Not only was Peter an apostle (apostolos), called and sent by God to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he was also a bond-servant (doulos), joyfully and willingly serving the One who laid His life down on the cross for the Church (II Peter 1:1; Ephesians 5:25). As an ambassador for Christ, Peter's life-mission was to go forth into all the world heralding the good news t...

We live in an age of misplaced humility. Rather than modestly distrusting our own subjective (inner) feelings on all matters of life and faith - and with steadfast conviction holding tightly to objective, external truth - we do just the opposite. We confidently trust our inner voice while distrusting objective facts and truth which are outside of us. It's the Oprah Winfrey...

The Gift of Encouragement Don't you love encouragement? It puts wind in our sails, and fosters confidence and joy in our hearts. We all know how it feels to be built up with loving encouragement. It's marvelous. It boosts our often weary souls. So if encouragement is such a profound blessing, why don't we hear more of it? Why are so few quick to offer it? And how can we c...

From Heaven High I Come to You A young sixteenth-century German Monk named Martin Luther was plagued with a deep sense of his own sin. Darkness prevailed over his soul. He felt no peace or joy in God's presence. Why? Because he knew that he did not measure up to God's holy standard. He recognized that his thoughts and ways fell short of God's glory and the righteous requi...

Are you familiar with the latin phrase Semper Reformanda? It originated in the seventeenth-century. A man named Jodocus Van Lodenstein, a key figure in the Dutch Second Reformation, coined the phrase in a devotional that he penned in 1674. The phrase simply means "Reformed and always reforming." Rightly understood Semper Reformanda encourages churches and individual Chris...

Listening well to the preaching of God's Word is foundational to spiritual growth and discipleship. Indeed, sanctification is not unrelated to how attentive we are to the faithful proclamation of the Scriptures (c.f. II Pet. 1:19-21; Jn. 17:17). The inspired Apostle reminds us that saving faith is created by and nourished upon the Word as it preached: "Faith comes from hea...

Let me be direct: It is the apex of foolishness to allow your children to have free and unaccountable access to technology smart phones, tablets, iPods, computers, social media, etc. In the following pastoral letter I will explain why, as well as pass along a few simple ways we can protect our families from the destructive effects of technology. Now, before I begin, I wan...

"When are you going to plant a church in Charleston?" The question came to me out of the blue in January 2012 from a good friend and fellow PCA minister from Greenville, Rev. Dr. Richard Phillips. He knew that Marla and I had a heart for Charleston, and that with the explosive population growth in the lowcountry there was no better time than the present to plant a new chur...

Listening well to the preaching of God's Word is foundational to spiritual growth and discipleship. Indeed, sanctification is not unrelated to how attentive we are to the faithful proclamation of the Scriptures (c.f. II Pet. 1:19-21; Jn. 17:17). The inspired Apostle reminds us that saving faith is created by and nourished upon the Word as it preached: "Faith comes from hea...

The essence of Christmas is the gospel. Without the gospel Christmas is just another exercise in superficial sentimentality, American consumerism, and unmet expectations. Understood rightly, however, Christmas is one of the richest and most meaningful seasons of the year; a time of deep reflection upon the seriousness of the sinful human condition, and the glorious wonder ...