presbycast

PCA pastor and former GA moderator Fred Greco shares advice on important overtures to the upcoming assembly and provides a user's guide for new presbyters, spectators, or viewers of the assembly.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rlcSQQqKlU

Pastors Scott Edburg and Jared Nelson of the Polity Matters podcast join us along with Presbygirl Zoe Miller to wade through a flood of overtures for the 2025 PCA General Assembly. See all the overtures here: https://pcaga.org/resources/#overtures Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3fCIE_0ncA  

Dr. Sean Morris, associate pastor of Covenant PCA of Oak Ridge, TN, preaches on the ascension from Acts 1:1-11.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unk3QHXXUSw

Jeff Stivason has served Christ and his church as a gospel minister for the past 30 years. He currently pastors Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, and teaches New Testament Studies at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He also serves on the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals board and as the editor of Reformation21. Check out his sermons here and his articles here and here.  Also, listen to our RPCNA brothers sing Psalm 100 here. Brothers in ministry, Greenville Seminary invites you to their 2025 Summer Seminar: Contemporary Challenges in Pastoral Ministry. Carl Trueman and David Hall will join us on campus for a series of lectures on preaching, pastoral communication, pastoring and people, and the pastor's personal life. August 5-7 in Greenville, SC. Registration is $125/person. You can sign up here. Special thanks to Nathan Clark George for our opening and closing instrumental. Nathan serves as the Pastor of Worship alongside Kevin DeYoung at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC. You can access Nathan's fantastic catalog here.

Pastor Stephen Spinnenweber joins us to talk about his new book "Loving the Law." The book can be found at many outlets, including the Christian Focus website: https://www.christianfocus.com/en-us/product/9781527112520/loving-the-law-paperback Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo2mC0nDmeY

Pastor Chris Drew is our guide as we walk through Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 19, Of the Law of God. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxOWdAHeXLE CHAPTER 19 Of the Law of God 1. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience, promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it. 2. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables: the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man. 3. Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the new testament. 4. To them also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging any other now, further than the general equity thereof may require. 5. The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that, not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it. Neither doth Christ, in the gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation. 6. Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives; so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin, together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin: and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, show them God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof: although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works. So as, a man's doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one, and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law; and, not under grace. 7. Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it; the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely, and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done.

Our guest was Jonathan Landry Cruse, pastor of Community Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His authorial output is approaching 10 books (including What Happens When We Worship) and his new book in the Christian Focus "Track" series, A Student's Guide to the Church. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JyW97XTIrE

Pastoral intern & proud son of the PCA Robert Hasler joins Sarah and Zoe to discuss the seeming decline of interest in traditional Protestantism and Presbyterianism, and how we might recover from this through a high view of the ordinary means of grace and ordinary faithfulness. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea5qDfR2Pxw

Pastors Joe Cristman and Zach Byrd, Presbygirl and pastor's wife Zoe, and Justen the fighter pilot-ruling elder help us assess some controversial new overtures that will come before the PCA General Assembly in June. See overtures 26-28 here: https://pcaga.org/resources/#overtures   Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCGDD5HT3wg

Brad addresses the ByFaith/Barth article controversy and what it says about the past, present, and near future of the PCA.  Here's an archived version of the removed Barth article—judge for yourself if it's helpful: https://web.archive.org/web/20250408203510/https://byfaithonline.com/karl-barths-doctrine-of-prayer/ And yes, the referenced 2008 article at ByFaith about Memorial Presbyterian's chapel ministry is still up: https://byfaithonline.com/goin-to-the-chapel-a-sanctuary-for-the-arts/

Lowell Ivy is a long-time friend and fellow GPTS alum who pastored Reformation Presbyterian Church, an OPC church plant, in Virginia Beach, VA, for seven years until being called in 2024 to serve as the Executive Director of the PCA's Metanoia Prison Ministries. Lowell is uniquely suited for this role as the Lord wondrously converted him in prison while serving a 15-year prison sentence for armed robbery. He is a trophy of God's grace and a testament to    You can learn more about Metanoia Minsitires here, hear his sermons here and read some of his Table Talk articles here.  Thanks to Greenville Seminary for generously sponsoring the show. Brothers in ministry, GPTS invites you to their 2025 Summer Seminar: Contemporary Challenges in Pastoral Ministry. Carl Trueman and David Hall will join us on campus for a series of lectures on preaching, pastoral communication, pastoring and people, and the pastor's personal life. The seminar will be held August 5-7 in Greenville, SC. Learn more here. Special thanks to Nathan Clark George for our opening and closing instrumental. Nathan serves as the Pastor of Worship alongside Kevin DeYoung at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC. You can access Nathan's fantastic catalog here.

