Introduction: We have already considered one aspect of this issue, which is the question of law. The claim of the law reveals the god of the system, and reveals the nature of the god. If the god is an idol, then the law will be idolatrous. If the God is the triune God of Scripture, …
A Second Battle of Tours 2
Introduction: Our intent is to contrast some of the key differences between the biblical Christian faith and Islam, and to do so in a way that leads us to see the fountainhead of those differences, which is the triune nature of God, over against the radical monotheism found in Islam. In other words the differences …
State of the Church 2007
Introduction: Our God has blessed us in innumerable ways over the last few years. One of those blessings has been growth, and it has been the kind of growth that has been hard to channel through the normal kind of “new members’ classes.” And so, this year the state of the church message is going …
What the Angels Said
Introduction: Grace is one of the most difficult things in the world for sinners to grasp. And as soon as we gather that it is difficult, we turn the “grasping of it” into a contest and a work, with the right answer earning the “best in show” award. But of course, grace means that some …
The Politics of Fruitfulness
Introduction: What does it mean to be pro-life across the board? We know, of course, that abortion-on-demand is a gross violation of the law of God, and we also know that biblical parents are really “into” their kids. But the question is much larger than this, and so we need to consider the politics of …
Some Liturgical Housekeeping
Introduction: As a congregation we have grown a great deal over the years. We are very grateful for what God has given us, and we are even more grateful for what He has taken away from us. By faith, we trust that as the years go by, we will grow our roots even deeper into …
Father Hunger
Introduction: We live in fatherless times. The symptoms are marked, and they are everywhere. In some ways, we have adjusted to it, and in others, we in the conservative Christian world have overreacted to this vacuum by trying to manufacture our own solutions to the problem, which invariably make it worse. The Text: “Behold, I …
A Worldview Wheel IV
Introduction: We come now to a third “spoke” on our worldview wheel, which this week will be considered under the heading of ritual, liturgy and symbol. We have considered the value of propositional truth. We have considered the importance of practical lifestyle. Now we are going to reflect on the importance of the unspoken but …
A Worldview Wheel 3
Introduction: We are considering in turn each of the “spokes” on our worldview wheel. Thus far we have seen how all four spokes work together, and we have considered the spoke of revealed and objective propositional truth. We come now to the second spoke, which is the way we actually live. The Text: “But be …
A Worldview Wheel 2
Introduction: We have seen that a worldview consists of four basic elements—catechesis, lifestyle, symbol/liturgy, and narrative. We need to consider each of these in turn, and see the necessity of the right connection of each to the grace of God. The Text: “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, …