Changing Lives in Low-Income Neighborhoods

Posted on 2011/11/03 by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

As we consider who we are called to reach with the Gospel in the Perrysburg - Toledo, Ohio area, I noticed a good article on the effect of teaching about the kingdom of God in a particular kind of neighborhood. It includes the following quote which I consider to be a good definition of the kingdom of God.

Tim Keller on Evangelistic Worship

Posted on 2011/09/21 by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

Pastor Tim Keller shares what I think are some very helpful ideas about preparing for and communicating the gospel to unbelievers in Sunday worship. To understand what he means by “evangelistic worship” you may need to read the entire article. He doesn’t mean using a pre-packaged form of “seeker-sensitive” or “traditional” worship. He believes worship is best fashioned with a view to the the Bible, the cultural context and the historic tradition of each particular church. Here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite.

Tim Keller on Preaching to a Mixed Audience

Posted on 2011/09/21 by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

I appreciate the work of Pastor Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian in downtown Manhattan in New York City. Over the past twenty years he has brought the Gospel to bear on a generation of mostly professionals who are now corporately seeking to renew the city “socially, spiritually and culturally.”

The Conversational Form of Reformed Worship

Posted on 2011/08/10 by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

I’ve been looking at historic and current models of Reformed worship: John Calvin’s The Form of Church Prayers, 1542; The Westminster Directory, 1645; and The Book of Common Worship, 1993. They all follow the model of a “group conversation with God” as described in an article / Bible study from the Calvin Institute for Worship Studies entitled, “The Pattern of a Worship Service.”

Thoughts on Preaching

Posted on 2011/08/10 by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

I am adjusting to the new responsibility of preaching every Sunday. My preaching responsibilities in the past were more infrequent, so I’m adjusting to a much faster pace. I love God’s word and the process of preparing and delivering weekly messages from it. I will continually seek to improve my skills in order to bring the truth of the Gospel to the church in the Holy Spirit’s power and love.

Revised 1 Peter Series Outline with Chapter, Verse Numbers

Posted on 2011/08/01 by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

Glenn McIntyre recently made me aware that when I published the outline of First Peter earlier I did not include the verse numbers so that people could tell where we are as we go along. See below.

Prayer in the Reformed Tradition for the Modern Church

Posted on 2011/06/08 by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

I took a course in seminary entitled “Leading in Prayer” with Dr. Hughes Old. I look forward to using a number of the ideas from his class and book by the same title as I begin to plan worship services at Stonebridge. I wrote an extended paper as a final project for the class identifying the Reformed roots of both the forms and contents of the prayers in his book. Click on the following link to read my article entitled, “The Reformed Roots of Hughes Old’s Leading in Prayer: A Workbook for Worship.” An excerpt…

Is Your Church Too Cool?

A re-post of an article in Relevant Magazine. 

The Missions Field of Suburbia

What's your calling? Don't miss the opportunities literally in your back yard. Repost of an article from Relevant Magazine. 

Doug Paul on Reasons #6-10 Why Missional Communities Fail

Doug Paul on Reasons #1-5 Why Missional Communities Fail

Lloyd-Jones on the Practice of Real Preaching

Lloyd-Jones on the Practice of Real Preaching

Responding to Natural Disasters

My heart goes out to the many families who have lost loved ones and all their worldly possessions in the recent rash of devastating tornadoes in Alabama, Missouri and Arkansas. The destruction, even as we view it by television, is overwhelming. I can’t imagine what they must be feeling.

The Five "Solas" of the Protestant Reformation

Following is my current summary of the teaching of the Five “Solas” that arose during the Protestant Reformation as a response to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church whom the reformers believed had usurped the authority of God in various ways.

Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone")

The Bible is the only authoritative word of God and source of teaching for the life and faith of believers. Rejects the claim that the authority of the Majesterium (church embodied in the episcopacy) is equal to Scripture.

The Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP) or The Doctrines of Grace

Following is my shorthand summary of the Five Points of Calvinism with a key memory verse to support each. For a more comprehensive list of verses, go to http://www.cause-of-god.com/proofs.html.

1.     Total Depravity or Total Inability

1.     All men are born "depraved" in their total being. That is, all men are dead in sin and therefore unable to contribute anything to their salvation. 

2.     Contrary to Free Will or Human Ability which enables a sinner to add his faith to Christ's work to effect salvation. 

3.   Romans 5:19 (NAU) For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

The English Bible: An Ordination Exam Study Guide for Use in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)

Following are questions and answers I used in preparing for the English Bible portion of the ordination exams in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. For the official EPC study guide for the written exams, click here http://www.epc.org/mediafiles/study-guide-theology-sacraments-reformed-tradition-written-ordination-exam.pdf.

Click the Label at the bottom of this post to see all EPC Ordination Exam Study Guides.

1.      In what chapters of the Bible is “prepatriarchal history” found?		1.  Genesis 1-11
2.  How do Genesis 1 & 2 differ from one another?		2.  Gen 1-focus on orderliness of creation in whole earth; emphasizes man as one created with authority. Gen 2-focus on God’s love and provision for man in the Garden; emphasizes man as one under authority.
3.  In what chapter is the Fall of Man found?

The English Bible (The Purpose of the 66 Books): Ordination Exam Study Guide for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Following is material I used in preparing for ordination exams in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. 

Click the Label at the bottom of this post to see all EPC Ordination Exam Study Guides.

GENESIS:

TO TEACH ISR GOD’S DESIGN FOR THEM AS A NATION THRU THE            BACKGROUND OF EARLY WORLD HISTORY AND LIVES OF PATRIARCHS

• 11 - BABEL
• 12 - ABRAHAM “I WILL BLESS THOSE THAT BLESS..CURSE THOSE ATHAT CURSE..IN YOU ALL FAMILIES OF EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED
• 15 - BELIEVED IN LORD AND HE RECKONED IT AS RIGHTEOUSNESS..
• 19 - SODOM
• 21  - COV ABRAHAM
• 22 - THE LORD WILL PROVIDE – ISAAC
• 31 - MIZPAH – JACOB AND LABAN
• 50 - AS FOR YOU, YOU MEANT IT FOR EVIL, BUT GOD MEANT FOR GOOD

The Westminster Confession of Faith: An Ordination Exam Study Guide for Use in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)

Following are questions and answers from the Westminster Confession that I used in preparing for ordination exams in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. 

Click the Label at the bottom of this post to see all EPC Ordination Exam Study Guides.

1.         What things show God’s attributes? 1-1

Our  natural understanding and the works of creation show his goodness wisdom and power.

2.         Can these provide the knowledge of God and his will so that we can be saved? 1-1

NO.

3.         What has God done to preserve and transmit the revelation of Himself, His general will and how to be saved? 1-1

He revealed himself at different times and ways and declared that this revelation contains his will for the church. Afterwards he put this revelation in writing to preserve and transmit it to the church for its comfort and establishment.

4.         How did the 66 books of the Bible come about? 1-2

All the books of the OT and NT, were inspired by God

5.         Because of this, what does this make the Bible? 1-2

the rule of faith and life

The Sacraments: An Ordination Exam Study Guide for Use in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)

Following are questions and answers concerning the sacraments taken from the Westminster Confession and the EPC Book of Worship that I used in preparing for ordination exams in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. 

Click the Label at the bottom of this post to see all EPC Ordination Exam Study Guides.

