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Assorted

The definition of patience

Patience. It’s a word we would never bother looking up in the dictionary because we already understand its meaning. But sometimes a well-known word can leap to life with new meaning and application when we read its formal definition. So consider what Dictionary.com has to say about patience.

Patience: putting up with annoyance, misfortune, delay, or hardship, with fortitude and calm and without complaint, loss of temper, irritation or the like. It is an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.

Wow. Simply put, patience means not showing annoyance or anger with people or things that aren’t acting as we desire! From this definition we can deduce that we are very often…. not patient!

This definition leads me to believe that the practice of “patience” or “impatience” relies almost completely on the words that come out of our mouths and the body language that we exhibit (heavy sighs, eye-rolling, stomping, slamming doors) when we do not like what is being said or done. Is patience an attitude then, or an action?

Love is patient

It definitely starts with an attitude – we have to decide how we are going to react, and we do that by recognizing what is right and wrong and then making our choice.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul tells us that, “Love is patient.” That means that love puts up with "annoyance, misfortune, delay, and hardship with fortitude and calm and without complaint, loss of temper, or irritation." It means love is the "ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance."

In Romans 12:9-21 Paul tells us how to behave like Christians. Part of that includes verse 12, which states, “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulations, be steadfast in prayer.” That means that when we have tribulation (which means trials, troubles, problems, aggravations) we are supposed to put up with them with fortitude and calm and without complaint, loss of temper, or irritation; we are to suppress restlessness and annoyance.

Excusing ourselves

But patience is not easy, and it has become difficult to recognize right from wrong because our culture not only excuses impatience, it exalts it as a right and a virtue. It is “only understandable” to be impatient in traffic or standing in line, when confronted with confused or ignorant people, or in obtaining whatever it is that we need or want. Television commercials suggest that we grab each other’s breakfast food, race to beat our spouse to the better car, and complain loudly whenever things displease us. Life is all about indulgence and not letting anyone or anything get in our way.

It is also very easy to excuse our behavior by blaming our impatience on our workload, our temperament, our upbringing, our heritage, our gender, or our age (whether young or old!).

Recognizing the sin of impatience

So let’s get the definition of patience correct first – let’s know right from wrong, because God tells us in several places that we are to be patient, including with family and church members.

How do we talk to and about our church family? 1 Thessalonians 5:14 tells us that as we “warn the unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, and uphold the weak,” we are to “be patient with all” of them. This is different than “tsk-tsking” as we look down our noses.

Paul tells us to express all the fruit of the Spirit spoken of in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. This involves not demanding our own perceived “rights” or our own way. It involves loving others more than ourselves for “love overlooks a multitude of sins” as well as mistakes and small differences (1 Peter 4:8). And it involves trusting God to take care of the details when there are delays and difficulties. We must drop the hurry and the worry about what others might think of us.

Either we are acting patiently, or we are not. God’s written and preached Word can give us strength that helps us choose patient behavior. We exhibit this fruit of the Holy Spirit best when we are walking closest to Him.

The Apostle Paul said in Romans: “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me” (7:21). So true. But having a better definition of this sin will at least help us to identify our inclination towards it, and make it less excusable.

God tells us to be patient: to put up with daily trials without complaint or irritation. The best news is that He promises strength through the Holy Spirit, and forgives our confessed sins daily as well.

“Faithful is He who calls us, who also will do it” (1 Thess. 5:24).

This article was first published in January 2017.

News

Saturday Selections – Feb. 7, 2026

Is the Church the true Israel? It's R.C. Sproul vs. John MacArthur in the epic rap battle that they surely must have had at one of those Ligonier con...

Theology

Proverbs: a different sort of devotional

“Do you have a devotional that you would recommend?” I get asked this question in various forms from time to time, and I think my answer someti...

Book Reviews, Children’s fiction

Britfield & the Lost Crown

by C.R Stewart 2019 / 383 pages Rating: GOOD Tom is a 12-year-old orphan living in Oliver Twist kind of conditions, though this story is set in m...

Christian education - Sports, Theology

God and the 2014-15 Seattle Seahawks

All about God’s sovereignty, Man’s free will, and American football ***** When the editor suggested I write a piece about American Football, I w...

RP is looking for a Managing Editor!

Are you looking for a meaningful and long-term career where you can devote your time to equipping Christians to think, speak, and act like Christ? With thankfulness to God, the Reformed Perspective Foundation is looking to expand our team and mission with a significant new role: MANAGING EDITOR (FULL TIME) This new role will serve as the operational backbone of the editorial team. He or she will keep all of RP’s content moving seamlessly from start to finish. A key function will be to ensure content is published in a timely way and blesses as many people as possible through a variety of mediums. Depending on qualifications and experience, we also welcome assistance with creating content (e.g. journalism or video production). The goal for the successful candidate is to work towards serving as the “integrator” for the RP team, as modeled in the Entrepreneur Operating System (EOS). He or she will help enable RP to achieve our long-term goal of expanding our reach to the USA, Australia, and the broader Christian community in Canada. We are looking for someone who is: Excited about devoting their life to advance our core purpose (helping Christians to think, speak, and act in Christ); Is fully committed to furthering our core values: Biblical: faithful to God’s Word and the Reformed confessions; Inspiring: a catalyst for action and a connecting to hearts Real: applying God’s Word to the nitty gritty of life Celebratory: Christ is LORD and has already won! Very organized and efficient; Excellent with utilizing technology; Comfortable with learning/managing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS); A great communicator, including with people who work remotely; Friendly and kind while being able to ensure things get done; Self-motivated; Humble; Available at least four days a week; Looking to serve long-term (ideally a minimum of 5 years). The position will report to the Executive Editor, Mark Penninga. Duties will include: Work towards managing the RP team processes/systems, including running meetings and ensuring goals are being tracked and met; Ensure content submissions are received, thanked, and followed-up; Schedule content deadlines; Assigns tasks and deadlines to writers, editors, designers, and fact-checkers and ensure they are kept; Develops creative ways to make content go further through new technology and other mediums (electronic, audio, video, etc.); Oversee roll-out of contests/presentations/conferences (to fit with organizational schedule); Tracks analytics of all content; As much as possible, proactively guard the organization from censorship and similar challenges; Depending on qualifications there is also a potential to assist with content production. Hours: Half-time to full-time is possible, depending on the successful applicant’s availability and their skills/qualifications. If not full-time, there would be an expectation of availability most work days of the week. Salary/wage: Open to negotiation and in-keeping with industry standards. Location: Our office in Smithers, BC. Deadline: March 30 (we will keep the position open till it is filled. We reserve the right to not fill the position or to extend the deadline). Requirements: Must be a member in good standing of a confessional Reformed church in Canada or the US (a church that upholds the Three Forms of Unity or Westminster Standards). Six month trial period required. Interested? To apply, please send an application to RP’s Executive Director Mark Penninga ([email protected]). Please include a resume, at least two references (including an elder or pastor), and a letter introducing yourself and explaining your qualifications for the position....

