Purify and Elevate

Sanctifying Thankfulness

Complaining, Emotions, Encouragement, Faith, Gratitude, Grumbling, Holy Spirit, Redemption, Salvation, Thanksgiving

By Rev. Mark A. Horne Introduction Thanksgiving occupies a central place in Christian worship, serving as an expression of gratitude towards God. Ephesians 5:20 is a pivotal verse in the Epistle to the Ephesians, reflecting the theological and liturgical richness…

God, My King, Thy Might Confessing

#church, #hope, #theology, #worship, God, Scripture

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on…

Deacons of the Church

#church, Book of Church Order, Complementarian, David Guzik, deacon, ecclesiology, Faith, God, J. Ligon Duncan III, PCA BCO, Scripture

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their…

Elders of the Church

#church, #integrity, #leadership, #love, #theology, Book of Church Order, Church Growth, Complementarian, ecclesiology, Egalitarian, Faith, imago Dei, Scripture

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.…

Pursuing Happiness

#anxiety, #hope, #marriage, #sanctification, American Authors, Ben Shapiro, Christ, Faith, Greg Gutfield, Holy Spirit, Idols, Iris Mauss, Scripture, Shankar Vedantam, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. – Prov. 17:22 Happiness. It is a word that is packed full of meaning. Those who are happy do not know they have happiness. Those who…

Positive Reinforcement

#hope, #love, #marriage, #sanctification, #theology, Doctrine of Man, Encouragement, Idols, Motivational Influences, Negative Reinforcement, Parenting, Positive Reinforcement, Positive Thinking, Reinforcement, Scripture, Spiritual Growth

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’” — Jeremiah 29:1 Last week’s post dealt with the internal-emotional…

Grumbling

#integrity, #love, #marriage, #sanctification, #theology, Complaining, Grumbling, Mark Twain, Moses, Paul David Tripp, Scripture, Thanksgiving, Zach Garris

And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the…

Positive Thinking

#anxiety, #hope, #sanctification, #theology, #Trust, #worship, Bruce Hurt, Christ, Dale Carnegie, Faith, Holy Spirit, John Owen, Norma Vincent Peale, Positive Thinking, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Walt Whitman

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. – Philippians 4:8 I…

Pride

#anxiety, #hope, #sanctification, Charles Hodge, Church Discipline, Emotions, Faith, Flesh, Holy Spirit, Jerry Bridges, Martin H. Manser, Motivational Influences, Repentance, Salvation, Scripture, Truth, W.S. Kerr, William A. Williams

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. ~ Proverbs 8:13 Some of my counseling lately has dealt with the issue of pride. Do not be mistaken; pride is…

Integrity

#church, #integrity, #marriage, #sanctification, Christ, Faith, George Buchanan Gray, Iain Murray, Samuel Rolles Driver, Scripture, W. Randall Lolley, W.L. Walker

3 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited…

Renewal for a New Year

#hope, #love, #restoration, #sanctification, Emotions, Faith, God, Holy Spirit, Justification, Perseverance, Salvation, Scripture, Soteriology, Spiritual Growth

3:4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration…

Grief

#hope, #love, #marriage, #restoration, #theology, #Trust, death, dying, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Emotions, Faith, Father, God, grief, grief.net, Heaven, Howard A Eyrich, sadness, Scripture, stages of grief, World

Jesus wept. ~ John 11:35 As I sit at my kitchen table staring out the window, it is a dreary morning here in Andrews, SC. It has been raining, the clouds are still dark and gray, and there is a…

“Worship”

#church, #hope, #restoration, #theology, #worship, Church Growth, ecclesiology, Faith, God, K.S. Wuest, Martin Dale, Regulative Principle of Worship, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Today In the Word, World

So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it…

“Thankfulness”

#love, #worship, Christ, Common Grace, Faith, Salvation, Scripture, Spiritual Growth, Westminster Confession of Faith

Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given…

Right Questions, Right Thinking

#church, #sanctification, #theology, A.T. Robertson, Anthropology, Christ, Doctrine of Man, Faith, Knox Chamblin, Logic, Ransom Poythress, Scripture, Spiritual Growth, Truth

