RFPA Blog News

SB Staff Annual Meeting 2024

Book review: "A useful tool for parents and teens"

Preparing for Dating and Marriage by Cory Griess. Reviewed by Rev. Dr. Don E. Galardi, retired minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. This book is wonderful help for pastors and families who desire to guide young people through their teenage years and beyond. Apart from following Christ, the decision of who to marry is the largest and most consequential decision that human beings make in this life. However, parents may feel ill-equipped to talk about the pertinent aspects of dating with...

"It will not only help your children...it will also challenge you in your own marriage"

Preparing for Dating and Marriage by Cory Griess. Reviewed by Dr. Sacha Walicord, pastor of Walker United Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, visiting Professor Akademie fuer Reformatorische Theologie (Reformed Theological Seminary), Giessen, Germany.

Many Christian parents have lost countless nights’ sleep over their child’s unwise dating or marriage decisions. Much heartache has been caused by covenant children who entered the “dating game” or even marriage in an unprepared way. Much of this heartache and many tears could have been avoided if parents just had had a tool that helped them teach their children how to look for a godly spouse. Cory Griess’ very readable devotional seeks to fill exactly this gap as it is not only written from a sound biblical perspective but also in a warm and easy-to-understand tone. This is not your classical self-help book, but it is written for an audience 7th grade and up to be used as a family devotional guide in thirty-one brief and straightforward lessons.

November 15, 2020 Standard Bearer preview article

The instrumental cause of our salvation

However, to speak more clearly, we do not mean, that faith itself justifies us, for it is only an instrument with which we embrace Christ our righteousness. But Jesus Christ, imputing to us all His merits and so many holy works which He has done for us and in our stead, is our righteousness. And faith is an instrument that keeps us in communion with Him in all His benefits, which, when become ours, are more than sufficient to acquit us of our sin.

—Belgic Confession, Article 22

Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.

—Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 11.2

Now available! Preparing for Dating and Marriage: A 31-Day Family Devotional

Now available! Preparing for Dating and Marriage: A 31-Day Family Devotional by new author, Rev. Cory Griess Cory Griess is a pastor in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. He and his wife, Lael, live in Grand Rapids, MI where he currently pastors the First Protestant Reformed Church. The Lord has given him and his wife six children, all born in Northwest Iowa where he pastored for nine years before moving to Michigan in 2018.     Each meditation in this book...

Coming soon! Preparing for Dating and Marriage: A 31-Day Family Devotional

Coming mid-August! Preparing for Dating and Marriage: A 31-Day Family Devotional by new author, Rev. Cory Griess  Cory Griess is a pastor in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. He and his wife, Lael, live in Grand Rapids, MI where he currently pastors the First Protestant Reformed Church. The Lord has given him and his wife six children, all born in Northwest Iowa where he pastored for nine years before moving to Michigan in 2018.   Each meditation in this...

July Standard Bearer preview article

Introduction

The Lord’s Supper in the dialogue of worship was not always understood the scriptural way we have described it in these articles. In our previous article we examined how Rome views the Lord’s Supper in worship. In this article we want to understand how and why the Reformation was used of God to restore the church to a proper understanding of the Lord’s Supper in worship.

Restoration of the gospel

When the Reformation returned the church to the truth of the gospel, everything changed also in worship. In God’s sovereign mercy, Martin Luther, who had access to Scripture, began to see the truth of the Word of God. Particularly, he saw that Scripture taught the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross that effectually atoned for the sins of all His people, so that they are justified by an imputed, alien righteousness alone.

Is the gospel part of the law?

“What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone” (Romans 9:30-32). In this text the issue is righteousness. The Israelites who sought righteousness by obedience...

Is the law part of the gospel?

I remember being quite confused for a long time by the question that titles this article. I remember being further confused by statements made by Protestant Reformed authors, such as the following: “In fact, Scripture makes clear that the law is gospel, for it has the power to convert the soul, to make wise the simple, and to enlighten the eyes.” And, “The law is gospel. If anyone doubts it, let him read Psalm 19 and Psalm 119.” And, “For Calvin...

What's in the the March 15 Standard Bearer?

Read these articles and more in the upcoming March 15 issue of The Standard Bearer. Not a subscriber? Purchase an eSubscription or a hard copy subscription today!   Meditation | Godliness for Officebearers   "Officebearers must be able to say: Do as I do. Follow my example." O Come Let Us Worship | The Reading of the Law in Worship   "...in the covenantal dialogue, God is speaking to us, declaring His sovereignty over us. He is placing upon us His holy Law...

Perversion, Praise, and Promises: Sneak Peak at the Next Issue of the Standard Bearer

Looking forward to receiving the September 1 issue of the Standard Bearer? Here's a taste of what's to come in the next issue of our Reformed magazine: Editorial | The Persistent Sanctioning of Sexual Sins by Reformed Churches "Our stand on sexual intimacy and marital faithfulness has direct bearing on our view of the church's relationship to Christ, and of his relationship to us." O Come Let Us Worship | Praising the Lord in the Congregation:The Element of Singing    ...