How did the theological examination of a man in a presbytery (body of regional church elders) in a small town in Scotland in 1717 fuel a deep-seated theological schism among ministers in the Church of Scotland and result in a movement that still has bearing on the church in ourContinue Reading
Things are not always what they appear to be. Sometimes, events we do not believe to be blessings from God actually turn out to be, and often the way God chooses to bring about His blessings is anything but predictable. In Hebrews 11:20, Isaac pronounces “blessings” on Jacob and Esau. WeContinue Reading
[Sermon audio available here.] The scandal of Christianity is that central to its message is suffering and death. Suffering and death are the two things that the world tries to avoid at all costs. What our society values is in many respects the opposite of what Christianity holds dear. PopularContinue Reading
There are different kinds of pleasures in this life, and then there is what the Bible describes as joy. Can you imagine the rush of pleasure that Adam felt when he ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden? For a moment, he must have felt like heContinue Reading
There is nothing quite like song to make you remember. God made it this way. Therefore, it is little wonder that God had Moses compose a song to help his chosen people, Israel, remember the essence of God’s covenant made at Mt. Sinai. The Song of Witness was to serveContinue Reading
This is a sermon that was preached at Bellville Reformed Church this past Sunday evening. For examples of other Reformed sermons and resources, please look here. We are objects of God’s mercy 1 Peter 2:1-10 Have you ever arrived in a new place – like another part of your homeContinue Reading
In recent weeks I have been using some theological categories (to help explain God’s Word in the book of Titus) that may be new to many people in the study. For one, I have been introducing covenant theology. So far we have considered at a basic level God’s covenant ofContinue Reading
The church today has various views on the relative importance of the church in the life of the Christian. In Titus 1:1, Paul speaks about godly conduct that accords with the Word of God. One question that naturally arises in this connection is: what kind of importance should be attachedContinue Reading