Category: Recent Articles
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Interview with an artistLaura Kroesbergen’s hyperrealistic animals
Capturing a moment in pastel ***** In her childhood, Laura Kroesbergen found she struggled with confidence in her relationships with people, but when she was…
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InternetIs AI helping you, or dumbing you down? Yes.
***** The Preacher declares in Ecclesiastes 1:9 that “there is nothing new under the sun.” He was saying it with a sense of despair, but…
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In a NutshellTidbits – June 2026
Done before the first down Notre Dame’s famed football coach Knute Rockne wasn’t above employing psychology to give his team an edge. A legend is…
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Recent ArticlesThe day is not an age
***** When my daughter was young, I introduced her to sketching and how to use colored pencils to enhance her drawings. She continued to practice…
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Interview with an artistTrees, rocks, water, sky, wildlife – Sheila Van Delft paints refreshment for the soul
The quiet cool of a forest trail brings inspiration to artist Sheila Van Delft. As an introvert, she finds she can recharge by breathing deeply…
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MusicWhen the Church stops singing
***** The first time I realized something was wrong with congregational singing, I was sixteen years old, sitting at the pipe organ bench at Tabor…
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Recent ArticlesPerfect planet
***** In our garden is a plum tree. Now this may not sound unusual except that stone fruit trees, like plums, do not grow well…
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In a NutshellTidbits – May 2026
On logic Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion Dr. Watson once went on a camping trip. Some hours after they lay down for the night…
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People we should knowJ. Gresham Machen (1881-1937)
***** One of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century was an American Presbyterian named John Gresham Machen. More than any other individual in the…
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People we should knowThat cloud of witnesses….
Mina and Marco in Egypt Open Doors is a non-denominational mission working in over 60 countries where Christianity is socially or legally discouraged or oppressed….
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HomosexualityOpposing rainbow crosswalk results in human rights trial
Ronald Reagan once shared a quip about the difference between his country and the totalitarian USSR. “Two Soviets… were talking to each other. And one…
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PornographyNo satisfaction: James’ Epistle on pornography
If I were to do a sample of readers to ask what they think is the driver behind pornography, my guess is that the most…
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EvangelismThe life and death of our campus evangelism project
When someone says, “Hey, we should do some outreach in our own community,” it’s an awkward situation since it’s so very hard to tell whether…
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Church historyThere was a man: Ulrich Zwingli
“Many men are like unto sausages: Whatever you stuff them with, that they will bear in them.” – Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910). “Start children…
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HumorAlice in Blunderland
“I can’t believe that!” said Alice. “Can’t you?” the Queen said in a pitying tone. “Try again: draw a long breath, and shut your eyes.”…
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InternetDo we “like” sin?
Welcome to the Information Age. With apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, we now have a window into the lives of our friends, family, acquaintances…
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ContestsRP’s 2026 Summer Photo Contest: Let’s get real!
The fascination with AI media creation, be it pictures, videos, and music, has turned sour for many of us. AI images are increasingly felt to…
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EconomicsWhy family businesses still matter (and why the Church should care)
I grew up with dirt under my fingernails and the sound of machinery in my ears. My grandparents’ farm sat on the arable land; our…
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Recent ArticlesDo leaves die?
***** Fall in America and throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere is a beautiful time of year. Bright reds, oranges, and yellows rustle in the…
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Apologetics 101Apologetics 101: Stay on message
Step 1. Figure out what you’re really trying to say Step 2. Don’t let anyone or anything distract you from saying it ***** Scott Klusendorf…
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Being the ChurchTitus 2 young men are not boys
***** In Titus 2 Paul gives instructions to older women, younger women, older men and younger men, and gives instruction concerning the care of children….
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Culture ClashesWhich conspiracies are true?
A quick survey of X or the top YouTube-influencer-content on the Right reveals that conspiracy theories have never been so widely spread or fervently believed….
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EconomicsThe Parable of the Talents: the Bible and entrepreneurs
The parables of Jesus teach eternal truths, but they also offer surprising practical lessons for worldly affairs. In the Gospel According to Matthew (chapter 25,…
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MarriageAdvice to new brides
“Oh, a coffee maker! Just what Peter and I need – thank you so much!” Bridal showers are a fun, valuable tradition. The bride-to-be’s family,…
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PoliticsWhy I’m grateful for the notwithstanding clause
Legislatures make laws, the executive enforces them, judges interpret and apply them in specific cases. Three branches, checks and balances – that’s Civics 101. As…
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Recent ArticlesThe beauty of 52 Sundays
***** There is something disarming about the Heidelberg Catechism. It doesn’t begin with abstract definitions, but with comfort. Our only comfort. Many of us have…
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Recent Articles6 days or 24 years: why does the difference even matter?
I recently set about the task of making an enclosure to keep animals, and I want to tell you how I did it. This may…
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Recent ArticlesThe Pursuit of Wisdom: do it ‘til you die
Some might assume that, as they grow older, they will grow in wisdom. But the Bible tells us that’s hardly a given. One of the…
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In a NutshellTidbits – April 2026
Some is better than none “There is nothing wrong with starting a hefty book like Calvin’s Institutes and only getting a hundred pages read. Think…
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AssortedWhen there is smoke…
You think you know someone. Five years – truly, has it already been five years that we have spent morning, noon and night working side…
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Recent ArticlesWild about beetles
From a young age some people are fascinated by beetles. For example, English author A. A. Milne wrote a delightful poem concerning a boy and…
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EconomicsFriedrich Hayek (1899-1992) showed us that free enterprise is necessary for freedom
One of the greatest social theorists of the twentieth century was a libertarian – some would say conservative – economist named Friedrich Hayek (1899-1992). Hayek…
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Politics5 ways God’s providence should impact how we approach politics
This is an edited version of a devotional given at an ARPA Canada “God and Government Conference,” May 4, 2019, in Aldergrove, BC. ***** God…
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Being the ChurchRetirement: What are you retiring from? What are you retiring to?
***** “Retirement is unbiblical,” she told me, her fist firmly pounding her desk. Alice had been the company bookkeeper for about 50 years. She lived…
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HistoryThe case against the draft
***** Across the Western world, military recruiting is sputtering. In 2022 and 2023, the United States Army missed its enlistment targets by tens of thousands,…
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AssortedThe conceited apple-branch: a Romans 12:3-8 fable?
Was Hans Christian Andersen thinking of Romans 12:3-8 when he wrote this? Perhaps not…. but he could have been. ***** It was the month of…