Act of Worship

A fundamental belief of the Christian faith is the exceeding and incomprehensible love of God in Jesus Christ. The Gospels detail the life and ministry of Christ on earth and are replete with instances which convey the matchless love and care of Jesus. One such account is found in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 7:36-50). The account details an experience at dinner with a Pharisee (Simon) in which Jesus decla...

Biblical hermeneutics are attached to a wide array of external factors such as one’s traditional upbringing, previous instruction, personal contexts, e.g. family, work, and school, and (perhaps more than the rest) literary genre. Many Christians seem to make the mistake of interpreting biblical texts without proper understanding of the literary genre they read. Such an understanding is imperative,...

Both Scripture and human history are replete with derivatives of covenant and (especially) God’s covenant with his people. The old covenant and new covenant are commonly considered in covenant theology; yet, framed within the bounds of the old covenant are also individual covenants, e.g. the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic covenant, and the Davidic covenant. The aim of this paper is to secure a the...

            Disparities of Scripture-reading and interpretation subsist within the life of the church. On one extreme, one may read mere portions of the Bible with preconceived notions and make grave errors in interpreting the text. On the other extreme, however, one may pursue scholarly excellence and yet still with preconceived notions, which lend themselves to a ne...

Discussions of Romans 13 have arisen significantly considering the vast manifestations of executive orders that have been offered during the prevalence of COVID-19. I dare suggest that Romans 13, along with a few other passages and verses of Scripture, is one of the most misused scriptures in the entire biblical canon. Submission to authorities is vital to godliness; yet, the scope of Romans 13 is...

            In my Libertarian views, often a discussion of the role of government arises in various conversations. I do not believe my view is vastly different from what the framers of the US Constitution desired. The topic itself holds the potential to be divisive; yet, clear obligations are set aside for government both constitutionally and biblically. The scope her...

            Few deny the existence of Jesus and even his resurrection, although many have made feeble attempts at doing so. A common denial, however, is the deity of Christ. Even among professing believers, there are those who would adamantly claim that Jesus is not God and that he made such a claim himself. I counter that not only is Jesus God but the prophets, the A...

            Wholeness is a topic of discussion that likely arises in many gospel-centered conversations and indeed one with which believers should toil. Thoughts on how one achieves wholeness are disparate, many, and manifold. A commonality in such thoughts, however, is the necessity in determining challenges to overcome in order to achieve wholeness. For the followin...

            The content of the church’s prayers is a crucial issue in worship. As worship not only tells the story of a covenant God but also participates in and does that story [1] (which is vast and diverse in the church), so corporate prayer ought to reflect the diverse narrative that exists between God and his people. The Apostle Paul, wri...

            Upon Jesus’ ascension, a task was given to the church: to go and teach all nations, baptizing them. To accomplish such a task, Christ gave the church five distinct types of ministers: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Eph 4:11). Such offices should not be confused with spiritual gifts, as listed in 1 Corinthia...

            Christian worship has changed significantly over the years. Nevertheless, its vitality to Christian life has remained. In recent years (and decades), I contend that reverence in Christian worship has been lost. There are likely a number of contributing factors for this loss of reverence, which I believe stem from an overemphasis on...

During this time of isolation, many question the church's importance and particularly the importance of weekly worship gatherings. Are they even necessary. Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones discusses the issue in this episode.

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones discusses, on Resurrection Sunday, the good news of the gospel centered around Jesus Christ taken from Acts 1-:34-43.

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones discusses various ways Christians today may relate to the crowd on that first Palm Sunday by employing practical atheism as they did.

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones gives a personal response to the virus that has swept the world and virtually shutdown everything. How is a Christian to respond? Jonathan reveals his thoughts here.

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones concludes his discussion of the Five Solas with a summary.

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones continues his discussion of the Five Solas with soli Deo gloria and the implications it has for all Christians.

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones continues his discussion of the Five Solas with sola Scriptura and the implications it has for all Christians.

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones continues his discussion of the Five Solas with solus Christus and the implications it has for all Christians.

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones continues his discussion of the Five Solas with Sola Fide and the implications it has for all Christians.

Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones begins a discussion of the Five Solas with Sola Gratia and the implications it has for all Christians.

I have heard it said that the church is the worst about shooting their own wounded while they are down. Perhaps, many believers have experienced this firsthand. In such cases, which are likely more common than people care to admit, the church reveals her flaws where a message of mercy is preached and yet its application ends there, i.e. the mercy of God is not exuded through the people of God but...

Approaching the Christmastide season, it is common to hear arguments on various sides for or against the celebration of Christmas including those related to the actual date of Christmas itself. Many of the American traditions have little to do with the birth of Christ such as Christmas trees, the exaggeration of St. Nicholas that we find in Santa Clause, and even the giving of material gifts. I be...

Advent, perhaps a largely misunderstood liturgical season in the Christian year, begins today. My aim in this message is to eliminate two common misconceptions of Advent: namely that Advent and Christmas are one and the same and that Advent solely prepares for the celebration of Christ’s birth. Advent holds a plurality of themes and rituals including but not limited to expectation and remembering...

Christianity has faced nearly two millenniums of a faith which has been tested, persecuted, tried, and yet blessed; a commonality in Jesus Christ exists among global believers of diverse backgrounds, traditions, and cultures; and further, believers throughout the centuries are a part of the same adopted family. This collective group of people from disparate cultures, backgrounds, and even eras is...