f73-ac5d-8ee24cb05c66/unsplash-image-wJliCFNnS60.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Sudden Death of the Evening Service - “The special character of evening hymns bears witness to the particular set of holy thoughts that crowd the soul in the evening hours.” https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/biblical-literacy monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/98cfbfa3-9e9c-434b-939c-7df938675b26/unsplash-image-DRgrzQQsJDA.jpg Ministry + Mission - Biblical Literacy: Its Urgency and Decline - “If there is a great error being made by today’s Christian ministry, it is the reluctance to insist that Christians learn the Bible.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/70b07f08-7418-46e6-872e-505a0806a4b6/unsplash-image--lp8sTmF9HA.jpg Ministry + Mission - Biblical Literacy: Its Urgency and Decline - “The Bible’s authority and its content is a seamless web. Every truth is connected to every other.” https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/the-sociopolitical-pulpit monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/0b53addf-f5de-4353-91a9-b7c6aab1214f/unsplash-image-DmdQGZqR_38.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Socio-Political Pulpit: What Are Christians Really About? - “Today’s Christian pulpit is far too often preoccupied with other things than your life’s journey.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/3fb5de30-7ef3-45af-bafd-bd310a0fbc0d/unsplash-image-qpyZIffH78I.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Socio-Political Pulpit: What Are Christians Really About? - “The climate may indeed be changing, but hell and heaven loom before us as they always have.” https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/the-ecumenical-imperative monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/f8519d7b-9cc2-42ae-b217-c428c1f7f89d/unsplash-image-IoQioGLrz3Y.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Ecumenical Imperative: Celebrating the Church Catholic - “We cannot give way to tribalism in thought, speech, or behavior.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1673547016105-4JUXON2FP1W4ENC3FQ4P/unsplash-image-jwTrS3PdkD8.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Ecumenical Imperative: Celebrating the Church Catholic - “Keep the walls of separation as low as possible, and shake hands over them as often as you can.” - J.C. Ryle https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/loss-divine-transcendence-rayburn-series monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1672265946249-P1UQ6R627IOAAX3KUVL7/unsplash-image-60bpaKpFOAU.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Loss of Divine Transcendence - “God is with us, to be sure, but he is at the same time far above us and past our finding out.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1672266430914-VF5L30OI0YL01UFBH91V/unsplash-image-2WHFw6sRsZw.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Loss of Divine Transcendence - “We were made to lift our eyes far above ourselves.” https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/administration-in-church monthly 0.5 2022-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/e7b90072-935a-483a-9476-e0c81f2db128/unsplash-image-X1P1_EDNnok.jpg Ministry + Mission - Why Do Churches Need Good Administration? - “Good administration is like the two-by-fours that frame your house. You don’t notice it, but you’re very glad it’s there.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1668118982577-KWHC5V69XQ6LFR0O684U/unsplash-image-7Ku54ZgKEcs.jpg Ministry + Mission - Why Do Churches Need Good Administration? - “From the beginning, God takes chaos and creates order. As soon as God creates a people he gives them organization.” https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/why-renew monthly 0.5 2022-10-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/6963a12f-be71-451e-afa8-98ae03af259e/david-lindahl-_HiEb3oPt3E-unsplash.jpg Ministry + Mission - Why Renew? - “We are not writing for the whole world but for our mission here in the Pacific Northwest.” sogakperigm[aoiwenmg[aw https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/8756596f-4d45-4fd7-9dde-56e34033ec70/aaron-burden-y02jEX_B0O0-unsplash.jpg Ministry + Mission - Why Renew? - “One of the only things we know about pastors in the first century is they wrote to their people.” https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/a-defense-of-bibliolatry-or-something-like-it monthly 0.5 2022-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/eacf94a5-c4a7-46ec-814b-e59347b733f3/unsplash-image-OYDSBCgkphA.jpg Ministry + Mission - A Defense of Bibliolatry, or Something like it... - Has our esteem for the Bible turned a book, a created thing, into the object of our worship? Are we idolaters? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/edd931c2-c296-44da-96a1-59d492088560/unsplash-image-TNlHf4m4gpI.jpg Ministry + Mission - A Defense of Bibliolatry, or Something like it... - There is no middle way: either the Bible is the revelation of God to be trusted and received as his word, or it is the (mere) words of man. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/the-massive-need-for-church-plants monthly 0.5 2022-01-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1642213052133-JO0D5JCD14CW68FJNWXJ/unsplash-image-ZwaqicZOAgc.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Massive Need for Church Plants - A report from the Pinetops Foundation says: Nearly 1.1 million young people will leave the church every year for the next 30 years. The current nominal Christian population will decline from 73% to 59%. The number of unaffiliated or secular people will double from 17% to 30%. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1642213735645-9CO60MTWVORYR2A6DRZB/unsplash-image-Y3WEhjQivTI.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Massive Need for Church Plants - Americans are ambitious and believe we can solve any problem. Not this one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1642214306829-BKJBII9DGA2XGHXIQWTW/unsplash-image-6liebVeAfrY.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Massive Need for Church Plants - What needs to happen in our day is the same work the Spirit has accomplished in the past. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/three-tips-for-planning-your-sabbatical monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1617897973073-8TJNF99BWXX03H6K65DZ/kimo-AUX_FYWjUXY-unsplash.jpg Ministry + Mission - Three Tips for Planning Your Sabbatical - As a pastor, I had not only heard that many times, I had said it many times myself. And I really did believe it. But it left a major question unanswered for me. If I am not the Head, what part of the body of Christ am I? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1635962275084-ULP9GF0BRUGP6SHIRIVZ/unsplash-image-BW0vK-FA3eg.jpg Ministry + Mission - Three Tips for Planning Your Sabbatical - My discovery: I am a joint or a ligament. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/five-rules-of-thumb-for-church-reconnection-after-covid monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1632759192150-1ZUI8FO38T22DCK8VR8L/max-bender-olXfar5J3WE-unsplash.jpg Ministry + Mission - Five Rules of Thumb for Church Reconnection in Light of COVID - We are going to be pushed back into fellowship with people we haven't seen in a while and who probably disagree with us. We will need to blend and bring together believers with strong, differing views. Are we walking into new round of conflict and divisiveness? How is this all gonna to go? https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/liturgy-the-reformation-of-worship-part-1 monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1632761551736-EIPDWTFNVS3AF2XTHSSF/unsplash-image-1wbyx_mVv9Y.jpg Ministry + Mission - Liturgy - In the context of a discussion of such worship, our Savior said that the Father seeks true worshippers who will worship him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/not-what-i-intended-in-that-sermon monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1617897505876-C5DJLYOUGWEAFHU50EXR/limepic-PfqPmJyKsKQ-unsplash.jpg Ministry + Mission - Not What I Intended in that Sermon... - Paul was writing to the church in Corinth or Ephesus; Ezekiel was writing to the exiles in Babylon. Each was a pastor or prophet in a certain time and place. What did they mean to say to their first audiences? We can't just rip Bible passages out of their original context. https://christchurchpress.com/ministry-mission/the-antidote-to-a-legalistic-church-culture monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1630603922353-6STYTVTUN5L8GF9FKMZU/priscilla-du-preez-nF8xhLMmg0c-unsplash.jpg Ministry + Mission - The Antidote to a Legalistic Church Culture - We all want it. We want to experience at church the compassion and patience of Christ. We want people to be gentle and kind with one another. We want the broken to come to Jesus and be embraced and loved. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture daily 0.75 2026-04-01 https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/the-biblical-case-for-postmillennialism-the-postmillennial-vision-pt-1 monthly 0.5 2026-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/58e07749-5e0e-4617-99e1-4d1031398486/unsplash-image-0yOOTVWznDI.jpg Christ + Culture - The Biblical Case for Postmillennialism (The Postmillennial Vision, Pt. 1) - Postmillennialism teaches that Christ will progressively subdue the nations through the Spirit-powered ministry of the Church, especially the ministry of word and prayer. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/4-views-of-the-millennium monthly 0.5 2026-02-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/5d4f5065-7321-4750-91ab-7c74eb1caab7/Dore_nwe_jeruzalem_grt.jpg Christ + Culture - 4 Views of the Millennium - Eschatology is not merely a topic for dinner conversations about speculative theology, but instead a formative lens through which Christians interpret present suffering and their role in the mission of God. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/k7i7vhbzlo7ctagsf54g54uu3agpjw monthly 0.5 2026-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/98e87602-8461-4be5-aace-33beca0defdb/David_Roberts_-_The_Siege_and_Destruction_of_Jerusalem_by_the_Romans_Under_the_Command_of_Titus%2C_A.D._70.jpg Christ + Culture - Partial Preterism Part 2 (Revelation & Other Texts) - Revelation is primarily about God’s judgment on those who pierced Christ (Rev. 1:7) and we see the primary enemies of God’s people were the Gentile nations represented by the Roman Empire, and the unfaithful Jews who rejected Christ. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/when-the-foundations-are-destroyed-reflections-on-the-assassination-of-charlie-kirk monthly 0.5 2025-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/4a94ae50-e6e2-4c91-bbec-fd84e2660d94/unsplash-image-dM2C72WB_2w.jpg Christ + Culture - When The Foundations Are Destroyed: Reflections on the Assassination of Charlie Kirk - Our nation witnessed the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a devout Christian who was unafraid to go to college campuses to speak truth and share the Gospel. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/ascension-sunday monthly 0.5 2025-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/7f91ad7e-5324-4383-a74b-077ed77f633c/unsplash-image-ZnZz-qkHI2U.jpg Christ + Culture - Ascension Sunday - Many Christians are familiar with Christmas and Easter, but Ascension Sunday—marking Christ’s return to heaven and the beginning of his reign—is a deeply significant yet often overlooked part of the Church Calendar. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/partial-preterism-part-1-the-prophet-daniel-jesus-olivet-discourse monthly 0.5 2025-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/9b5baa65-b1c4-42fa-8e9e-0c4c4e5c3cb3/unsplash-image-lIuxlN0zSjs.jpg Christ + Culture - Partial-Preterism Part 1 (The Prophet Daniel & Jesus’ Olivet Discourse) - This article shifts our eschatology series from critique to construction, beginning a two-part look at our church’s partial-preterist convictions. Part one examines Daniel’s prophecies and the Olivet Discourse; part two will focus on Revelation. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/the-dating-of-revelation monthly 0.5 2025-04-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/904e6346-044c-4f7b-9bc4-41002f7bf56c/unsplash-image-TNlHf4m4gpI.jpg Christ + Culture - The Dating of Revelation - Before diving into the reasons our church holds a partial-preterist view of eschatology, we must first address a key question: when was the book of Revelation written? The answer to this question significantly impacts how we interpret its prophecies. In this article, we’ll examine the two main positions—the “late date” and the “early date”—and explore why the timing matters. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/mdlapzf5wh9m3kd08sh89jfr2iemxz monthly 0.5 2025-04-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1e1cdb75-a9e8-482d-b52e-1333f686bd42/unsplash-image-7rIsBSxhiXM.jpg Christ + Culture - Palm Sunday: What It Means and Why We Celebrate It - Why do we wave branches and shout “Hosanna” the Sunday before Easter? Palm Sunday is more than a charming tradition—it’s the beginning of the most important week in the Christian year. This day draws us into the story of Jesus’ kingship, humility, and mission to save. Let’s explore what makes Palm Sunday so significant, and why the church still celebrates it today. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/the-heresy-of-wokeism-part-2-what-is-our-response monthly 0.5 2025-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1c9dab3c-75fa-41bb-a108-f203b6788d73/unsplash-image-qT7fZVbDcqE.jpg Christ + Culture - The Heresy of Wokeism (Part 2): What Is Our Response? - Wokeism is deceptively attractive to sincere Christian people. If you are tenderhearted, care for the outsider, and are willing to sacrifice for the marginalized, then without clear teaching, wokeism will be almost irresistible. Whose heart does not ache for the oppressed? Who doesn’t want to be a champion of the weak and disempowered and marginalized? https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/4-methods-of-interpreting-revelation monthly 0.5 2025-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/48923398-e53f-4afa-9a7a-25abb95cd136/unsplash-image-YnRNdB-XTME.jpg Christ + Culture - 4 Methods of Interpreting Revelation - In covering the errors of Dispensationalism, it is important to talk about the fact that their method for interpreting the book of Revelation is historically recent, and that there are several other ways that Christians have interpreted Revelation since it was written in the first century. