No More Curse!
I don’t think there is anyone in Ireland who doesn’t know that County Mayo won the All-Ireland men’s Gaelic football cup on 26 July. Most people also seem to know the strange legend that claims Mayo couldn’t win before now.
Gentle Reformation
speaking truth gently
Latest posts
The Firstborn Over All Creation
In the United Kingdom, the order of succession to the throne does not follow the sequence you might expect. Unsurprisingly, the first in line is Prince William, the son of King Charles III. But, surprisingly, the second in line is not Prince Harry, the other son of King Charles III.
Pull My Grip Off That & Wrap It Around Christ
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Thy will be done,” he was not teaching them to ask for something that he himself didn’t entirely desire. Jesus wanted God’s will more than anything, to do what most glorified God, even at the cost of
The Marital Conflict Multi-tool
Do you and your spouse struggle with working through marital conflicts? Is your communication about offenses, issues, and disagreements often hindered by sinful anger and frustration on either or both of your parts? If so, what if there was a single practice or "tool" that could significantly help
A Replacement for Judas: Acts 1:15–26
At first glance, Acts 1:15–26 is a puzzling passage. Luke devotes twelve verses to the replacement of Judas Iscariot! That is unexpected. Even more surprising is the method by which the apostles make their replacement decision. After identifying two qualified men, they cast lots to determine who
What Is the Fruit of Gentleness?
The full article appears on the Ligonier website here . To many, the idea of gentleness conveys a wimpy form of Christianity. Yet gentleness, the penultimate quality of the listed fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives, needs consideration. We learn from Scripture that it is essential to
Bells & Pomegranates - An Early Warning System
A Childhood Memory Perhaps, if you grew up in the USA, it was a little different than it was for us, back in the Old World, in Northern Ireland. As you paid your weekly visit to the local village sweet shop (or "candy store"), to divest yourself of
The Porn Buster
During thirty-five years of pastoral ministry, one of the greatest plagues on men, marriages, and the church that I have seen is pornography. Porn is so prevalent that I have had to devote significant time to counseling and teaching on it. At RPTS, I have sections of pastoral classes
The Odyssey?
Everyone's talking about how close to the original story is Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. A Black Helen of Troy! E. Page's male character! Massive speculation under the name of artistic license. It's all being discussed. Did you know there are less than
Quit Ye Like Men: A Plea for Men's Breakfast
Once a month twenty to thirty-some men and boys of all ages enter the fellowship hall with a book and Bible in one hand and breakfast food to share in the other. We have breakfast, catch up on the latest social or political happenings, then we spend an hour
The Covenanter Story
Earlier this year, I was asked to give a series of historical talks on the Covenanters . After one of them, someone asked what would be the best and most accessible introduction to the Covenanters for someone who knew very little about them. I pointed them to a 4-part video
Let Children Hear the Mighty Deeds
Dr. Ryan Swale is pastor of  Immanuel URC  in Jordan, Ontario, and a graduate of Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary who wrote his dissertation on "The Imprecatory Pastor: A Practical Theology of the Imprecatory Psalms." Psalm 78 is one of the longest psalms in the Psalter, although
The Ascended Christ, the Promised Spirit, and the Sent Church, Acts 1:1-14
When I was growing up, my father was the type of guy who could fix anything. If something broke, he would head to the garage, open the toolbox, and begin looking for the right tool. There was only one problem. Although he owned an impressive collection of tools, he almost
Praying for Church Growth
What companies have the most physical locations around the world? Would it surprise you that it’s not McDonald’s. It’s 7-Eleven. They have more than 86,000 locations across 19 countries. [1] Can you get Twinkies at all those locations? I hope so. I
The God who makes bitter things sweet
At Marah, God makes bitter water sweet. It's a picture of what God continually does for his people—he makes bitter things sweet.