History

Our heroes have feet of clay

You find them everywhere. They’re the people we look up to. They sing, they dance, they play hockey, they win battles and they found nations. They’re our heroes. You know the people: George Washington, Wayne Gretzky, Winston Churchill, or Ginger Rogers. They’re larger than life figures that do larger than life things flawlessly. We want to be like them. Unless you’re Canadian. When an Internet poll asked Canadians who their heroes were some of the results were predictable, like Terry Fox, but there were also a few less likely individuals. Don’t misunderstand: these people did some incredible things and were certainly larger than life. However, they were also hopelessly flawed. John A. One man who topped the list was Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A Macdonald. It is to Sir John A. that much of the credit goes for the founding of the Dominion of Canada in 1867. He helped pull together a disparate bunch of English Canadian Reformers and Tories and united them with French Canadian Bleus. Then he got the British to bully Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into a grand confederation of colonies that formed the nucleus of the present day Canada. While that’s impressive, Canadians know Sir John A. in a more intimate way than that. You see, as most Canadians are aware, Sir John was bounced from office in 1873 for the Pacific Railway Scandal that involved suggestions of bribes, patronage, and all kinds of corruption. Additionally, the prime minister was a habitual drunkard. It was no secret for he bragged about his drinking, yet Canadians forgave him, returning him and his party to office in 1878. There are other unusual Canadians as well. William Lyon Mackenzie King made the list of heroes for his impressive job of shepherding Canada through the Second World War. If that doesn’t sound impressive, keep in mind that when Prime Minister Borden tried to guide the country during the previous world war, he succeeded in alienating French speaking Quebec, and much of the farming population, as well as accidentally splitting the opposition Liberal party in two. King kept peace and tranquillity, while Borden created a political crisis that threatened to undo Canada. Though a master politician, Canadians were aware of King’s oddities, including consulting with mediums, and talking to his dead dog – stuffed and sitting on the mantle. Rebel Riel Louis Riel was also on the list of heroes. While the man who initiated the only rebellions Canada has ever had may seem an odd choice as a hero, to many Western Canadians Riel is exactly that. With his rebellions at Red River and then in the North West Territories, Riel was probably the first Westerner that ever made “the East” sit up and take notice, and to perpetually alienated Westerners, that makes Riel a hero. However, Riel was a religious fanatic, believing himself a prophet and in communication with God. He had spent time in a mental asylum, and at the time of the 1885 Rebellion may have actually been mentally unbalanced. E is for equal rights...and also eugenics In its heroes, Canada is an equal opportunity employer. One of the most significant women to make the list was Emily Murphy. A successful writer under the pen name Janey Canuck, a Member of the Canadian Parliament, the first female police magistrate in the British Empire, and a participant in the landmark “Persons Case” that gave Canadian women legal status as people, Murphy has had her reputation tarnished in recent years. The United Farmers government of the province of Alberta enacted the Sexual Sterilization Act in 1928 that allowed for the sterilization of the mentally incompetent and others unfit to parent. This version of eugenics, repugnant to most modern Canadians, was strongly backed by the otherwise progressive and reform-minded Murphy. Conclusion Canadians choices for heroes have been odd. The less savory facts behind the lives of most of Canada’s heroes are well known and thoroughly documented, but Canadians picked these people anyway. Someone once told me that you can’t tell an American something bad about their heroes. They don’t want to know about George Washington’s dismal military record as a British lieutenant, and they won’t listen if you tell them that Thomas Jefferson had slaves on his plantation. They certainly don’t want to hear any suggestions that Martin Luther King cheated on his wife, or may have plagiarized his dissertation. But Canadians are different. They know the weaknesses of their heroes and accept them for that. The Bible also contains some unusual heroes, “heroes of faith” like Noah, Abraham, and Rahab. Noah got drunk, Abraham denied that Sarah was actually his wife, and Rahab was a prostitute. These were flawed people, but by God’s strength, they were allowed incredible moments and even years to do deeds that we still remember today. We look back at them, and we look up to them for those deeds. Heroes are not flawless people. They make mistakes, but that doesn’t negate the good that they’ve been allowed to do. That doesn’t mean we can’t look up to them, but it does mean we can’t idolize them. It’s healthy to know that even great women and men have feet of clay, for it reminds us who is ultimately in control. James Dykstra is both a student and teacher of Canadian history. This article was first published in June 2017....

News

Court rules that Emergencies Act against “Freedom Convoy” was unlawful

Four years ago, in February 2022, Canada’s federal government invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time since it was enacted back in 1988, granting itself extraordinary power to break up the truckers’ convoy that assembled in Ottawa and elsewhere to protest Covid policies. By invoking the Act, the government received the power to prohibit citizens from assembling, as well as freeze bank accounts of those involved in the protests, and even ban and freeze crowdfunding, among other measures. In January of this year, the country’s Federal Court of Appeal made a unanimous decision, agreeing with the lower court ruling from 2024, that the government had not been legally justified to making use of the Emergencies Act. The court ruled that the protests “fell well short of a threat to national security.” The court also found there simply wasn’t sufficient evidence to back up the government’s claim that the convoy posed a threat of serious violence. “When all these legal and factual considerations are taken into account, we fail to see how the could ‘reasonably believe’ that a threat to national security existed at the time the decision to invoke the Act was made.” This decision is a good example of why civil governments need checks and balances on themselves, given our sinful human condition, and particularly a check on the age-old thirst for more power. The legislative and executive branches require the accountability and safeguards that are supposed to come from the Constitution, through the oversight of the judicial branch. For Christians, obeying the Romans 13 command to “be subject to the governing authorities” isn’t as simple as submitting to whatever the Prime Minister or Governor General orders in a given moment. In this case, it was the Prime Minister and Governor General that were acting illegally, and not the private citizens – the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Constitution Foundation, among others – who successfully challenged them in court....

News

Saturday Selections – Jan. 31, 2026

Reformed and Dangerous's Christ is King A little harder rocking than some of us might be used to, but the fire in the music is a match for the power of the words... Is Bluey's dad too good? A New York Times article offered up that critique, and the folks at Breakpoint ministries had this insightful response. An unexplored mission field: seniors' homes? I'm really hoping this link works (it is behind a paywall but says I can share it). This is a story of a lady suffering from dementia who is bringing the gospel to other dementia sufferers. Sex on the silver screen – outsourcing depravity Tim Challies asks, are we outsourcing our sexual depravity, getting actors to do for our entertainment what we would never do ourselves? Free will vs. determinism Atheist Sam Harris has famously argued that because we are just meat machines, all our actions are determined, so we should be more compassionate to criminals because what they did isn't really their fault – their "output" is just a result of all their inputs, with no choice on their part. He denies we have any free will, but, ironically, wants us to choose to be nice to criminals. His campaign highlights his own disbelief in his notion. Calvinists deny free will too, but mean something very different by it. We know that Man is sinful in all he does, and cannot choose God apart from God's own intervention. But we also know that when we choose to steal, lie, or cheat, we are responsible – we are making these choices for evil. So, we make choices, even as God is sovereign. Do we get that totally? Nope, but God tells us it is so (Rom. 8:7-8, Eph. 2:8-9), and each of us know it is true personally in how we experience both that slavery to sin, and know yet that it is still me, myself, and I responsible for my sins. The free market's "double thank-you" Sports can help teach kids a lot of real-life lessons – how hard work pays off, the importance of being a team player, etc. – but there's one big difference between life and games. In the arena there can be only one champion but in life both sides can win. Socialists deny it, pitting the poor against the rich, and fostering envy over what our wealthier neighbors have (violating the 10th Commandment). But the rich only get rich by being helpful. Unless he stole his money, a businessman can only get rich via free, voluntary transactions. And those exchanges will only happen when both sides agree that they are better off for it. Kid offers to mow your lawn for $20? He's only going to make the offer if he thinks it's worth it for him, and you'll only agree if you think it benefits you. Both are better off. You are both "richer" for it. When the government manages things, it may force people to do what they wouldn't otherwise want to do. We're taking your money to build this library (and stock it with obscene books). We're going to build a hockey arena so we're hiking your taxes. That's win/lose – one side wins by making others lose. And the government can even pull off lose/lose situations where everyone is worse off. So we want to combat the Left's envy by remembering the rich only got that way by thousands and millions of voluntary transactions in which not only did they benefit, but the other side was made richer too! Instead of envying them, we should be saying "thank-you" right back to them! ...

Entertainment

You might relate to Mary Bennet, but you’re not supposed to imitate her

Christian education

Where has all the creativity gone?

Education needs to be about great books and great ideas... **** "Is This the Worst-Ever Era of American Pop Culture?" That was the question asked by...

Family, Movie Reviews

The InBESTigators

Children's show / TV 2019-2020 / 15 minutes x 40 episodes RATING: 9/10 Ava, Maudie, Ezra, and Kyle are four fifth graders with a knack for solvin...

News

Saturday Selections – Jan. 24, 2026

Why does Denmark own Greenland? (3 min) Lots of talk going on about Greenland as of late. Here's a quick primer on how Greenland came to be Danish......

