Podcasts about Heidelberg Catechism

Sunday evening service, looking at the Heidelberg Catechism, or the Orthodox Catechism, Lord's Day 7 - #20-22 Q. ARE ALL MEN THEN SAVED BY CHRIST AS THEY PERISHED IN ADAM? A. No, only those who by true faith are grafted into him and receive all his benefits. Q. WHAT IS TRUE FAITH? A. True faith is not only a sure knowledge whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in his word; but also a hearty trust, which the Holy Spirit works in me by the gospel, that not only to others, but to me also, forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation are freely given by God, merely of Grace, only for the sake of Christ merits. Q. WHAT MUST A CHRISTIAN BELIEVE? A. Everything that is promised to us in the gospel, as summarized briefly in The Apostles' Creed – the catholic and undoubted confession of faith of all true Christians.

Luke 11:1-13 and Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 46

Lord's Day 7, Q&Z 21, (Re-)intro the Heidelberg Catechism

IntroductionThere can be a disconnect in the Christian life. We can become so focused on doctrine that we forget that we are called to live out the gospel. Or we can become so focused on living the Christian life that we lose sight of the doctrine that gives us the strength and assurance to live it.The Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 23 understands this tension. As we come to justification by faith, it essentially asks us, Is this doctrine really helpful? Is this something that actually benefits us? Does knowing that we are justified by faith make any difference in the Christian life?I think those are important questions. So, let's begin. Is This Helpful?The first thing we have to understand is the seriousness of our problem.Our problem is that we minimize sin. We sometimes like to think that if we can just clean up enough of the outward problems, we will be okay. Maybe we haven't done everything right, but we have done better than the person next to us. Maybe we have kept 99.99% of the commandments.But the problem is that sin is not merely a collection of bad behaviors. Sin is at the core of who we are. Our behavior or actions are merely the fruit of the deeper root problem. In the fall, humanity essentially told God, We don't want your order. We don't want your holiness. We don't want you ruling over us. We were exiled from Eden, and God gave us what we wanted. And that leaves us in a desperate position.We see this even in some of the great saints of Scripture. Jacob spent much of his life trying to accomplish the promises of God in his own strength. He wrestled with God and came away limping, learning that the promises of God come through weakness and submission to the Lord.Job wanted his day in court with God. He wanted to present his case and demonstrate that God had gotten things wrong. But when Job finally comes face-to-face with the living God, he puts his hand over his mouth. He learns that God's wisdom is far greater than his own. Paul was a man who considered himself blameless according to the law, yet Christ had to stop him on the road to Damascus. Even Paul had to learn that God's strength is manifested in weakness.And then there is Isaiah. Isaiah appears to be one of those Old Testament saints who was pretty dialed in. Yet when he comes into the presence of God, he doesn't say, "I dwell in the midst of unclean people who make me unclean." No, he says, “Woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips” That is the point. Apart from Christ, we have nothing.Paul makes this very clear in Romans 3. He gives a staccato of Old Testament references and demonstrates that there is a universal problem that impacts Jew and Gentile. It doesn't matter how religious you are or how well you have cleaned up your life.All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.That is why justification by faith is so helpful. It tells us the truth about our condition. We cannot save ourselves. We need a rematch and not a participation trophy.The championship game has already been played. Adam failed, and in Adam we have all failed. The verdict has been issued. We need someone to reengage the competition and overturn the previous verdict. And that is exactly what Christ does in his work. However, this can still be all doctrine. Is there a place where this really impacts our Christian life? Is This Assuring? This is where the beauty of justification really comes into view. The Heidelberg Catechism says that I share in all of Christ's benefits. He has made perfect satisfaction for my sin. He has given me his perfect holiness. And I am regarded before God as if I had never sinned and as if I had perfectly obeyed all that God commanded. Think about the beauty of that.It is not my righteousness. It is Christ's righteousness.It is not my perfect obedience. It is Christ's perfect obedience. It is not something I have earned. It is a gift. God has freely given it to his unworthy children.Paul says in Romans 3 that we are justified by God's grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Justification is a legal declaration. Before the heavenly court, we deserve condemnation in Adam. But in Christ, we are declared righteous.And this is what makes grace so amazing.Sometimes we define grace as “unmerited favor.” But I think Scripture gives us an even deeper picture. Unmerited favor could mean that God just gave us something. We did not earn it. However, we could be neutral. For instance, you love your kid, so you just buy your kid ice cream. The kid did not specifically deserve it, but you want to spend some quality time together.We actively rebelled against him. We told God that we didn't want his holiness, his rule, or his order. If we continue with the illustration of buying a child ice cream, we can ask: Would you buy your child ice cream after your child washed your car with a Brillo pad? I am guessing that the child is not getting ice cream. However, we did far worse to God in the fall. He also gives us more than a participation trophy or ice cream. God gives us heaven through the work of his son. Christ doesn't simply overlook our sin. This is why Paul uses the language of redemption. Redemption is buying someone out of slavery. That is what Christ did. He purchased us out of our bondage of sin to set us free to live in him.Christ had to lay down his life in our place. He has to die because sin is that heinous. It is not that God is so villainous, but sin is that heinous. We cannot find a simple solution to this complex problem. So if someone wants to mock justification by faith as a “participation trophy,” I say, "I'll gladly take it." I'll put it on the shelf and proudly say, I am in Christ Jesus, and apart from Christ I have no hope. However, we need to remember that Christ reengaged the championship game. He won the game and gives us the credit.Conclusion So is justification by faith helpful?Absolutely.Because we have a 100% problem, and we need a 100% Savior.Is justification assuring?Absolutely.Because Christ has done what we could never do. He has satisfied God's justice, paid our debt, redeemed us from slavery, and given us his righteousness.And is my faith good enough?No, but Christ is.That is the good news. The gospel isn't that God looked at us and decided that we were basically good enough to receive a participation trophy. The gospel is that we were condemned in Adam, and Christ came into the heavenly courtroom and stood in our place. He took the judgment we deserved and gave us the righteousness we could never earn. He overturned the previous loss and won us our victory. And so we don't use grace as an excuse to push the boundaries of sin. If we really understand what sin is, why would we want to return to it? Sin is destructive. It tears us away from the true peace and shalom that God created us to enjoy.So let us continue to take hold of Christ by faith. Let us forget what lies behind and press forward toward what lies ahead. Christ Jesus has made us his own. And as the Holy Spirit continues to conform us to Christ, let us walk in him, trusting not in the strength of our faith, but in the strength of our Savior.

Six months into a stage-four pancreatic cancer diagnosis that gave him 90 days to live, Ben Sasse sits down with EconTalk's Russ Roberts for a conversation that refuses easy comfort. The former U.S. senator and University of Florida president is candid about his physical challenges but the heart of this exchange is elsewhere: what actually matters when time is short. Sasse reflects on faith and mortality, the "shattering of idols" like his own workaholism, and his pride in his marriage. Along the way he offers sharp diagnoses of Congress's abdication of responsibility, the crisis inside American universities, and a republic distracted by the "digital casino" in its pocket. Funny, unflinching, and deeply human, it closes with a meditation on raging against the dying of the light while walking with your head bowed.

