Reformed Churches describe themselves as confessional, but what does that mean, and what does it matter? Blair Smith, president of the Charlotte campus of Reformed Theological Seminary, sits down with James and Jonathan today to answer these questions based on his new book, Reformed Confessionalism. Together, they explore the virtues of confessions and how historic confessions serve as guardrails for believers today.

There are many Christians today, however, who are principally opposed to confessions. They think that confessions get in the way of our reading of the Bible.

…I would say everybody has a confession, whether it's hidden or whether it's stated. We all have ways that we approach Scripture in which we understand the doctrine of Scripture. And what confessionalism does is it very clearly states what those doctrinal truths are. And it does so based on sort of the ritual of Christian tradition, whether that be ancient with the creeds or whether that be reformational with the Reformed confessions. – Blair Smith

Discover why these doctrines are not just relics of the past but vital tools for understanding Scripture and nurturing a balanced faith in our contemporary world.

We are pleased to offer listeners the opportunity to win a copy of Blair Smith’s book, Reformed Confessionalism, thanks to the generosity of P&R Publishing. Enter here to win.

Show Notes

Blessings of the Faith Series: https://www.prpbooks.com/series/blessings-of-the-faith

Jonathan and James are pleased to sit down with their friend and fellow Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals podcast host Carl Trueman, professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Grove City College, to discuss his latest book, The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades Our Humanity. Carl discusses the moral implications of modern expressive individualism, the quest for control over life and death, and the significance of anthropology in understanding contemporary issues of identity and ethics.

The telos [ultimate objective] is that we should be like gods. The real telos is we reduce ourselves to nothing.”-- Carl Trueman

Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that challenges our understanding of what it means to be human.

We are pleased to offer listeners the opportunity to win a copy of Carl’s book, The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades Our Humanity, thanks to the generosity of Sentinel Publishing. Enter here to win.

Show Notes:

To buy your copy of The Desecration of Man, here is a link: https://reformedresources.org/the-desecration-of-man-hardcover/

Christians often think about the responsibilities of pastors to their flocks, but today James and Jonathan flip the script and consider the responsibilities of church members toward their pastors. Drawing insights from the works of John Owen, our hosts explore the biblical mandates for honoring, submitting to, and praying for ministers, emphasizing the mutual relationship between pastors and their congregations.

When we submit and give honor to those to whom honor is due, we're actually doing something good for ourselves. – Jonathan Master

This conversation highlights the importance of pastoral care and the duties of church members in fostering a joyful and supportive church environment.

If your pastor is laboring without joy, it actually hurts you as a Christian. – James Dolezal

Thanks to our friends at Banner of Truth Publishing, we are pleased to award two two listeners a copy of John Owens, Duties of Christian Fellowship. Congratulations to Eric M. from Trotwood, OH and David M. from Newport News, VA!