Editor’s note: ByFaith thanks the members of the committee for permitting us to observe their work and the warm reception which they extended throughout the week. During its meeting this week, the Committee on the Review of Presbytery Records examined the minutes of the 88 presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church in America. The committee consists of 66 elders, each having been appointed to serve by their presbytery. The decisions of the committee will be considered and voted on by the upcoming General Assembly in Richmond.  The committee started its work at 9 a.m. for three straight days ..read more

As previously announced, a special Assembly-wide prayer convocation will take place as part of the upcoming 51st General Assembly in Richmond, Virginia. Commissioners and visitors are encouraged to gather for a time of guided prayer as we pray for God’s glory and the church’s witness.  The Stated Clerk has invited church leaders from across the denomination to facilitate this time through prayer and the reading of Scripture. Randy Schlicting will serve as moderator and will be joined by David Strain, Jason Piland, Matt Bradley, Billy Park, Ken McHeard, Jason Helopoulos, Patrick Tebbano, O ..read more

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. (Eph. 3:17-18 NIV) Mom on strike. Those words appeared on a sign planted in the front yard of a home near us. A young mother, who had tired of her children’s whining and back-talk, moved high into the family’s backyard treehouse and declared herself on strike. A local television station interviewed her husband. The dad, frantic to get his wife to come down from the tree, urged his kids to quit whining, promise obedi ..read more

While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (Rom. 7:5-6) Before we were saved by the power of the Holy Spirit, we were living in the power of the flesh. We desired what God’s law reveals is harmful to us because we were controlled by earthly passions rather that any desire to honor God.  In that sense, the law became a meter of our wrong ..read more

Photo: AI-Generated image, Imagined Selfie of Amelia Earhart after Crash Landing. The author generated the image using Midjourney, an AI image generating tool. Three years of mystery, 17 puzzled doctors, and Courtney finally found a plausible diagnosis for her young son’s persistent pain and physical symptoms. The crack diagnostician? ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence system. By typing in Alex’s symptoms, notes written on MRI evaluations, and other text relevant to his case, Courtney received a suggestion of tethered cord syndrome, a treatable condition. One surgery later, and Alex is well ..read more

Philadelphia Presbytery has provided byFaith with a statement that contains an update on the judicial process currently underway involving Teaching Elder Liam Goligher. This case originates from accusations that surfaced regarding Goligher as previously reported. The presbytery’s statement is as follows: In the name of the Presbyterian Church in America, the ad hoc Judicial Commission of the Philadelphia Presbytery in regards to TE Liam Goligher finds him contumacious: 32-6… b. When an accused person shall appear and refuse to plead, or otherwise refuse to cooperate with lawful proceedings, he ..read more

Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Tim. 2:22) The air war over Bosnia in the late 1990s made Scott O’Grady famous. For days, the downed American flier had evaded capture in enemy territory. When the rescue helicopter finally landed in the clearing near where O’Grady was hiding, he didn’t hesitate. He shook off his fatigue, prepared his weapons, split the bushes, and with all the strength he could muster, ran to his rescue. His actions parallel those of believers who engage in the spiritual warfare ..read more

You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Ps. 139:13-14) God has applied beautiful creativity in knitting each child according to his specific design and wonderful purpose. So, the uniqueness of our children shouldn’t frustrate or bewilder us. God’s creativity encourages parents to tune their hearts to respond to each child in accord with the Lord’s handiwork. We shouldn’t ask our sumo wrestlers to move like ballerinas, nor fail to treasure the talents of artists and athletes, musicians and mathematicians. H ..read more

The post Bad Apples: When Did Believers Grow so Rude (and how can we fix it)? appeared first on byFaith ..read more

His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matt. 25:23) My wife, Kathy, ran across a news story about a woman from her childhood named Ruth. According to the article, Ruth was hesitant to talk about her sixty years of teaching Sunday school. She told the reporter repeatedly, “You can talk about me when I’m gone.” Ruth only agreed to the interview on the condition that the story would run after her death. Then, she insisted that everything she had done in her life of influen ..read more