I became a Calvinist in seminary. I knew much of what was going on in evangelicalism was wrong-headed at best, unbiblical at worst. I knew that shallowness pervaded preaching and entertainment was mistaken for worship. I was reading Reformed theology and knew that it had to look like something in the life of the church. […]
The plan was simple. We would grow our core group and equip them with the fundamentals of what a church is. Our little group of about 12 grew to about 14 or 15. It was not very amazing. The buildup, to what is called “the launch,” was unspectacular. The launch date was March 6, 1994. […]
This morning I was preparing for the Church Leaders seminar, which will be from Jer. 3:15. But as I was going over the context, I was struck by this phrase, “Return, faithless Israel” (12, 14, 22). Christopher Wright, in his commentary, translates it, “Turn, you turning-one” or “Turn back, turning-away Israel.” The people who should […]