I. WESTMINSTER CONFESSION

1.         What is a sacrament? 27.1

HOLY SIGNS AND SEALS OF THE COV OF GRACE

2.         What four things do they signify? 27.1

1)      TO REPRESENT CHRIST AND HIS BENEFITS

2)      TO CONFIRM OUR POSITION WITH AND IN HIM

3)      TO DEMONSTRATE A VISIBLE DIFF BT THOSE WHO BELONG TO THE CHURCH AND THE REST OF THE WORLD

4)      TO ENGAGE BELIEVERS IN THE SERVICE OF GOD

3.         What is the relationship between the sacrament and that which is signified? 27.2

SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP OR SACRAMENTAL UNION BT THEM; SO THE NAMES AND EFFECTS OF THE ONE ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THE OTHER

The Book of Order (Book of Government, Book of Discipline, and Book of Worship): An Ordination Exam Study Guide for Use in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)

Following are questions and answers from the EPC Book of Order that I used in preparing for ordination exams in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. 

Click the Label at the bottom of this post to see all EPC Ordination Exam Study Guides.

I. THE BOOK OF GOVERNMENT

1.         What is the Constitution of the EPC? Preface

WESTMINSTER STANDARDS, BOOK OF ORDER, ESSENTIALS OF OUR FAITH

2.         What does the Book of Order consist of? Preface

BOOK OF GOVT, BOOK OF DISCIPLINE, BOOK OF WORSHIP

3.         What is the purpose of the visible church? 1.3

GATHERING AND PERFECTING THE SAINTS

4.         Who are the members of the visible church? 1.3

ALL PERSONS WHO PROFESS JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR AND SUBMIT TO HIM, ALONG WITH THEIR CHILDREN

5.         What four things are said to bind the visible church in its essential unity? 1.5

1)      SCRIPTURAL DISCIPLINE

2)      WORD RIGHTLY PROCLAIMED

3)      SACRAMENTS PROPERLY OBSERVED

4)      LOVING FELLOWSHIP MAINTAINED

Latest Thoughts on Youth Ministry

Youth ministry methods and activities in which I have participated and/or have observed to be:

1. Most beneficial:

• Small group Bible studies (often held in homes one evening a week) led by adults more than ten years older than the students. Students need other faithful adults, in addition to their parents, whose fruitful lives they can observe up close, with whom they can share long-term loving relationships, and with whom they can discuss, in a small group setting or privately, life and faith issues that face them as they mature. Other young adults less than ten years older than the students may serve as assistant leaders in these groups in order to learn how to lead and to assist in mentoring the students, but they should not be the primary leaders of the group.

Tim Keller on the Resurrection

Author and pastor Tim Keller on why Christ's Resurrection is more than just a story.

In the decades before and after Jesus’ life and death, there were dozens of messianic movements in Israel. In almost every case the messianic leader was killed, in many cases by execution, and after the leader’s death each of these movements invariably collapsed. Everybody went home, and that was it. Of all those dozens of movements, only one did not collapse after the death of the leader. Not only did it not collapse, it exploded: In the course of about 300 years it had spread through the entire Roman empire.

Out of all those messianic movements, what made the Christian faith different?
Christians would say it is because of what happened after the leader of this movement was killed. So what did happen to cause explosive growth in Christianity after its founder’s death?

Read the entire article...

Toward a Biblical Understanding of Hell

Following are the thoughts of two living Reformed writers and pastors, Ligon Duncan and John Piper, on the subject of Hell:

How Should Preachers Preach on Hell? Dr. Ligon Duncan asks:

So how do you address these difficult truths? How does the reality of hell and endless punishment make a difference in your preaching? How do you tackle them in a responsible and appropriate way? What do you need to avoid when treating them? How should we preach hell and eternal punishment (if at all)?
--Excellent insight here.

Dr. John Piper, in an article entitled “How Willingly Do People Go to Hell? Does Anyone Standing by the Lake of Fire Jump In?” writes:

Ecclesiastes: A Realistic but Hopeful View of Life

I've been re-reading a number of the wisdom passages of the Bible (Proverbs, Psalms 1 and 119, Ecclesiastes) in recent months as I seek the Lord for His next career-related step in my life. I've found Ecclesiastes somewhat confusing until recently.