Ephesians 6:18 and Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 45

Abraham said, “I swear it.” — Genesis 21:24 An oath is a solemn promise or declaration of the truth. In Jesus' day, it was common for people to offer oaths to add weight to their promises or statements. For example, people would claim to solemnly swear by “heaven,” “earth,” or “Jerusalem.” But depending on how their oaths were worded, they might or might not be binding. For instance, swearing by Jerusalem wasn't necessarily binding, but swearing toward Jerusalem was binding. Jesus strongly denounced this deceptive approach, saying, “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes' or ‘No'” (Matthew 5:37).Does this mean that if you take an oath, calling on God's name, you would violate the commandment against misusing God's name? The simple answer is both “yes” and “no.” If you rashly say something like “I swear to God” or “As God is my witness” to a promise or a statement just for the sake of emphasis, that may indeed be a misuse of God's name—especially if what you are stating is questionable or not even sincere. It's different, though, with oaths taken in a court of law or in some other weighty situation. In cases like that, an oath can “promote truth and trustworthiness for God's glory and for our neighbor's good” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 101).In general, we need to take care that we honor God in all that we say, and we especially do so when we speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).  Help us, Lord, to honor you by speaking the truth. And please forgive us when we fall short. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The sermon explores the Christian's ultimate purpose by examining Philippians 1:21 and the Heidelberg Catechism to establish that glorifying God is the chief end of man. It contrasts worldly ambitions with the eternal comfort found in belonging to Jesus Christ, emphasizing that all circumstances, including suffering and imprisonment, work together for good through the Spirit's power. The text highlights Paul's confidence that Christ is his gain in both life and death, rendering any other pursuit secondary to this singular devotion. By analyzing the role of prayer and the insufficiency of human righteousness, the message urges believers to find their identity and hope exclusively in Christ. Ultimately, it calls for self-examination regarding whether one's life reflects a genuine desire to magnify Christ above all else.

https://media.urclearning.org/audio/janbazian/msj-2026-08-02_heidelberg-catechism--part-ii--grace--q--37-39.mp3

Psalm 19:11-14 and Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 44

Sunday evening service, looking at the Heidelberg Catechism, or the Orthodox Catechism, Lord's Day 6 - #16-19: Q. Why must he be truly human and truly righteous? A. God's justice demands that human nature, which has sinned, must pay for its sin; but a sinner could never pay for others. Q. Why must he also be true God? A. So that, by the power of his divinity, he might bear the weight of God's anger in his humanity and earn for us and restore to us righteousness and life. Q. And who is this mediator--true God and at the same time truly human and truly righteous? A. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was given us to set us completely free and to make us right with God. Q. How do you come to know this? A. The holy gospel tells me. God himself began to reveal the gospel already in Paradise; later, he proclaimed it by the holy patriarchs and prophets, and portrayed it by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; finally, he fulfilled it through his own dear Son

IntroductionAbraham struggled to trust God's promises even after receiving a vision and an explicit word from God. The Lord assured Abraham that he is Abraham's shield (Genesis 15:1). The Lord will protect him and defend him. Peter also doubted the path to glory through the suffering of the cross. The thought of a distant God protecting a people who seem so far away just seems absurd. Christians today may wonder whether God has abandoned his people. We face trials, and we might wonder if God is really in the midst of them. This becomes even more apparent when Peter addresses us as exiles. If we are in exile, we would think that God is even more removed from us. Peter, who struggled to believe Christ would protect him, assures the church that the Triune God has neither forgotten nor forsaken His people. Rather, He is actively guarding them until they receive the inheritance He has prepared for them. The Triune GodPeter tells us that the Father has chosen us. It is his foreknowledge. Why does he know? It is because he has decided it (1 Peter 1:1). Our exile status is intentional. The Son has redeemed us through his blood. The Holy Spirit is sanctifying us to conform to Christ. (1 Peter 1:2) Peter writes to believers living in exile. We are outside the promised land. We have to see that exile does not mean abandonment. The Father elects/chooses His children, the Son continues to reign as Lord and Redeemer, and the Spirit remains present, sanctifying and preserving God's people. The Lord refines his people through the painful trials. The trials are like gold passing through the flame. These trials are not signs of God's absence. No, the trials are used to burn away the impurities of our faith, conforming us to be more faithful children of God. The Triune God is personally guarding us as he protected and guarded his people in foreign lands. We are currently in exile on a Christian pilgrimage to the promised land, being guarded by God. It is true that we are reminded of our creaturely status when we contemplate the doctrine of the Trinity. We know that our God is beyond our full comprehension. However, we can know and do know our God. We know that he is actively working on our behalf. Our Certain ApplicationYes, we are in exile. We are away from the promised land. However, our Lord works to protect us. The Heidelberg Catechism reminds us that the Holy Spirit has been given to me. We might think of someone more spiritual having the Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit is given to me. I am a temple of the Holy Spirit by God's grace. The Holy Spirit will be with us from this age to the age to come. We might not think that this is very important. However, Peter assures us that God is giving us double protection. The inheritance that Christ has won for us is being guarded in heaven. We are continually and actively being guarded by God to receive that inheritance. The assurance of this is that no Babylonian or Assyrian can take our inhertiance like we saw with Israel in the past. Yes, we will face trials in this age. We will get some bumps and bruises along the way, but the Lord will be the shield and defender, guaranteeing that we will receive what he has set apart for us. This means that as the Holy Spirit is given to us by Christ, we will be protected. It means that as the Father has chosen us, we will receive his chosen inheritance. This is not because it is grounded in us, but by our God working in history. Conclusion Peter knows the struggle of the Christian life. He too wanted glory now. He did not understand Christ's mission to gain heaven through the cross. In fact, Peter denied Christ three times when Christ was heading to the cross. Peter did not understand the suffering to glory. Peter had an awkward breakfast with the Lord, where the Lord asked him three times if Peter loved him and charged Peter to care for his people after Peter's three answers. Peter knows the grace of Christ. Peter was assured that he would persevere until the end. It is not because Peter is so competent, but because the Lord is that faithful. Let us take Peter's testimony seriously. Let us hear his inspired words to encourage us in this life. Our God is not distant. We might not fully understand the doctrine of the Trinity, but we know that our God guards our inheritance and he actively guards us. We will receive what he has set out for us. Christ has earned it. The Father has chosen us. The Spirit applies Christ's distinct blessings. As we face trials in this age, let us be confident that the Lord is refining us to be the people he has called us to be. He is shepherding us in the midst of it. We will dwell with him in our inheritance he secured for us. Let us live out the days he has numbered for us in the confidence of his protection and faithfulness. I did a series on “Sojourning Under the Sun.” You can read a short summary of exile on the Gospel Coalition's website.