3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? – Matthew 9:3-5 One striking…

“A Prayer for Our Veterans”

#hope, #Trust, Emotions, Faith, Father, God, Image of God, imago Dei, Perseverance, Protection, Truth, Veterans

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the…

Reflecting On 20 Years of Ministry

#church, #hope, #love, #sanctification, #Trust, Common Grace, Faith, Work

“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” (Psalm 33:11) Introduction Today is a special day for me. Today is the twentieth anniversary of my ordination into pastoral ministry. If there…

PCA BCO on Church Discipline – Part 3

#church, #hope, #restoration, #theology, Book of Church Order, Church Discipline, Don K Clements, ecclesiology, Government, Lawrence R. Eyres, Scripture, Spiritual Growth

“I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” (John 13:34-35) The last two weeks I shared…

PCA BCO on Church Discipline – Part 2

#church, #sanctification, Book of Church Order, Church Discipline, Church Growth, Doctrine of Man, Jay E Adams, Repentance, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth

Last week, I shared part one of three of a paper I wrote for my current DMin class. In that post, I discussed the importance of church discipline, highlighting church discipline within the Presbyterian government. I shared with you the…

PCA BCO on Church Discipline – Part 1

#church, #restoration, #sanctification, #theology, Book of Church Order, Church Discipline, Church Growth, David W. Hall, Jay E Adams, Scripture, Uncategorized, Westminster Confession of Faith

“6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”…

Caring for Those Struggling with Gender Dysphoria

#love, #marriage, #sanctification, #Trust, Alasdair Groves, American Psychiatric Association, Amy Evenson, Anna Mondale, Bill H.4716, Children, Church Discipline, David Powlison, Depression, Doctrine of Man, Emotions, gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, Heath Lambert, Image of God, imago Dei, Joel Maas, Kiley Crossland, LGBTQ+, Marshal and Mary Asher, Outreach, Parenting, Repentance, Scripture, Stephen Fastenau, transsexualism, Truth, Youth

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ~ 1 Peter 2:21 (NIV; emphasis mine) I walked the grocery store this week needing some items to smoke some…

Who Is In Charge of Our Childrens’ Education?

#church, #theology, Children, Education', Faith, Flesh, Government, Human, Idols, Parenting, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Westminster Confession of Faith

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your…

The Significance of Passing Overture 15

#church, #love, #marriage, Church Discipline, Doctrine of Man, Faith, Human, Idols, James Norris, Larry Ball, Peter Jones, Reed DePace, Ryan Biese, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, World, Zach Groff

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. This week I received a surprise telephone call from a former student named Jerry[1] checking…

“Christianity and Post-Postmodern America”

#anxiety, #church, #hope, #Trust, Christ, Church Growth, Enemy, Faith, Father, God, Holy Spirit, Jeffrey T. Nealon, Logic, Neighbor, Outreach, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Westminster Confession of Faith, World

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ~ 2 Corinthians 6:14 Reading the title, you may wonder where I am going with this post. I think…

Rest

#sanctification, #theology, #Trust, Common Grace, Goals, Rest, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Uncategorized

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. ~ Psalm 4:8 For the last post, I discussed the importance of diligent work because, as humans, we are created in the image…

Work

#sanctification, #theology, Andrew Murray, Anthropology, Aristotle, Cal Newport, Doctrine of Man, Friedrich Nietzsche, Idols, Image of God, imago Dei, Motivational Influences, Noetic Effect of Sin, Scripture, Tasks, Work, World

Proverbs 10:4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. When I was a young boy, my father provided a chore for me. It was simple. I was to keep the shrubbery around the house weeded…

Life Focus

#sanctification, #Trust, #worship, Anthropology, Christ, David Dunning, Doctrine of Man, Emily Balcetis, Eternal Perception, Faith, Goals, God, Holy Spirit, Image of God, imago Dei, Motivational Influences, Salvation, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Tasks, Visual Perception

Ephesians 1:18 …16 I [Paul] do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the…

