The highest moral laws in the secular west today are toleration and non-judgmentalism. The very ideas of inclusion and exclusion in any context make people think of elitism, xenophobia, or racism. Still, church membership is an idea with deep biblical roots: •The garden of Eden had an inside and an outside (Gen. 2:8, 3:24). •Noah’s ark had an inside and an outside (Gen. 7:16). •The … Continue reading Is Church Membership Biblical?

By James Montgomery Boice, who was pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church for over 30 years. Between 1963 and 1966, when I was studying at the University of Basel in Switzerland, my wife and I were invited to attend a Bible study group that met on Friday evenings. It was a small group at first, but it grew. By the time we had gone through Acts … Continue reading What Happens When the Bible is Studied Seriously and Applied to Daily Life?

– First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you. (Romans 1:8) – I give thanks to my God always for you. (1 Corinthians 1:4) – I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. (Ephesians 1:16) – I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine. (Philippians 1:3-4) – … Continue reading Cultivating a Thankful Spirit – The Apostle Paul’s Example and Teaching