“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example (pattern) you have in us.” – Philippians 3:17-18 Patterns and partnerships in gospel ministry were important to the apostle Paul (and to Jesus), and for the preservation of the church. These patterns and partnerships were exercised at DPC on Tuesday, November 05 – the 63rd Stated Meeting of Provid…
Transitions in leadership are always momentous occasions; next week’s election marks a significant moment in the course of our nation’s history. We must pick a new leader during a season of economic crisis and global tumult; the results of the election are likely to shape the financial, domestic, and international prospects of our country for many years to come. It seems that this Nov. 5th Elect…
I grew up looking forward to October 31st each year and the week after (or at least day or two) of candy-filled afternoons following a long day of school. I liked getting the candy, but I also liked the dressing up in costumes. It was fun to be creative and to see how my friends from the neighborhood planned to disguise themselves. The fact that their parents were always with them as they “tric…
This morning at our DPC Youth Guys’ Bible study, we finished up Luke 6. In this chapter, there are a bunch of well known stories and scenes. We’ve got the “Love Your Enemies” passage, we’ve got the healing of a man with a withered hand, and we’ve got the passage about good trees bearing good fruit. However, the one that sticks out most to me is the story Jesus tells at the very end of the chapter…
The Book of Acts is full of narrative depicting the benefits of the “plurality of leadership” in the church (e.g. Acts 2-6). Both your Elders and your Deacons at DPC reflect this pattern of church government. These men gather each month to exercise their vows to shepherd and care for the church (elders), and to administrate and care for the church (deacons), according to the BCO and our gospel-dri…
How about some of the greatest mistakes of all time? Sit down, pour yourself a Coke, have a chocolate-chip cookie…grab a yellow sticky-note pad and write this down: Whether boundaries or the broken, mistakes or weakness…God can use for good. In 1991, Charlotte Jones, a British screenwriter and playwright, published an interesting little book, Mistakes That Worked. Where would Jack be if his m…
This week, I had the joy of serving in our nursery on Tuesday morning. Providentially, Tuesday morning was also the day that had me reading Mark 10. Now, Mark 10 is a chapter full of well-known vignettes – the rich young ruler, Jesus foretelling his death, and Jesus’ teaching on divorce all pop up in this chapter. The segment of this chapter nestled right in between all of these heavy hitters, tho…
Something God has been revealing to me lately is how much I tend to think of myself as “helpful” to Him. I’ve caught myself believing that if I could just overcome certain sins or be a little more disciplined, then I’d be of real value in His kingdom. But just when I think I’m getting closer to being “good enough” or more useful, God lovingly opens my eyes to show me the deeper truth: not only am…
The Book of Acts is full of narrative depicting the many ways the Lord provides for, protects, and promotes his church (e.g. Acts 1:12-26). One of those is the “Session” of elected and ordained ruling and teaching elders. These men gather the first Monday of each month to exercise their vows to shepherd and care for the church, according to the BCO and our gospel-driven mission. Once per quarter,…
No – not for the next performance at the Princess Theatre, but something more radical: What if the Beatitudes was actually less about “seeking character” and more about “characters being sought”? If we only see the Beatitudes as the “norms of the Kingdom” or conditions for entering the Kingdom, we may discover pitfalls and disappointment along the way (self-righteousness, moralism, compare-desp…