In Part 2 of 2 of Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification: A Blueprint for the 21st Century Church, we look at The World Changing Church.

We show how churches can affect true and lasting positive social change. This can only be accomplished by making people aware of sin which is the root cause of all of the world's problems.

From there we advocate that churches teach and preach the saving grace of God from sin. Lastly, we propose that churches proclaim the doctrine of sanctification, that by it believers will strive to be more like Christ. 

Ultimately, this blueprint of sin, salvation and sanctification, lets the church send kingdom citizens back into the world where they will in turn influence it for the better.

Though this approach, the church will change the world one heart at a time.

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In Part 1 of 2 of Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification: A Blueprint for the 21st Century Church, we look at The State of the 21st Century Church.

We examine how mainline denominations are continually becoming more like the culture in an effort to reach and change it.

While this approach sounds admirable in theory, it marks a grave departure from the gospel, and brings disastrous results as it fails acknowledge the root causes of the world’s problems.

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The world claims that Biblical Christianity and traditional societal values and gender roles keep women from expressing themselves, reaching goals and achieving success.

However, what if women actually like how God has designed them and enjoy living out His will? It is our belief that countless women do, and that they need not be afraid of that. Instead they can enjoy and celebrate it.

In this episode of The Greater Heritage podcast we compare what the world and God say about women's purpose, and we present a new paradigm for feminism in which women love who God has created them to be, and seek to live out His will for them.

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In this episode of The Greater Heritage podcast we learn about the importance of keeping sin from beginning in us.

Micah said of the ancient Near East city of Lachish that it was "the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion." (Micah 1:13)

Lachish introduced the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem to idol worship and other sins.

As such, God pronounced judgement on the city, and the Assyrian king Sennacherib captured it in 701 B.C.

As Christians, we must always guard against sin infecting our lives. This can only happen when our hearts are regenerated by Jesus. (Ezk. 36:26)

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In this episode of The Greater Heritage podcast we review On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius and published by St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.

In this classic work of patristic literature, St. Athanasius expounds a wonderfully simple yet rich apology on Christ's incarnation, death and resurrection.

Though over 1,600 years old, On the Incarnation still stands as the high watermark of Greek Orthodox and Nicene theology.

It is filled with timeless evidences and apologies for the Christian faith and comes highly recommended. 

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the reviewer. They do not represent any endorsement from the publisher.

In this episode of The Greater Heritage podcast we review Night of Weeping and Morning of Joy by Horatius Bonar. The book is published by Reformation Heritage Books.

Both books are exceptional, and this single volume that contains them comes highly recommend. For a full text review visit our website. 

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the reviewer. They do not represent any endorsement from the publisher.

In this episode of The Greater Heritage Podcast we learn about the background and historical significance of the Geneva Bible, the most important English Bible.

A summary of the episode is below. For a full recap of the episode click here.

• In the 1550s, at the height of Queen “Bloody” Mary Tudor’s efforts to expel the Reformation from England, a group of English scholars fled to Geneva, Switzerland. 
• In 1560 they created, printed and distributed the first Bible read by common people in English; the Geneva Bible.
• Its influence was widespread and almost incalculable in scope. It brought democracy, reform and civilization to the world.
• The legacy of the Geneva Bible is a testament to the power of God’s Word to change not just individual lives, but the lives of entire societies.
• We must never lose site of the preciousness and power of God's Word or take its possession in our hands for granted.

Intro and outro music provided by Five Minute Plan. Be sure to visit their site today! To learn more about the 1599 Geneva Bible, visit Tolle Lege Press.

Saint Augustine of Hippo (354 to 430 A.D.) is one of the most important theologians in the history of Christendom.

In this episode of The Greater Heritage Podcast we take a high-level look at 5 Essential Things About his life and teachings, including…

1. The high value he placed on friendship and relationship.
2. His acute self-awareness and introspection and their role in the first modern autobiography Confessions.
3. His emphasis on government as ordained by God and as a curb to human evil as seen most notably in The City of God.
4. His popularizing of the doctrine of predestination and its implications for the church and for human history.
5. His thirst for knowledge, and how he applied classical learning to Biblical scholarship.

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In this episode of The Greater Heritage podcast we review The Whole Counsel of God: Why and How to Preach the Entire Bible by Tim Patrick and Andrew Reid, and published by Crossway.

Sadly, not all churches preach the entire Bible. Often today sermons are topical, short and focus more on the highlights of scripture. However, just because it is easy to approach church programming in this manner does not mean that it is best way to foster healthy and mature church communities.

The Word of God must be the centerpiece. Ample time needs to be devoted to organizing and planning preaching programs that relate to the entirety of scripture. The best programs are well-defined, thought out and intentional. However, trying to develop a long-term plan can feel like a daunting challenge. So, where do you even begin? 

Thankfully, The Whole Counsel of God is a great help in this regard.  The goal of the book, as stated by its authors is that: "All vocational preachers should set themselves the goal of preaching through the entire Bible over a thirty-five year period."

The book offers readers with practical insights and tangible takeaways regarding the development of long-term, theologically sound, preaching programs.

The book teaches readers how to choose which books of the Bible to preach including when and how much at a given time. It also goes further and shows to how properly divide books of the Bible by topic and then by chapter. It then articulates how to map out (though generous pie chart and spreadsheet examples) a balanced preaching calendar.

While long-term programming is the primary topic of the book, it also gives readers lots of nice, practical tips about studying the Bible, marketing sermons and ensuring that congregations are always receiving a steady and balanced diet of scripture.

This was one of the more practical books we have read in a while. Lay readers will walk away with a better appreciation for their churches and ministers. However, we especially recommend this book for church staff members and for those who preach and teach the Bible regularly. Simply put, if you want to preach better, check this one out.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the reviewer. They do not represent any endorsement from the publisher.

In this episode of our podcast series Going through Galatians we look at how Paul teaches us the immense eternal plan inherent in our salvation.

Our salvation always pleases God, no matter when God has ordained for the day of our salvation to be. This is because it is the outworking of His great plan for all who will be saved.

Paul shows how God's plan of salvation encompasses four major steps. First, God chooses, then He calls, next He reveals Jesus in us and lastly he sets us out to accomplish His plan for us.

Paul's response to his newfound faith involved wise discernment and deliberate preparation. He did not jump into his vocation as a preacher but instead took time to learn from God and the Bible.

He didn’t get ahead of himself or God and that's an important lesson for all of us to follow. 

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