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We’re joined by Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn, professor of church history and theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and one of today’s leading Westminster Assembly scholars. Few men in our day have devoted more careful, sustained work to the Westminster Standards, studying both their historical setting and their theological substance. In this conversation, he offers a gracious and accessible presentation of the Confession and catechisms, while also pressing the importance of confessionalism for the life and health of the church today. Together, we explore why the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms still belong in the hands of ordinary Christians.

For more information on Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn’s work, please see the following: Confessing the Faith by Chad Van Dixhoorn, available through Banner of Truth.

Dr. Van Dixhoorn is Professor of Church History and Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, and he is widely recognized as one of the leading experts on the Westminster Assembly. He has completed a five volume edition of The Minutes and Papers of the Westminster Assembly, 1643 to 1652, giving the church an unprecedented window into the work and debates of the divines. He is also currently working on a major monograph on the Assembly and serves as the editor of John Arrowsmith’s Plans for Holy War, as well as general editor of the Works of Samuel Rutherford. Ordained in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Dr. Van Dixhoorn has also served pastorally both in the United Kingdom and here in the United States.

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Politics is everywhere, but it rarely feels personal. From cable news panels to social media takes, it’s easy to talk about “politicians” like they’re a single faceless group instead of neighbors made in the image of God. We sit down with Rev Ron Zeigler, a pastor serving full-time through Ministry to State at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, to talk about what it looks like to bring pastoral care into one of the most pressurized workplaces in the Commonwealth.

Ron shares how this Presbyterian Church in America ministry (under Mission to North America) focuses on prayer, presence, and genuine relationship with lawmakers, staffers, and even the police forces and custodial teams that keep the Capitol running. You’ll hear why legislators can feel overlooked and isolated, how caucus pressure and leadership demands shape real moral tension, and why Christians are called to intercede for civil government leaders according to 1 Timothy 2. He also tells remarkable stories from the halls and the Capitol cafe: prayer cards saved for years, moments of encouragement after difficult debates, and people from different parties and backgrounds praying together in public.

Along the way we wrestle with a question many believers feel but rarely say out loud: how do we care more about the person than the person’s policy while still taking truth and conscience seriously? If you care about Christian political engagement, praying for government leaders, and a faithful public witness that doesn’t borrow the world’s contempt, this conversation offers a grounded path forward. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us: which leader will you start praying for this week?

For more info on Ron's ministry, visit: PENNSYLVANIA | Ministry to State

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The fastest way to misunderstand Christianity is to treat the Trinity like a math puzzle or a dusty debate from the fourth century. We pick up Westminster Confession of Faith chapter two and follow the doctrine of the Trinity where it actually comes from: the Bible’s own speech about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with the Gospel of John front and center. Drew Brackbill helps us connect Scripture, church history, and the real-world stakes of orthodox Christian doctrine.

From the apostle John’s insistence on the Word’s full divinity to the Anti-Nicene Fathers like Ignatius, we trace how Trinitarian theology shows up early and clearly before any ecumenical council meets. Then we explain why the word “Trinity” appears later than the belief, how terms like “one substance” (consubstantiality) help the church speak precisely, and why that precision is meant to protect biblical faith rather than replace it.

We also walk through the major Trinitarian controversies that shaped the early church: modalism (Sabelianism) and Arianism, why they sounded persuasive, and why the Council of Nicaea and Athanasius mattered. Finally, we bring it into the present with modern examples and the ongoing question of creeds, confessions, and “no creed but the Bible.” If you care about the atonement, salvation, and faithful worship, this conversation lands close to home.

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