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/the-heresy-of-wokeism-part-1 monthly 0.5 2025-01-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/7f8789f4-493f-454e-942a-76bdb3a75635/unsplash-image-1M-7-W6wHb8.jpg Christ + Culture - The Heresy of Wokeism (Part 1) - You might wonder, “What exactly is wokeness?” My goal in this article is to explain what it is; I will follow up with a second article on how the church should respond. My hope is that these articles will help our church to think clearly about these issues, and will guide us to have the courage to confront them when they arise. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/1twf68z1fa7x3t211s34f4b666g8c5 monthly 0.5 2025-01-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/de0dda3f-6c82-4c6b-9b05-4986a9a75751/unsplash-image-BhuUpSPEv40.jpg Christ + Culture - Against Natural Law (Part 2) - Because of our fallen nature and our finitude, we cannot know this natural law without the light of Christ to illuminate the darkness of our hearts and minds, or without the spectacles of the Scriptures to enable us to see these laws of nature clearly. So, while natural law does exist, it is both unhistorical and unrealistic to say we have access to it without the grace of Christ. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/dispensationalism-4-consequences-of-this-bad-theology-part-3 monthly 0.5 2025-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/5e9c46a0-89c8-4f43-b933-ffce7b4aac19/unsplash-image-8P-uQaTd8rw.jpg Christ + Culture - Dispensationalism: 4 Consequences of This Bad Theology (Part 3) - Dispensationalism, though a modern theological framework, has significantly shaped Christian thought and culture, often to the Church’s detriment. This third article explores its practical consequences, including undermining biblical authority, fostering fear and anxiety, and promoting harmful dualism. By examining these impacts, we’ll see how dispensationalism has distorted theology and weakened the Church’s mission, and why a return to covenantal thinking offers a hopeful and faithful alternative. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/epiphany-sunday monthly 0.5 2024-12-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/bb38f8d4-3b3b-4a82-bb08-84be6e010c63/unsplash-image-ErGuyoN2vmA.jpg Christ + Culture - Epiphany Sunday - Christmas is a season of celebration, rich with traditions that center on the birth of Christ. But for those who follow the Church Calendar, the joy doesn’t stop on Christmas Day. Instead, it marks the beginning of Christmastide, a twelve-day period of feasting, worship, and reflection that culminates in Epiphany Sunday. This ancient celebration commemorates the visit of the Magi and Christ’s appearance to the world as Savior. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/against-natural-law monthly 0.5 2024-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/d9b64f38-cd38-4ae2-95e7-87fd2145ebb4/unsplash-image-74TufExdP3Y.jpg Christ + Culture - Against Natural Law - Can humanity discern morality apart from God? The idea of natural law suggests that just as physical laws govern nature, moral truths are embedded in creation and accessible to all. But is this enough? This article explores the limits of natural law, the necessity of God’s Word to illuminate true morality, and what this means for engaging our culture. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/what-is-christ-the-king-sunday monthly 0.5 2024-11-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/e81ad7ed-0134-4265-adaa-8f6871c06327/unsplash-image-dboVl65jNT4.jpg Christ + Culture - What is Christ the King Sunday? - As the liturgical year ends, I’m reminded of Napoleon’s powerful words: unlike empires built on force, Jesus established His kingdom on love—a kingdom still transforming lives today. Christ the King Sunday celebrates this eternal sovereignty, calling us to reflect on Christ’s present rule and the hope of His coming kingdom. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/dispensationalism-a-biblical-theological-critique-part-2 monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/93a6bd9e-5447-4d2e-8ab5-240697968606/unsplash-image-LtWFFVi1RXQ.jpg Christ + Culture - Dispensationalism, a Biblical & Theological Critique (Part 2) - This article is the second in a three-part series on dispensationalism, a popular doctrine among American evangelicals. Dispensationalism presents a unique view of “last things,” including a “secret rapture” where Christ returns privately to take the Church out of the world before a tribulation led by an Antichrist. Central to this system is the belief that God has two covenant peoples, Israel and the Church, which shapes its approach to prophecy. This interpretation makes the future of the modern nation of Israel vital to dispensational views of “Bible prophecy.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/5fcc56e1-b216-42e9-8fa6-736e69768930/The_Book_of_Revelation__a_study_of_the_last_prophetic_book_of_Holy_Scripture_%281919%29_%2814780709151%29+%281%29.jpg Christ + Culture - Dispensationalism, a Biblical & Theological Critique (Part 2) - Make it stand out Image link https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/dispensationalism-its-history-framework-part-1 monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/b8249ae6-0b72-4d05-8ceb-988aa4e72e04/unsplash-image-FIKD9t5_5zQ.jpg Christ + Culture - Dispensationalism, Its History & Framework (Part 1) - Dispensationalism arose within the last 150 years; it is a system of interpretation for reading and understanding the Bible. Central to its uniqueness is its separation of Israel and the church: that God has a different plan for salvation for ethnic Israel (the Jewish people) and the Christian church. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/b6f8e617-4d6e-49e5-9b69-0e3a0dc5fd0f/blaaa.jpg Christ + Culture - Dispensationalism, Its History & Framework (Part 1) - Make it stand out Image link https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/two-challenges-ahead-for-the-pca-presbyterianism-pt-10 monthly 0.5 2024-08-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/4e972b7c-af1a-4013-ab31-9a3450748292/unsplash-image-83_ZvGiVphQ.jpg Christ + Culture - Two Challenges Ahead for the PCA (Presbyterianism, Pt. 10) - How to maintain the best of Presbyterianism’s standard of thoughtful, learned preaching and teaching while reaching an increasingly diverse culture is one great challenge facing our church today. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/the-office-of-deacon-presbyterianism-pt-8 monthly 0.5 2024-08-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/6ed73512-0c16-4a56-8fb1-7c9218034a51/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - The Office of Deacon (Presbyterianism, Pt. 8) - The office in its New Testament form was recovered to the church at the Reformation but has had a spotty history since. The church has sometimes valued the office and profited greatly from its ministry. At other times, the office has once again virtually disappeared. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/american-features-of-the-pca-a-critique-presbyterianism-pt-7 monthly 0.5 2024-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/8d6e3590-b6c4-413b-bc69-efab30c1bbfe/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - American Features of the PCA: A Critique (Presbyterianism, Pt. 7) - No matter that certain principles are held in common, all Presbyterian churches do not practice precisely the same church government, and some of these differences are substantial. These distinctive features derive from the different history of the churches, as well as their different political and social environments. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/two-offices-or-three-presbyterianism-pt-6 monthly 0.5 2024-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/06ac2cc4-d143-42a6-81a8-b471098c363c/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - On Elders: Two Offices or Three? (Presbyterianism, Pt. 6) - One of the most interesting and consequential of these distinctively American features of our Presbyterianism is the popularity of the so-called two-office view of Presbyterian church government. Historically, Presbyterianism since the Reformation has been a three-office church government (ministers, ruling elders, and deacons). https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/one-more-strength-its-greatest-of-presbyterianism-part-5 monthly 0.5 2024-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1788a21a-e46b-44fb-9b98-b5d42e92fdc9/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - One More Strength—Its Greatest—of Presbyterianism (Presbyterianism, Pt. 5) - There is a virtue in Presbyterianism greater than any of these. I am speaking of the way Presbyterian church government embodies and practices the unity of the church. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/some-strengths-of-presbyterianism-part-4 monthly 0.5 2024-06-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/5cdb0e98-2dd3-43e4-b0cf-053dc0996450/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - Some Strengths of Presbyterianism (Presbyterianism, Pt. 4) - The Presbyterian church government, like all other Christian polities, is only as good as the men who occupy its offices. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/must-we-all-be-presbyterians-part-3 monthly 0.5 2024-06-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/ea56ad45-e721-4af1-852b-787eb6d52284/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - Must We All Be Presbyterians? (Presbyterianism, Pt. 3) - Does the New Testament actually prescribe a form of church government that Christians are duty bound to practice still today? Does the New Testament material regarding church government taken together amount to a commandment that we are obliged to obey? https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/what-is-presbyterianism-anyway monthly 0.5 2024-05-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/7f67bb95-99b2-44a0-b2d7-235abf785ae4/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - What Is Presbyterianism, Anyway? (Presbyterianism, Pt. 2) - What is Presbyterianism? The term itself suggests government by elders or presbyters. But Presbyterians aren’t the only Christians whose churches are ruled by elders, just as Baptists are not the only ones who practice baptism. . https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/how-important-is-church-government-presbyterianism-part-1 monthly 0.5 2024-04-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1712893026942-AGE355G9VBOLVU4VZ9BQ/GettyImages-172771945.jpg Christ + Culture - How Important Is Church Government? (Presbyterianism, Pt. 1) - How does being Presbyterian shape our life as a church and our lives as individual Christians? In what ways does it distinguish us from other Bible-believing Christians? https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/consider-buying-a-business monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/012aaa47-f18b-4760-8c3a-359279f5c179/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - Consider Buying a Business - There is a lot of risk in starting a business, mainly because it is hard to see how profitable a business will be until you actually do it. But buying a business means acquiring a business you already know is profitable. As it turns out, roughly 10,000 boomers are retiring every day in our country, and many of them built successful businesses. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/gender-pronouns monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/8cb8abbd-c2dc-4745-87ea-b902b1ef0191/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - Gender Pronouns - One of the great challenges around this issue is that Christians are people of compassion. We read multiple times in the gospels that our Lord saw people and had compassion on them. We hear about adolescents who are depressed or even suicidal, experiencing gender dysphoria, and our hearts go out to them https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/is-it-okay-to-be-a-christian-and-be-gay monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/e5afd2b2-7b5f-48b2-bbc6-483b947e6a3c/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - Is It Okay to Be a Christian and Be Gay? - Is it a sin for one to be a Christian and to be gay? Should a person with same-sex attraction be single, or is it okay to be in a committed relationship? https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/what-is-a-woman monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/789830c3-dfcc-49c4-aaf8-70e60085b071/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - What is a Woman? - What I am arguing is that the essential unique calling of a man is to be a guardian, and the essential unique calling for a woman is to be a helper. Both of these callings are focused on the flourishing of other people. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/what-is-a-man monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/36809477-4a05-48ac-8825-9707ac213c67/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - What is a Man? - What is unique about being a man? The unique purpose entrusted to the man in this joint endeavor is to guard. Women, children, and communities depend on him to do this wisely. When a man fails to play this role, he compromises his manhood and the whole community suffers. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/gender-and-the-image-of-god-sign-and-thing-signified monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/eccd0574-534a-4e70-8f2d-5c0603114aa6/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - Gender and the Image of God: Sign and Thing Signified - As a church, we must think deeply about the question of gender and form a sound and biblical anthropology in response. It is not just a question for pastors and counselors and cultural theorists; this question will touch every life and likely already has. And we must be prepared to think through it biblically. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/what-is-a-human monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/7dbe6015-14ef-42bc-b1ed-5b84066e7f22/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - What Is a Human? - So if men and women are both made in God’s image and share all these commands from God—how are they different? Is it just their anatomy? https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/mordecai-and-political-resistance monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/90cc1f3e-2010-4a99-91ca-dadd9a289671/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - Mordecai and Political Resistance - The default position of the Christian is to be a law-abiding citizen. But we recognize that there are limits to our obedience, specifically when the magistrate’s commands become unlawful https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/why-continue-a-classical-christian-education-through-high-school monthly 0.5 2023-10-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/4f180cc6-34c8-45e6-964a-1595530e92a4/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - Why Continue a Classical Christian Education through High School? - What adolescents need more than anything is Christ. If there is one time of our lives where we need the grace of Jesus telling us “This is who you are!”—high school is it. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/institutionalizing-the-sermon-on-the-mount monthly 0.5 2023-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/f482a294-8d17-4f39-8785-bcc8417b2702/oxford-uk-1602955591tOg.jpeg Christ + Culture - Institutionalizing the Sermon on the Mount - “The Sermon on the Mount was not given as the ethic of an individual but the ethic of a new city that Jesus is building.” https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/responding-to-evil monthly 0.5 2023-05-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/d30e4a2f-faed-4f08-86e2-f31b223c2767/image-asset.jpg Christ + Culture - Responding to Evil - “We don’t serve a God who is far off. We serve a God who is near. And, in his nearness, he tastes our pain and suffering.” https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/9-principles-for-educating-your-children monthly 0.5 2023-05-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/0d533212-b45e-4b73-bc0c-20998ed4afb1/unsplash-image-zFSo6bnZJTw.jpg Christ + Culture - 9 Principles for Educating your Children - “The desire and default for all Christian parents should be to provide a gospel-centered education for their children.” https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/therapeutic-culture monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/4c8f294c-2e73-45e9-9af5-4eed11db6ec5/unsplash-image-SPVSeCN7p58.jpg Christ + Culture - The Therapeutic Culture - “There is enough in this dying life to make any thoughtful person heavy-hearted.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/7f51af5d-8461-4d78-97ab-0014fd8d268e/unsplash-image-FqtgyYgBLyQ.jpg Christ + Culture - The Therapeutic Culture - “And what are our burdens, after all, but perhaps the greatest opportunity of our life?” https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/new-years-resolutions-dont monthly 0.5 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/3ac8351c-6407-43e5-b068-36e8e8d16b1f/unsplash-image-tG4waP7YiAg.jpg Christ + Culture - Regarding New Year’s Resolutions: Don’t Do Anything - What are you demanding of yourself that in truth you do not have the ability to give? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/d072239e-0c29-4386-94cf-b6f3c689156b/unsplash-image-PAykYb-8Er8.jpg Christ + Culture - Regarding New Year’s Resolutions: Don’t Do Anything - “Resolve to fix in your mind and heart what God has already done for you.” https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/christmas-church-calendar monthly 0.5 2022-12-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/7238bb41-de44-4f1b-a98e-f21ed1178660/unsplash-image-vcX5AhBwk6s.jpg Christ + Culture - Christmas: Why We Need the Church Calendar - “Traditions comfort us and assure us of who we are at a visceral level.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/f4c4bd3a-be7b-4b55-bd02-c5b245df88f2/unsplash-image-uPl8fJ5Ce2M.jpg Christ + Culture - Christmas: Why We Need the Church Calendar - “Christmas is in our roots, so let the sentimentality, tradition, and nostalgia have its way with us.” https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/covid-post-mortem monthly 0.5 2022-12-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1670354368379-QAZQQRNQHYED68IFFXJ4/unsplash-image-X5j-7s2Ox0E.jpg Christ + Culture - Covid Post-Mortem: What We See Now That the Dust Has Settled - “When the Bible does not speak clearly to a matter, we avoid being overly dogmatic. As a church we must remain principled only around the fundamentals of our faith.