Harrison Perkins (PhD, Queen’s University Belfast; MDiv, Westminster Seminary California) is pastor of Oakland Hills Community Church (OPC), a member of the of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, a Senior Research Fellow at the Craig Center for the Study of the Westminster Standards, associate online instructor in church history at Westminster Theological Seminary, a visiting lecturer in systematic theology at Edinburgh Theological Seminary, and author of Reformed Covenant Theology: A Systematic Introduction. You can read more from him at Pastor Perks.
Psalm 17 is about focusing on satisfaction in God even amid our greatest troubles. We find the psalmist here in great distress, calling to God to vindicate him against the wicked. Psalm 17 records his prayer declaring that he was in the . . . Continue reading →
“Keep your eye on the prize.” “Don’t take your eye off the ball.” We say these sorts of things for situations when we know that focus is extremely important. We miss hitting the ball when we are looking elsewhere than the pitch . . . Continue reading →
God cannot let sin go unpunished (Rom 3:25). The penalty for sin… is not a matter of God’s feelings, as if He is simply angry about being wronged…. death is the legal and just consequence for sin, ‘the curse of the law’ that . . . Continue reading →
Building a fire requires balancing. Specifically, you have to balance the use of kindling with the use of longer burning fuel. Kindling gets hot and bright fast, but it also fizzles quickly and fades. Fire has to be fed by sustaining fuel. . . . Continue reading →
Young, Restless, and No Longer Reformed is about Austin Fischer. No matter what the author’s intent was, it is hardly a book about theology and is very much a work arising from Fischer’s feeling that he has far more to say and . . . Continue reading →
Since purchasing a home, the world of do-it-yourself repairs and upgrades has hit me hard in the face. I often find myself with a vague sense of how to complete the task in front of me, yet I know I cannot do . . . Continue reading →
Pick your battles wisely. Continue reading →
We tread carefully when we enter an important space. Moses stopped cold and removed his shoes when he came near the burning bush. Israel’s high priests knew they stepped on hallowed ground as they entered the holy of holies. We too tend . . . Continue reading →
Without Christ’s resurrection, Christian hope disappears. Among many indispensable articles of our faith, Christ’s resurrection crowns the list. Part of the reason for its critical role is because we worship the risen Christ, who is God the Son in power with all . . . Continue reading →
On Valentine’s Day, I took my wife to a restaurant that I thought was going to prove insanely busy. I called in advance and learned they were no longer taking reservations. It seemed like it was going to take a lot to . . . Continue reading →
What is God doing in creation? What is He aiming to achieve? The answer shapes how we think about what the world needs, what the church’s purpose is, and what it means for Christians to live on mission. The answer also has . . . Continue reading →
Recently, I have been removing a large stump from my back yard. The task has required more than one tool at different phases of the process. At times, I need a chainsaw to get deep cuts on certain sections. Other times, I . . . Continue reading →
Few Christians today doubt that our relationship to our civil governments has gotten at least more complicated, if not outright harder, in recent years. Still, we often do not know how to navigate that challenge very effectively. We can be left thinking . . . Continue reading →
Books on New Testament theology are often stale and lack depth of real theological analysis. I have regularly felt that when biblical studies attempt to do theology, the fruit is either obvious or seriously off track. Against this backdrop, Matthew Harmon’s exploration . . . Continue reading →
Like watching paint dry. Continue reading →
The church has had pastors since our very beginning. Although that observation may seem obvious, we may yet overlook the important point that the pastoral craft is very ancient. We likely often envision the pastoral role only in terms of our modern . . . Continue reading →
What are some of the differences between Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism? Why are there so many debates over Covenant Theology? Dr. Harrison Perkins joins Pastor Adriel Sanchez to discuss some of the themes in his two recent books, Reformed Covenant Theology: A . . . Continue reading →
Whenever someone introduces himself to me as a worship pastor, my standard response is, “Me too.” Inevitably, my reply prompts inquiry about how I lead worship. So, I explain that I call the church to worship, I pray a lot, I read . . . Continue reading →
It is convocation season again! Each summer, Reformed denominations have their national gatherings to weigh, deliberate, and even celebrate various issues going on throughout the churches. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s General Assembly met June 4–10 at Trinity Christian College just outside Chicago. . . . Continue reading →
When I was in college, I worked in a warehouse that refurbished science kits for elementary and middle schools. As part of my job, I had to replace used-up supplies for various experiments, like the used-up tape, staples, or flour. One summer, . . . Continue reading →