Looking Like JesusSome time ago I came to realize that I did not love the people next door. They were, by any standards, dangerous and unpleasant people-ex-bikers who made their living selling drugs.
"A Step Forward"
[The Presbyterian Journal, 6 March 1974, pages 7-8]
Shortly after the formation of the Presbyterian Church in America, on 4 December 1973, Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer composed the following thoughts in observance of that event. Notable in his mind was the contrast between the divisions of the 1930's and the 1970's and the manner in which each of these divisions had been conducted.
[Note that the "National Presbyterian Church" to which Dr. Schaeffer refers was the original name of what is now the Presbyterian Church in America, the name having been changed a year later to avoid conflict with another body.]
The formation of the National Presbyterian Church is a step forward in the Lord's work in our chaotic age!
As a life-long Presbyterian and now a minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Church Evangelical Synod, I have had a deep interest in the Presbyterian Church US since my days at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, from which I graduated in 1935.
Even at that time it was evident that Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va., was a source of liberalism in the pulpits of the PCUS. Through the years I have seen no sign that the situation is improving.
Below is a link to Eric McKiddie's website, pastoralized, and one of the articles on the website...a useful place to find insightful articles. Photo by crowt59 at Flickr
Understanding gospel-centered ministry merely in terms of preaching the message of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection will turn you into a one-trick pastoral pony. Pastoral work should have the gospel as its motivation, not only its message.
The following is taken from a website listing the 9 marks of a healthy church. It was linked in a blog by Pastor Jay Thomas of the CHBC.
1st Mark of a Healthy Church MEMBER: Expositional LISTENING
By Thabiti Anyabwile
The finished diamond is one of the most beautiful and desirable gems.
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As we abide in him and he abides in us, we are receiving his life rather than creating our own…
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Wright confronts the perspective that this world doesn’t matter, and that we live only to be in heaven. He shows…
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It is doubtful if, in 1972, those attending one of Jim Cymbala's worship services in a run-down Brooklyn church imagined…
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There's a river of love that runs through all timeBut there's a river of grief that floods through our livesIt…
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I stutter when I tryTo speak the language of lifeI want to shout out loudBut I just cry insideSometimes it…
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On July 4, 2010, Jim Thomas was guest speaker at the Chapel Hill Bible Church. His sermon is a powerful…
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Walter Brueggeman gave a remarkable sermon at Duke Chapel on April 5, 2009 in which he discussed the importance of…
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Wright confronts the perspective that this world doesn’t matter, and that we live only to be in heaven. He shows…
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This is the second part of three talks by NT Wright at Harvard University in November, 2008 on the topic…
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Acts 2.1-21; John 7.37-39; a sermon at the Eucharist on the Feast of Pentecost, 11 May 2008, by the…
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Zechariah 9.9-17; Luke 19.28-48; A sermon for Palm Sunday, April 17, 2011, In the University Chapel of St Salvator, St…
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Amazing Grace is a historical drama about William Wilberforce who was elected to British Parliament at the age of 21…
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William Wilberforce's relentless campaign eventually led the British Parliament to ban the slave trade, in 1807, and to pass a…
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Grace, she takes the blame She covers the shame Removes the stain It could be her name Grace, she carries…
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The 2009 movie The Soloist is based on a book by the same name, written by Los Angeles Times columnist…
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