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/94b68e59-0f05-4aae-8f80-425e88e9d9ff/unsplash-image--0o9dgxEu5Q.jpg Christ + Culture - Covid Post-Mortem: What We See Now That the Dust Has Settled - “Discipleship and worship are the deepest sources of health in our lives.” https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/pickleball-politics monthly 0.5 2022-11-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/e7619338-179d-4119-9ec3-ceb4112e2a33/unsplash-image-J0OKd9h_aLQ.jpg Christ + Culture - Pickleball > Politics - “Politics is a lowly servant of great things like joy, friendship, cooking, freedom, music, laughter, and pleasure.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/331991f4-3ef8-4849-9cb3-d2a9a11e5b74/unsplash-image-WNAO036c6FM.jpg Christ + Culture - Pickleball > Politics - If we lose our connection with everyday beauties and become consumed with American politics, then we have lost touch with the very things those politics should be fighting to defend. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/roe-v-wade-statement monthly 0.5 2022-10-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/b647e603-2859-4fcd-af9c-16145eaf190d/unsplash-image-B0AOKkybaKM.jpg Christ + Culture - Statement on Roe v. Wade - “We want you to know that though we are pro-life you will find the offer of grace here in this church.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/2d01d673-d556-4868-9db0-c7bd5a686db2/unsplash-image-ShCVvQbQBDk.jpg Christ + Culture - Statement on Roe v. Wade - “Even in this fight against evil, we need to continue on as a church of love and welcome and hospitality and grace.” https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/ccb-cannabis-position-paper monthly 0.5 2022-10-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/42d5d857-2259-412f-b5dd-69c18e9982d8/crystalweed-cannabis-F-ZXqLioXxg-unsplash.jpg Christ + Culture - Can Christians Use Cannabis? - “Christians should be sober-minded, pursue wisdom and self-control, use our freedom for love, and refrain from giving others cause to stumble.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/28d05f0d-0b4e-49bb-81cc-dd87178d66c5/kimzy-nanney-b2haCjfk_cM-unsplash.jpg Christ + Culture - Can Christians Use Cannabis? - “The Bible and the Confession do require us to hold those personal convictions in a way that upholds the Bible, the faith, and the law of the land, while giving fellow Christians no cause for stumbling.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/9f80bc98-c447-404f-873d-9b8dda8095e3/ivan-bandura-g_1_FXigeGc-unsplash.jpg Christ + Culture - Can Christians Use Cannabis? - “…let’s always remind ourselves that our heavenly Father is the one who has created all things good and given them to us to enjoy within his limits, which aren’t burdensome.” https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/the-symbolic-meaning-of-masks-in-leviticus-and-today monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1629988088630-ST0V7TVOEQEF9ZZKB4EK/erge-mahindra-zHhNG4YdiHo-unsplash.jpg Christ + Culture - The Symbolic Meaning of Masks in Leviticus (and Today) - Though the Bible does not have instructions on handling a pandemic (we should not expect such from a pre-scientific text), these chapters are the closest we have to how the Bible views contagion, and how it should be handled by a community. https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/the-gospel-is-a-political-message monthly 0.5 2021-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1632522680622-CE3YD0B7UQ0D5921RHAM/unsplash-image-pdJ67ZGJnSI.jpg Christ + Culture - The Gospel Is a Political Message - On the one hand, with such hostility around politics in the broader culture, we have to fight desperately to stay united as a church. Why threaten our unity with disagreements about who we are voting for, especially when such disagreements are so emotionally charged? https://christchurchpress.com/christ-and-culture/gaining-clarity-on-church-and-state monthly 0.5 2021-11-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f80ce26ec5f36725763bca4/1632515458193-VIHCPIA8O14YZR21TSWP/unsplash-image-c6g-26myD34.jpg Christ + Culture - Gaining Clarity On Church & State - I have often wondered, "Has my view changed over that time?" In reflecting on that question, I realize that it is not so much that my views have changed, but have clarified. Part of God's grace in 2020 has been forcing me to think about church and state relations. 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