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites (Nehemiah 2:10). Nehemiah finally makes it to Jerusalem. With letters from the king, he is official – coming with royal authority. And he did not come alone, but with an escort of officials and cavalry. His coming did not go unnoticed, but very much disturbed Sanballat and Tobiah, who were the local powerbrokers. They were endeavoring to keep Israel weak, thereby securing their own power and influence. They recognized that his coming was a threat to their grip on power. And they would continue to be a thorn in Nehemiah's side, seeking to undermine both the physical and spiritual progress he sought to bring. We may find this a mere curiosity with little relevance for us today, being far removed in time and geography. But Sanballat and Tobiah are included in this story for our edification. They are part of the long resistance to God's kingdom which will continue until Christ returns. As Jesus said to his disciples, "Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy" (John 16:20). He also taught us to pray, "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."  Sometimes we may face people like Sanballat and Tobiah: people who really do not want God's church to grow and thrive, or Christians to mature. More often our enemies are not physical, thus the Heidelberg Catechism includes the line, "our sworn enemies-the devil, the world, and our own flesh-never stop attacking us" (A 127). This is seen when the hidden sins of Christian leaders are exposed. The church bears the shame, and many have given up on the church, and even on God, because of these failures. But we, who fly under the public radar, are no less afflicted by 'our sworn enemies'. What about you? How have you experienced the attacks of our enemies? Has your faith weakened in the preceding months? If so, are you going to do something about it? Nehemiah writes that 'the gracious hand of God was on him.' Here is the key. As the Catechism says, "By ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment." So, asking, "are you going to do something about it?', is asking the wrong kind of question. The Catechism gives us a better avenue when it teaches us to pray, "And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit, so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual struggle, but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory." Like Nehemiah, we can trust in God and pray that he strengthens us. As you journey on, go with his blessing: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Psalm 19:7-10 and Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 44

Out of thankfulness for Christ's saving work we are to bear much fruit.- The call to bear much fruit.- The punishment for those who don't bear fruit.- The reward for those who do bear fruit.Time:AfternoonMinister:Rev. Joe PoppeTexts:Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 24Matthew 21:33–46John 15:1–81 Corinthians 3:1–15Series:The Heidelberg Catechism

In the second half of our post-Synod conversation, Zack Flipse and Jason move from how Synod 2026 felt to what it means for the work ahead. There's encouragement, but there are also some concerns. The biggest thread here is a worry both share: the CRC has an exciting church planting vision, but plant churches poorly and you can do damage to the denomination. Reformation isn't just about doing more; it's about doing it in a way that fits our ecclesiology. That's why Zack keeps half-joking that we need a study committee on ecclesiology, and why he's unembarrassed to say it: "I want to be part of a denomination that's doing theology." From there the conversation ranges widely. They name the three streams of the CRC—confessionalist, pietist, transformationalist—and make the case that the church is stronger for holding all three. They look ahead to the Christian nationalism study report, arguing the Dutch Reformed tradition is uniquely equipped to speak here, with Kuyper and Bavinck in our own lineage—so long as we actually do the theology rather than just point back to it. And they return to Jason's hobby horse since day one: a denomination is healthy when local churches are engaged, not when they outsource their convictions to Grand Rapids. Zack shares the kids' Heidelberg Catechism project he makes with his daughters—question one, "What gives you comfort? That I belong to Jesus"—because instead of complaining that the resource didn't exist, he decided to build it. Then Jason gives him the final word, and Zack delivers the line that names the whole vision: "Figure out what you can do to plant a church so that more people worship Jesus tomorrow than worship Him today. Let's plant some churches." Timestamps: 0:00 — Recap: naming gifts and raising up leaders 2:15 — Satellite options and the uneasiness around multi-site churches 4:01 — The ecclesiology study committee that didn't pass 5:07 — "I want to be part of a denomination that's doing theology" 6:39 — Planting churches well: the danger of doing it poorly 7:55 — Discouragements: pressure to skip process 9:22 — "We found out in 2022": differences in how we read Scripture 10:35 — The three minds: confessionalist, pietist, transformationalist 12:04 — The Christian nationalism study report and our tradition 12:39 — Why the Dutch Reformed are uniquely equipped: Kuyper and Bavinck 21:30 — A healthy denomination means local churches engaged 23:03 — An overture on categories for church membership 23:38 — Unified worship vs. faithful contextualization 26:51 — Zack's kids' Heidelberg Catechism on YouTube 30:48 — The Little Heidelberg Catechism and resourcing parents 31:44 — Final word: let's plant some churches Join and support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/ Intro music by Matt Krotzer

