Story – The Grove Church

My Story

As I stand rolling Christmas cookies in powdered sugar, I lift my eyes and catch a glimpse of my digital picture frame on the far wall. A picture of my children appears on the screen… and then another. I watch the scenes change as my hands mindlessly pick up another cookie, roll it in sugar [...]

By Linda Wilkinson|2013-01-08T01:20:43-06:00January 6th, 2013|Categories: 40 Days of Focus|Tags: Jesus, Kierkegaard, plans, Story|0 Comments

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Why We Preachers Need Sermon Feedback

If preachers want to continually refine our craft, we should build formal sermon feedback into our schedules. Here’s how we do it in our church—and why I’m so grateful for it. [...]

Your Child (Probably) Needs Less Therapy Than You Think

‘Bad Therapy’ encourages a critical examination of our culture’s approach to the therapeutic so that church leaders can better understand and respond to the world’s demands. [...]

Why a Drug Addict’s Bet Is Helping to Grow the Church in Southeast Asia

Over the past five years, around 90 English-speaking and 70 Mandarin-speaking pastors have connected with a network in one of the ‘most strategic cities in the world.’ [...]

TGC Announces New List of ‘Best Commentaries’

This project leverages the collective wisdom of scholars and church leaders who have devoted years of their lives to training the next generation in biblical scholarship and expositional preaching. [...]

Jonathan Edwards’s Vision for the 21st Century

Collin Hansen and George Marsden discuss the enduring relevance of Jonathan Edwards’s theology for ‘anarchical evangelicalism.’ [...]

Give Them Time: How to Protect the Assuring Nature of a Child’s Baptism

How do we know if we’re looking at a good kid or a regenerate kid? The one thing we know for sure is that time will tell. The post Give Them Time: How to Protect the Assuring Nature of a Child’s Baptism appeared first on 9Marks. [...]

Four Ways God Used a Church Fire for Good

On November 1, 2022, our church building burned down. Not one part was salvageable. The fire swept through the attic at astonishing speed. Not a single notepad or paper clip … keep reading… The post Four Ways God Used a Church Fire for Good appeared first on 9Marks. [...]

Visible Grace in Disagreements

Does the tone of your disagreements sound more like the intercessions of Jesus or the accusations of Satan? The post Visible Grace in Disagreements appeared first on 9Marks. [...]

Four Benefits of Inviting Evaluation of Your Preaching

In “swapping sermons” with fellow pastors, I have discovered four benefits. The post Four Benefits of Inviting Evaluation of Your Preaching appeared first on 9Marks. [...]

Does Your Church Have an Evangelist?

When churches invest time, prayer, resources, and finances into reaching the lost, God loves to bless those efforts with fruit. The post Does Your Church Have an Evangelist? appeared first on 9Marks. [...]

Susannah Spurgeon: A Faithful Wife

Susannah Spurgeon experienced both tremendous joys and agonizing suffering throughout her life, but the legacy she left behind testifies to her ultimate hope in the Lord and her undying faithfulness to her husband. She lived a life of service and devotion to God and her husband, and was ever his constant encourager and source of both incredible joy and comfort. Thought she was often incredibly ill and spent many years as an invalid, she remained steadfast in trusting the Lord and His sovereign plan in all things and sought to serve both in her own home and church body. Mrs. [...]

Keep Up the Prayer Meeting Pt. 1

The congregational prayer meeting was a key component of Spurgeon’s ministry. He believed that prayer meetings were “at the very secret source of power with God and with men.” Apart from earnest, consistent prayer, a congregation should have little hope that God would use and bless their ministry. Spurgeon always gave thought and planning to the prayer meetings at the Tabernacle. He once said to his students, “Do not go walking into the prayer-meeting, as so many do, to say anything or nothing that may occur to you at the moment; but do your best to make the meeting interesting [...]

Building a Culture of Evangelism

How did Spurgeon mobilize his church for evangelism? How can we build a culture of evangelism in our churches? In one of his lectures to his pastoral students, entitled “How to Induce our People to Win Souls,” Spurgeon gives three basic principles for building a culture of evangelism: Patience, Pastoring, and Prayer. [...]

Principles from Spurgeon’s Sermon Prep Process

Spurgeon did not intend this description of his sermon prep process to be prescriptive for his students. Indeed, he recognized that his process was influenced by his unique circumstances and abilities. While he was glad to share his approach, each preacher must figure out what works best for him. Still, from Spurgeon’s description, we can learn at least a few wise principles. [...]

