Post Category: Theology

Deacons exist, first and foremost, with the intent of fostering unity in the church. Only with that primary purpose in mind can we then turn to look at others....

Let’s pray, then, that the Lord would make us bold, that he would cause us to count stability and plenty as relatively unimportant, and that he would move us to sacrifice our reputations, our comforts, our personal preferences, and even our safety in order to make disciples of Christ and build up his Church....

The conviction that drives this work is stated up front: “it is good when when people who can read, do read and study the Bible; but it is vital that all people, without exception, hear the Bible preached”. Ash’s aim, then, is to help Christians “‘consider carefully how you listen’ (Luke 8 v 8).”...

Last week, I argued for the Reformational view of preaching...

To summarize, then, preaching is the Word of God only insofar as it rightly communicates the meaning and applications of the Scriptures, the Word of God written...

It’s our conviction that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The main reason we’re committed to expository preaching is that we believe it is the Word of God, not the cleverness of a preacher or the personal study interests of a pastor, that feeds and builds up the flock and equips saints for ministry....

Today I wanted to zoom in on one implication of the truth that the Persons of the Father, Son, and Spirit are "distinct but harmonious."...

It's never a bad thing to review those things that are foundational for our faith. The Trinity, especially, is no exception, particularly because so many believers misunderstand both the doctrine itself and its importance....

I've been thinking about the apparent tension between having confidence that we are safely Christian ...

There is a prevailing assumption that focusing on God's glory, value and worth too much will lead to a careless and unloving attitude towards humanity. The Puritan Thomas Brooks would have begged to differ. ...

A few months ago, while doing a plumbing job for a very wealthy client, I noticed a large stack of "Life Extension" magazines beside the toilet. The picture on the magazine at top of the stack was one of a person climbing a ladder that was leaning up against a piece of DNA. Each strand going across represented another ten years. The person making their way up the ladder wa...

Calvary Grace Church pastor & elder Gavin Peacock has co-written a book with the President of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Owen Strachan, titled "The Grand Design." ...

This is the twelfth and final installment of a series of articles exploring Calvary Grace's Congregational Confession of Faith....

This is the eleventh of an ongoing series of articles exploring Calvary Grace's Congregational Confession of Faith....

Christian Conduct: This is the tenth of an ongoing series of articles exploring Calvary Grace's Congregational Confession of Faith....

The Church - this is the ninth of an ongoing series of articles exploring Calvary Grace's Congregational Confession of Faith....

Right at the end of the Bible, in Revelation 22:20, we read, “He who testifies to these things (the Lord Jesus Christ Himself) says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ (To which John adds) Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!...

In the last two weeks, we’ve looked at some signs in our culture that evangelical, biblical Christianity is being increasingly marginalized as a minority, and started a look at the Bible to understand why God’s people seems consistently portrayed as a beleaguered hold-out. This week, we turn to the Old Testament prophets to see what they have to say about this concept....

Last week, I took a brief look at some disturbing events and trends in our culture. Christians are facing a rising tide of opposition to their beliefs, and an escalating amount of retaliation for seeking to live in light of God’s teaching concerning human sexuality, gender, and marriage. I argued that we need to recognize what the Scriptures say about the nature of God�...

One of the most enjoyable things about pastoral ministry is conducting membership interviews. Over the past year, we at Calvary Grace Church have been re-emphasizing the importance of formal church membership, and have conducted dozens of these interviews. I don’t know if there’s anything as profoundly encouraging or exciting as hearing the testimonies of those God has...

This is the eighth of an ongoing series of articles exploring Calvary Grace’s Congregational Confession of Faith....

This seventh paragraph of our Congregational Confession of Faith lays out the Christian understanding of the human problem of sin and its consequences. Yet there is so much more in this paragraph than simply an explanation of humanity’s bent toward rebellion and evil. It lays out some key truths about the very nature of man as God has created him, and the means by which ...

This sixth paragraph of our Congregational Confession of Faith teaches us about the the Holy Spirit, who is, in many ways, the most mysterious Person of the Trinity. He is arguably, and especially in our day, the most misunderstood. Yet a proper understanding of the Spirit's work is crucial for the Christian life....

At the heart of the Christian message is the fact that we are now delivered from sin and death to the hope of resurrection and eternal life because of Jesus Christ. But what did Jesus do that made the difference? ...

n the early winter of 1997, I spent a few minutes in the office of theologian David Wells, picking his brain about the history of 20th-century evangelicalism. He graciously and patiently answered my questions then handed me a little booklet called The Bleeding of the Evangelical Church....

In Mark 1, verses 9-12, we find what really is a rather strange picture, if you think about it. Jesus Christ, who we confess to be sinless and perfect in all his ways, undergoes immersion, water baptism, at the hands of John. That’s a remarkable thing, because John’s baptism was for repentance. It was a sign of rededication and turning away from evil. Why, then, was Je...

Calvary Grace Church is moving! Our time at the Alexandra Centre is coming to an end. This past week, we signed an agreement that, as of June 1, 2012, will allow us to use the facilities belonging to St. John Lutheran Church in the community of Bridgeland, just north of the Bow River outside the downtown core. This will involve a slight service time change, as our main ser...

It’s politically correct to celebrate Jesus as a holy man and enlightened figure, even among unbelievers. Social activists look to his example as support for struggle against oppression and injustice, and to his healings and mercy as a call to help those who are sick and poor. Even other religions sometimes accommodate him; he is considered a prophet in Islam and an avat...

New Testament scholar Dan Wallace touched off quite the buzz a few days back when he mentioned in passing, while debating Bart Ehrman, that among a set of new manuscript discoveries was found a small fragment of the Gospel of Mark. He went on to point out that “[i]t was dated by one of the world’s leading paleographers. He said he was ‘certain’ that it was from ...

Over the last few years, the Latter-Day Saints have become more and more prominent and accepted in popular culture....

Even seasoned archaeologists and scholars are stumped. They’re having trouble even speculating what they might have been for. ...

Last week I wrote about the critical importance of the Trinity, especially in contrast to its distortion by “Oneness” Pentecostals. Behind the theological errors of this movement lie an even deeper logical and methodological error, and I thought it would be useful to explain that deeper error in some depth....

We need to be prepared to explain why the Trinity is so critical. May God grant us all the wisdom and knowledge to do so....