Against persistent fear of death, mortality avoidance, and the vices that emerge from terror management, this episode offers a personal testimony of a Christian experience of dying. With scientific precision, disarming honesty, and immense gratitude for life, biologist Jeff Schloss offers an intimate, firsthand account of his recent diagnosis of an extremely rare terminal neurological disease: multiple system atrophy (MSA). His doctors put the prognosis plainly: "It is terminal, it is incurable, and it's rapidly progressive." A longtime and beloved Westmont College biology professor and senior scholar at BioLogos, Schloss offers speaks directly to the experience of dying—as he encounters each new week of this rapidly progressive disease. He reconsiders the meaning of a "good death": increased gratitude and awareness of gift, the reality of pain, the loss of surfing and guitar-playing, the sacredness of family, and the surprising nearness of Christ as everything else falls away. A profound witness to Christian attitudes about life and death, Schloss seeks not a hero's death, but a daily, humble life-giving commerce with Christ. Schloss revisits a life that began in a nonreligious Jewish refugee family and pivoted through a dramatic conversion as a college-dropout surf bum in Hawaii. He traces what has changed, and what hasn't, now that death is no longer an abstraction but a daily fact in his body. With pastoral care and hope, Mark Labberton explores with Schloss what it means to experience dying rather than simply anticipate it, the grief of losing fifty years of surfing and guitar-playing to pain and paralysis, the gift of Simone Weil's writing on suffering, the Heidelberg Catechism's opening words on "our only comfort in life and in death," and the difference between the thrill of surfing and the sacredness of family and commerce with Christ. Episode Highlights I knew from the second grade that I wanted to be a scientist. I was out collecting butterflies and dragonflies and looking through microscopes at all sorts of things that I couldn't believe were there. As we were talking, it just occurred to me ... he either had what I wanted, or he was clinically crazy. It is terminal, it is incurable, and it's rapidly progressive ... the process of dying I find it fascinating ... It's not fun, but it is fascinating. She wasn't sad just for herself, I'm gonna lose you. And she wasn't sad empathetically just for me, so sorry for you. It was a joint sadness that the life we had hoped to share together, we are not gonna have. The things that are most life giving are out of reach ... I've come to see it's actually not true. The things that have been delightful are out of reach ... the thing that is most life giving, and that is commerce with Christ. I think it was the single most thrilling day of my entire life ... I said, no, those weren't thrilling, those were sacred. I don't want to market this season. I'm not looking for a hero's death, or any kind of publicly attended death. I would have never guessed that in this home stretch, my son and wife could carry me up the slopes of Yosemite Valley. About Jeff Schloss Jeff Schloss has spent four decades at the intersection of evolutionary biology and Christian theology. Now retired as Distinguished Professor of Biology at Westmont College, he continues as senior scholar at BioLogos, working alongside Francis Collins for more than fifteen years. He co-edited "The Believing Primate: Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Reflections on the Origin of Religion" and "Evolution and Ethics: Human Morality in Biological and Religious Perspective," a Templeton Science-Religion Book of Distinction winner. He has lectured at Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard. Helpful Links and Resources Jeff Schloss's page at BioLogos, where he serves as senior scholar: https://biologos.org/people/jeffrey-schloss Finding Faith: An Evolutionary Biologist Shares His Story, Schloss's own video testimony for BioLogos: https://biologos.org/resources/finding-faith-an-evolutionary-biologist-shares-his-story Tackling the Divide Between Science and Faith, Westmont Magazine's profile of Schloss's career: https://www.westmont.edu/magazine/spring-2025/tackling-divide-between-science-and-faith The Believing Primate: Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Reflections on the Origin of Religion, Schloss's co-edited volume: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-believing-primate-9780199597086 Evolution and Ethics: Human Morality in Biological and Religious Perspective, Schloss's Templeton Award-winning co-edited volume: https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802826954/evolution-and-ethics/ Alvin Plantinga, Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism, source of the Augustinian science concept Schloss references: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/where-the-conflict-really-lies-9780199812097 Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 1, the confession Labberton reads to close the episode: https://www.heidelberg-catechism.com/en/lords-days/1.html Multiple System Atrophy overview, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/multiple-system-atrophy Show Notes Childhood in a nonreligious German Jewish refugee family Grandfather taken by the Gestapo, relatives lost in the Holocaust Early love of butterflies, dragonflies, and microscopes A sixth-grade encounter with Confucius sparks a love of philosophy College philosophy major searching for purpose and for God Dropping out, becoming a surf bum in Hawaii A stranger's dinner invitation becomes a turning point A late-night prayer of surrender met by an unmistakable presence Grad school pairing biology, philosophy, and the study of altruism Alvin Plantinga's Augustinian science and reading creation with a map Decades as senior scholar at BioLogos alongside Francis Collins Why church and science drifted apart over vaccines and politics Science as a reliable path to facts, not truth itself A new diagnosis: rare, terminal, rapidly progressive neurological disease—multiple systems atrophy (MSA) Doctors estimate an average of three years, with wide variation The difference between studying death as a biologist versus the real-time experience of dying A spouse's grief for a shared future that will not happen Losing surfing and guitar-playing as an unplanned kind of fasting Pain described as systemic, exhausting, disorienting Cognitive decline and dark humor about it Distinguishing what is thrilling from what is truly sacred The ache of no longer being able to research and create A flicker of despair met by a choice not to despair Wanting a real death, not a hero's death A wish to thank former students and colleagues before the end Not wanting to become a burden to family Giving God all of one's heart, without earning salvation by it Bonhoeffer's costly grace versus cheap grace Gratitude over entitlement as the ground of faith Simone Weil on suffering as a place grace can work A closing blessing and the Heidelberg Catechism's opening words Carried up the slopes of Yosemite by a son and a wife #ConversingPodcast #MarkLabberton #JeffSchloss #FaithAndScience #BioLogos #MultipleSystemAtrophy #Mortality #ChristianFaith #Westmont #Gratitude Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment Magazine and Fuller Seminary.

Christ has redeemed us with body and soul both in life and in death.We're comforted with good news about:- Our immediate exaltation.- Our bodily resurrection.- Our everlasting glory.Time:AfternoonMinister:Rev. Joe PoppeTexts:Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 221 Corinthians 15:35–58Revelation 21:1–8Series:The Heidelberg Catechism

Genesis 15:1-6 Ezekiel 36:22-27 Luke 18:9-14 Philippians 3:1-11Rev. Chuck Tedrick (associate minister of Christ Reformed Church in Santee, CA) encourages us in the great doctrine of justification in this message from Philippians 3:1–11.

https://media.urclearning.org/audio/janbazian/msj-2026-06-28_heidelberg-catechism--part-ii--grace--q--35-36.mp3

Sunday evening service, looking at the Heidelberg Catechism, or the Orthodox Catechism, Lord's Day #5, questions 12, 13, 14, 15: #13. Q. SINCE THEN, BY THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD, WE DESERVE TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT, HOW CAN WE ESCAPE THIS PUNISHMENT AND BE AGAIN RECEIVED INTO FAVOR? A. God demands that His justice be satisfied, therefore we must make full satisfaction, either by ourselves or by another. #13. Q. CAN WE OURSELVES MAKE THIS SATISFACTION? A. By no means, on the contrary, we daily increase our guilt. #14 Q. CAN ANY MERE CREATURE MAKE SATISFACTION FOR US? A. No. First, God will not punish another creature for the sin which man has committed; and further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God's eternal wrath against sin, and redeem others from it. #15. Q. WHAT KIND OF MEDIATOR AND REDEEMER THEN MUST WE SEEK? A. One who is a true and sinless man, and yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, one who is at the same time true God.

