Discovering The Reformed Confession (Part 4): Young, Restless, And Big Eva

On my path to discovering the Reformed confession, there were multiple changes developing in my life. So, I want to take a moment to step back chronologically in my story. As I began the effort of church planting, I met with a . . . Continue reading →

Discovering The Reformed Confession (Part 3): Young, Restless, And Acts 29

I did not know what my transition to covenantal and Calvinist theology meant for pastoral ministry, but I knew it meant something. I was looking for church planters similar to myself, who eschewed the programmatic and “seeker-sensitive” model of ministry. I found . . . Continue reading →

Discovering The Reformed Confession (Part 2): Young, Restless, And Dispensational

Toward the end of my tenure at an evangelical megachurch, I met a young Dutch Reformed college student named Jason (he now serves as a pastor with me). We would sit and discuss dispensationalism and covenant theology. I distinctly remember wanting to . . . Continue reading →

Discovering the Reformed Confession (Part 1): Young, Restless, and “Calvinistic”

I first heard the terminology of the “five points of Calvinism” in the mid-1990s from a youth pastor at our evangelical megachurch. He was convinced that Calvinism is true and biblical. One evening, my wife and I went to dinner with him . . . Continue reading →

New Resource Page: On The Young, Restless, And Reformed/New Calvinist Movement

Since the early 2000s, the so-called Young, Restless, and Reformed or New Calvinist movement has been one of the more significant movements in American evangelicalism. Its scope and influence was chronicled by Collin Hansen’s, Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey with the . . . Continue reading →

Book Review: Young, Restless, And No Longer Reformed

Austin Fischer, Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed: Black Holes, Love, and a Journey in and out of Calvinism (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2014). § Young, Restless, and No Longer Reformed is about Austin Fischer. No matter what the author’s intent was, it . . . Continue reading →

He’s Not Young or Restless, But He is Reformed!

Stephen Ley has an interesting review and comparison between Colin Hanson’s “Restless” and Bob Godfrey’s Unexpected Journey. I’m glad that people are becoming enthused about elements (mainly soteriology) of the Reformed faith. One problem with the “Restless and Reformed” approach is that . . . Continue reading →

Letter and Spirit: Law and Gospel in Reformed Preaching

Preaching begins with Bible reading and interpretation. Before a minister can preach a given text, he must decide what it says. To interpret a passage, the preacher necessarily brings to bear his broader reading of Scripture, a system of doctrine, and the history of interpretation. Continue reading →

Baptists, The Definition Of Reformed, And Identity Politics (Part 3)

If the objective, historical evidence is as clear as I claim about the historic definition of the word Reformed, why does this debate even exist? Again, the roots of this debate are partly to be found in the way Baptists think of themselves and others, particularly in the USA. Continue reading →

The Problem of the Minimalist Definition of “Reformed”

An essay on being Reformed was brought to my attention (the essay is no longer published on the original source) many years ago now.  It is an interesting piece because it represents a widely held position among Evangelicals and the broader Reformed . . . Continue reading →

Review: On Being Black and Reformed By Anthony Carter

The question of what it means to be black and Reformed is of great importance to the Reformed churches. Of the North American population, 11–13% have African roots. After a long hiatus between reconstruction and the civil rights movement, Reformed theology is . . . Continue reading →

Discovering The Reformed Confession (Part 6): Reformed, Searching, and Undecided

Sovereign Grace Church has not yet landed in a denominational home. We are studying, inquiring, and praying. In good Reformed fashion, we are attempting to move slowly and deliberately—doing everything decently and in order. This step has not been easy for us. . . . Continue reading →

Discovering The Reformed Confession (Part 5): Old, Rested, and Reformed

A question I have been asked many times over the past year is, “What was the moment the penny dropped for you regarding becoming confessionally Reformed?” Unfortunately, I am not sure I know the answer. Upon reflecting on my time in ministry . . . Continue reading →

Polity Matters: How Reformed Churches Might Have Handled The Chandler Situation

Matt Chandler is the lead pastor of The Village Church, a megachurch of about 14,000 members in Flower Mound, TX, which is a northern suburb in the Dallas-Ft Worth metroplex (it is the top of the triangle of the three). After the . . . Continue reading →