Theology

#3 - The unknown Commandment

“You shall not take the Name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain.” – Exodus 20:7 ***** It takes just a quick flip through the TV channels to find someone using God’s name in vain. CLICK! An old Friends rerun, and there’s Phoebe using it as a synonym for “okay!” CLICK! A few channels further one of Doctor Who's companions is using God’s name instead of exclaiming “oh no!” CLICK! On the sports channel a commentator decides that “Wow!” just doesn’t suffice. Yes, it’s easy to find people using God’s name in vain, but it’s hard to figure out why they do it. It doesn’t make sense. While TV writers and producers regularly offend viewers, they rarely do so without reason. In a show like Game of Thrones, for example, the producers show a steady diet of sex and violence, knowing it will offend some viewers. But even as Christians are turning off the program, countless others are tuning in for the sex and sleaze. So TV producers are willing to offend, as long as it get them more viewers than it loses. That’s why it’s hard to understand why anyone swears on TV. Using God’s name in vain is sure to offend some viewers, but it’s doubtful anyone out there really watches a show for the swearing. So why do they do it? The same question could be asked in a number of other settings as well. Why is God’s name misused in newspapers, at the office, and in casual conversations? In many of these same settings the dialogue will be remarkably free from crudities – the f-word and others are strictly off limits. But God’s name is still open to abuse. Why? Ignorance isn’t bliss I’m convinced the answer is ignorance. God’s name is abused because Christians don’t object, and because we don’t object, TV scriptwriters, newspaper columnists and even our friends don’t realize that using God’s name in vain is offensive. They’re totally clueless. How clueless? Some years back, when I screwed up the courage to ask a teammate on my rec-league basketball team to stop swearing he was quite willing to oblige. So the next time he missed a shot, instead of stringing God’s name together with the word d--n (as was his usual habit) he restricted himself to just misusing God’s name. He knew d--n was a swear, so he stopped using it, but he continued using God’s name in vain because no one had ever told him it was offensive. Not everyone is this clueless, but it is surprising how many are. It is even more surprising how willing people are to accommodate a request not to swear. When our basketball team’s manager called an impromptu meeting about swearing everyone agreed to try and curtail it. (One player noted that a similar request had been made when he played college ball. Interestingly enough, on that team it wasn’t a Christian who had made the request, but a Mormon.) The non-Christians even had a bunch of questions about which words were more and less offensive. Many of them still swore afterwards, but it was a habit they were trying to break. And all we had to do was ask. How do you ask? The toughest part is the asking. How do you bring it up without sounding holier than thou? The manager on our basketball team took the straightforward approach. He announced that since there were a number of Christians on the team, we would appreciate it if people didn’t swear using God’s name. He said it, everyone agreed, and it was done with. He made it look so very simple. And it should be simple. Not easy, mind you; as simple as it looked, he was the only Christian on the team to actually get up and say what needed to be said. It still takes courage. One of my aunts uses a rather different technique. When someone misuses God’s name while talking with her, she interrupts and asks, “Are you praying?” This generally prompts a very puzzled reply, something to the effect of, “What? Why would you think I was praying?” “Because you just mentioned God’s name, and since we weren’t talking about God, well, why else would you be mentioning God? Or were you just using God’s name for emphasis? Maybe you don’t know, but using God’s name like that is very offensive to Christians, and to God Himself. Please don’t do that.” A friend has written to a popular newspaper columnist who blasphemed. He alerted her to the offensive part of her column and then continued: …many people don't know this, but the way you used God's name there would actually be a violation of the third commandment - You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain. Obviously it would be fine to use God's name if you actually were addressing Him, but in this instance you used it more like an expletive, or as a way to emphasize your point. I know that columnists don't seek to offend without purpose (sometimes they do so with purpose, but that is part of the job) so I thought I would make you aware of this, and ask you to please be careful about it in the future. Thank-you. The columnist never replied but, in the days and weeks that followed, did not abuse God's name again. Conclusion Not everyone is going to honor a request to stop swearing. Some will swear just to tick us off. But our friends and neighbors will care. Employees will listen, if only to cozy up to the boss. Waiters will want nice tips. TV scriptwriters want us to watch their shows. All these people have reasons to listen to what we like and don’t like. We don’t like it when they use God’s name in vain, so let’s let them know. This article was first published in July 2018....

Adult fiction, Book Reviews

Sincerely, Stoneheart

by Emily Wilson Hussem 2025 / 240 pages Rating: GOOD/Great/Gift I can’t find my car keys! Can you relate to this panicked searching? If you don’t find your keys, you’ll be late for your appointment. Your kids are screaming at the door and you feel your self-control slipping as you flip pockets inside out and tear cushions off the couch. All the while, your keys are in your back pocket. In her book, Sincerely, Stoneheart, Emily Wilson Hussem relates this missing key experience to how many Christian women live: frantically searching for their identity, forgetting that God calls them his beloved. Hussem writes in the same flavour as CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters – letters written fictitiously from a senior demon, named Stoneheart, to his apprentice Belphegora (a demon of sloth, distraction and false promises of wealth). The letters are about how best to lure a female subject living in today’s world away from the Enemy. Reading from this angle takes some mental alertness. For believers, “the Enemy” is their Heavenly Father. This and other positive vocabulary need to be flipped, as the believing reader digests the temptations communicated by the demon. However, this mental exercise helps one examine one’s heart. These letters illuminate where you may be giving the Devil a foothold. As the book’s subtitle reads, Sincerely, Stoneheart helps readers “unmask the enemy’s lies,” and, “find the truth that sets you free.” Hussem covers over 40 topics including: appearances, possessions, accomplishments and titles. One I found convicting was her noting that a woman scrolling through social media on her phone was in a remarkably similar posture to a child of God praying. How many times have I turned to my phone to answer a question or fill a heart longing, instead of sincerely praying to my Creator with folded hands? The topics covered best relate to an educated Christian wife and mother of young children but would apply in part to Christian women at large. The author’s heart is for women to embrace God’s unique gift of femininity and to have hearts at rest in their identity of being God’s beloved. By abiding in this relationship with God, through prayer and scripture reading, women can find healing for their past hurts, live abundantly in the present, and entrust their future to Him. This book is easy to read in small chunks and even out of order, making it approachable to moms familiar with interruptions. A study guide is also available. It could be used for personal reflection or a group study. It would also be helpful to husbands, fathers, pastors and elders who desire to understand the spiritual warfare many young woman face. Use this book to help you pray Ezekiel 36:26: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”...

Assorted

In Christ

The antidote to works righteousness and the anxiety, exhaustion, and resentment that comes with it. ***** I used to enjoy rock climbing. At least, I thought I did. If you’ve tried it, you know what it feels like to be 50 feet up a cliff, clutching any hold thicker than the edge of a loonie. I would normally “top-rope,” which involved my brother belaying from the bottom and the rope running through a carabiner at the top and back down to my harness. If I fell, my brother ensured that I wouldn’t fall far. But there were occasions when we couldn’t get a rope to the top and would have to “lead climb.” The climber would take the rope up as he climbed, and, using carabiners and a sling, secure it to bolts that were drilled into the cliff, usually about every 10 feet. So, if you climbed 10 feet past a bolt and were almost at the next one, you knew that a fall at that point would send you, not just to the next bolt, but 10 feet beyond it. Even if the belayer was holding the rope firmly, he couldn’t stop you from falling 20 feet! You were on your own. Even if my mind was willing, it was when I needed the most stability and strength that my body would sometimes rebel and stiffen or shake uncontrollably. It wasn’t enough to be determined. My body didn’t cooperate with my mind. And then my mind would soon lose faith. As much as I wanted it, there was no way I could simply will myself into being able to do this – there was going to be no summit. And if I insisted on trying, there may have even been a painful fall. Lead-climbing life In many ways, the same has been true of my effort to live as a Christian. Perhaps you can identify. From our youth we are urged to “become like Christ.” WWJD or “What would Jesus do?” is ringing in many ears. Perhaps it is a Bible passage like “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me” (Phil. 3:14) or maybe a doctrine we were instructed in, such as our calling to be a prophet, priest, and king (Lord’s Day 12, Heidelberg Catechism). The underlying message we hear from many pulpits, classrooms, and dinner tables is “you confess to being a Christian, now act like it!” Throughout my life, I have been trying to make progress towards the LORD. One foot hold at a time, I have been striving to overcome fear and failure and make it to the summit. But like my twitching body on the cliff, I have been humbled time and again. As much as I willed to make progress, my body was weak. “Step it up, Mark!” I told myself time and again. As I shared in a previous article on anxiety, eventually I burnt out. I got to the point where I felt like I could barely move, let alone summit anything. It is a horrible feeling to be a father, husband, and leader, and yet incapable of basic functioning. That was about 8 years ago. My journey with understanding anxiety and stress has been ongoing, and I have been blessed with many helpful resources. But beneath it all I have discovered a spiritual root – I was trying to earn God’s favor, to measure up, to prove my status as His child. Yes, I understand what grace means, and I’m convinced that I can be justified only by faith alone, in Christ alone. I’ve clipped my rope into these spiritual truths again and again, and then tried to keep climbing up, towards the summit. But it doesn’t take long before I’m weary, restless, or anxious again. Then I’m left shaking on the side of the cliff. It has taken me too long to realize the answer has been close at hand all my life. It is captured in many places in Scripture, including: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) “...to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:22-24) “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal. 3:26-27) The theme of being “in Christ” is immersed throughout the New Testament. When Paul refers to himself, he doesn’t call himself a Christian. Rather, he calls himself a “man in Christ” (2 Cor. 12:2). Christ himself draws this out in John 15 when He describes how He is the true vine and we are branches. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4). The branch doesn’t grow itself and then find a vine or branch to attach itself to and form a partnership with. We find our life wholly in Christ. He initiates the growth, He sustains with His life-giving water, and He carries us through the winds and storms of life. “Jesus does not call us to mimic him but to manifest Him,” explains Steve Cuss, in his book Managing Leadership Anxiety. In my leadership and writing, as well as my parenting, I have constantly gotten this wrong. And the challenges I see in the Christian community suggest that I’m the norm, not the exception. “Becoming like Christ is what God does in us, not what we do. God is the active agent; we are the recipients,” explains Cuss (emphasis added). But isn’t there something we need to do? Cuss points to Scripture and explains that our first task is something we aren’t usually that keen to do: to die to our old self (Rom. 6:6, Eph. 4:22-24, Col. 3:5-10). That includes the age-old propensity to purse these false needs: Control Perfection Always having the answer Being there for everyone in need Approval The truth is that these are attributes of God, not us. He is in control. He is perfect. He knows everything. He is there for everyone. And He give us our approval. As Steve Cuss explains, “anytime a human being tries to take on a God-sized job, we get reactive.” Feeling stressed lately? Perhaps, like me, you are trying to become like God rather than living in Christ. Like many other Christians, I have spent much of my life trying to be faithful, while not experiencing the peace that Christ promises us when we abide in Him. Reformed Perspective’s core purpose Every healthy organization should have a clearly-articulated reason for being. At our December board meeting, the board of Reformed Perspective settled on this core purpose: Helping you think, speak, and act in Christ. This flows from our mission statement of “equipping and encouraging Christians to think, speak, and act in a manner consistent with their confession.” But hopefully you can also distinguish the nuance of the last two words. Instead of encouraging Christians to “step it up” by living in line with what we confess, the new focus is on thinking, speaking, and acting in Christ. We think, speak, and act not to become like Christ. Rather, like a branch that produces fruit, our good works happen because we are connected to the Vine. We already are in Christ. We already are accepted. We already are loved. I don’t have to climb toward God’s favor. I don’t have to fear my next slip and fall. Christ has already summitted for me and is holding me firmly while I complete my journey. We humbly invite you, our readers and listeners, to hold us accountable to our stated purpose, as we seek to assist you in thinking, speaking, and acting in Christ....

