"Blogging the Institutes" is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin's work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List. Idols are Self-Defeating The Psalms show that idols are nothing: "Their idols are silver and gold;…
Blogging the Institutes–1.11.3–Angels Ain’t Images
"Blogging the Institutes" is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin's work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List. Angels Ain't Images It's true that the Lord sometimes would reveal Himself in certain signs so…
Blogging the Institutes–1.11.2–Images Condemned in Moses and Isaiah
"Blogging the Institutes" is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin's work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List. Images Condemned in Moses and Isaiah Moses not only condemns the making of images but also…
In Defense of Youth Ministry
I never wanted to do youth ministry. I never had any experience doing youth ministry. Yet, I now find myself three years in with leading my church's youth ministry. While I was in seminary, much discussion centered on the need to "rethink" youth ministry. I got the sense that there was a lot of angst surrounding youth ministry.…
Blogging the Institutes–1.11.1–God Opposes Idols
"Blogging the Institutes" is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin's work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List. God Opposes Idols The Bible regularly speaks of God using common, everyday terms so that we…
Blogging the Institutes–1.10.3–One, True God; All Others Excluded
"Blogging the Institutes" is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin's work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List. One True God; All Others Excluded Here's a quick summary of "theology proper"--the teaching about God.…
Sexual Temptation while Sleeping (And How to Fight It)
Fighting for sexual purity is absolutely crucial, especially for young men. It is a difficult fight, but one every Christian is capable of winning through the power of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing more discouraging, however, than fighting for purity and thinking you've won that fight, only to be besieged by temptation randomly. One particular…
Fatherhood for Older Father’s
Two weeks ago I preached on fatherhood from Ephesians 6:4. Unfortunately, due to a congregational medical emergency, I wasn't able to conclude my message. Here is my conclusion: Some of you in here may be thinking, "What can I do? My children are all grown up and out of the house! I've blown it with my…
Suburban Ministry–The Challenges of Reaching Men, Pt. 2
In a previous post, I looked at some of the challenges of reaching men in suburban culture. The two issues I raised were "pragmatic" issues: busyness and scheduling. They are practical realities which affect (afflict?) men in my Northeastern suburban context, about 45 minutes outside of NYC. Today, I want to explore some further issues…
Blogging the Institutes–1.10.2–God’s Attributes. Explained.
"Blogging the Institutes" is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin's work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List. God's Attributes. Explained. Certain Bible passages vividly describe God's attributes. Moses provides us for a summary…
Raising Lazarus 