Gregory and Kerry share their stories of how they became Reformed libertarians. Each include some of their background, how questions and thinking about political and economic issues first arose, some important influences, and the process of discovering libertarian answers understood through a Reformed perspective.https://reformedlibertarians.com/bonusDMain Points of Discussion00:00 Introduction00:31 About Kerry Baldwin01:23 From Lutheran Republican To Reformed Libertarian04:28 Early adulthood07:45 Ron Paul11:07 Resolving objections16:12 About Gregory Baus16:36 How I Became A Reformed-Christian Libertarian-Anarchist21:11 Beyond Highschool26:50 'Austrian' economics and anarchism32:13 New Series ForthcomingAdditional ResourcesKerry's Story Re-published here: https://reformedlibertarians.com/from-lutheran-republican-to-reformed-libertarian/https://mereliberty.comhttps://vitanova.academyDavid Baldwin's Vietnam War experiencehttps://mereliberty.com/podcasts/the-first-battle-of-loc-ninh-vietnam/What Is Baptism? by R.C. Sproulhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSGFS5YKLee Iron's "And The God Of Thy Seed," 8-part series on paedobaptism and covenant nurturehttps://upper-register.com/mp3s.html#baptismThe Ron Paul Institutehttps://ronpaulinstitute.orgGood To Be King by Michael Badnarikhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1594110964The Constitution Partyhttps://constitutionparty.comThe Orthodox Presbyterian Churchhttps://opc.orgNorth American Presbyterian And Reformed Council (NAPARC)https://www.naparc.org/directories-2/"The Reason You Hate Politics" by Kerry Baldwinhttps://libertarianchristians.com/2021/01/12/the-reason-you-hate-politics/Books from Rothbard and othershttps://reformedlibertarians.com/resources/#booksEpisode 2 on Romans 13https://reformedliberarians.com/002Answers to Minarchist Objections (episodes 3, 5, 9, and 12)https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzgsueW6DtHQrcfPmSbkGQfQKy5tEWbB9Material about abortionhttps://mereliberty.com/tag/abortion/Episode 8 on The Boetie Option -the peaceful underthrow of the statehttps://reformedlibertarians.com/008Gregory's Story re-published here: https://reformedlibertarians.com/how-i-became-a-reformed-christian-libertarian-anarchist/ A Christian Manifesto by Francis Schaefferhttps://amazon.com/dp/1581346921/Reformed Political Resistance Theology annotated bibliographyhttps://tinyurl.com/RefoPoliResistBib"Romans 13 and Stateless Civil Governance" by Gregory Baushttps://reformedlibertarians.com/romans-13-reformed-view/The Two Empires In Japan by John M.L. Younghttps://amazon.com/dp/B0156XFDKCAmerica's Counter-Revolution by Sheldon Richmanhttps://amazon.com/dp/0692687912/Lectures On (Neo-)Calvinism by Abraham Kuyperhttps://monergism.com/lectures-calvinism-ebookKingdom Prologue by Meredith G. Klinehttps://amazon.com/dp/1597525642Roots Of Western Culture by Herman Dooyeweerdhttps://amazon.com/dp/0888153538The Myth Of Religious Neutrality by Roy Clouserhttps://amazon.com/dp/0268023662About Societal Sphere Sovereigntyhttps://youtube.com/watch?v=fjpnd7reMU0The Mises Institutehttps://mises.orgOn Praxeologyhttps://praxeology.net/praxeo.htm"Rothbard's 'Left and Right' Forty Years Later" by Roderick Longtext: https://mises.org/mises-daily/rothbards-left-and-right-forty-years-lateraudio: https://mises.org/podcasts/asc-2006/rothbards-left-and-right-40-years-later"Libertarian Anarchism: Responses To Ten Objections" by Roderick Longtext: https://cdn.mises.org/Libertarian%20Anarchism%20Responses%20to%20Ten%20Objections_2.pdfaudio: https://mises.org/podcasts/mises-u-2004/mises-circle-informal-talk-anarchism"Foundations Of Libertarian Ethics," 10 lectures by Roderick Long(see dropdown at each to toggle youtube to audio): https://mises.org/podcasts/foundations-libertarian-ethicsvideo playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwrDNUO5MDu-pUCxIbC86kTOa9bOXlVINThe Reformed Libertarianism Statementhttps://reformedlibertarians.com/reformed-libertarianism-statement/Putting Amazing Back Intro Grace by Michael Hortonhttps://amazon.com/dp/0801014212Study Guide for Westminster Shorter Catechism by G.I. Williamsonhttps://amazon.com/dp/0875525210Study Guide for Heidelberg Catechism by G.I. Williamsonhttps://amazon.com/dp/B005H7ANH6Sacred Bond by Michael Brown and Zach Keelehttps://ccrbooks.org/products/sacred-bond-covenant-theology-explored-2nd-edition-brow...

https://media.urclearning.org/audio/janbazian/msj-2026-06-14_heidelberg-catechism--part-ii--grace--q--33-34.mp3

https://media.urclearning.org/audio/janbazian/msj-2026-05-31_heidelberg-catechism--part-ii--grace--q--31-32.mp3

1. Glorious Church 2. Active Members 3. Divine Assurance The sermon presents a reflection on the Church as Christ's beloved bride, emphasizing her glory, unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolic foundation, rooted in God's eternal election, Christ's redemptive sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit's work through the Word. It calls believers to embrace their identity as active, living members of this divine community, rejecting cynicism and complacency while affirming the necessity of church membership, mutual service, and spiritual accountability. Drawing from Ephesians, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Psalms, the message underscores that the Church's permanence and security are grounded in God's sovereign grace, assuring believers of their eternal belonging and compelling them to live in joyful, self-giving fellowship. The sermon concludes with a call to reverence the Church, not as a flawed institution, but as the redeemed body of Christ, worthy of love, defense, and unwavering loyalty.

IntroductionPeople bring criticism against the Reformed people's love for doctrine. People claim that if you go to a Reformed church, you will see that we are people concerned with the head, not the heart. That our catechisms and confessions are cold documents. These are documents fueling intellectual exercises that keep doctrine tidy but leave the soul unmoved. That we know about God without actually knowing him.The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 13, communicates to us that God is very personal. In fact, we are brought into the Lord's family. We are adopted as sons for the sake of our faithful Savior. We were the estranged children who had been brought near to God through the faithful son. So, is it fair to say that we are people who love doctrine and not the Lord? Is it fair to say that the Reformed faith makes one distant in relation to God? Children by AdoptionThe catechism is careful to distinguish between Christ's sonship and ours. Christ is the Son from eternity who is not created, not adopted, but of the same essence as the Father. When we confess the only begotten Son, we are saying that Christ is of the same nature as the Father. He has not sinned or done anything wrong. He is eternal, having the same attributes and nature as the Father. We are sons by adoption. And we need to be very encouraged by this. In the ancient world, adoption was not a consolation prize. In Roman law and in the Old Testament background, an adopted son received full inheritance rights. Abram understood this in Genesis 15, when he offered Eliezer of Damascus as an option to be an heir. Eliezer was not merely a faithful servant, but Abraham requested him to be the heir. Abraham is offering God an easy option, and not the challenge to bring a son through two elderly people without children. And Paul presses this further in verse 14. He declares that all who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. This language is important because all in the Spirit are sons possessing full inheritance. Note that firstborn sons are the ones who receive the greatest portion. Whatever your gender, whatever your genealogy, if you have the Spirit, you share in the inheritance of the eternal firstborn Son of God. You have done nothing to earn it. You have done everything to forfeit it. However, Christ, as a faithful son, secured His people to be coheirs with him as firstborn children. This love that the Father has for his children goes clear to the core of our heart. Why Submit to God? The Freedom of the RedeemedOur culture does not love submission. Even the word sounds like loss. But Paul reframes the question entirely in verse 15: you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.Paul has already named the alternative. Living by the flesh is death. We see that in the fall. No, they did not fall dead, but they immediately broke fellowship with God. They were naked and ashamed. They thought they would find freedom in their rebellion, but they discovered that being estranged from God is a problem. Christ, washing the disciples' feet in John 13, says something remarkable to Peter: “ You are already clean.” Christ makes this declaration even before Christ is raised from the dead. Christ's work is so certain that he assures his disciples of its benefit before it is officially confirmed. The disciples consciously know who Christ is, but they need to rest in his cleansing. John Murray captured it well: in Christ, we have moved from the courtroom to the family room. The legal question is settled. Yes, affirming with the head, but resting in the heart. Honoring God without TerrorIf submission sounds like an obligation, honoring God can sound like performance. We can think that we better make sure we earn our Lord's favor. We have to make sure that we are doing the right things to prevent the Lord smiting us or harming us in some way. Paul does not want people to have this mindset of the Lord's grace and mercy. He tells us in verse 15 that we have received the spirit of adoption, by which we cry Abba, Father. This is the same word Christ uses in Gethsemane. This is the time of his greatest anguish, of going to the cross. Christ is vulnerable; this is his darkest moment as he is about to face hell, and in this time of need, he cries out, “Abba.” We call on our heavenly Father as Christ calls on His Father. This is more like Dad rather than “master” or “Father.” It is communicating to us that we are brought near in the family in such a way that we have God's attention. The reason we want to honor God is not out of dread. Rather, when we consider the inheritance, we see that we are: heirs of God, fellow heirs with Christ. Not servants who have earned their way up. Not subordinate sons who receive a smaller portion. Fellow heirs. Co-heirs with the one who never sinned, never failed, and never rebelled. Christ does not gloat over his success, but rather freely shares everything he has merited with those who deserved none of it. Yes, we do consciously profess this with our minds, but the Spirit works in our hearts to see the joy of the new life. So, we cannot divorce the head from the heart. ConclusionThe Heidelberg Catechism seeks to bring out the implications of being brought near to God. The Heidelberg Catechism is not a cold document. It is a document written for people who need to know who they are. People who feel the weight of sin and ask whether God is really on their side. People who wonder whether submission to Christ is freedom or just a nicer version of slavery.The Heidelberg Catechism summarizes Romans 8 with the assurance that you are not a servant who performed well enough to be elevated. You are not an orphan who has been adopted by an abusive or lonely father. You are an adopted child of the living God, a co-heir with his faithful Son, indwelt by the Spirit who prods you toward life and away from death.We honor God, then, not because we have conceded that a terrible master is preferable to a really abusive one. We honor him because he is ours, and we are his, and the inheritance is already secured in the one who went to the cross knowing exactly what the wrath of God costs. He knows the cost and went anyway. He did so in order to make sure we all share in his inheritance. Our life lived before the face of God is not an obligation, but a joy.