Inner Voices – Part 2

#anxiety, #restoration, #sanctification, #Trust, Andrew Murray, Christ, Enemy, Ethan Kross, Faith, God, Holy Spirit, Human, Inner Voice, John Flavel, Noetic Effect of Sin, Scripture, Secular Therapy, Shankar Vedantam, Spiritual Battle, Trinity, World

Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. ~ Psalm 32:6 In the last post, I discussed an episode of one of…

Inner Voices

#anxiety, #restoration, #sanctification, #Trust, Anthropology, Brain, Depression, Doctrine of Man, Emotions, Ethan Kross, Faith, God, Human, Image of God, imago Dei, Inner Voice, Noetic Effect of Sin, Repentance, Salvation, Secular Therapy, Shankar Vedantam, Spiritual Battle, World

42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. ~ Psalm 42:1-2 As most of you know, I listen to different podcasts. Of course, I have…

Life Structure and The Regulative Principle of Worship

#church, #sanctification, #theology, #worship, Church Discipline, Church Growth, Douglas F. Kelly, Emotions, Faith, Idols, Image of God, Joel R. Beeke, Regulative Principle of Worship, Salvation, Scripture, Spiritual Growth, Tom Peters, Westminster Confession of Faith

5:15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ~ Ephesians 5:15-17 When I was…

Speaking Truth in Love

#church, #love, #marriage, #sanctification, #Trust, Christ, Church Growth, Emotions, Enemy, God, Holy Spirit, imago Dei, Neighbor, Parenting, Samuel Rutherford, Scripture, Speech, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, St. Francis of Assisi, Union, Westminster Confession of Faith

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ~ Ephesians 4:15 As believers, we know love is the foundational cornerstone of “one anothering” (John…

Testing Thoughts

#anxiety, #sanctification, #theology, #Trust, Devil, Ed Welch, Edward T. Welch, Faith, Flesh, God, Image of God, imago Dei, Logic, Satan, Scripture, Westminster Confession of Faith, World

…for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. (Prov. 23:7) One aspect of becoming more like Christ includes knowing how to test our thinking. God demands His…

Two Fields

#church, #sanctification, Church Growth, Devil, ecclesiology, Faith, Idols, Salvation, Satan, Scripture, Spiritual Battle

Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. – Luke 4:35 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel,…

Church Discipline

#church, #restoration, #sanctification, #theology, #Trust, Church Discipline, Church Growth, Faith, Holy Spirit, Idols, Jay E Adams, Joel R. Beeke, John F. MacArthur, Jr., Patience, Paul M. Smalley, Repentance, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Wayne A. Mack, Wilhelmus A Brakel

Matthew 18:17 ~ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. I believe one of the distinguishing marks…

Secular Therapies

#church, #sanctification, #theology, Anthropology, Christ, Common Grace, Depression, Dichotomy, Doctrine of Man, Faith, Holy Spirit, Human, Idols, Image of God, imago Dei, Scripture, Secular Therapy, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. Often, as a pastor, I am asked about my thoughts concerning secular therapies for dealing…

The Devil

#church, #sanctification, #theology, #Trust, Christ, Devil, Douglas F. Kelly, Faith, Father, Heath Lambert, Holy Spirit, Jay E Adams, Justification, Salvation, Satan, Scripture, Westminster Confession of Faith

One being Scripture warns Christians about is the devil. In the Old Testament, Genesis first makes Satan known as a serpent speaking directly to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-5), and then God speaks directly to…

Idolatry and Relationships

#sanctification, #theology, #Trust, Anthropology, Brad Bigney, Christology, Common Grace, Doctrine of Man, Douglas F. Kelly, Faith, Heath Lambert, Holy Spirit, Idols, Image of God, imago Dei, Repentance, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Thomas Watson, Westminster Confession of Faith

Psalm 139:23-24 ~ Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Idolatry is an offense against God. Brad Bigney…

Anxiety

#anxiety, #sanctification, #theology, #Trust, Anthropology, Attributes, Brian Borgman, Doctrine of Man, Emotions, Faith, Holy Spirit, Human, Idols, Jeff Forrey, Olivia Remes, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Union

