A Marathon Mentality for Ministry
I was always better at sprinting than running long distance–back in the days when I actually ran…in high shcool. My wife, by way of contrast, was and is a marathon…
Nick Batzig
The Blessing of Teaching the Children
Prior to and throughout my time of preparation for ministry, I had a burning desire to preach the Gospel. By that, I mean that I had a burning desire to…
The Blessing of Visiting the Sick
In 1892, John D. Wells delivered three lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary that were transcribed and subsequently published in a little booklet titled, The Pastor in the Sickroom. This book…
…Until We Contemplate The Face of God
At the very outset of his magnum opus, the Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin famously explained that no man can come to a true knowledge of himself if he does…
The Church Comes First
As we come to the end of the year and press into yet another new year, it is always beneficial for us to evaluate our commitments and priorities from the…
A Mountain Range Christmas
As we head toward another Christmas–and a renewed time of remembrance of the fulfillment of the prophecies that God gave for millennia concerning the Christ–it would do us good to…
From the Text to the Table
When I moved to Savannah, GA in 2009 to plant New Covenant Presbyterian Church, I commited to planting a church that–along with a number of other important priorities–would observe weekly communion.…
The Internal Witness of Scripture
Many years ago, I was teaching through a section of Romans that contains particularly difficult theological truths. No sooner had I finished teaching that an individual–who had been a member…
Mountaintop Theology
I've always loved mountains. I've lived in the Blue Ridge mountains, hiked the Sangre de Christo mountains, travelled through the German Alps, skied the French Alps and marveled as I've…
Heir of All Things
In all of the New Testament, no book gives us so many descriptions of the Person and work of Jesus as does the book of Hebrews. In it, Christ is…
Grace and Wisdom for Mercy
When I moved to Philadelphia in 2007 to begin my interneship at Tenth Presbyterian Church, I was excited about entering in on a work that had a special focus on…
Pastoral Reality: Ecclesiastes-Style
I've noticed a growing trend in ministry. I highly doubt that it is something new. It manifests itself in things written or said by pastors in large, seeker oriented churches…