Never have five persons had such a good time talking about the Trinity and how to promote the blessed doctrine in our churches. PCA ministers Sean Morris and Derrick Brite plus OPC minister and prolific author Harrison Perkins were our guests. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3c4Ha4S5n4

Pastors Matt Adams and Scott Edburg joined us for a surprisingly salty first look at the 22 overtures to the PCA General Assembly received thus far.  Track here: https://pcaga.org/resources/#overtures Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITATv8zYZ6M Substack article re: Christian Nationalism study committees: https://presbycast.substack.com/p/who-knows-about-christian-nationalism

Our friend pastor Derrick Brite of Aliceville, AL preached this encouraging sermon from John 17 at Wayside Presbyterian Church (PCA), Signal Mountain, TN on 3/16/2025.

Dr. Ian Hamilton is Professor of Historical Theology at Westminster Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Newcastle, England, Adjunct Professor of Applied Theology at GPTS, a long time trustee of the Banner of Truth Trust, and a prolific author and speaker. He served as pastor of Loudoun Church of Scotland for twenty years before being called as the minister of Cambridge Presbyterian Church in England where he served for 17 years.  You can find his books here and his sermons here.   Fathers & Brothers is committed to bringing you in-person interviews with seasoned pastors about life and ministry. Special thanks to my alma mater, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, for helping us serve our audience through their generous support of the show.  If you're interested in studying at Greenville Seminary or contributing to their work, check them out at GPTS.edu.  

Ashes, ashes, we all...avoid being Erdmans! What about lent and Ash Wednesday and why are they a "thing" (if only a small thing) in Presbyterian and Reformed churches in the 21st century? We examine these questions with Dr. D.G. Hart (a scholar and OPC ruling elder), PCA pastor Jacob Gerber, and Kevin White, an ecclesially well-traveled polymath.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxIXlAFhUnI

Two young PCA pastors joined us to talk about the catechism they have produced on worship—private, family, and public. The sections will roll out over the coming weeks on Matt Adams' Substack: https://substack.com/@mdadams Watch: (skip forward several minutes due to technical difficulty) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUCBRvv03-w

PCA pastor Scott McDermand recounts his experience of working to reform the ministry of a small church...which just happens to be in the metropolis of Bad Axe in the thumb of Michigan.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgJ33CcrYkM  

URCNA minister Rev. Brian Lee joins us to talk about pastoring in the challenging city of Washington DC (very near Capitol Hill) and his denominations new church planting manual which can be found here: https://www.urcna.org/file_retrieve/113352 Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkcOE4y6CSk  

URCNA pastor Chris Gordon joins us to discuss his ongoing dialogue with Stephen Wolfe concerning living in exile as Christian citizens and church officers. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8FJCXQ9ntM  Watch the original Abounding Grace Radio video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8FJCXQ9ntM  

David Gilbert is the Senior Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Douglasville, GA. He also teaches preaching at GPTS, has written for Tabletalk Magazine and has become a regular on the American Reformed & Presbyterian conference circuit.  You can listen to his sermons here.  Special thanks to Nathan Clark George for our opening and closing instrumental. Nathan serves as the Pastor of Worship alongside Kevin DeYoung at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC. You can access Nathan's fantastic catalog here. Fathers & Brothers is committed to bringing you in-person interviews with seasoned pastors about life and ministry. Special thanks to my alma mater, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, for helping us serve our audience through their generous support of the show.  If you're interested in studying at Greenville Seminary or contributing to their work, check them out at GPTS.edu. - Jim McCarthy Also, be sure to register for GPTS's upcoming Confessional Conference: The Pastor: His Call, Character and Work (March 11-13, 2025). Speakers include Ian Haimlton, Terry Johnson, Jonathan Master, David Gilbert, Jeff Stivason, Ryan McGraw, Carlton Wynne, John Tweedale, and Craig Troxel. Learn more and register here.  

The Presbycast Radio Players stage a silly live radio remote from the fictional Xanders's Xian Lifestyle Store and then express their appreciation for their respective Reformed churches. Come for the fun, stay for the encouragement.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_PGE6lFNWo  

Brad reads and expands upon his short Substack piece prompted by 1926 newspaper ads about dueling sermons from J. Gresham Machen and a Social Gospeler in St. Louis. Read the article and see the ads: https://presbycast.substack.com/p/a-presbyterian-historical-snippet. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZf6pe7R5fU

Here's a sermon from Hebrews 13 on the offices from Dr. Nick Willborn of Covenant Presbyterian Church, Oak Ridge, TN, which preceded officer elections for the church. There is a lengthy introduction concerning Moses and Jethro from Exodus 18. There's also some good unaccompanied congregational singing of a psalm and hymn. Listeners may notice that the sermons we post generally concern ecclesiology or worship—two topics not often covered by preachers.

