Before and during the Revolutionary War, Christian faith played a political role for patriots on two levels. It contributed to the content of the period’s dominant political ideology, and it was a significant force in the actual outworking of the war. Most significant was the relationship between the Puritan tradition, which was evolving into a … Continue reading The Role of the Christian Faith in Driving the American Revolution →

Photo from the U.S. National Archives.The Civil War redefined perceptions of the Christian Faith in America. In simplest terms, the sectional strife presented a nearly irresistible temptation to express Christianity in terms of a particular region and its principles. The process seemed to move irresistibly. The divisions among Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists from the 1830s … Continue reading Redefining Perceptions of Faith: Civil Religion and Biblical Exploitation in the American Civil War →

Adoniram Judson was born in 1788, the son of a devout Congregationalist minister. From early in life he excelled in everything he touched. So excellent was young Judson's scholarship that he was enrolled at Rhode Island Christian College at the age of 16. Unlike many other missionaries, Adoniram did not have an early call from … Continue reading He took the Wondrous Story of Jesus to Burma: Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) →

Like I did last year, I want to give you a list of books that I would recommend reading for the year of 2020. Many of these books are directly related to where our church is heading in our vision and direction, however there is much that can be gleaned from these readings by all … Continue reading My 2020 Recommended Reading List →

The Following Sermon was delivered by Charles Spurgeon on January 1, 1893. “But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD. PSALM 115:18. IT has been truly said that, if the members of our churches were in a right condition of heart, the work of the pastor towards … Continue reading “But We Will Bless the LORD..” A Sermon from Charles Spurgeon to Kick Off your New Year. →

One of my favorite teachers in the history of the church, is the puritan Jonathan Edwards, considered by many to be the greatest American theologian who ever lived. Many of his works have radically changed my life, and gave me a greater and deeper love and understanding of the Scriptures. But perhaps his most influential writing on … Continue reading Christians, This New Year Resolve to Live in Light of Eternity →

John 18:37-38a - Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said … Continue reading What is Truth – The Dangers of Relativism and the Need for Objective Truth →

On October 3rd 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation which would set the last Thursday of every November as an official holiday of Thanksgiving. During his administration, President Lincoln issued many orders similar to this. For example, on November 28, 1861, he ordered government departments closed for a local day of thanksgiving. … Continue reading The Thanksgiving Day Proclamation of 1863. →

The New Perspective of Paul popularized by E.P. Sanders and even more notably N.T. Wright claims that in light of the discovery of literature written during the period of 2nd Temple Judaism, it has become clear that Luther and the Reformers were wrong in their interpretation of Paul’s teaching on the doctrine of justification. My … Continue reading Defending Justification by Faith: A Critique of New Perspectivism. →

  The Protestant Reformation was a widespread theological revolt in Europe against the abuses and totalitarian control of the Roman Catholic Church. Reformers such as Martin Luther in Germany, Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland, and John Calvin in France protested various unbiblical practices of the Catholic Church and promoted a return to sound biblical doctrine. The … Continue reading The Reformation and Its Five Solas →