A La Carte: John Piper on profanity, crude joking, etc / Why the exclusivity of the gospel causes offense / An elder is a pastor is an overseer / be the church member you want your church to have / Decisive moments / and more.See AlsoA La Carte (3/22)A La Carte (2/28)A La Carte (1/11)
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It was on this day 24 years ago that I became a dad. I suppose I had already been a dad for the past nine months and 10 days—a full-term of pregnancy plus a few extra days of waiting. But on March 5, 2000, I finally got to meet my firstborn, my boy, my sweet Nick. I watched with wonder as he emerged into this world. I took him in my arms for the first time and gently kissed his forehead.See AlsoOn Nick’s Twenty-Third Birthday and My OwnOn Running a Short Race WellHeaven and Eternity
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A La Carte: My daughter plays competitive club volleyball / Temptations common to marriage / Does the doctrine of limited atonement undermine evangelism? / Sycophants and liars / Your ministry shouldn’t bother starting a YouTube or TikTok / and more.See AlsoA La Carte (March 23)A La Carte (March 5)A La Carte (2/22)
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This week the blog is sponsored by New Covenant OPC and is written by Michael Grasso, Pastor of New Covenant OPC. Our church, New Covenant OPC, recently started a building campaign to build a new place to worship because we have outgrown our current facilities. I have been told several times about the difficulties of such an undertaking, which are made even more daunting in light of our location: the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the most expensive areas in the country. Though the process is challenging, we believe that this project will advance the kingdom of God and that supporting it is akin to supporting missions in some important ways. The Bay Area is not only one of the most expensive places in the country but also one of the darkest. Certainly, the past decade has seen a general spiritual decline throughout the US and the West as a whole, but for this area, the darkness has been thick for decades. Another OPC church in San Francisco faced lawsuits, vandalism, and firebombing in the late 1970s and early 80s over the issue of homosexuality. (You can read more about this here). If there was anywhere in the US that could be considered a mission field, surely San Francisco would be it. In the midst of this darkness, those who are standing up for the truth are few and far between. The vast majority of churches have compromised the truth. It was common for churches in our area to caution against celebration at the…See AlsoFree Stuff Saturdays (Crown & Covenant Edition)Short-Term Missions: Redefining SuccessFree Stuff Fridays
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A couple of years ago I listened to an interview with a critic of Christianity. He was a person who claimed to love Christ, yet who seemed to have little use for Christ’s church and little good to say about Christ’s people. There was one critique that especially stood out to meSee AlsoThe GospelOne of God’s Purposes in SufferingYour Suffering Does Not Just Belong to You
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