An all-star cast of presbyterians came together to make predictions for 2025 developments in the kingdoms of the church and the world. Ruling elder Kerry and pastors Chris Drew, Reed DePace, Ryan Biese, Job Dalomba, Nick Bullock, and Wilson Van Hooser.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iteWbuC-5wg

Gospel Reformation Network executive council members Jon Payne, Ligon Duncan, Mel Duncan, Richard Phillips, Jason Helopoulos, David Strain, and Jonathan Master have an engaging roundtable discussion on the nature and task of the ruling elder. This is also the theme of the 2025 GRN National Conference in Sanford, Florida (May 7-8). You can learn more about the conference and register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-grn-national-conference-tickets-1030379682367

This program contains two recordings from several years ago—an account of the death of Machen on January 1, 1937, followed by a reading of the monumental final chapter (The Church) from Machen's great work, Christianity and Liberalism. On YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRym5CKIxdA

Dr. R. Scott Clark and pastor Sean Morris help us think about how to be both faithful and welcoming to visitors, outsiders, and newcomers.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTAHYqEnmSw

Nathanael Miller is the RUF Campus minister at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA. To hear Nathaniel's excellent preaching at his large group meetings, check out his podcast here. To learn more about Nathanael's ministry or how you can support him, click here.      Special thanks to Nathan Clark George for our opening and closing instrumental. Nathan serves as the Pastor of Worship alongside Kevin DeYoung at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC. You can access Nathan's fantastic catalog here.  

The Bishop of Western Festivus Dan Borvan joins us along with Chris Gordon, R. Scott Clark, Zoe the Presbygirl, Sean Morris, and the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones to air grievances and perform feats of theological and ecclesial strength...and vocal performance. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZhUeveRJpI

PCA pastors Stephen Spinnenweber and Scotty Anderson help us explore paedocommunion and its relative "young child" communion.  Here is Stephen's article: https://gospelreformation.net/dear-pastor-may-my-child-take-the-lords-supper/ Here is Scotty's article on young child communion: https://www.pastorspress.org/2016/01/27/the-age-for-communion/ Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrM5aL_isPw

Sarah and Zoe sit down with Rev. Matthew Everhard, a PCA pastor in Pennsylvania, to talk a little bit about his family life in ministry and a lot about his new book Worshiptainment, a small but detailed primer on why Presbyterians believe in the regulative principle and some of the excesses in modern evangelical worship. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM4uRLHdQWw We also joined Matt for a video on his own YouTube channel and you can find that conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQZJTJ2wBOA    

OPC minister Chris Drew joins us to walk through chapter 18 of the Westminster Confession of Faith, Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation. This is a tremendously helpful chapter. Here is the text: 1. Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God, and estate of salvation (which hope of theirs shall perish): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed. 2. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God, which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption. 3. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it: yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance; so far is it from inclining men to looseness. 4. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart, and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may, in due time, be revived; and by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.

Scotty Anderson is the Associate Pastor for Family Ministry at Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church in Simpsonville, SC. You can check out his sermons here: https://www.sermonaudio.com/speakers/9851. Special thanks to Nathan Clark George for our opening and closing instrumental. Nathan serves as the Pastor of Worship alongside Kevin DeYoung at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC. You can access Nathan's fantastic catalog here.

Pastor Jared Nelson and ruling elder Matt Lee bring the benefits of their knowledge, experience, and research to bear on the complicated issue (and fact) of so-called Good Faith Subscription in the Presbyterian Church in America.  Matt's article: https://pcapolity.com/2024/02/21/exceptionalism-in-the-pca/ The 2002 PCAGA issue of Presbyterian & Reformed News that we referenced: https://www.presbyteriannews.org/volumes/v8/3/pr33.pdf

We talk about music—singable, simple, congregatonal, appropriate music for public worship in the church—with Sean and Sarah Morris, a pastor and a pianist who are both well-trained and actively engaged in the life and ministry of a local church. You are bound to find something of interest if church music interests you at all...which it must do if you're a Christian! We look at a new Getty song and we talk about how church music got to where it is today and about the commercialization and commodification of Christian music. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXbbb0CX0X8  

Because we didn't want to watch election coverage we talked about tacos...and the election and politics...and the church...for three hours. From Nixon to Mexican cheeses to church fellowship meal menus—we covered it all. Consume this content at your own risk. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/live/8HzTh_dnvxs "What Did Machen Eat?" article: https://presbycast.substack.com/p/what-did-machen-eat

Pastor Ryan Biese of First Presbyterian Church (PCA) of Fort Oglethorpe, GA preached this applied exposition of Psalm 37 on 11/3/2024 with the US election season being in view. The intro and outro music is Psalm 137 from the Trinity Psalter Hymnal by TJ Hallet. 