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Saturday Selections – Jan. 17, 2026

Studio C's Stu Stews Sue's Soup This is just so fun :) The Bible encourages seeking out a spouse Two facts: In God's providence, not all of us will find a spouse God encourages us to pursue a good spouse In light of the first fact, there may be a tendency to downplay the second. But we shouldn't. So here is a story about how one young widower pursued indeed. The Bible and socialism The New York mayor won on a campaign pushing socialism. Why did so many find that so appealing? And why do even many Christians make the same mistake? 8 key differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics Kevin DeYoung with a good refresher... 6 tips to help a Christian institution stay the course for generations I heard a story told of a Christian college president who was asked, "Why are all the buildings here made of wood and not stone?" His reply was, "We don't want to give the world stone." In other words, he had already conceded that his Christian university would – like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton before it – inevitably slide into secularism. This article offers 6 tips to keep an institution honoring God for generations. The evolutionary prediction that completely backfired "For decades, leading evolutionary biologists predicted that most of our genome was 'junk DNA,' useless leftovers with no function." They got it totally wrong. And the creationists and Intelligent Design (ID) proponents who expected to see evidence of brilliant design got it right! This is ID presentation does a fantastic job of showing the problems and pitfalls of following evolutionary ideology. But the shortfall of the ID movement is that they don't actually name the Designer they obliquely reference, and don't give Him the honor He is due. ...

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Two Covid convictions against Pastor Koopman vacated

Parenting

The part about parenting I didn't find in any parenting book

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Saturday Selections – Jan. 10, 2026

The Mutation Myth: what Evolution doesn't want you to know (8 minutes) We’re told random mutations drive evolution– mutations are supposed to be ...

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Explicit books being pulled from government school libraries in Alberta

