What Faithful Preaching Should Be
by Lucas Hertz on December 30th, 2022
If you're reading this, then theres a fair chance that you've listened to your share of sermons. You may even be a connoisseur of sermons. So what is it that we should be expecting in a sermon? What does faithful biblical preaching look like? And what is the point of the sermon? Throughout the Scriptures, Gods faithful servants are called to speak what God has said, not adding or subtracting to hi...  Read More
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God Is Greater Than Our Hearts
by Will Pareja on December 30th, 2022
You’ve probably heard it: the judge within you whispering (and maybe sometimes shouting) doubt and condemnation. But rest assured: that's not the final word on you, believer.The book of First John is a lighthouse bright for the darkness and brimming with rich Gospel assurances. You can’t read that pastor-apostle John letter without being challenged and comforted.John was probably Jesus’ bosom budd...  Read More
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When Your Apologies Stink
by Will Pareja on December 30th, 2022
Have you ever been turned off by someone's attempt at rectifying a wrong with you? All of us offend someone at some point in our lives. It probably happened this week. Instead of judging someone's lackluster apology too quickly, why don't you plan on giving a meaningful (that is, sincere and full) apology the next time you are aware of offending someone or somebody? Do you know how to apologize?Ji...  Read More
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A Letter to Mary
by Will Pareja on December 29th, 2022
Dear Blessed Woman,I know you won’t get this. I doubt you’ll even see this as you are in heaven, joined by that great cloud of witnesses. After all, you don’t share the “ever-present” or “all-knowing” qualities of your Lord and mine.What was it like to be surprised by that angel? Did you have any idea? When did you tell your parents? What was their reaction? The Sacred Text doesn’t tell me, but di...  Read More
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It's a Strange New World
by Will Pareja on December 29th, 2022
The following is a review of the book, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution by Carl R. Trueman (Crossway, 2022).Pastor Will Pareja wrote this review (June 2022)If your breath has been taken away at the blistering pace of moral change today, you should read this book. Dr. Carl Trueman is a specialist in the history of ideas/philosophy. A...  Read More
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Two Ears Walk Into a Church...
by Will Pareja on December 29th, 2022
They both went to Pierced Church but learned to listen differently to the sermon over time. One ear, trained on sitcoms and sound bytes, rarely got what the pulpit's talking ear was saying. He preferred brief, inspirational talks sprinkled with good jokes and well-timed stories. The other ear, however, knew that the message from God’s word was relevant to her. She knew that what she was listening ...  Read More
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The Faults in Our Stars
by Will Pareja on December 29th, 2022
I have to admit that the older I get, burying my head in the proverbial sand is more attractive. Maybe, I’m a coward. It’s my protection “mechanism” against information overload and the drag that comes with it. I can’t digest all the information coming at me. Plus, I fear the fatigue that comes with the letdown in the news. But don’t worry, that will become old news in a few hours or days! Because...  Read More
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The Test of a Christian's Assurance
by Will Pareja on December 29th, 2022
“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We k...  Read More
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Deathbed Calisthenics
by Will Pareja on December 29th, 2022
We naturally wouldn’t link the rigor of calisthenics with the malaise of dying. Calisthenics has to do with movement and fitness. It is an exercise. The question upon us—old and young— is how are we preparing to die? Simon Goulart was a pastor during the Protestant Reformation in Geneva, Switzerland, and a friend of John Calvin. In his Remedies Against Satan’s Temptations in our Final Hour,* Goula...  Read More
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"Churches Are Only Interested in Your Money!"
by Will Pareja on December 29th, 2022
So goes an objection of many people whose religious experience has been jaded by the desperate pleas and manipulative ploys of churches or TV preachers. There is some merit to this suspicion, but if you’ve been around the church for a while or read the Bible much, you understand there is some obligation to give to the Lord. Two HUGE truths will shape your thinking about money and what the Lord “ge...  Read More
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A Letter to Joseph
by Will Pareja on December 29th, 2022
What would you say if you could write a member of Jesus' earthly family a letter?   Read More
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Viewing Our Money Christianly
by Will Pareja on December 29th, 2022
You don't have to be well-off to be generous.  Read More
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