“A strange view held by many Baptists: Only immersion counts as real/valid baptism, but grape juice instead of wine will suffice in communion.” -Derek Radney, Pastor at Trinity Church (PCA) in Winston-Salem, NC In preparation for a Mantua Creek baptismal service on Sunday, September 15th hosted by our parent church, Ashland Church, I’m adding some updates to the constructive conversation … Read More
Is the Essence of God Love?, Part 3 of 3
I mentioned last week that, in scripture, predestination is a positive doctrine (e.g. Eph. 1:4-5 says, “In love he predestined…”) and should be applied pastorally like the following: “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day … Read More
How I Became a Christian Despite the Church, Part 3 of 4
As I mentioned last week, although much of our family’s church experience was toxic, it did put me in a place where I heard the gospel and was encouraged to respond. When I was 18, I made a list of several things that contributed to my understanding of salvation. These included comic books, a horror movie, an old classic, and a debate between … Read More