Movie lists, Movie Reviews

250+ movies Christians can love

Great minds think alike, and the same month I was first compiling this article two of those great minds belonged to a missionary in Brazil and an evangelist in California. The evangelist, Ray Comfort, passed along a story, first told by Jeremy Archer, about a man who invited all sorts of folks into his house to meet his family. Often the visitors would talk crudely and angrily with each other, teaching his children words he'd rather they not know. But these visitors could also get his whole family laughing so the man decided to focus on the good they did, rather than the bad. Over time, the man could see the visitors were having an impact on his family, and it wasn't a good one. He found that his own children were now using crude language and making coarse jokes. What was worse, the visitors were behaving outrageously, even taking their clothes off right there in front of his family! That's hard to believe, isn't it? Why didn't the man just kick them out? Why didn't he protect his family from their influence? Well, it turns out this man had some sense, and as the visitors started getting naked, the man acted. Together with his family, the man finally "turned off the television." That same month the missionary, Rev. Ken Wieske, expressed the same concern, titling a Facebook post "David vows to get rid of his TV." Underneath he included the text of Psalm 101 which reads (in part): I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. The pastor's point was clear: most of what's on TV is worthless and if King David were here on earth today, he might well pitch his TV right out of the palace. Of course, it isn't quite as easy as that. Today we also have computers, and smartphones, so getting rid of the TV isn't going to restrict our access to fluff and filth that's so readily available. So let's take this a step further. Yes, much of what's on TV (and on YouTube, Facebook, etc.) is worthless. But some of it isn't. Some of it is quite good. Excellent even! So if we were to make the same promise King David makes in Psalm 101 – to put away all that is worthless – what sorts of films and videos might we still watch? I've got some suggestions below. My hope is that this list can help families find something worth watching. With nearly 250 suggestions, I'm also hoping there will be something for everyone. There's just one documentary included here, but you can find a whole bunch more in our list of "Faith and film: 100+ documentaries worth your time." RATING SYSTEM I've also included an entertainment rating. This is out of 10, and in my books, a 7 is a solid mark, 8 is something special, and 6 is still watchable but there is some notable flaw (maybe some corny writing, or a bad bit of acting, that sort of thing). The only reason I've included a few films that rate as low as 6 is because they have something about them that makes them valuable viewing – oftentimes their educational value. A 7 for a children's film means that this target audience will think it a 7, not adults. The same is true of a black-and-white classic. If you hate anything B&W, then you probably won't like one with a solid 7 rating (though maybe you'd be swayed by one with an 8, 9, or 10). GOD'S NAME HONORED One other note: none of these films and videos take God's name in vain. That's important. While a degree of violence and even sexual content of some sort can be appropriate on screen, the way God's name is abused on film just isn't. More than 40 of the films below have the tag "FREE ONLINE" and can be viewed for free by clicking on the link provided. ANIMATED VIDEOS (27 videos) Shorter videos can be ideal when mom wants to take a nap but doesn't want the kids sitting in front of the TV forever. THE GRUFFALO – 2009, 27 minutes – 8/10 HORTON HEARS A WHO – 1970, 30 minutes – 7/10 LIFE AT THE POND – 2004-2009, 30 min x 5 episodes – 8/10 LOST AND FOUND – 2013, 24 minutes – 8/10 VEGGIETALES (15) – only some are recommended – 7-8/10 WALLACE AND GROMIT: 4 SHORT FILMS – 1989-2008, 114 minutes – 8/10 ANIMATED "TORCHLIGHTERS" SERIES (10 videos) There are 20+ videos in the Torchlighter series, and the ten below are all great. While I haven't seen the whole series yet, there are a couple I haven't included for two different reasons. The first was on St. Patrick. While legends abound, little firsthand material on Patrick's life exists, making it hard to separate fact from fiction. That difficulty should have been acknowledged. Then, in the one on Augustine, an animated Jesus makes an appearance, and while I'm not wholly sure of the wrongness of visually depicting Christ, I am also not sure of its rightness (based on the second commandment), so I haven't recommended it. There are three more, I haven't yet watched, which I suspect might be good: The Robert Jermain Thomas Story, The Gladys Aylward Story, and The Richard Allen Story. THE CORRIE TEN BOOM STORY – 2013, 34 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE THE ERIC LIDDELL STORY – 2007, 31 minutes – 6/10 – FREE ONLINE THE GEORGE MÜLLER STORY – 2019, 30 minutes – 8/10 – FREE ONLINE THE HARRIET TUBMAN STORY – 2018, 30 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE THE JIM ELLIOT STORY – 2005, 30 minutes – 6/10 – FREE ONLINE THE JOHN BUNYAN STORY – 2006, 30 minutes – 8/10 –FREE ONLINE THE JOHN NEWTON STORY – 2021, 30 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE THE MARTIN LUTHER STORY – 2016, 34 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE THE RICHARD WURMBRAND STORY – 2008, 30 minutes – 6/10 – FREE ONLINE THE WILLIAM TYNDALE STORY – 2005, 32 minutes – 6/10 – FREE ONLINE ANIMATED (29 films) It seems like cartoons used to be safe for kids, though boring for adults. Today, with the appearance of obscene animated fare like South Park and Family Guy, many cartoons are unsuitable for children, and for that matter, adults. But there has been a change for the better too – movies like Curious George and Meet the Robinsons show that some animated fare can keep the kids happy, and entertain their parents as well. AN AMERICAN TAIL – 1986, 87 minutes – 9/10 BALTO – 1995, 78 minutes – 7/10 CHICKEN RUN – 2000, 84 minutes – 8/10 CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET – 2023, 101 minutes – 8/10 CURIOUS GEORGE – 2006, 88 minutes – 8/10 CURIOUS GEORGE 3: BACK TO THE JUNGLE – 2015, 81 minutes – 7/10 CURIOUS GEORGE: ROYAL MONKEY – 2019, 86 minutes – 7/10 Finding Dory – 2016, 97 minutes – 8/10 Finding Nemo – 2003, 100 minutes – 8/10 FOX AND THE HOUND – 1981, 83 minutes – 8/10 THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH – 1977, 74 minutes – 9/10 Meet the Robinsons – 2007, 95 minutes – 8/10 MINISCULE - 2014, 89 minutes – 7/10 Monsters Inc. – 2001, 93 minutes – 9/10 Monsters University – 2013, 104 minutes – 8/10 PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE – 2021, 86 minutes – 8/10 PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE – 2023, 87 minutes – 8/10 THE PEANUTS MOVIE – 2015, 88 minutes – 8/10 SGT. STUBBY: AN UNLIKELY HERO - 2018, 84 minutes – 8/10 THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE – 2023, 92 minutes – 7/10 TANGLED – 2010, 100 minutes – 9/10 TOY STORY 1, 2, 3, and 4 – 1995-2019, 81-103 minutes – 8/10 Up – 2009, 96 minutes – 9/10 WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL – 2024, 79 minutes – 8/10 Wall-E – 2008, 98 minutes – 9/10 WINNIE THE POOH – 2011, 63 minutes – 8/10 See also "Leo Da Vinci: Mission Mona Lisa," "Long Way North," and "The Secret World of Arrietty" (Foreign Films), and "Animal Farm," "Boxcar Children," "Boxcar Children: Surprise Island," and "The Hobbit," "Lord of the Rings," and "The Phantom Tollbooth" (Based on a Book). BASED ON A BOOK (23 films) It's always hard to live up to the book, but some of these get awfully close! 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA – 1954, 127 minutes – 7/10 THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD – 1938, 101 minutes – 8/10 ANIMAL FARM – 1954, 72 minutes – 7/10 THE BOXCAR CHILDREN – 2013, 81 minutes – 7/10 THE BOXCAR CHILDREN: SURPRISE ISLAND - 2018, 82 minutes – 6/10 THE GIVER – 2014, 97 minutes – 8/10 THE GOSPEL BLIMP - 1967, 38 minutes – 8/10 – FREE ONLINE Ivanhoe – 1952, 107 minutes – 7/10 THE HOBBIT – 1977, 77 minutes – 7/10 THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE – 1979, 95 minutes – 7/10 THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE – 2005, 125 minutes – 8/10 Little Women – 1949, 121 minutes – 8/10 LITTLE WOMEN – 1994, 118 minutes – 9/10 THE LORD OF THE RINGS (ANIMATED) – 1978, 133 minutes – 7/10 THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK – 1939, 113 minutes – 6/10 – FREE ONLINE THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH – 1970, 89 minutes – 7/10 POLLYANNA – 2003, 99 minutes – 8/10 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE – 2003, 104 minutes – 8/10 THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER – 1937, 118 minutes – 8/10 Prince Caspian – 2008, 154 minutes – 8/10 Rascal – 1969, 85 minutes – 7/10 SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS – 2016, 96 minutes – 7/10 SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON – 1960, 126 minutes – 8/10 See also "The 3 Worlds Of Gulliver" and "Lassie Come Home" (Children), "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (Black and White Classics), and "The Hobbit Trilogy," and the "Lord of the Rings Trilogy" (For Mom and Dad). BLACK & WHITE CLASSICS (33 films) These have all stood the test of time and are still being watched again and again. 12 ANGRY MEN – 1957, 96 minutes – 9/10 THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (14) – 1939-1946, – 5-8/10 THE AMAZING ADVENTURE – 1936, 62 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR – 1961, 96 minutes – 8/10 ADAM'S RIB – 1949, 101 minutes – 8/10 CASABLANCA – 1943, 103 minutes – 10/10 Citizen Kane – 1941, 119 minutes – 7/10 HIGH NOON – 1952, 85 minutes – 9/10 I Remember Mama – 1948, 134 minutes – 7/10 It Should Happen to You – 1954, 87 minutes – 7/10 THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT – 1951, 85 minutes – 8/10 THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE – 1962, 123 minutes – 8/10 MEET JOHN DOE – 1941, 122 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE Mr. Deed Goes to Town – 1936, 115 minutes – 7/10 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – 1939, 129 minutes – 8/10 Ninotchka – 1939, 110 minutes – 8/10 SEA HAWK – 1940, 127 minutes – 8/10 THE SIGN OF ZORRO – 1958, 90 minutes – 8/10 THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER – 1949, 99 minutes – 9/10 The Tin Star – 1957, 92 minutes – 7/10 See also "Roman Holiday" (For Mom and Dad). BLACK & WHITE SILENT CLASSICS (6 films) As a subcategory to the above are a half dozen silent film selections. If you've never gotten into silent films, be sure to start with the comedies – there the overwrought acting just adds to the funny. And Buster Keaton is the best! THE GENERAL – 1927, 80 minutes – 8/10 THE GOLD RUSH – 1925, 96 minutes – 7/10 GRANDMA'S BOY – 1922, 56 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE SEVEN CHANCES – 1925, 56 minutes – 8/10 SHERLOCK JR. – 1924, 44 minutes – 8/10 – FREE ONLINE Steamboat Bill, Jr. – 1928, 70 min – 7/10 BIOGRAPHICAL (20 films) Most of these are Christian biographies, and being true gives them a leg up on fictional Christian fare that too often concludes with “happily ever after” endings, more fairytales than our one true faith. It’s simply a fact that here on earth bad things often happen to good, faithful Christians. I will also note that while many of these are great, others are merely okay (ranking only a 6), but are still included here because of their