https://media.urclearning.org/audio/janbazian/msj-2026-05-17_heidelberg-catechism--part-ii--grace--q--29-30.mp3

Our conscience, informed by the Word of God, will keep us going in the right direction in life. Old Testament Text: Psalm 1 http://media.urclearning.org/audio/tm-conscience-05-10-2026.MP3

The doctrine of providence gives us unspeakable consolation. Scripture Lesson: Psalm 139 http://media.urclearning.org/audio/tm-providence-05-10-2026.MP3

https://media.urclearning.org/audio/janbazian/msj-2026-05-03_heidelberg-catechism--part-ii--grace--q--27-28.mp3

"Why do you call him our Lord? Because he has ransomed us, body and soul, from all our sins, not with silver or gold but with his precious blood, and has freed us from all the power of the devil to make us his own possession." Heidelberg Catechism, 34

This talk to the Upper Salford Historical Society follows the spiritual and historical journey of the Palatinate settlers who founded Old Goshenhoppen Reformed Church. At the heart of it all is their deep, simple faith in the Heidelberg Catechism—especially that wonderful line: "I am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ."These pioneers left everything behind. They survived terrifying sea voyages, buried loved ones along the way, and faced harsh persecution, yet they never stopped trusting God's sovereign grace. The message also speaks honestly about the church's early struggles—divisions, leaders without proper ordination, and the tensions of a new world.

1. Honoring Him 2. Profiting from Him In the midst of suffering and despair, Job's declaration 'I know that my Redeemer lives' stands as a triumphant testament to faith in the resurrection, pointing forward to Christ's victory over death, sin, and the grave. This confession, based in the certainty of a living Redeemer, finds its fulfillment in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which the Heidelberg Catechism affirms as the foundation of Christian hope, righteousness, and new life. The resurrection is not merely a future promise but a present reality, granting believers justification, spiritual renewal, and the assurance of bodily resurrection, all of which are to be celebrated and honored every Lord's Day. Through Christ's triumph over death, believers are given confidence, joy, and a living hope that transforms their present lives and fuels their witness to a world in darkness. The sermon calls the church to live in the light of this truth, embodying the resurrection life now and proclaiming the hope that only Christ can provide.

https://media.urclearning.org/audio/janbazian/msj-2026-04-19_heidelberg-catechism--part-ii--grace--q--26.mp3

Recorded live at the Kuyper Conference in Grand Rapids, this episode features a conversation with Greg Parker Jr., a theologian and scholar of Herman Bavinck, reflecting on his academic journey, current work in theological education, and research in neo-Calvinism. Parker discusses his engagement with Abraham Kuyper's pastoral theology, particularly his exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism and the Lord's Prayer, highlighting themes of ascent and descent as a framework for understanding prayer, the Christian life, and communion with God. The conversation also explores the importance of translating and retrieving Bavinck's works for the church, the pastoral dimension of systematic theology, and the need for careful theological engagement with contemporary questions such as human identity, bioethics, and artificial intelligence. If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening!

IntroductionRedemption has a purpose beyond just our personal salvation. Yes, that is part of it, but there is more. The Heidelberg Catechism makes clear that we are redeemed by a specific God who personally reveals himself. He is one God and three persons. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of these persons shows their connection to creation and our redemption. His goal is not just to save, but to commune with his people. The driving question is: what does it mean to be set apart as disciples of the Trinitarian God, and why does that designation matter?The Father of All CreationThe Father is the source of all life. This means that generally He gives life to all creation. He is the one who brought this world into existence through the word: Christ (Col. 1:15-20). This whole creation knows God. He sustains even those who reject him, which speaks to his patience and character. The Father specifically gives life to his people. More specifically, the Father is the one who elects and calls his people before the foundation of the world. The Father sent Christ on Christ's successful mission. Thus, he is the father of his creation and the father of his redeemed people. The Son of Our DeliveranceChrist is both the means of creation and the agent of redemption. We mentioned in the previous point that this whole world has its existence in Christ. Christ is the word. Christ is also the one who secures our life. His resurrection is the precedent for eternal life. He moves from asserting God's promises to fulfilling them with authority. "All authority has been given to me" is not a tyrant's boast; it is the declaration of a risen Redeemer who has accomplished the work he set out to do. The beauty of Christ's farewell speech in Matthew is that Christ secured the authority for the church to exist, and Christ is with his church until the end of the age.The Holy Spirit of Our SanctificationHe gives life to this creation. This means that all creatures, all creation, and humanity receive their life from him. (Psalm 104:29-30)The Spirit also gives life to God's people. The Spirit indwells Christ's people. You cannot have Christ without the Spirit. Christ is with His people, and Christ is with his church until the end of the age. So, when we have the Spirit, we have Christ dwelling with us individually and as the body of Christ. ConclusionOur redemption is carried out by the Trinitarian God. God does care for this creation, but how much more for his church. The Great Commission belongs to the church, not just to individuals, and it is carried out under Christ's authority while he remains present with his church. The call to make disciples begins with prayer and humility, trusting that it is the Father who calls normally through Gospel preaching, the Son who redeems, and the Spirit who gives life. Our identity is secure in Christ, and nothing will annul what he has decreed. Let us be empowered by our God, and let us walk in him.

