20+ hour, 40+ min ago  (246+ words) The study of the religious convictions of self-taught Americans in the early years of the republic reveals how much weight was placed on private judgment and how little on the roles of history, theology, and the collective will of the…...

2+ day, 22+ hour ago  (332+ words) I enjoyed this book by Gerald Bray: Preaching the Word with John Chrysostom. It's a brief and readable introduction to John Chrysostom (d. 407) and his homiletic methods. If you're a pastor or church historian, you might also enjoy this book as…...

4+ day, 22+ hour ago  (363+ words) Christ is the Prince of Peace (Is. 9: 6). He came to make peace between God and sinful people (Rom 5: 1). We can find no true and lasting peace apart from Christ. He is the great Peacemaker. Speaking of Christ, who is our…...

6+ day, 22+ hour ago  (830+ words) (The following blog post was originally published in June 2024) Did you ever notice that Paul mentions Timothy in the opening of six NT epistles? These epistles start like this: "Paul. and Timothy." (2 Cor. 1: 1, Phil. 1: 1, Col. 1: 1, 1 Thes. 1: 1, 2 Thes. 1: 1, and Philemon 1). Interestingly,…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago  (309+ words) Aelred of Rievaulx (d. 1167) was a British monk who was a contemporary of Bernard of Clairvaux. Aelred is known for his writing on friendship and for his work in the Cistercian monasteries. Aelred also wrote various treatises, including one on prayer....

1+ week, 4+ day ago  (372+ words) Here's a name from the early church era that you might not be familiar with: Fabius Fulgentius (d. 533). He was an African Christian who served as bishop of Ruspe, North Africa. Fulgentius upheld and defended the truths summarized by the Nicene…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago  (877+ words) I've always appreciated the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. I use it nearly every week in my Bible studies and sermon preparation. I highly recommend it! This week I'm studying the biblical theme of "waiting on the Lord" (e. g. , Ps. 27: 14). One of…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago  (377+ words) In Abraham Kuyper's meditation on Psalm 22: 1-8, you will find some wonderful comments on the suffering of Christ. Kuyper notes that Jesus' suffering was clearly prophesied in the Old Testament long before Jesus suffered and died on the cross. In fact,…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago  (277+ words) This is one of my favorite collections of Christian letters: Wise Counsel: John Newton's letters to John Ryland Jr. These letters are full of Christian wisdom and instruction. They are also very grace-centered. Finally, they magnify the person and work…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago  (259+ words) Believing that people can change seems to be a small thing. But this conviction will have an impact on your pastoral care. " You will not give up on individuals or families, writing them off, even if the same sinful pattern…...