Intro to Galatians

Galatians 1:1-5 sermon summary1 Galatians, a letter penned by the apostle Paul, is an enthralling piece of biblical literature. It's a text that delves deep into the heart of early Christian communities and their struggles with the Gospel message. In this blog post, we'll embark on a journey to unpack the introduction to Galatians, shedding …

Boonstra Family Update

Below is a letter that I read to our First Baptist congregation May 21, 2023. God has been gracious to our family and taught us so much in life and ministry in our current context. Over the past eight years, we've had the unique opportunity to come back and invest in my home church. To …

Christians are Weird

"That's weird." During college, I worked at a warehouse, and "that's weird" was common in daily conversations. Typically, it would be directed at me. Yes, I'm weird. But what is the content of "weird." The content matters. This was often said because of something I claimed to believe in or how Christianity impacted what I …

Tertullian’s Apology: A Summary and Reflection

Author Tertullian (c. 150-220). Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus was raised pagan and converted later in life in 193. Before his conversion, it is believed that he practiced law. He was a priest in the Carthaginian Church and was married but with no children. He was a logos school theologian before joining the Montanist sect later …

Discipleship at Home: Formal or Organic?

How do you pour spiritual truths into your kids? Have you ever had that question asked? What is your response? Parents often answer by discussing specific practices they do: praying at the dinner table, family worship, etc. Another set of parents can discuss how they don't have anything specific and might even say they don't …

I Ain’t Never Had Too Much __________.

A country song some time ago said, "I ain’t never had too much fun." It went on to say all the things that were better with more quantity. Whether you would have the same list or not, a good principle underlies the song - some things don't need to be balanced out but must be …

Three Truths About the Cross

John Stott wrote a book some years ago entitled The Cross of Christ. In the chapter Looking Beneath the Surface, Stott says that the cross reveals three truths about ourselves and Jesus.[1] I want to reflect on these truths in this post, which is fitting for Good Friday. Truth 1: Our Sins Must Be Extremely …

The Lord’s Supper is Multi-Directional

Have you ever thought about the beauty of the Lord’s Supper? Unfortunately, we can merely go through the motions when it comes to this ordinance in the Christian faith. I want to highlight a few key reminders regarding the bread and the cup. I hope it will give us a renewed perspective as you partake …

Spiritual Disciplines and Leg Day

"Friends don't let friends skip leg day." This is a common expression among those who work out. Many have seen people with muscular upper bodies paired with legs that look like toothpicks - think Gru from Despicable Me. The expression is necessary because friends don't want to let their friends look like that. They don't …

The Sweet Comfort of God’s Simplicity

Did you know that God is simple? That might sound borderline blasphemous. You may object, "no! God is complex and greater than our understanding; how dare you say simple!" God is indeed great and above understanding, but the church - throughout the ages - has also held that God is simple. God's simplicity can be …