His Table is For His Family: Spurgeon’s Convictions about the Lord’s Supper

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) approached the Lord’s Table with gladness and gravity--and called his flock at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London to do the same. Why did Spurgeon hold this ordinance in such high value? In examining six sermons dating from 1857 to 1882, Spurgeon maintained consistency in his teaching of the purpose of the Lord’s Supper as well as the warnings of approaching the Table wrongly. What does Spurgeon have to teach us about the Lord’s Supper today? [...]

Mortification of Spin Releases Its 500th Episode

Back in 2013, Carl Trueman and Todd Pruitt launched Mortification of Spin, sharing a microphone in a small underground bunker, shooting the breeze as the British like to say. Their first episode, "Rock Star Pastors in Las Vegas," aired February 8, 2013, and received 502 plays. Some of their early guests included Steve Nichols, Derek Thomas, and author Simonetta Carr, the force behind another Alliance podcast Kids Talk Church History. All these years later, Carl and Todd no longer share a mic, but they're still going strong, celebrating their 500th first-run episode and over 2.8 million plays! Joining them for [...]

Listen to the podcasts on the Alliance YouTube Channel

Did you know the Alliance Podcast Network is now available on YouTube? You can listen to any of the Alliance podcasts on any device, including your Smart TV, media player, game console, phone, tablet, or computer. Additionally, you will find Alliance events, interviews, updates, and more on the channel. To subscribe, please visit youtube.com/@Alliance-Video and be sure to turn on notifications. On April 10 we will sharing a special video episode of Mortification of Spin—you won’t want to miss it! Continue reading The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you. [...]

The Holy Spirit with Robert Letham

Join us for the first Gap Bible Seminar of the spring semester, April 12-13, in Gap, PA. Robert Letham will teach four sessions on the Holy Spirit and His work in the Bible and today. Robert is a Presbyterian minister with twenty-five years of pastoral experience. He was formerly a professor of Systematic and Historical Theology and now serves as a senior research fellow at the Union School of Theology in the UK. He is also an associate professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and a fellow in History and Theology at Greystone Theological Institute. He has written many books, [...]

Do you enjoy listening to sermons by solid, Reformed preachers?

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals has a rich treasury of sermons from throughout our 75-year history. We want these messages to have maximum impact on the Church. One of our key goals is to construct a reliable and searchable database that is easily accessible to our supporters and listeners. To that end, we are looking for volunteers to help us accomplish this project. Alliance Allies will listen to sermons, complete a simple review form, and return the form digitally or in a postage-paid envelope. That’s all there is to it! You get to listen to excellent messages from James Boice, [...]

Walking in the Old Paths

Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it." The messages from the 1993 Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology look at the “old paths” – what they must mean to us now and with a concern for our present responsibilities. Re-released with eight newly discovered messages from the pre-conference and conference workshops—this special 30th-anniversary set will surely bless your time as you listen. The PCRT 1993 Anthology includes 15 messages from John Armstrong, James Boice, John Gerstner, Phillip Jensen, Roger Nicole, and J.I. Packer—see the [...]

Door of Hope (Hosea Study #7)

(To read these posts in order from the beginning, start here.)Read Hosea 2:15-23 Last time, we stepped into the wilderness to discover that in the Bible, the wilderness is often a harsh and dangerous place God uses to test and refine his people. It is also a place where he provides sanctuary and allows his people to encounter him in powerful ways. Today, were going to go back in time a bit to when Joshua fought the battle of Jericho. Remember the scene? [...]

I Will Allure Her and Bring Her Into the Wilderness (Hosea Study #6)

(To read these posts in order from the beginning, start here.)Read Hosea 2:14Long before God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, he had another son, Ishmael. God had promised Abram and Sarai a son, and when he didn’t move fast enough for them, they took matters into their own hands. Sarai gave her handmaid Hagar to Abram as a wife and things didn’t turn out so well. Sarai became jealous of Hagar and dealt harshly with her. So, Hagar escaped into the wi [...]

Hedge My Way With Thorns (Hosea Study #5)

(To read these posts in order from the beginning, start here.)Read Hosea 2:1-13In America, committed Christians are now a “worldview minority” in an increasingly anti-Christian culture. Israel was not just a worldview minority in their surrounding culture but was a tiny speck on the map of a rapidly expanding and violent Assyrian Empire. They were also surrounded by the polytheism and Baalism of the Canaanite culture. But they were called to worship and depend on Y [...]