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more…

Depression

#sanctification, #Trust, Attributes, Brian Borgman, Christ, D. MartinLloyd-Jones, Depression, Doctrine of Man, Ed Welch, Emotions, Faith, Image of God, imago Dei, Peter Masters, Salvation, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Westminster Confession of Faith

Why are you cast down, O my soul,and why are you in turmoil within me?Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,my salvation and my God. ~ Psalm 42:5 Depression is an emotion with which many people struggle. Depression,…

Anger

#church, #theology, #Trust, Anthropology, Atonement, Christ, Church Discipline, Doctrine of Man, Emotions, Faith, Holy Spirit, Idols, Justification, Salvation, Scripture, Special Grace, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth

Anger is an emotion that affects us all. However, few tend to think of anger with biblical eyes (Eph. 1:17-19). When we consider the whole Bible, about ten Hebrew words are often associated with anger. For instance, in Proverbs 9:7-8…

Biblically Understanding Emotions

#church, #sanctification, Anthropology, Doctrine of Man, Emotions, Faith, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Scripture, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Westminster Confession of Faith

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.…

The Role of the Church in the Life of the Believer

#church, #sanctification, #theology, Christ, Church Discipline, Church Growth, ecclesiology, Holy Spirit, Scripture, Westminster Confession of Faith

2 John 1:5 – And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. One aspect of the post-modern American church that is backward from…

A Biblical Description of the Church

#church, #sanctification, #theology, #Trust, Church Growth, Faith, Scripture, Spiritual Growth, Westminster Confession of Faith

Christians often get asked, “What is the church?” Although they furnish good answers, there is none better than what chapter twenty-five, sections one through five of The Westminster Confession of Faith provides. This essay will list each confession and provide…

The Role of the Holy Spirit

#sanctification, #theology, Faith, Holy Spirit, Scripture, Soteriology, Special Grace, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Westminster Confession of Faith

In this post, I want us to turn our attention to the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life. Many reformed Christians like the idea that the Holy Spirit works in their life, but they also think he…

The Synergistic Nature of Sanctification

#sanctification, #theology, Faith, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Scripture, Soteriology, Special Grace, Spiritual Battle, Spiritual Growth, Westminster Confession of Faith

My last post referenced the synergistic nature of sanctification when it states, “The Christian must always be working out their salvation (Phil. 2:12) but must be doing so synergistically, cooperating with God (1 John 3:9; Phil. 2:12-13).” This post will…

Past, Present, and Future Sanctification

#sanctification, #theology, Faith, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Scripture, Soteriology, Spiritual Growth, Westminster Confession of Faith

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ~ Romans 8:13 The last topic addressed the believer’s union with Christ. An…

Union with Christ

#sanctification, #theology, Christ, Christology, Faith, Holy Spirit, Justification, Salvation, Scripture, Soteriology, Union

…that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. – 1 John 1:3 One of…

Uncategorized

Repentance is an invaluable aspect of a Christian’s life. The Westminster Confession of Faith states that “repentance unto life is an evangelical grace” (Acts 11:18; 2 Cor. 7:10; Zech. 12:10; 2 Tim. 2:25) (WCF 15.1). And The Westminster Shorter Catechism…

Faith’s Relationship to Justification and Sanctification

#sanctification, #theology, #Trust, Faith, Justification, Salvation, Scripture, Soteriology, Westminster Confession of Faith

What makes a covenant child of God different from an unbeliever. Indeed, there is the element of God’s grace enacted toward them (Exd. 34:6; John 1:14-17; 2 Cor. 12:9). However, one could argue that faith sets the believer apart from…

What Is Justifying Faith

#theology, Christ, Christology, Faith, Justification, Salvation, Scripture, Soteriology, Special Grace, Westminster Confession of Faith

Romans 4:5 – And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness… We hear theologians, pastors, and Christians talk a lot about justification. We are justified in…

Purify and Elevate

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104 South Rosemary AveAndrews SC, 29510

104 South Rosemary Ave
Andrews SC, 29510