What is your experience of church? Is it a place where you feel like you can be your sinful self? Or rather a place where you have to keep up appearances like Mr and Mrs Jones in the pews next door? A former seminary friend of mine (name dropping alert),Continue Reading
In Matthew 5:33-48, Jesus – as the one greater than Moses – contrasts his spiritual kingdom with the earthly geopolitical kingdom of Israel in the Promised Land, governed by the laws of the Mosaic (Old) covenant. What is most striking about Christ’s words here is that he overturns God’s commandsContinue Reading
Gerhard Forde in his book, On Being a Theologian of the Cross, uses the analogy of addiction to describe sinful humankind’s addiction to law-abiding self-sufficiency (a theology of glory) until the “medicine” of the cross intervenes and the sinner “bottoms out”: The addict [addicted to drugs, booze, sex… etc.] mayContinue Reading
There are few books that have profited me more – especially in moments of existential crises of faith – than Martin Luther’s Commentary on Galatians. It can be downloaded for free here if you have a Kindle or the app or the like. To whet your appetite: The world bearsContinue Reading
In his essay entitled “Industrial or pastoral?: The Techniques of Church Growth,” church historian and elder DG Hart begins by asking the probing question: Can measurements of “customer satisfaction,” which have largely been borrowed from the industrial and mechanical world, be helpfully appied to something that is fundamentally organic andContinue Reading
This past Sunday’s morning sermon (which you can listen to here) was on Matthew 4:1-11 where the evangelist recounts Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the desert. Like in his baptism, Jesus again identifies with Israel in their frail humanity and sinfulness as he is led away by the Spirit toContinue Reading
The following is the thrust of the morning sermon from this past Sunday (11 August 2013), which you can listen to here. Jesus submitted to John’s baptism of repentance and judgment in obedience to God’s will. Through John’s baptism God the Father commissions Jesus for his Messianic mission to saveContinue Reading
Cape Town showcases some of the most staggering natural beauty that this world has to offer (see left.) The problem is that many believe that the God of salvation can be found in the mountain, trees and streams. The thing is that while the nature of things does reveal theContinue Reading
[Sermon audio here.] Theme: God’s heavenly kingdom has come down to earth in his Son, and we enter it by repentance and faith through the means of grace. We all like change for the better. Who of us does not like to see relationships improve, diseases healed and societies transformed? Continue Reading
[Sermon audio here.] Status is a big deal in our society. And status is often measured in very superficial terms: like according to what kind of clothes you wear, what kind of car you drive, the house you own and where you live. The people that our popular culture idolizesContinue Reading
Reformed Church Southern Suburbs 2023