No, Martin Luther Was Not a Deconstructionist

This article is in response to this piece from The Gospel Coalition. As a past TGC contributor, as an act of good faith, I did express my concerns directly to TGC before posting my article here. **Update** The Gospel Coalition was gracious to publish a condensed version of my article on their site. No, Martin Luther Was Not a Deconstructionist. And neither was Jesus. Many years ago, my Christian beliefs were challenged intellectually by a progressive Christian pastor. It t [...]

Mercy Me... (Hosea Study #4)

(To read these posts in order from the beginning, start here.)Read Hosea 1:8-11More than a thousand years before Hosea, there lived a nomadic farmer who was out in the middle of nowhere minding his own business when God started speaking to him. And what God said wasn’t easy. God put Abraham through a grueling test of faith by asking him to slaughter his only son on an altar of wood. This was set to take place at a location that would eventually become the site of the first Israelite te [...]

You Are Built Up In Christ

Paul’s letter to the Colossians, along with Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and Philemon, was apparently written during Paul’s first imprisonment. If this is the case, the most likely date is around 60-62 A.D. Moreover, Paul’s letter to the Colossians covers much of the same material and uses many of the same themes as his letter to the Ephesians. [...]

Relationship To Jesus Christ & His Body

Paul's letter to the Colossians, along with Paul's letters to the Ephesians and Philemon, was apparently written during Paul's first imprisonment. If this is the case, the most likely date is around 60-62 A.D. Moreover, Paul's letter to the Colossians covers much of the same material and uses many of the same themes as his letter to the Ephesians. [...]

Christian or American

On a wintry day in 1618 Rene Descartes rejected tradition, the church, and the Bible as the source for authority. In his famous conclusion “I think, therefore I am,” he revolutionized the quest for authority. Following Descartes declaration, a new day was sprung. It was called “the enlightenment.”Deeply influenced by enlightenment thought, John Lock provided the world as well as the American colon [...]

Divisions In The Church

Divisions in the church are nothing new; they are as old as the church itself. Unfortunately, we “protestants” are the worst! [...]

Simon J. Kistemaker 2024 Lecture “The University’s Embrace” – Lewis Ayres

Professor Lewis Ayres delivered this year’s Kistemaker Lectures at RTS Orlando entitled, “How Should We Think? On the Place of Christian Theology in Seminary and University.” Here is the first of these four lectures, where Ayres explores the differences between pre-modern and modern universities and their impact on seminaries and Christian Theology. Image: Pixelbay Tama66 [...]

Michael Horton will deliver the 2024 Lecture for The Center for Classical Theology

We are pleased to announce that Michael Horton will deliver the Annual Lecture for The Center for Classical Theology in San Diego, CA on November 19, 2024 (the evening before ETS). His lecture is titled, “If Reformed, then catholic: Revisiting sola scriptura.” Registration is now open here. Michael Horton is the J. Gresham Machen Professor… [...]

What Hath Parts To Do With Passions?

With a 65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Queen Latifah’s 2006 film Last Holiday could fairly be considered, as the kids say, “mid.”[1] The storyline surrounds one terminally ill woman’s decision to spend the rest of her money and days pursuing the ‘happy life’ she’d always dreamed of in Central Europe. Despite the film’s forgettability, one… [...]

The New Issue of Credo Magazine is Here! Divine Simplicity

As goes divine simplicity, so goes classical theism. For some theologians, the affirmation of divine simplicity proves too much to bear, and the denial of such a doctrine requires them to dismiss classical theism as a whole. For many others, however, it was the discovery of divine simplicity that set them on their way to embracing… [...]

The Beatific Vision and The Church

How can Christians experience a foretaste of the beatific vision? Here Michael Allen discusses the gathered church as a means of experiencing the presence of Christ. Listen to Michael Allen discuss the work of dogmatic theology and the value of friendship on the latest episode of the Credo Podcast here. Image “Paradiso” by… [...]

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SEVIERVILLE PASTOR DAN SPENCER TO BE NOMINATED FOR SBC PRESIDENT

By Lonnie WilkeyEditor, Baptist & ReflectorSEYMOUR — Dan Spencer, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, has become the sixth nominee for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention at the 2024 SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis. Chris Kendall, senior pastor of Oak City Baptist Church, Seymour, informed the Baptist and Reflector on April 11 […] The post SEVIERVILLE PASTOR DAN SPENCER TO BE NOMINATED FOR SBC PRESIDENT appeared first on Baptist & Reflector. [...]