QUOTES FOR REFLECTIONQuestion 31: Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”?Answer: Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher who fully reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our deliverance; our only high priest who has delivered us by the one sacrifice of his body, and who continually pleads our cause with the Father; and our eternal king who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us. Question 37: What do you understand by the word “suffered”?Answer: That during his whole life on earth, but especially at the end, Christ sustained in body and soul the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race. This he did in order that, by his suffering as the only atoning sacrifice, he might deliver us, body and soul, from eternal condemnation, and gain for us God's grace, righteousness, and eternal life.~Heidelberg Catechism (1563) “When Christ entered into Jerusalem the people spread garments in the way: when He enters into our hearts, we pull off our own righteousness, and not only lay it under Christ's feet but even trample upon it ourselves.”~Augustus Montague Toplady (1740-1778), English clergyman and hymn writer “God, of your goodness, give me yourself; you are enough for me, and anything less that I could ask for would not do you full honor. And if I ask anything that is less, I shall always lack something, but in you alone I have everything.”~Julian of Norwich (c.1343-c.1416), medieval anchoress and author “By thus riding through the streets in state, Jesus Christ claimed to be a king. That claim had been to a great extent kept in the background until now; but ere he goes to his Father, when his enemies rage has reached its utmost fury, and when his own hour of deepest humiliation has just arrived, he makes an open claim before the eyes of all men to be called and acknowledged a king.”~Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), famed London preacher “Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.”~John Stott (1921-2011), English clergyman and theologian SERMON PASSAGELuke 19:28-40 (ESV) 28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

IntroductionWe know that we are in deep trouble. Adam had the chance to do what was right, and he failed to do it. The problem is that we can only dig the hole deeper. We think that credit card debt is bad, but our debt is far worse. Our debt will never go away, even in death. We can't out-work it, out-live it, or out-think it. So our problem is very severe and beyond overwhelming. Lord's Day 6 of the Heidelberg Catechism helps us to see the eternal solution. Only God can implement this solution. Sin's Problem: We Need a MediatorThe catechism reminds us that we need a mediator. The very thought of a mediator means that something has gone wrong. A mediator means two parties are at odds. The very introduction of the concept of a mediator introduces an admission of our guilt. God is 100% righteous. We are 100% at fault. There is no way we can work to please God when we are 100% in debt. There is no payment plan. And the mediator's task is staggering: take people who have fully offended a perfect God and bring them into his presence as fully righteous. This is the greatest laundering effort ever in history! In fact, it is not hiding dirty money, but fully redeeming it to remove all controversy that surrounds it. Our cleansing requires someone who is both truly human (because it was humanity that offended God) and truly God (because no mere human can bear an infinite, eternal penalty and survive it). A human enduring his own sin would be in hell forever and never get out. There is no way that a person could pay the debt on behalf of another. This is why we need a person who is divine to endure an eternal punishment. The person also has to be human to stand in the place of the creature that offended. Only a divine person united to a human nature can absorb eternal wrath in a moment of time. Only Christ is such a mediator. God's Solution: The Folly of the CrossPaul addresses a church drunk on elitism. They love their gurus. They love how they can flaunt their spiritual gifts. Ironically, Paul, who had every credential to out-elite them all, goes straight to the cross. He does not call his accomplishments to their attention as he does in Galatians. No, he goes straight to the cross.That's a jarring move, because the cross was not a sentimental symbol like we make it today. No, the cross is a declaration of shame. In Roman culture, crucified criminals weren't even officially recorded. In Jewish culture, to be hung on a tree meant you were a covenant breaker, cursed by God. When the disciples watched Jesus die on the cross, they had every reason to think they'd been deceived. In their mind, God declared a messianic fraud who transgressed God's holiness. Paul knows all of this! He preaches it anyway. Why? Because the "foolishness" of the cross is precisely the point. Christ, who never broke the covenant, was publicly displayed as though he had, and that is why we need him. And because death could not hold him, the resurrection vindicates him completely. At Christ's weakest moment, he won the greatest victory. Worldly wisdom missed the cross. The Jews demanded signs and missed the sign of the cross. The Greeks sought wisdom and missed the wisdom of God standing right in front of them.Thus, the wisest people of this age did not see the wisdom of the cross. This is why Paul calls attention to the cross. If we do not see the wisdom of God's plan, then we will not see redemption. God's Proclamation: The Gospel Must Keep Being PreachedKnowing the facts about Christ isn't enough on its own. Calvin puts it plainly: as long as Christ remains outside of us, he is of no benefit to us. The work of Christ has to become our work. The Lord uses Gospel preaching that lays out Christ's cross to bring his people into their new relationship with Christ. The Corinthians had witnessed extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit, and probably interviewed eyewitnesses of the resurrection. However, Paul still keeps going back to the gospel. This message is not a one-and-done message. It is a message that is continually preached, and we continually need this message. The catechism traces this same pattern across all of redemptive history: the gospel was announced in Genesis 3:15, repeated to the patriarchs, foreshadowed in every sacrifice and ceremony, proclaimed by the prophets, and fulfilled in Christ. Generation after generation, God's people were sustained by this same message. It was repeated and repeated because we so easily forget Christ's message. We fail to see that without the gospel message, we have nothing. The cross of Christ is the message that Christ had to suffer for an insufferable people. We are such people. We don't outgrow the gospel. We need to hear it continually, because it is the ongoing means of grace by which God keeps his people alive and moving toward glory. It is in Christ, going to the cross, that God's wisdom is shown. It is in the cross that Christ is ultimately vindicated in his resurrection and ascension. His work was so perfect that the heavenly courts vindicated him. ConclusionSo how do we solve our unsolvable, eternal problem? We don't. We can't. But God has.He sent his Son. His son, who is fully God, fully man, stands in our place as the covenant breaker. We transgressed, but Christ did not. Christ bore what we deserved, was raised to prove he'd conquered it, and now the gospel goes out as the living word that unites us to him. The world will call it foolishness. Paul's response: “Fine. Call it folly. In that folly is life.”So let us not be ashamed of the Gospel. Let us keep hearing, submitting to the preaching, and clinging to the substance of the message: Christ. Let us exude the joy that we have been redeemed by the living God. That is our significance, our credibility, and our only boast is in Christ. Let us find it there, and live in it. Amen.

If we're saved by grace and sanctified by the Spirit, what's the role of God's law? Romans 8:4 points us to the answer: Christ came so "the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk according to the Spirit."In this session we explore Chapter 8 of Sinclair Ferguson's Devoted to God, unpacking how law and grace work together. These are not ncessarily competing concepts in the Christian life. However, we need to be careful as we define this. Love and Law Aren't OppositesSome accused Paul of rejecting God's law (Acts 21:21), but Paul consistently upheld it (Romans 3:31). Love motivates obedience; the law directs love. As Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).Three Ways Jesus Fulfills the LawDrawing from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17), Ferguson identifies three dimensions of how Christ fulfills the law for our sanctification:Permanent Significance — The law, especially the Ten Commandments, reflects God's own character and his original design for humanity. Its principles endure, shaping us as image bearers being renewed in Christ (Colossians 3:10).Obedience in Teaching — Jesus lived the law perfectly, not grudgingly but with delight. He also revealed its depth: adultery begins in the heart, murder with a word (Matthew 5:21–28). True righteousness flows from a Spirit-transformed heart, not external performance.Fulfilling All Dimensions — Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial law through his once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1–4) and the civil law by building a global, multi-ethnic church. The moral law remains, now written on our hearts by the Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33).Married to Christ, Not the LawChristians are not under the law as a system of condemnation, but under "the law of Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:21) — united to him as a bride to a husband (Romans 7:4). The Spirit empowers what the law directs. As Ralph Erskine beautifully put it: "The gospel gives me feet and hands... it bids me fly, and gives me wings."This harmony transforms duty into delight.TakeawayGod's law is not a burden. We need to see it as a guide reflecting his holy character. Our catechism states it well when the Heidelberg Catechism reminds us that the law is our guide for grateful living after being redeemed from our sin and misery. we are empowered to live it out through Christ and his Spirit. It is true that we will never achieve perfection in this age, however, we are undergoing a progressive transformation, metamorphosis, toward the heavenly calling God has placed on our lives.