educational value. THE CASE FOR CHRIST – 2017, 113 minutes – 7/10 C.S. LEWIS ONSTAGE – 2018, 76 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE C.S. LEWIS: THE MOST RELUCTANT CONVERT – 2021, 93 minutes – 9/10 END OF THE SPEAR – 2006, 108 minutes – 7/10 FINAL SOLUTION – 2001, 102 minutes – 8/10 – FREE ONLINE GOD'S OUTLAW: THE STORY OF WILLIAM TYNDALE – 1988, 93 minutes – 6/10 – FREE ONLINE GOSNELL: THE TRIAL OF AMERICA'S BIGGEST SERIAL KILLER – 2018, 93 minutes – 8/10 I CAN ONLY IMAGINE - 2018, 110 minutes - 8/10 THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY – 1950, 77 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE JOHN HUS: A JOURNEY OF NO RETURN – 2015, 55 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE MARTIN LUTHER – 1953, 105 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE THE MIRACLE WORKER – 1962, 106 minutes – 9/10 SABINA: TORTURED FOR CHRIST, THE NAZI YEARS – 2022, 115 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE SIGHT – 2024, 103 minutes – 8/10 THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS – 1957, 135 minutes – 7/10 TORTURED FOR CHRIST - 2018, 77 minutes - 8/10 – FREE ONLINE UNBROKEN: PATH TO REDEMPTION – 2018, 98 minutes – 8/10 UNSUNG HERO – 2024, 112 minutes – 8/10 A VOW TO CHERISH – 1999, 84 minutes - 8/10 – FREE ONLINE THE WRIGHT BROTHERS – 1996, 27 minutes – 7/10 CHILDREN (16 films) This is fare for younger children – not a lot of tension here. And that means, while the kids will probably like it, mom and dad might not. Because children often watch their favorite videos repeatedly, even dozens of times, it’s all the more important to make sure what they do watch is the good stuff. THE 3 WORLD'S OF GULLIVER – 1960, 99 minutes – 7/10 BUDDY DAVIS' AMAZING ADVENTURES – 2011-2021, 6 episodes of 25-58 min – 7/10 THE CREATION ADVENTURE TEAM – 2001-2002, 40 min x 2 episodes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE THE DEFENSE OF NEW HAVEN – 2016, 82 minutes – 8/10 – FREE ONLINE DUDE PERFECT: BACKSTAGE PASS – 2020, 84 minutes – 8/10 – FREE ONLINE INCREDIBLE CREATURES THAT DEFY EVOLUTION I, II, & III – 2006, 47 minutes – 7/10 LASSIE COME HOME – 1943, 90 minutes – 8/10 A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY – 2015, 93 minutes – 7/10 MISTY – 1961, 91 minutes – 7/10 THE NEWTONS' WORKSHOP – 1997, 226 minutes – 7/10 ODD SQUAD: THE MOVIE – 2016, 67 minutes – 7/10 PATTERNS OF EVIDENCE: YOUNG EXPLORERS – 2020, 190 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE THE RUNNER FROM RAVENSHEAD – 2010, 81 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE THE SPARKY CHRONICLES – 2003, 28 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE SPACE BUDDIES – 2009, 84 minutes – 7/10 THE WILD BROTHERS (8 episodes) – 2015-2020, 28-30 minutes each – 7/10 FAMILY FUN (29 films) These are films that mom and dad can also look forward to watching. But that does mean that some of them have action or drama that may be too intense for your youngest children. So be sure to research age-appropriateness. BABES IN TOYLAND – 1961, 105 minutes – 7/10 A BEAR CALLED WINNIE – 2004, 90 minutes – 7/10 BEYOND THE MASK – 2015, 103 minutes – 8/10 BORN FREE - 1966, 95 minutes – 8/10 CITY OF EMBER – 2008, 95 minutes – 7/10 CONDORMAN – 1981, 90 minutes – 7/10 THE COURT JESTER – 1956, 101 minutes – 8/10 Emil and the Detectives – 1964, 98 minutes – 7/10 THE FIGHTING PRINCE OF DONEGAL – 1966, 110 minutes – 7/10 GRACE UNPLUGGED – 2013, 102 minutes – 7/10 Greyfriars Bobby – 1961, 92 minutes – 8/10 HANGMAN'S CURSE – 2003, 106 minutes – 7/10 THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY – 1963, 89 minutes – 8/10 JACK AND THE BEANSTALK – 1952, 83 minutes – 7/10 THE JENSEN PROJECT – 2010, 95 minutes – 8/10 JOHNNY TREMAIN – 1957, 80 minutes – 7/10 The Last Chance Detectives – 1994, 50 min x 3 episodes – 7/10 THE LEGEND OF 5 MILE CAVE – 2019, 90 minutes – 7/10 MY FRIEND FLICKA – 1942, 89 minutes – 7/10 Old Yeller – 1957, 84 minutes – 9/10 THE SECRETS OF JONATHAN SPERRY – 2008, 96 minutes – 6/10 – FREE ONLINE Shark Boy and Lava Girl 3D – 2005, 93 minutes – 7/10 STORM: LUTHER'S FORBIDDEN LETTER – 2017, 105 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE SWITCHED – 2020, 104 minutes – 6/10 THE SWORD AND THE ROSE – 1953, 92 minutes – 7/10 THE THREE INVESTIGATORS IN THE SECRET OF SKELETON ISLAND – 2007, 91 minutes – 7/10 TIME CHANGER – 2002, 99 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE UNITARDS – 2010, 107 minutes – 8/10 A WEEK AWAY – 2021, 97 minutes – 9/10 See also "The Absent-minded Professor" (Black & White Classics). FOREIGN (10 films) Part of the pleasure of watching films set in foreign locales is that they provide a peek into unfamiliar cultures. Most of us will never be able to visit Mongolia or Iran but we can get an insight into the cultural life of those communities by watching their films. ANTBOY - DENMARK – 2013, 77 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE BELLE AND SEBASTIAN – FRANCE – 2013, 99 minutes – 8/10 CHILDREN OF HEAVEN – IRAN – 1997, 87 minutes – 7/10 Godzilla – JAPAN – 1954, 96 minutes – 7/10 LEO DA VINCI: MISSION MONA LISA – ITALY – 2020, 82 minutes – 8/10 LONG WAY NORTH – DENMARK – 2015, 81 minutes – 7/10 NOT ONE LESS – CHINA – 2000, 106 minutes – 7/10 THE RED BALLOON – FRANCE – 1956, 34 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY – JAPAN – 2010, 95 minutes – 8/10 THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL – MONGOLIA – 2003, 87 minutes – 7/10 "HALLMARK-Y" (11 films) Before they got woke, Hallmark made a lot of films appreciated for being safe and good, and though they were rarely great there were a few of those too. Sometimes they'd even be based on Christian books. Not all of these are from Hallmark, but they are all of that sort. AN AMERICAN IN AUSTEN – 2024, 84 minutes – 7/10 BEYOND THE BLACKBOARD – 2011, 95 minutes – 8/10 EXTRAORDINARY – 2017, 86 minutes – 6/10 – FREE ONLINE GOOD SAM – 2019, 90 minutes – 8/10 HIDDEN PLACES – 2005, 86 minutes – 6/10 LOVE ON A LIMB – 2016, 84 minutes – 7/10 LOVE'S LONG JOURNEY – 2005, 88 minutes – 7/10 A ROYAL CHRISTMAS – 2014, 87 minutes – 7/10 SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL – 1990, 98 minutes – 8/10 THE ULTIMATE GIFT – 2006, 114 minutes – 7/10 UNLEASHING MR. DARCY – 2016, 84 minutes – 7/10 See also "Roman Holiday" (For Mom and Dad). FOR MOM AND DAD (21 films) These are films intended for an adult audience, movies and videos to enjoy with your better half...and sometimes with the older kids too. 2081 – 2009, 25 minutes – 8/10 – FREE ONLINE ALLEGED – 2011, 93 minutes – 8/10 Anastasia – 1956, 105 minutes – 7/10 AUDACITY: LOVE CAN'T STAY SILENT – 2015, 50 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE The Caine Mutiny - 1954, 124 minutes – 7/10 COURAGEOUS – 2011, 129 minutes – 8/10 FREEDOM – 2014, 94 minutes – 7/10 HIDDEN BLESSINGS – 2024, 107 minutes – 8/10 – FREE ONLINE THE HOBBIT (3) – 2012-2014 – 7-8/10 The Lord of the Rings (3) – 2001-2003 – 10/10 LIKE DANDELION DUST – 2009, 104 minutes – 8/10 ROBERTA – 1935, 106 minutes – 7/10 ROMAN HOLIDAY – 1953, 118 minutes – 8/10 The Second Chance – 2006, 102 minutes – 7/10 THE SONG – 2014, 116 minutes – 9/10 SOUND OF FREEDOM – 2023, 131 minutes – 8/10 TO SAVE A LIFE – 2010, 120 minutes – 8/10 See also "Using Hero," "I Can Only Imagine" and "A Vow to Cherish" (Biographical). SPORTS (11 films) These are a mixed lot, with Woodlawn definitely for older audiences and Going to the Mat something for a younger age group. BACK OF THE NET – 2019, 86 minutes – 7/10 FACING THE GIANTS – 2006, 111 minutes – 7/10 FOREVER STRONG – 2008, 109 minutes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE GOING TO THE MAT – 2004, 82 minutes – 8/10 THE HORSE IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT – 1968, 113 minutes – 7/10 HANS BRINKER OR THE SILVER SKATES – 1962, 90 minutes – 8/10 MERCY RULE – 2014, 119 minutes – 7/10 NEVER GIVE UP – 2023, 79 minutes – 6/10 – FREE ONLINE OVERCOMER – 2019, 119 minutes – 7/10 TWELVE – 2019, 92 minutes – 7/10 WOODLAWN - 2015, 123 minutes - 9/10 See also "The Jackie Robinson Story" (Biographical), and "Extraordinary" (Hallmark-y), and the documentary "Long Short: the Kevin Laue Story." WAR FILMS (20 films) The Second World War might have been the first major conflict in which film could play a role, presenting stories intended to encourage those on the frontlines and at home. The most inspiring World War II films show ordinary, average people doing extraordinary, heroic things (many of whom were our parents, grandparents or great grandparents, hiding Jews or otherwise putting themselves at risk simply because they knew it had to be done). Many of the best World War II films were made during the war – they have a completely different feel, because no one at the time knew what the war’s outcome would be! BATAAN – 1943, 114 minutes – 8/10 Decision Before Dawn – 1951, 119 minutes – 7/10 DESPERATE JOURNEY – 1942, 107 minutes – 8/10 Destination Tokyo – 1944, 135 minutes – 8/10 Edge of Darkness – 1943, 119 minutes – 7/10 The Fighting Seabees - 1944, 99 minutes – 7/10 FLYING TIGERS – 1942, 104 minutes - 7/10 THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT – 1940, 120 minutes – 7/10 THE GREAT DICTATOR – 1940, 125 minutes – 8/10 Hail the Conquering Hero – 1944, 101 minutes – 7/10 Objective Burma! – 1945, 142 minutes – 7/10 RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP – 1958, 93 minutes – 8/10 SABOTEUR – 1942, 109 minutes – 7/10 SAHARA – 1943, 98 minutes – 8/10 Sands of Iwo Jima – 1949, 100 minutes – 7/10 THE SILVER FLEET – 1943, 88 minutes – 7/10 They Were Expendable – 1945, 135 minutes – 7/10 To Be Or Not To Be – 1942, 99 minutes – 8/10 TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH – 1949, 132 minutes – 8/10 Why We Fight – 1942-45, 417 minutes – 7/10 See also "Sgt. Stubby" (Animated Films), "Belle and Sebastian" (Foreign Films), "Sea Hawk", and "Casablanca" (Black & White Classics). BONUS #1 - TV SERIES FOR KIDS (6 shows) An episode of a TV show can make for a nice short break without blowing the whole evening. While these series have been vetted, it isn't possible to evaluate the whole run, so some of these have only been rated on the basis of the first three episodes. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES: THE ANIMATED SERIES – 2003, 25 min x 26 episodes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY – 1991-2003, 27 min x 17 episodes – 7/10 CURIOUS GEORGE – 2006-2022, 24 min x 198 episodes – 8/10 THE INBESTIGATORS – 2019-2020, 15 min x 40 episodes – 9/10 JUNGLE BEAT – 537 minutes – 10/10 – FREE ONLINE A SHOW ABOUT ANTHEM LIGHTS – 2022-, 12 min x 20 episodes – 7/10 BONUS #2 - TV SERIES FOR ADULTS (3 shows) With TV series, it isn't possible to evaluate the whole run, so some of these will be rated by season, and others just by the first episode or three. Danger Man (Season 1) – 1960-62, 25 min x 39 episodes – 8/10 DRAGNET (SEASON 1) – 1951, 26 min x 4 episodes – 7/10 – FREE ONLINE SUE THOMAS F.B.EYE – 2002, 41 min x 57 episodes – 8/10 – FREE ONLINE BONUS #3- OBSCURE BUT IMPRESSIVE (7 films) These ones aren't easy to find, but for some, might be worth the hunt. LORD JEFF – 1938, 85 minutes – 8/10 Minuscule 2: Mandibles from Far Away – 2019. 92 minutes – 8/10 The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend – 1991, 104 minutes – 7/10 Seasons of the Heart – 2003, 99 minutes – 8/10 Snuf de Hond in Oorlogstijd – 2008, 95 min – 8/10 THE WAY THINGS WORK – 2001, 300+ minutes – 8/10 Who is Simon Miller? – 2011, 85 minutes – 7/10 A version of this article first appeared on www.ReelConservative.com. This article was part of a magazine issue on movies (which you can find here) and was originally titled "200 Movies King David Might Watch."...