MASTERS WEEKEND BRINGS THE CROWDS, BUT MINISTRY NEEDS CONTINUE THROUGH THE YEAR

By Scott Barkley Baptist PressAUGUSTA — With its manicured greens, blooming azaleas and a spectator menu featuring prices from yesteryear, the scene at Augusta National Golf Club in the first full week of April is, indeed, a tradition unlike any other. The subject of faith can also be raised. Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer in […] The post MASTERS WEEKEND BRINGS THE CROWDS, BUT MINISTRY NEEDS CONTINUE THROUGH THE YEAR appeared first on Baptist & Reflector. [...]

DAVID CROWTHER TO BE NOMINATED FOR SBC FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

By Brandon PorterBaptist PressLENEXA, Kansas — Steve Dighton will nominate David Crowther to serve as Southern Baptist Convention first vice president at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting. Crowther is the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Wichita. “David Crowther is a young dynamic leader, and one who would thrive in this position of leadership,” Dighton […] The post DAVID CROWTHER TO BE NOMINATED FOR SBC FIRST VICE PRESIDENT appeared first on Baptist & Reflector. [...]

SBC LEADERS CALL FOR PRAYER, SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IN LIGHT OF IRANIAN ATTACKS

By Brandon PorterBaptist PressNASHVILLE — Southern Baptist leaders are calling for prayer and peace in the wake of Iran’s direct attacks on Israel. The attacks occurred overnight on April 13 as hundreds of drones and rockets were launched in retaliation for a strike Israel made April 1 against an Iranian consulate. Israeli defense forces claim that 99 percent of […] The post SBC LEADERS CALL FOR PRAYER, SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IN LIGHT OF IRANIAN ATTACKS appeared first on Baptist & Reflector. [...]

TRANSITIONS AHEAD FOR THE TBC

By Randy C. DavisPresident and executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board“Change” is an interesting word. A quick check of a dictionary app offers more than 10 definitions and all of those except two deal with some aspect of transition or transformation. A few definitions that stand out are: “to make different;” “to make a shift […] The post TRANSITIONS AHEAD FOR THE TBC appeared first on Baptist & Reflector. [...]

Interview: Finding an Uncontainable God Within Finite Poetic Spaces

Eastern Orthodox poet Scott Cairns reflects on his new collection, his journey of faith, and poetry’s capacity to apprehend inexhaustible realities. Fans of the Harry Potter series might recall the magical tents from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In the film version, when the Weasleys take Harry and others to the Quidditch World Cup, the audience sees rows and rows of small tents, seemingly designed to sleep only one or two people. Harry is confused as he witnesses the others walk into a single tent, which can hold much more than its external size betrays. Once Harry follows [...]

In Secular UK, Evangelical Alliance Experiences Record Growth

Leader explains why the movement is seeing its biggest membership bump in 30 years and its mission for the years ahead. As CEO of the United Kingdom’s Evangelical Alliance (EA), Gavin Calver sometimes compares the organization to the polarizing British breakfast spread Marmite: You either love it or you hate it. The EA hears plenty from its critics, taking hits for stances on issues like transgender identity, and is calling on Christians who love them from a distance to actually join. “We’re asking, ‘Will you please stand with us as someone who loves Marmite, not dislikes it?’” Calver said. “In [...]

Haitians Are Ministering at the End of the World

As Haiti is uprooted by violence, church leaders treat gunshot wounds, give up homes for strangers, and rescue dignitaries. Pastor Frederic Nozil has learned to keep his head down. Last year, the year he turned 53, gangs attacked his neighborhood in Pétion-Ville, a suburb overlooking Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. They ransacked the house Nozil was renting and set it on fire. Nozil moved with his wife and two daughters to a safer community a couple of miles away. Still, he took few chances. This year, he turned 54 at home, quietly. A handful of people from his church brought a cake. [...]

