Pastors are leaders of the church, and they are called to shepherd the flock of God so they may live godly lives in a world that is hostile to God. Pastoral authority comes from the Scriptures as they proclaim God’s truth to equip the saints for works …
Introduction Having previously considered the sinfulness of the state in which man fell, we now consider the misery of that state. The Baptist Catechism, Question #22 Q. 22. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell? A. 22. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God,¹ are under his wrath and curse,² […]
*Note: Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this series can be accessed here (insert links to articles). During the first half of the twentieth century, few Christian figures were more active in contending for the faith than J. Gresham Machen (Jude 1:3).[1] When confronted with the face of theological liberalism in the Presbyterian Church […]
Introduction Last time we left off talking about sin. Namely, whether our first parents sinned, the definition of sin, and the nature of that sin our first parents committed. Now we begin to look into the effects of the preliminary sin committed by our first parents. This will take up a few articles, including this […]
Introduction In the last article, we considered the covenant made with Adam. In the next few articles, we will consider how Adam broke that covenant, in addition to reflecting on the effects it had upon the world and his natural offspring. Body Question 16 Q. 16. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein […]
Introduction Generally speaking, God providentially preserves and governs all that He has made. In a particular way, however, God has providentially condescended and entered into covenantal relationships with human beings to establish and regulate kingdoms. The first covenantal arrangement between God and man is the subject we will consider in this installment. Question Q. 15. […]
Religion is an indispensable component of the public square.[1] Since the public square is encapsulated by the ideas of human beings, and since religion is an idea at the forefront of man’s mind,[2] any suggestion to the contrary would necessarily entail the public square ceasing to be the public square. Stated differently, you can’t have […]
Introduction God has decreed all things that come to pass, and He carries out His decrees in two distinct, yet related ways. The first is creation, God’s external work of initiation. The second is providence, God’s work of continuation. In this session, we will cover divine providence in general, and next time we will look […]
Introduction In this article, we move from God’s internal act of decree to His first external act of creation. Specifically, we will consider creation in general, and next time, we will look at the creation of man. Question Q. 12. What is the work of creation? A. The work of creation is God making all […]
In December 2001, our son was over three months old and our country was still feeling the affects of the terror attacks that happened on 9/11. My wife and I moved from East Texas to Bowie, Tx where I took a full-time position as Youth Pastor at a South…
Romans 1:16 is central to the Book of Romans, central to the teaching of the New Testament, and central to the entirety of the Bible. Here we find the theme … More
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Introduction Now that we have considered God’s existence, attributes, and trinity, we may begin to contemplate His acts. We start not with the external acts of God. We start with the internal acts, namely His decrees or sometimes referred to in the singular as His decree. Body Question 10 A. Question and Answer Q. 10. […]
Introduction Now that we have considered God’s existence, attributes, and trinity, we may begin to contemplate His acts. We start not with the external acts of God. We start with the internal acts, namely His decrees or sometimes referred to in the singular as His decree. Body Question 10 A. Question and Answer Q. 10. […]
*Note: This is the third installment in a three-part series. You can access part one (link to article) and part two (link to article) on the Covenant Confessions blog. Premises 3 and 4: Moreover, God has transcribed His moral law upon the hearts of every human being, leaving man without excuse to abide by the […]
*Note: This is the second installment in a three-part series. You can access the previous article here. Premises 1 and 2: As a natural law, the Sabbath pattern[1] is universally binding throughout every generation of human history. From the outset of creation, God sanctified one day to be reserved for resting from weekly labor and […]
Introduction It has been some time since we considered the Baptist Catechism and the Scriptural truths it states and orders simply and memorably. We ended with the sixth question that set the stage for questions 7-86. Q. 6. What are the Holy Scriptures mainly about? A. 6. The Holy Scriptures are mainly about what man […]
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you … More
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And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Who was before a blasphemer… but I obtained … More
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“Timothy” is a composite character. He is twenty-six years old, has recently graduated from seminary, and has been in his first church for six months. He and his wife, Mary, … More
The post Be Courageous: Evangelical Courage to Cultivate Those You Have Been Called to Serve appeared first on Founders Ministries.
All reformation begins with the Word, because it is the Word that is empowered by God for the work that needs to be done[1]. I was asked to share what … More
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All reformation begins with the Word, because it is the Word that is empowered by God for the work that needs to be done[1]. I was asked to share what … More
The post Reformed by the Word: One Church’s Journey appeared first on Founders Ministries.
See article one here and article two here. Critique #2- Dispensationalism’s Inconsistency on Sensus Plenior and New Testament Interpretive Priority A survey of the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament reveals at least two essential distinctives about the hermeneutic of Scripture. First, it can be observed from the New Testament that there are several occasions in which […]
Bible Belt Ministry Our church assembles in a rural area on the outskirts of a military base—Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Our community is in the Bible belt, where Christianity is practiced nominally by numerous professing believers. Many have come to church, listened to a sermon, repeated a prayer during an altar call, and have left […]
Introduction Not long ago, I signed to write and publish a discipleship curriculum with H&E publishing titled Confessing Sound Words: A Discipleship Curriculum Through the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith. The basis of this curriculum is the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (2LBCF) and The Baptist Catechism (BC). I’m still in the early […]
He was asking a question that I had heard multiple times during my years as a pastor: “Do you have children’s church?” This time, instead of giving an extensive explanation … More
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Single Elder-led Congregationalism The last governmental structure worthy of consideration is single elder-led congregationalism. This view denies the bishop hierarchal structure espoused in Episcopalianism. It likewise denies the interdependent connectional structure espoused in Presbyterianism. Like plural elder-led congregationalism, single elder-led congregationalism affirms the autonomy of each local/visible church. The distinguishing mark between these two governmental […]
Opposing Views to Plural Elder Led Congregationalism The second prominent opposing view to plural elder-led congregationalism worth considering is Presbyterianism. Christians in the Presbyterian tradition hold to a system of church government in which elected elders/presbyters from churches represent churches and oversee them. Hence the name Presbyterianism. This system opposes the independency of a church […]
If you have pastored a single congregation for any length of time, then you know how difficult it can be to shepherd those who disagree with you. The first few months of ministry at a new location are similar to a new happy marriage. But soon after the honeymoon phase has ended, opposition soon arises. […]
Opposing Views to Plural Elder Led Congregationalism The first major opposing view to plural elder-led congregationalism that we will consider is Episcopalianism. There are different groups that hold to different theological convictions that use this form of church governance. The Episcopalian governance structure teaches that bishops are a distinct office, above deacons and presbyters.[1] Some […]
Plural Elder Led Congregationalism We have given consideration to who an elder is and what an elder does. But now we must consider how an elder cooperates with a congregation. The Bible’s discussion of church leadership always assumes a congregational context.[1] Sam Waldron writes the following about the congregational nature of the church: Congregationalism may […]