Apologetics 101, Politics, Transgenderism

"Am I A Chinese Woman?" How questions can defend the Truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfO1veFs6Ho&feature=youtu.be It was a political science class in my first year in university, with a hundred-some students spread out around the large auditorium. When the professor asked us, by show of hands, to indicate who was pro-life I popped my arm up quickly. It was only then I realized, mine was the lone hand up. The prof scanned the room, and when he saw me tucked up against the back wall, 20 rows away, this 50-something-year-old came sprinting down the aisle, then scampering up and over the last few rows of seats, until we were face to face. “Why,” he asked, “are you pro-life?” He waited, and I could see my classmates twisting in their seats to get a good look. This was no debate between equals. He was a world-renown lawyer, a drafter of United Nations agreements, and he’d been teaching this class for years. I was an 18-year-old student, who had never had to defend the unborn before. I don’t recall the exact answer I gave, but I do remember how easily the prof slapped it aside. He made me feel foolish. More importantly, he made the pro-life position seem foolish. Let the teacher teach It used to be that this sort of on-the-spot inquisition would only happen if you signed up for something like a political science class. Nowadays we can expect hostile questioners in settings from the coffee shop to the workplace. Whether you proudly walk around wearing a pro-life shirt, or quietly decline having a rainbow flag decorate your cubicle, the world is going to want some answers. What we should offer are some good questions. The key here is to realize what the world is up to. They think we’re wrong and want to correct. They want to show us the error of our ways. They want to re-educate us. So we should let them try. The mistake I made with my university professor was when I let him swap his role for mine. He wanted me to teach the pro-life position to the class – he wanted me to take on the role of teacher. Now he’d had a few decades of experience, and maybe some hours of preparation to get ready for his lecture, but he expected me, on a moment’s notice, to be able to teach the class. How fair was that? And yet I accepted the role-reversal, gave it my best go, and failed miserably. But what if I had refused his job offer? What if, instead of trying to mount an on-the-spot defense of the unborn, I had simply asked the teacher to teach? “I’m just a student – I’m paying the big bucks to hear your thoughts. So what I’d like to know is why are you so sure the unborn aren’t precious human beings?” You want me to teach? I decline. This is a great strategic move, but also a humble one. It’s strategic because asking questions is a lot easier than answering them. That’s why our kids – back when they could barely string a sentence together – could still stump us by simply asking one “But why?” question after another. It’s humble because in adopting this approach we’re not setting ourselves up as the ones with all the answers. As I recall it, my professor believed there was some gradual increase in the fetus’s worth as it grew bigger and became able to do more things. If he’d offered that as his explanation – the unborn isn’t worth as much as an adult because it can’t do as much – my follow-up would have been easy: “But why?” The Columbo Tactic Christian apologist Greg Koukl calls this the Columbo Tactic, naming it after the famous TV detective. Lieutenant Columbo, as he was played by actor Peter Falk, was a slow-talking, slow-walking, middle-aged man, perpetually unshaven, and as Koukl put it, who looked like he slept in his trench coat. His unassuming manner was the key to the detective’s success. He wasn’t aggressive. He wasn’t pointed. He only asked questions. "Just one more thing…" "There's something that bothers me…" "One more question…" “What I don’t understand is… As he followed up his quiet question with another and then another, the murderer’s story would fall to pieces, bit by bit. Columbo’s approach was meek, but also merciless. And the killers never saw it coming. Question the re-education This quiet questioning was put to masterful use by the director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington. Joseph Backholm headed down to the University of Washington campus to talk to students about gender identity. His position? Men are men and women are women. But rather than begin by sharing his own thought he asked others for theirs. His first question had to do with whether men should be able to use women’s washrooms, and the students agreed with one another that “whether you identify as a male or female and whether your sex at birth is matching to that, you should be able to utilize” whichever locker room you like. That when things got very interesting. Space doesn’t permit sharing all the students’ answers (and they were all quite similar) so we’ll focus on just one. Joseph Backholm: “If I told you that I was a woman what would your response be?” Enthusiastic girl: “Good for you. Okay! Like, yeah!” JB: “If I told you that I was Chinese what would your response be?” EG: “I mean I might be a little surprised, but I’d say, good for you! Yeah, be who you are!” The next question made our energetic girl pause. She wasn’t ready with a quick answer but after thinking it through she tried to maintain consistency. JB: “If I told you that I was seven years old, what would your response be?” EG: “If you feel seven at heart then, so be it, good for you!” JB: “If I wanted to enroll in a first-grade class, do you think I should be allowed to?” EG: “If that's where you feel mentally you should be…then I feel like there are communities that would accept you for that.” This final question stymied several other students…for a few moments. Then they too headed into the ridiculous, just to maintain consistency. JB: “If I told you I'm 6 feet 5 inches what would you say?” EG: “I feel like that's not my place, as another human, to say someone is wrong or to draw lines or boundaries.” As Backholm concluded: It shouldn't be hard to tell us 5’9” white guy that he's not a six foot five Chinese woman. But clearly it is. Why? What does that say about our culture? And what does that say about our ability to answer the questions that actually are difficult? The video was effective, funny, and popular – it’s been viewed well over a million and a half times already. (A Swedish version, in which a petite blond girls asks students whether she could be a two-meter tall seven-year-old Japanese male, has been viewed by another half million.) Backhom took the students’ stand – that identity is whatever a person says it is – and exposed it as ridiculous by asking half dozen simple questions. But did the questions do anything to convince the students? After all, none of them seemed to change their mind. Well, most of them were giggling by the end – they couldn’t help but laugh at the bizarre stand they found themselves defending. Few of us are able to change our minds in a moment, even when all the facts are against us, so it’s no surprise these students didn’t do an on-camera about-face. However we have reason to hope that once they had time to reflect, they too may well have realized the enormous problem with their thinking. Beyond self-preservation How might this questioning approach work in our day to day? Let’s try it in an office setting. Imagine that your company has sponsored the local gay pride parade and the boss has handed out little pride flags so employees can decorate their cubicles. You decline. Shortly afterwards you find yourself summoned to the boss’s office. How can quiet questions be a help here? First, it’s important we first understand the goal we should have for this interchange. Unprepared we might conclude our objective is self-preservation – we want to save our job. That’s a good goal, but it shouldn’t be the goal – our primary goal, as the Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it, “is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever.” As our country takes a perverse turn, we are going to start losing our jobs because of our beliefs and it won’t matter what we say or how we say it. When we’re called to explain ourselves, we need to realize there may be no God-glorifying way of preserving our job – the only options maybe to profess or deny. So we need to prepare ourselves to profess…regardless of what happens afterwards. Do you really believe what you say you believe? Still, saving our job can be a goal and questions can help here too. Your boss wants to know why you aren’t waving the rainbow flag? Ask him whether the company really believes what it says it believes. If they want to celebrate tolerance and diversity how about they do so starting with you? Boss: “Why don’t you have your flag out? You know we’re an inclusive company.” You: “Hey boss, as a Christian, and I have some views that differ with the company’s. I knew that might cause some problems but I also know that we’re a super inclusive company, so I was confident we could work something out. Sir, how can the company’s inclusiveness be applied to me? How is your non-judgmental, life-style-affirming, politically correct boss going to be able to answer this one without his head exploding? That’s for him to figure out. Conclusion A question isn’t the best response in every setting. Questions are very helpful in poking holes in other people’s incoherent worldviews – they’re good tools for demolishing lies – but when it comes to teaching people the truth, we need to do more than ask questions. We’ll need to share God’s Word, let our listener question us, and offer explanations. That’s how we should talk to anyone interested in an honest dialogue. But for all those shaking their fist at God, a good question may be the best response. We live in a time where every one of God’s standards is being attacked and it’s about time we were asking why. Picture is a screenshot from the Family Policy Institute of Washington’s video “College kids say the darndest things: On identity” posted to YouTube.com on April 13, 2016. This article first appeared in the June 2016 issue. If you want to know more about the Columbo Tactic you should pick up a copy of Greg Koukl's "Tactics" which we review here....

