Today when most Christians think about the Reformation, they think of it in terms of a recovery of important biblical doctrine, and that is certainly true. The sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformers stood firm against the erroneous teaching of the Church of Rome and championed critical biblical doctrines we often summarize in the Five Solas. ‌But what many Christians fail to recognize today is the emphasis the Reformers placed on the application of these biblical doctrines. And indeed, many today, even those who consider themselves Reformed, often divorce theology from practice. But we ..read more

Um dos versículos mais conhecidos de todas as Escrituras sobre o canto é encontrado em Colossenses 3:16. Entretanto, muitas vezes citamos esse versículo isoladamente e não reconhecemos o contexto mais amplo em que Paulo dá a ordem de cantar salmos, hinos e cânticos espirituais. Mas, como gostaria que víssemos neste texto nas próximas semanas, existe uma conexão essencial entre o canto e o discipulado que deveria nos compelir a dar grande ênfase ao canto em nossos lares e igrejas. Em Mateus 28, Cristo comissionou seus apóstolos a fazer discípulos de todas as nações, batizando-os e ensinando-os ..read more

Stand up and bless the Lord, ye people of His choice; stand up and bless the Lord your God with heart and soul and voice. Though high above all praise, above all blessing high, who would not fear His holy name and laud and magnify? O for the living flame from His own altar brought, to touch our lips, our minds inspire, and wing to heav’n our thought! There, with benign regard, our hymns He deigns to hear; tho’ unrevealed to mortal sense, the spirit feels Him near. God is our strength and song, and His salvation ours; then be His love in Christ proclaimed with all our ransomed pow’rs. Stand up ..read more

God commands us to teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, not as something optional, extra, or somehow disconnected from our mission to make disciples. No, as is clear from the broader context of Colossians 3, God commands us to sing, because singing is essential to discipleship. On that basis, let us consider a few direct applications for your home and church. 1. Sing as much as you can. Singing is not optional. You can’t just say, well, singing is just not my thing. No, God commanded us to to sing because it is essential to our discipleship. So sing as much ..read more

The month of June is historically the first full month of summer where families engage in vacations, BBQ, and baseball. However, in recent years, the month is filled with rainbows and a public embrace of homosexuality. June has now been nicknamed, “Pride Month” in support of the LGBTQA+ agenda. Let’s be clear—there’s a massive agenda funded by corporations and government programs that demands equity. As we consider what the Bible teaches about pride, there is an acceptable version of pride. As Paul was proud of the church at Corinth (2 Cor 7:4), so should we be proud of our loved ones and fel ..read more

The old adage is true: Time does fly by. In our wondrous youth, our lives seem as though they are not “numbered” at all (Ps 90:12). Through the years and trials, which mature us, we all begin to grapple with the reality of our brief, and often unspectacular, time on earth. The wise respond to this realization with obedience to their Creator, while the unwise might frantically pursue worldly means to seemingly maximize their existence with a notable name and legacy. In our fame-chasing age, even godly women can be tempted to value memorability over faithfulness. The pervasive images ..read more

Thus I resolved before the LORD, “Now will I watch my tongue; lest I let slip one sinful word, or do my neighbor wrong.” And if I’m e’er constrained to stay with men of lives profane, I’ll set a double guard that day, nor let my talk be vain. I’ll scarce allow my lips to speak the pious thoughts I feel, lest scoffers should th’occasion take to mock my holy zeal. Yet if some proper hour appear, I’ll not be overawed, but let the scoffing sinners hear that we can speak for God. —Isaac Watts, 1719 ..read more

Colossians 3:16 is one of the most well-known verses in Scripture about singing, yet we often fail to recognize how the command to sing fits in the broader context of Colossians 3 regarding the nature of discipleship. The first fifteen verses of Colossians 3 could be summarized with these four commands. Disciples of Christ must: 1.   Put to death earthly passions. 2.   Put on spiritual affections 3.   Live in loving harmony with the body 4.   Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. This is what it means to seek things that are above. Singing Which b ..read more

For many years, Lucille Ball was queen of primetime television in the 1950s through her hit sitcom I Love Lucy. The show I Love Lucy became the most-watched show in the United States in four of its six seasons and it was the first to end its run at the top of the Nielsen ratings.1DOSTIS, MELANIE. “Looking back at ‘I Love Lucy’ 64 years later”. nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020. Through the years, the once blockbuster show has remained a constant rerun favorite on television. In 2009, an artist was given the task of sculpting a statue of Lucill ..read more

Some passages timelessly encourage believers in the midst of trials. What follows is a quick look at three such passages—Romans 5:3–5, James 1:2–4, and 1 Peter 1:6–9. We briefly examine their common themes to encourage us today.  Trial Both James and Peter speak of “trials” (peirasmos), a word that can focus on the aspect of testing in a trial (Jas1:2; 1 Pet 1:6). James speaks of “the testing of your faith” (Jas 1:2), and Peter, “the tested genuineness of your faith” (1 Pet 1:6). “Testing” and “tested genuineness” are translations of the same word (dokimion) and are related to ..read more