Office Hours: The 21st Century Reformed Pastor And Piety

R. Scott Clark

on May 14, 2018

The 21st century Reformed pastor faces many challenges. He represents a minority tradition in North America and in most other places in the world. His church tends to be understaffed and under-funded. Then there is the daunting task of evangelizing his community. . . . Continue reading →

Warfield: Study While You Pray And Pray While You Study

B. B. Warfield

on June 19, 2018

I am asked to speak to you on the religious life of the student of theology. I approach the subject with some trepidation. I think it the most important subject which can engage our thought. You will not suspect me, in saying . . . Continue reading →

What Is Prayer?

R. Scott Clark

on June 21, 2018 | 5 Comments

Prayer consists in calling upon the true God, and arises from an acknowledgment and sense of our want, and from a desire of sharing in the divine bounty, in true conversion of heart and confidence in the promise of grace for the . . . Continue reading →

Prayer, Privacy, And Piety

R. Scott Clark

on October 7, 2018 | 8 Comments

When teaching his disciples about prayer, our Lord said: And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. . . . Continue reading →

Growing Beyond Bi-Polar Spirituality Or Why You Should Be In A Confessional P&R Church

R. Scott Clark

on December 31, 2018 | 2 Comments

The Reformed faith, the Reformed confession, is more than five points on salvation (Dort). It is more than a set of doctrines. It is also a piety, a way of relating to God, and a set of churchly practices that grow out . . . Continue reading →

On The Canons Of Dort (31): Doubts, Carelessness, and Godliness

R. Scott Clark

on June 4, 2019 | 1 Comment

The Remonstrants (Arminians) charged the orthodox Reformed, i.e., those who confessed the Belgic Confession (1561) and the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) sincerely (without crossed fingers) with being unconcerned about sanctification. The Remonstrants were convinced that the Reformed faith did not produce sufficient godliness. . . . Continue reading →

Office Hours With Craig Troxel On With All Your Heart

R. Scott Clark

on February 3, 2020

The word “heart” is a truly important word in the English language. In the introduction to his new book, With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will Toward Christ, Westminster Seminary California’s Craig Troxel observes that one can have a . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 145: I AM That I AM (13): Some Implications Of The Divine Attributes

Heidelcast

on March 26, 2020

With this episode we return to our series on the doctrine of God, I Am That I Am. We are thinking today a little bit more about some of the implications of the attributes of God. Remember we distinguish between God’s incommunicable . . . Continue reading →

Demons In The Digital Age

R. Scott Clark

on August 28, 2020 | 3 Comments

One of the myths that has been exploded in late modernity is that we Westerners are an “Enlightened” people, who have moved beyond demons, ghosts, and religion. We are not and we have not. I am not saying that we have not . . . Continue reading →

Criticizing Edwards On Religious Affections Does Not Lead To Dead Orthodoxy: There Is Another Way

R. Scott Clark

on December 29, 2020 | 2 Comments

In the wake of my latest essay, which cautions readers regarding Jonathan Edwards, has come questions about the role of affections and emotion in the Christian life. These questions signal how deep the Pietist tradition (see the resources below) runs in American . . . Continue reading →

Searching For An Aid To Piety?

R. Scott Clark

on July 28, 2021

Tending to the means of grace in public worship every Lord’s Day should be at the top of the list for anyone who wants to improve his personal and family piety. Further, people who are committed to spending more time in Bible . . . Continue reading →

New Resource Page: Reformed Piety

R. Scott Clark

on July 28, 2021 | 2 Comments

Theology, piety, and practice— regular Heidelblog readers and Heidelcast listeners will be familiar with that formula. In classic and confessional Reformed Christianity these three things have always been understood to be intimately, organically related to each other. Our piety flows from our . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 200—What Must A Christian Believe? (17): The Holy Spirit

Heidelcast

on November 28, 2021 | 2 Comments

This is episode 17 in the series, What Must A Christian Believe? In our survey of the rule of faith, i.e., the Apostles’ Creed, we have reached the eighth article, “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” Before the outbreak of neo-Pentecostalism in . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 203: A Christmas Story (With A Santa Clause)

Heidelcast

on December 18, 2021 | 4 Comments

We’re interrupting our series on the Apostles’ Creed to talk about Christmas. Usually at this time of year I post or repost some of the essays on the Heidelblog about Christmas but this year I thought it might be useful to talk . . . Continue reading →

Conversion, Church Planting, And The Due Use Of Ordinary Means

R. Scott Clark

on January 3, 2022 | 1 Comment

As a follow up to the recent post about the intersection between Acts 29, Mars Hill, and the PCA, someone sent a link to the application to be filled in/out on for the Spanish River Church Planting program. One of the questions on . . . Continue reading →

A Delightful Reformed Guide To Your Devotions: Be Thou My Vision

R. Scott Clark

on January 28, 2022 | 6 Comments

Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship (Wheaton: Crossway, 2021) is a delightful surprise. Edited by Jonathan Gibson it is arranged in a cycle of 31 days and on each day it includes: A call to worship, Words of adoration, A reading . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 212: Our Father (3)—For What Should We Pray?

Heidelcast

on February 13, 2022

This is part three in our series on prayer, Our Father. So far we have looked at what prayer is and why we should pray. In this episode we are considering that for which we pray. It is not always easy to . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 218: Our Father (8): “Give Us Our Daily Bread” (Plus Dr Clark Answers Heidelmail And Heideltexts)

Heidelcast

on March 27, 2022

In this episode Dr Clark answers Heidelmail and Heideltexts from Chris, about how we should think about the Lutheran doctrine of salvation, is it a middle way between the Reformed and the Lutherans? By the way, the title of which he was . . . Continue reading →

A Surprising But Godly Use Of The Reformed Confessions

Heidelblog

on April 4, 2022

As a pastor, I am frequently asked about the best resources available for growth in the Christian faith. We live in a time when there is no shortage of devotional books to help with personal and family piety. Part of the challenge . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 221: Our Father (11): “Yours Is The Glory” (Plus Dr Clark Answers A Heideltext)

Heidelcast

on April 16, 2022

In this episode Dr Clark answers a Heideltext from Anonymous who writes, “Dr Clark, I have attempted to walk an associate through the PCA’s position paper against the Auburn Avenue heresy, specifically Doug Wilson’s brand thereof. How might I proceed if met . . . Continue reading →