Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. - Proverbs 14:29 Great understanding of what? I think the patient person has great understanding of himself. He knows anger only hurts himself. When you harbor anger, you can begin to have it harden to hate. It can…
Michael Horton’s Understanding of the Lord’s Supper
From God of Promise: Introducing Covenant Theology: Salvation and the Sacraments The Holy Spirit brings to fruition the “new creation” in Christ. Horton uses speech-act theory in relationship to God's work in the world, “The Father speaks, the Son is spoken, and the Spirit brings about in history the effect and perfection of this speech” (137).…
How To Deliver a Gripping Sermon
Many preaching books focus on the content of preaching. They will provide a detailed method of understanding the Bible and then turning your study into an outline to preach. But what happens when you actually get up to speak? How do you keep people awake? In their preaching book, Saving Eutuchys, Gary Millar and Phil Campbell cover…
You Are What You Love by James K.A. Smith (Or, how do you grow in love?)
James K.A. Smith in his book You Are What You Love. According to Smith, love is “a baseline inclination” of the heart (16). All people love something at the core of their being. Not only is love at the core of who people are; love is a virtue. And “virtues, quite simply, are good moral habits” (16). We…
Blogging the Institutes–1.12.1–One God; No 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. One God; No Idols At the beginning of my work I made the claim that knowledge…
Blogging the Institutes–1.11.16–The Extreme Blasphemy of Idolaters
"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. The Extreme Blasphemy of Idolaters I'll now turn my attention to the worst expressions of idolatry.…
Blogging the Institutes–1.11.15–Scripture Doesn’t Actually Support 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. Scripture Doesn't Actually Support Images When idolaters speak on the issue of worship, they make a…
Blogging the Institutes–1.11.14–Second Council of Nicea Proves Nothing
"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. Second Council of Nicea Proves Nothing I would wrap my discussion of images if were not…
Blogging the Institutes–1.11.13–No Good Reason for Images in Churches
"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. No Good Reason for Images in Churches Let's consider for a minute the practicalities of having…
Don’t Do an Altar Call; Call for a Response Instead
Altar calls have had a controversial place in the history of the American church. Some churches may do them practically every week, while other churches do not believe that altar calls are biblical. Even those who would resist doing a stereotypical altar calls, or "hand raise" ("...every head bowed, every eye closed..."), still believe in calling…
Raising Lazarus 