Pastors Derrick Brite, Ryan Biese, and Matt Adams plus Presbygirl Zoe joined us to discuss Tucker Carlson's ballyhooed "spiritual" encounter and the spiritual worship that Reformed churches ought to enjoy. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be confused! And you might be edified. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUcahktpHa0

Pastor Job Dalomba joins us to talk about living in tumultuous political times, being neigborly, and applying Reformed theological truths.  Based on: https://presbycast.substack.com/p/16-thoughts-for-christian-citizens Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azc6QRsbCWs

Evangelical taxonomy, political angst, PCA polling, un-civil culture wars and...the place of humor in the Bible, the Christian life and personal sanity—that's pretty much all we talked about with friends Dr. DG Hart of Hillsdale College and Stephen Spinnenweber, pastor of Westminster PCA in Jacksonville, FL.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slWmtTp5LKE The article: https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/5-kinds-of-american-evangelicals-and-their-voting-patterns/ The poll: https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/how-40-protestant-denominations-voted

Pastors Dan Borvan (URCNA), Chris Drew (OPC), Zack Groff, and Ryan Biese (PCA) joined our panel to talk about the latest hot trend in the Reformed and evangelical worlds—ministers and young people decamping to the Anglican communion...whatever that is.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5gWHDesuuE https://religionunplugged.com/news/2024/10/1/will-anglicans-save-evangelicalism https://juicyecumenism.com/2024/09/26/wheaton-anglican-pipeline/ https://juicyecumenism.com/2024/10/08/anglo-catholicism-west-virginia/

Dr. David Hall is the senior pastor of Midway Presbyterian Church in Powder Springs, GA. He is a prolific author, serves on the board of Westminster Seminary California, and is one of the organizers of the Reformation & Worship Conference that will be held October 10-13 at IPC in Savannah. You can register for the conference here. You can check out David's books here and listen to his sermons here. (F&B episodes are usually released monthly, but we wanted to get this one out before the worship conference.) Special thanks to Nathan Clark George for our opening and closing instrumental. Nathan serves as the Pastor of Worship alongside Kevin DeYoung at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC. You can access Nathan's fantastic catalog here.

 The Presbygirls are back with a slightly different kind of show this time - we interviewed PCA minister Perry McCall and his wife Robin about their son's cancer diagnosis at 8, and what it was like for their family and Perry's ministry. The McCalls take us through the timeline of Andrew's treatment, covering topics like the encouragement of the local church, the importance of the Lord's day, and guiding children through hard and severe situations. Watch: https://youtube.com/live/HDsMMQVz73k

Dr. C.N. "Nick" Willborn has pastored Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) since 2009 and continues to teach at Reformed seminaries as an adjunct after teaching full time for a number of years.  Dr. Willborn's many previous sermons and presentations on Presbycast may be found here. Special thanks to Nathan Clark George for our opening and closing instrumental. Nathan serves as the Pastor of Worship alongside Kevin DeYoung at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC. You can access Nathan's fantastic catalog here.  

TJ Hallett joins us to talk (and sing) about his Trinity Psalter Hymnal video and guitar chords project. You'll be encouraged by his love for psalms, singing, and congregational praise. Pastor Sean Morris, a regular guest, brings his musical and biblical knowledge to bear as well.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E2C4dl8cJ0 Previous TPH show with Danny Olinger: https://presbycast.libsyn.com/the-trinity-psalter-hymnal-the-church-wdanny-olinger / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGEdxT8fDeU&t=0s https://www.trinitypsalterhymnal.org/  

Our friend Pastor D. talks about his educational and preaching mission to China. We examine the size, scope, and health of the Chinese church and we heard an amazing story about the Lord's Day meetings of rural Chinese churches.

Reformed Forum major domo Camden Bucey and a brigade of hot sauce veterans join us to talk heat, theology, and life.   Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcftXn38HCM (episode is uniquely suited to video....tears, etc.) Machen food article: https://presbycast.substack.com/p/what-did-machen-eat

Dr. Joseph A. Pipa Jr. is president emeritus and professor of systematic and applied theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Greenville, S.C.  He is also co-pastor of Antioch Presbyterian Church in Woodruff, SC. You can find his books here and listen to his sermons here. Special thanks to Nathan Clark George for our opening and closing instrumental. Nathan serves as the Pastor of Worship alongside Kevin DeYoung at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC. You can access Nathan's fantastic catalog here.

Dr. C.N. "Nick" Willborn, senior pastor of Covenant PCA in Oak Ridge, TN, preaches an excellent sermon on the nature and mission of the church.  You may view the service in which it was preached here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fao1cGXmE64

Hillsdale historian DG Hart and California pastor Chad Vegas join us to talk about worship through the centuries and the long, strange trip Vegas' reforming church has made. Again, we look behind a church curtain...and even peek into the drummer cage.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmOF98_sAGw