Shaun Furniss didn't grow up in the church. A Roman Catholic mass enthralled him at age seven, a confirmation class confused him at twelve, and the Heidelberg Catechism converted him in college. Now he's co-pastor at Trinity CRC in Sparta, Michigan—holding a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy alongside his MDiv—and he's convinced that most churches have quietly abdicated one of their most important responsibilities: the care of souls. This episode is a candid look at what Christian counseling actually is, why the reflex to "refer it out" is often a failure of pastoral nerve, and what it looks like to do it right. The conversation covers hard ground honestly. Both Jason and Shaun have counseled people through suicide, abuse, and grief—and both have learned the hard way that the biggest mistake pastors make is walking into a crisis ready to solve it. Before any wisdom lands, trust must be built. People don't care what you know until they know that you care. The most powerful diagnostic framework is also the simplest: nearly everyone who comes to a pastor is wrestling with guilt, fear, anger, or loneliness—and the scriptures give us the answers to all four. The episode closes with one of the most important statements about pastoral ministry you'll hear: when you walk into that counseling room, you are not the true counselor. The Holy Spirit is. He has given us his Word as the means of healing, and the pastor is simply the instrument. "I've never fixed anyone, I've never saved anyone, but by the grace of God, he's allowed me to be a part of what he's doing." Timestamps: 0:00 — Intro and Shaun's family, Trinity CRC Sparta, co-pastor model 0:43 — How the 50-50 co-pastoring structure works with Pastor CJ DenDulk 2:40 — Shaun's story: did not grow up in the church 3:04 — Dad drops him at a Roman Catholic mass with a quarter 3:37 — Confirmation class, Philippians, and "I'm reading someone else's mail" 4:28 — College and career Bible study leads to conversion 4:51 — Heidelberg Catechism: the Lord drew me to faith 5:38 — Reformed Theological Seminary: Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy 6:23 — Jason's first pastoral care crisis: suicide attempt five months into youth ministry 7:45 — True Christian counseling is discipleship on a one-on-one basis 9:16 — The church's heartbreaking habit: farming out what it should keep in-house 9:54 — When to bring in outside help (abuse, opposite sex) 13:53 — Often what passes for Christian counseling is humanistic counseling with a prayer at the end 16:52 — The seminary culture: one class on pastoral care and one joke — just refer it out 17:31 — Counseling as worldview formation: who shapes how your congregant sees the world? 19:33 — The biggest misconception: thinking you need to instantly give an answer 21:39 — The four root issues: guilt, fear, anger, or loneliness 23:56 — People don't care what you know until they know that you care 26:57 — The ministry of presence: what a hospice chaplain learns 30:07 — The Holy Spirit is the true counselor — you're simply the instrument Join and support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/ Intro music by Matt Krotzer

It's Thursday, January 22nd, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Chinese-American Christians pray for those in China Chinese-American Christians are praying for their persecuted brothers and sisters back in China. Earlier this month, Harvest Chinese Christian Church in Los Angeles held an event called “Fasting Prayer Meeting for Persecuted Churches in China.” The event comes shortly after Chinese authorities detained the leaders of Early Rain Covenant Church. The congregation, like many “unregistered” churches in China, faces relentless persecution. International Christian Concern commented, “Please pray for these house church members in China, especially those who have been imprisoned or are missing after the police raids.” 1 Corinthians 12:26 says, “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” China's birth rate plunged to a record low in 2025 Speaking of China, the country's birth rates plunged to a record low in 2025. New data from China's National Bureau of Statistics found there were 7.92 million births last year, down 17% from 2024. The birth rate in 2025 was 5.63 per 1,000 people. Meanwhile, the death rate rose to 8.04 per 1,000 people. Despite China's recent attempts to incentivize families to have children, the population has now fallen for the fourth consecutive year. In Genesis 1:28, God commanded, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the Earth and subdue it.” British Christian nurse vindicated for calling a man “Mister” In the United Kingdom, a National Health Service hospital recently dropped its case against a Christian nurse. Jennifer Melle worked at St. Helier Hospital in south London. She faced suspension after referring to a man, pretending to be a woman, as “Mister.” Listen to comments she made after her vindication. MELLE: “I am deeply relieved and grateful to hear that St Helier [Hospital] has confirmed it would no longer take further action against me. This has been an incredibly long and painful journey.   “Today, I want to give thanks, first and foremost, to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has sustained me every step of the way.” Young Canadians are planning to vote conservative Young adults in Canada are planning to vote conservative in the country's next election. A survey by Abacus Data found 50% of Canadians aged 18 to 29 would vote for the Conservative Party. Only 27% of that demographic would vote for the Liberal Party. The strongest support for the Liberals comes from people over 60. A decade of liberal polices has led to higher living costs, higher inflation, and higher taxes. Trump: “I will not use force” to get Greenland Yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.  Notably, he announced that the United States would not use force to acquire Greenland. TRUMP: “We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won't do that. Okay. Now everyone's saying, ‘Oh, good!' “That's probably the biggest statement I've made because people thought I would use force. I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force.” President Trump also announced he will not be imposing tariffs on Denmark over the acquisition of Greenland. He wrote on Truth Social, “We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.” Arrests coming for Minneapolis leftists who invaded church service The Trump administration is investigating anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a house of worship in Minneapolis on Sunday. Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, wrote on X, “Arrests coming. … The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly – not rioting. … These agitators will be held accountable.” The Department of Justice is also investigating the incident at Cities Church. Major snowstorm hits East Coast to Rocky Mountains The National Weather Service is expecting a significant winter storm to hit a large portion of the U.S. starting Friday. Heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain is forecast all the way from the southern Rockies to the East Coast.  Much of the U.S. is already experiencing dangerously cold weather. Over 40 million people were under cold weather alerts as of Tuesday. Even parts of Florida are under alert. 463rd anniversary of Heidelberg Catechism And finally, this week marks the 463rd anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism. The Protestant catechism was commissioned by Frederick III, the ruler of Germany's most influential province of Palatinate. The purpose of the catechism was for instructing the youth and for guiding pastors and teachers The catechism was the product of two young Protestant scholars—Zacharius Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus. The catechism was approved by a church synod in Heidelberg, Germany and published in German on January 19, 1563. It would become the most widely used catechism of the Reformation period.  The catechism's opening question reads, “What is your only comfort in life and death?” The answer begins, “That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.” Romans 14:8 says, “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.”  Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, January 22nd, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.