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The Holy Spirit as Seal and Pledge

God’s seal is not, like the great seal of the United States, an emblem to be impressed on paper. God’s seal is His Holy Spirit, who is God Himself present with His people. To be sure, God has given us also outward signs and seals of His ownership. In baptism God seals us by giving us His name; in the Lord’s Supper we have the spiritual seal of His presence in the sacrament. Even these seals have a power beyond the outward sign: the reality of God’s presence provides the blessing. But God gives a seal that is even more than these gifts of blessing. His final seal is the gift of Himself. Read More

7 Leadership Paradigms Needed for Church Growth

I have learned if you want to have a culture susceptible and open to growth, there are some common paradigms necessary. You have to think certain ways. In most every situation, an absence of certain actions or mindsets on the part of leaders keeps the church from moving forward. What are some of those paradigms? Read More

The Secret Things Belong to God (Evil, the Will of God, and the Cross)

Believers will always have questions about the will of God. Read More

Heresy and Humility — Lessons from a Current Controversy

As Harold O. J. Brown warned, the gates of hell often come very close to the church. Confusing the questions endangers the church, and no faithful theologian would willingly risk that danger. Read More

A Reply to Dr. Mohler on Nicene Trinitarianism

I believe some friendly clarifications are in order by way of response, in the hope that these will help focus and shape future discussion in a productive and amicable manner. Read More

Do You Want to See Your Church's Future? Look to Its Past.

How a congregation's history can light its way forward. Read More

Seven Reasons the Church Secretary Position Is Disappearing

Hear me clearly. I am not diminishing the worth of church secretaries. I am simply noting a trend that few people are articulating. The position of church secretary is disappearing. Here are seven reasons why.... Read More

When a Christian Feels Dry: A Simple Practice

I believe one of the great disciplines of the Christian faith is meditation. I am not speaking of meditation as many speak of it today. It is not the mind-emptying meditation of Eastern religions or the monotonous humming meditation of mysticism. Christian meditation fills the mind, so the soul is moved. And as Christians, we seek to fill our minds with and see our souls move by the person of Christ. Read More

Incarnational Ministry: Living Big in Small Places

Jesus’ public life was an outgrowth of his subterranean existence as he lived among people in the margins. Read More

5 Reasons We Struggle to Be a ‘Friend of Sinners’

Out of all of the names of God in the Bible, there is only one that is actually attainable by you and me—’friend of sinners. Read More

A Leading Anglican Theologian Exposes the 'Third Way' Myth

Myths are not necessarily old. A new myth is being invented by Anglican church leaders who claim to be orthodox and even evangelical. They tell us that differences between Christians about the acceptability of same-sex relationships are secondary issues and the Church should therefore follow a ‘Third Way’ which maintains unity in contrast to, on the one hand, the liberal insistence on homosexual practice as a right and, on the other, the historic understanding that this is an issue of core doctrine and therefore leads to broken communion if there is not repentance. Read More

Why the Arguments for a Third Way Do Not Work

This morning I was listening to a sermon preached recently at an Evangelical Anglican church that argued for a third way between the conservative and liberal approaches to the issue of human sexuality. This third way would consist in being willing to live with difference over this issue in the same way that we manage to live with differences in the church over a whole host of other issues. Read More

Russia's Proposed Law: No Evangelizing Outside of Church

Evangelicals protest the law, which would severely limit where and how Christians share the gospel. Read More