The sacred love-bond that we have with God is indissoluble. It cannot be broken or destroyed. This is not because of the strength of our faith or the quality of our works, but solely due to God's sovereign grace in Christ. In union with Christ, our salvation is perfectly secure. The gospel, therefore, is a profound comfort to suffering believers who might be questioning Go...

On June 9, 2013 we opened the doors to the small chapel of First Scots Presbyterian Church on Meeting Street, and hosted our first Lord's Day worship service as a church plant of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The historic mainline church graciously permitted us to make use of their lovely chapel and courtyard for the summer months. Rev. Ross Hodges (who served ...

Dear Christ Church family, The Nashville community is in tears, but they do not weep alone. We join in their sorrow over the senseless and wicked murders of six precious lives at The Covenant School, a K-6th grade elementary school under the oversight of Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA). You've probably heard by now that three of the victims were faculty and staff;...

Dear Christ Church Family, The Christian life is intended to be a fountain of gratitude and praise. In the opening verses of Psalm 34 David writes, "I will bless the LORDat all times, his praise shallcontinuallybe in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!" (Ps. 34:1-...

Last Lord's Day, on a beautiful summer morning in Oxford, Hans and I walked to church. The location was about two miles from the hotel. Along the way there was much cause for inspiration. First, there was Merton College, where J.R.R. Tolkien taught for many years. Tolkien, of course, is the author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Also along our route was the ancien...

The Apostle Paul pleaded three times with the Lord that he would be delivered from a particular "thorn in the flesh." The nature of the thorn is a mystery. Some speculate that it was diminishing eyesight. Whatever the nature of the affliction, we know that God chose not to remove it from Paul's life. God declared: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfe...

Dearest Christ Church Family, The times in which we live make it hard to be strong. Are you are feeling weak and anxious at the start of this new year? You are not alone. Many are feeling it. The Pandemic, now entering its third year, is wearing people down, not least because of the politically divisive and polarizing response of our elected leaders, the media, and societ...

Dearest Christ Church Family, When the Apostle Paul wrote his epistle to the Philippian Church, he was a prisoner of the Roman Empire. The believers in Philippi were worried about him. They were also anxious about what would become of the church if he were to be executed. But Paul, a faithful and loving shepherd, reassures them that "what has happened to me has really ser...

THE WAY OF LIFE Over the next several weeks Pastor Jon will be working through "The Way of Life: Christian Belief Experience" by Charles Hodge (1797-1878). This little doctrinal gem was first published in 1841, and provides a clear explanation of the nature of Scripture as objective revelation from God, as well as essential doctrines of the faith -- sin, justification, f...

Dearest Christ Church Family, These are dark and challenging times for our nation. The same is true for the church. This perfect storm, a tempest fueled by Covid-19, racial tensions, violent riots, media hysteria, unbelief, and a massively consequential election cycle, has fostered considerable fear and confusion in our day. Anxiety, depression, and suicide have skyrocket...