A Case for the Ordinary Means of Grace and the Marrow Controversy

Good stuff from the just past Twin Lakes Fellowship meeting. As part of his talk, Lig Duncan mentioned some resources to which this TLF blog post provides links. We need to know the Marrow Controversy and we need to understand it’s relevance . . . Continue reading →

Setting Priorities For The Congregation

August is the time of year when the heat of summer is accompanied by a blessedly slower pace, unless one is a college football player, in which two-a-day practices begin. Nebraska football is a month away! It’s vacation season for many (e.g., . . . Continue reading →

Canons Of Dort (5): God Ordains Means To Call His Elect

The first thing that the Reformed churches said in response to the Remonstrants, whom the Reformed saw as seeking to take the churches back toward the medieval system of salvation by grace and our cooperation with grace, was, in effect, “we are too sinful to be saved by any other way than by God’s unconditional favor” (sola gratia). The second thing that the Reformed did in response to the Remonstrants was to quote two passages: 1 John 1:9 and John 3:16. Continue reading →

Perkins: Want Heaven? Go To Church

We must in this world come as near heaven and the happiness of life everlasting as may be (Phil. 3:14). And for this cause we must join ourselves to the assemblies where the word is preached, prayer is made, and sacraments administered. . . . Continue reading →

The Next Church-Growth Fad: Big Data

One of the several quiet revolutions introduced into American life by the two Obama Administrations was the use of “Big Data” to target voters. To that point no campaign had harnessed the power of the internet the way the Obama campaign had. . . . Continue reading →

Parachurch or Pastoring (Part 2)

Previously began a discussion about parachurch ministries in relation to the church. The point was to raise a concern about how, frequently, parachurch ministries implicitly, if (perhaps) unintentionally, try to usurp the visible, institutional church’s primary role in God’s plan to save . . . Continue reading →

Resources On The Means Of Grace

Over the last few years, I have given increased thought toward God’s ordinary means of grace. That designation itself is worth reflection, by which I have recently come to be thoroughly amazed. First, the means are God’s. They belong to him and . . . Continue reading →