Purposeful Parenting, Part II Shepherd the Heart Last week I attempted to show that, according to Scripture, Christian parents are meant to take charge of their children and home life. Our children do not "rule the roost." They are under our God-given authority, and we should always seek to exercise that authority with Spirit-filled humility, love, self-control, patience...

Purposeful Parenting, Part I Take Charge Let's face it, Christian parenting isn't easy. Prior to having children of my own, I would periodically cast a disapproving eye upon those parents who couldn't "control" their kids. "My children will NEVER act like that," I smugly reflected. But of course, life experience humbles us; and like many of you, I'm regularly seeking God'...

Visible Love In Mark 12:28-34 our Lord Jesus answered the scribe's question concerning the greatest commandment. Quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4, 5 and Leviticus 19:18, Christ said, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is thi...

The Incomparable Christ The Latin phrase Solus Christus defines salvation as that which cannot be found outside of faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through faith in him (John 14:6). Over the past two thousand years people have reacted to Chr...

A SAVIOR IS BORN Isaiah 7:10-14 and Luke 1:26-38 are two passages that highlight the birth of our Lord Jesus. Written 700 years before the coming of Christ, Isaiah prophesied that God would give His people a sign, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us)." That sign, of course, was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Ch...

Singing the Psalms If you are a member or regular attender of Christ Church Presbyterian you will have noticed that we sing the Psalms in our worship services. Allow me to explain three reasons why I believe it is not only good but altogether necessary that we, as a congregation, sing the Psalms. 1. The Psalms were designed to be sung: The Psalms were divinely inspired n...

Thoughts on Ordination In our evening service Ross Hodges will be ordained to the ministry of Word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church in America. While we are all very excited that Ross is being set apart for a lifetime of faithful ministry, perhaps there are some who are curious about the biblical process of ordination. Several years ago Ross discerned an inward c...

Missions Church Planting in the UK Winston Churchill once remarked: "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." Sometimes in our wildly busy schedules we get so caught up in making a living that we forget to make a life by investing in those things that matter most. And there's nothing that matters more in life than the health and extension of Chri...

Calvin's Institutes: A Brief Introduction The Institutes of the Christian Religion (Christianae Religionis Institutio) was written by John Calvin (1509-64), the French Reformer who spent most of his life faithfully preaching and teaching God's Word in Geneva, Switzerland. First published in Latin in 1536 - its final major revision in 1559 - the Institutes became the most ...

Reformation Musings I love October. It's a month of welcome transitions. The cool weather is a long-anticipated break from a hot and muggy Charleston summer. Tree leaves of various types transform into a magnificent array of autumn colors. The holidays begin to make their approach. But for Protestants, October means more than just milder weather, college football, and the...