If we knew what was actually happening in truly biblical, Spirit-wrought preaching, we would feel much differently about sermons. We would approach preaching in an entirely different manner. So, what is happening in the sermon? Let me suggest this answer: by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Himself speaksContinue Reading
Pastor Simon and the Jooste family are on holiday, so there will be no livestream this Sunday. Please use a past sermon on this website or that of RC Tshwane, or read a sermon by the Rev. Wes Bredenhof on the.seed.info.Continue Reading
God has promised to work everything together for the good of His people. If God is for us, it follows that, ultimately, nothing can stand against us. That is logical, otherwise, God would not be God. If something could rise up against God and overcome Him, that other thing wouldContinue Reading
Marathons, mud runs, CrossFit, Yoga, diets, non-GMO and gluten-free foods, Christian financial programmes, anti-vaccination and homeschooling have — each in their own way — taken over the driver’s seat of the lives of so many in the church. While all of these things in and of themselves may be good things and haveContinue Reading
At the beginning of Genesis, we read of a number of extraordinarily long lives at the beginning of human history. In Genesis 5, we read, “Adam lived 930 years … Seth lived 912 years … Enosh lived 905 years … Kenan lived 910 years … Mahalalel lived 895 years … Jared livedContinue Reading
Christianity Today has released a new NPR-style podcast series hosted by Mike Cosper, Who killed Mars Hill?. It is well done and deserves your attention. So far they have released a couple of trailers and two complete episodes. Those who are not Reformed and those who are (or who areContinue Reading
Call to worship, invocation and votum: Psalm 99 Song of praise: Psalm 16 (page 16A) Corporate confession of faith: Apostles’ Creed Law: Deuteronomy 5:6-21/Matthew 22:34-40/James 1:19-21 Prayer of confession Assurance of pardon: Romans 5:18-21 Song of thanksgiving: Psalm 24 (page 24B) Prayer of illumination Reading: Genesis 22 Sermon Congregational andContinue Reading
THE Reformed faith includes reference to total inability, unconditional election, the limited efficiency of Christ’s satisfaction, irresistible grace and the perseverance of the saints not as the sum total of the church’s confession, but as elements that can be understood only in the context of a larger body of teachingContinue Reading
THE one thing political science professors (I earned a BA in political science, University of Nebraska, 1984) think they know about John Calvin (1509–64) is that his doctrine of predestination created grave doubts in the hearts and minds of his followers, and they sought to relieve this doubt and demonstrateContinue Reading
Nature and grace are distinct things. Nature is good as created by God, but it is not saving. Only grace brings salvation and the revelation of the same. Nature is good. It does not need to be perfected, nor should it be obliterated. Nature, particularly human nature, needs to beContinue Reading