Forgotten War: Sudan’s Displaced Christians Brace for ‘World’s Worst’ Hunger Crisis

Interview with leader of new evangelical alliance describes his escape from Khartoum and the pressure to pick a side. Overlooked by crises in Gaza and Ukraine, Sudan has now endured one year of civil war. Nearly 16,000 people have been killed, with 8.2 million fleeing from their homes—including 4 million children. Both figures are global highs for internal displacement. The United Nations stated that the “world’s worst hunger crisis” is looming, warning that one-third of Sudan’s 49 million people suffer acute food insecurity and 222,000 children could die of starvation within weeks. Yet an international emergency response plan, endorsed by [...]

What We Can Offer If We Uncircle the Wagons

Two new memoirs, Troubled and Between Two Trailers, make a powerful—if unintentional—case for the Christian ethos of family and community. Growing up, our car radio was always tuned to 90.7, American Family Radio. We lived about 15 minutes from the nearest town, so we spent a lot of time driving. If we were lucky, Mr. Whittaker’s warm, grandfatherly voice invited us to join him for Adventures in Odyssey. But more often, we’d listen to alarmed (and alarming) talks from Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, or Focus on the Family’s James Dobson, each warning my parents of all [...]

Ep 820 | Did Satan Tell ‘Elliot’ Page to Transition? | Guest: Lauren Chen

Listen on Apple Podcasts Watch on YouTube Watch or Listen on BlazeTV Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey: Today we’re joined by Lauren Chen, host of BlazeTV’s “Pseudo Intellectual,” to talk movies, pop culture, and news. First, we talk about movies and TV and how the approach to censoring humor has changed since the shows like “The Office” […] The post Ep 820 | Did Satan Tell ‘Elliot’ Page to Transition? | Guest: Lauren Chen appeared first on alliebethstuckey.com. [...]

Ep 819 | Jen Hatmaker Commemorates Her Divorce from Evangelicalism

Listen on Apple Podcasts Watch on YouTube Watch or Listen on BlazeTV Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey: Today we start with a deep dive into Rolling Stone reporter Ej Dickson, who is in the process of writing a smear piece on conservative hosts who speak out against transgender ideology and the grooming of children. Turns […] The post Ep 819 | Jen Hatmaker Commemorates Her Divorce from Evangelicalism appeared first on alliebethstuckey.com. [...]

Ep 818 | How LGBTQ Became Our State Religion | Guest: Auron MacIntyre

Listen on Apple Podcasts Watch on YouTube Watch or Listen on BlazeTV Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey: Today we’re joined by Auron MacIntyre, BlazeTV host of “The Auron MacIntyre Show,” to discuss why the Right isn’t winning and the “Total State” takeover of the religion of LGBTQ. We discuss the rainbow brigade’s insistence on exposing […] The post Ep 818 | How LGBTQ Became Our State Religion | Guest: Auron MacIntyre appeared first on alliebethstuckey.com. [...]

Ep 817 | Parenting Influencers Go All-In on Pride Propaganda

Listen on Apple Podcasts Watch on YouTube Watch or Listen on BlazeTV Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey: Today we’re discussing several parenting influencers who have jumped into giving advice on how to teach kids about Pride Month. We respond to some of the things they’ve said regarding Pride and give you some encouragement and advice […] The post Ep 817 | Parenting Influencers Go All-In on Pride Propaganda appeared first on alliebethstuckey.com. [...]

Ep 816 | Reliving the Trauma of Sharing a Locker Room with ‘Lia’ Thomas | Guest: Riley Gaines

Listen on Apple Podcasts Watch on YouTube Watch or Listen on BlazeTV Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey: Today, we’re joined by Riley Gaines to talk about her decision to speak out against men competing in women’s sports. Her story started when she tied with Lia (Will) Thomas in the NCAA Women’s Swimming Championships and saw […] The post Ep 816 | Reliving the Trauma of Sharing a Locker Room with ‘Lia’ Thomas | Guest: Riley Gaines appeared first on alliebethstuckey.com. [...]

Ten Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About C. S. Lewis

Unusual facts and common misunderstandings that take your knowledge beyond Narnia. [...]

John Calvin: Justice Is a Form of Worship

According to the Reformer, pursuing the good of others is a way to love God. [...]

An Unsung Inspiration for the Protestant Reformation: the Ethiopian Church

For the Reformers, renewing the church was a Pentecost moment tied to the global body of Christ. [...]

Juneteenth Was an Answer to Centuries of Prayer

African Americans asked the Lord for liberation for years. They still do. [...]

The Synod of Dort Was Protestantism’s Biggest Debate

Why Arminians and Reformers squared off 400 years ago. [...]