Review: Infant Baptism
Many people wrestle with the relationship between the Word preached and the Word poured out in Baptism. How does this washing with water and the Word work? Is it necessary for a believing adult? Does ...
Preach the Word – January/February 2015
Volume 18, Number 3. In this issue, Pastor Tom Westra encourages pastors who feel they are done with the "Honeymoon" phase of ministry and offers advice on sermon introductions. When the Honeymoon Is Over When ...
Happy Spiritual Birthday
Dear Brothers, November 15,1959 was not a date my family taught me to celebrate. In some ways I wish they had. On that date God's eternal plans forged with my name on it first ...
Stoop to Sandal-Level
Dear Brothers, There's an element of last Sunday's gospel that a preacher would highlight if speaking to fellow preachers. "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I ...
Review: The Commentators’ Bible: Leviticus
ANOTHER COMMENTARY?!?! That is perhaps a person’s reaction to this review. However this book is unique when it comes to commentaries, at least most English commentaries. This is not just one commentator’s thoughts on Leviticus, ...
Review: Messiah
Among the various traditions this time of year, George Friederic Handel’s Messiah is often one of them. Perhaps it is the tradition of attending a performance of Messiah on a December evening before Christmas. Perhaps ...
Review: The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture
Bart Ehrman presents a challenge to Christians. His challenge is in the area of textual criticism. His main point is this: We do not have the original pieces of paper on which Mark wrote his ...
Preach the Word – November/December 2014
Volume 18, Number 2. Pastor Tom Westra checks in on preachers--how they're doing and how they can better prepare themselves for preaching. How Are You? Busyness can result in burn-out, strained relationships, and lack of ...
The Oil of Grace
Dear Brothers, Five foolish. Five wise. There's a sobering warning aimed at me in those numbers in Jesus' parable. If only Jesus' warning in the gospel for Saints Triumphant hadn't been spoken in the ...
Cash or Credit
Dear Brothers, "A few dollars." That's the NIV84's footnote in Sunday's gospel suggesting a contemporary equivalent of a 100 denarii debt. Doesn't that miss the point? 100 denarii was 100 days wages for a day ...