News

Saturday Selections – Jan. 3, 2026

A pastor's review of the animated movie David I'm very hesitant about any film depictions of Jesus, wondering if they violate the principle of God's Second Commandment not to make any graven images of Him (Ex. 20:4). Then there is also the practical consideration that whenever someone does depict Jesus, they always manage to mess things up. But what about film depictions of other biblical stories? The Second Commandment doesn't apply then. But there would still be a need for reverence in treating God's Holy Bible as the sacred text it is. Too often, though, how it's treated is as some first draft that needs to be improved on – and as this pastor highlights, in the new animated David, that's what's happened again. We have smartphones so why memorize Scripture? "The Word of God must enter the mind and heart to bring life, health, and fruit. As long as it stays external to us, whether in print or digital form, it can do us no good. That we now have such easy access to massive books doesn’t change that fact at all. An unused Bible app on the phone is the same as a closed and dusty Bible on the shelf..." Matthew’s genealogy isn’t missing a name—it’s making a claim (10-minute read) Matthew's genealogy in his opening chapter traces the line of Jesus from Abraham through three sets of 14. But it gives just 41 names. The math is wrong? No indeed. This is a longer read, but another one of those instances where it can be fun to really dig into a familiar passage to figure out more of what God is presenting us here. Why all the frenzy over Christian Nationalism? Awful used to mean, "full of awe" and literally can now mean non-literally, so words can be hard to nail down, with ever-shifting meanings. But in some cases it is up to us to stand by the definition that God has set. Much of our cultural battle is over the dictionary, involving attempts to undermine what God has declared. So, for example, "gay marriage" simply isn't a thing, and not because we are taking issue with how the word "gay" has changed over time. No, the issue is that God gets to define what marriage is, and no one else, and He has so defined it as to preclude pairings of two men or two women. So too, with the term "Christian Nationalism." All sorts of folks identify with the term, complicating our discussion of it, so a good first step in having any sort of intelligent discussion is to start with God's definition. And here, again, one part of the term has room to wiggle and change but not the other. So if a group of racists want to describe themselves as "Christian Nationalists" we should say, "No, you are not, because God has so defined 'Christian' as to preclude any pairing with 'racist"' (Gen. 1-2, Gal. 3:28). That's what we should do, instead of taking these people seriously. Doing so would save us all a lot of time, and allow the discussion to focus in on where it needs to be: on how we can encourage one another to speak God's Name boldly in the public square, and how we can better present His Truth to a nation in desperate need of Him. Your wife is Beauty: The Song’s response to male sexual distortion This is an article for Christian counselors helping men addicted to pornography who, consequently, don't find their wife as attractive as before. The counsel offered is of benefit to any and all: "I have relatives who live in Colorado Springs. Every day they wake up in the shadow of Pike’s Peak, which is a beautiful mountain vista. Every time I visit, it takes my breath away. But, if I were to guess, many people in Colorado Springs do not appreciate this view because it has become too normal and mundane to them. It is only by starting to look at and appreciate the unique beauty of that particular view that we can be formed in this way. Your counselee’s wife is beautiful. If he has not reckoned it to be so, he has missed something that is very true right in front of him. So, have him look." Rivers and Robots' Provider Don't know this group, but really enjoyed this video, which their fans around the world helped them create. ...

Christian education

Teaching English from a Christian perspective, as brought to you by the Letter C

As Christians, we are rightly thankful for what has been brought to us by the letters A, B, and C, and the letters D through Z, through which we may read the word of God. Our culture, too, so highly values the ability to read and write that it supports the public school teaching of those skills, as well as the related skills of listening, speaking, viewing (the "reading" of visual images), and representing (communicating through visual images). But Christians have even stronger reasons for valuing language and communication, since we know a personal God, who communicates his love and glory to us. So how does a Reformed teacher live out his faith, and enable his students to live out their faith, in the Language Arts classroom? Well, unsurprisingly, given the title, there are (at least) six different things that make the Reformed language arts classroom distinct, all beginning with the letter C. Christ-Centered First of all, Reformed language arts teaching must be truly Christian, or to put it even more strongly, Christ-centered. Obviously this is true of all Reformed education, but what does it actually mean in the Language Arts classroom? For one thing it means Christ's birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and rule should be at the center of our discussions of literature and life. In Schindler's List, for example, Oskar Schindler is frequently spoken of as a kind of savior, since his factories kept many Jews out of the concentration camps. A Christian discussion of the film (or of the novel upon which it is based) will ask how Schindler fails as a "savior," and deal with whether Schindler himself recognized, directly or indirectly, his own need for the Savior. Other kinds of literature either exclude the possibility of salvation, or the need for it (since man is "naturally" good), or show it less directly as being accomplished by some character's heroic acts (or his or her "decision" for Christ). A Reformed teacher will discuss with his students how to react to the false gospels of our culture, and will demonstrate how even these false gospels show the need for the true Savior. Finally, Reformed Language Arts teachers will show and kindle passionate love for literature that fully acknowledges our need for salvation through God's grace alone, and demonstrates that Christ is both Savior and Lord. Covenantal Reformed Language Arts instruction is also covenantal. How? I am not referring simply to the fact a Reformed teacher teaches covenant children (although this is true). My point is that our communication must be a response of thankfulness (our obligation) to His love (according to His promise). This doesn't mean that we can't write for personal reflection or entertainment. It does mean, however, that our more personal writing will reflect on more than just whether we are meeting our own "personal goals" – something that government curricula take for granted as a primary focus of personal reflection. Rather, students should learn to make explicit their understanding of their relationships with God – to "meditate on your precepts and consider your ways" (Psalm 119:15) – and with others through Him. As far as our communication with others is concerned, our basic goal should be "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) and communicating "what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (Ephesians 4:29). For instance, the novels Peace Shall Destroy Many and The Chosen both deal with isolated religious communities' attempt to deal with the increasing secularism of the society in which they exist. Their response is to withdraw from that culture – an idea that is clearly less than fully faithful. A Reformed language arts teacher will encourage class discussion, journal writing, presentations, and essays about how and whether we fall prey to the temptation to withdraw, and what we might do about that situation of failing to be light and salt in the world. Cultural Education in a Reformed language arts classroom is also cultural. I have already mentioned that as Jesus commands in Matthew 5: 13 - 16, we are to be involved in the world around us. To do that, we need to know the culture in which we live – its idols, and how we may well be rather impressed by those idols ourselves. To gain that knowledge, we study literature - both contemporary literature for a glimpse of our own culture, and the "classics" for a glimpse of the roots of current ideas and attitudes. One other reason to study the classics has been given by C. S. Lewis, who recommended that we read at least two old books for every current one we read. Why? Because like a fish in an aquarium, we are living in our culture, so we may not even see its errors clearly. Lewis said that reading the books of the past is like putting on a new pair of glasses, because while old writers also made errors, they were different errors – ones that we have often learned to see through. At the same time, the old writers saw things about purity, love, and godliness that our own culture may have blinded us to. Counter-Cultural Although Reformed language arts education is cultural, it is also counter-cultural. For example, I use Frank Peretti's Prophet in my Grade Eleven media studies unit on journalism and news coverage. The novel rewards study in two ways. First, it sheds an interesting light on the way the news can be packaged to promote various agendas. Secondly, the novel has its own weaknesses, coming from a somewhat Pentecostal, and arguably Arminian, point of view, which can promote discussions about exactly how the Spirit does do His work among His people, and how God exercises His sovereignty in man's salvation. After we analyze both of these issues from a Biblical perspective, I challenge students to respond concretely to the errors of our culture by writing a letter to the editor and/or a critical or persuasive essay. Creativity The challenge of responding concretely, to both Christ and culture, brings us to the fifth element of Reformed language arts education: creativity. Though we must test (and challenge) the spirits of our age, we cannot stop with a purely negative and critical approach. We must also be positive, using our talents in communication to glorify God and build up the neighbor. This is why the students in each grade of my English classes must submit a piece of work to be published, or at least considered for publication, by someone outside the school. There are plenty of places to seek publication: the annual Remembrance Day Contest and various poetry contests, magazines like Reader's Digest and Reformed Perspective, and books like Chicken Soup for the Soul. Whether or not a student gets published, he or she must write a process paper dealing with the issues faced in crafting his or her work. Cooperation The aspect of Reformed language arts education that I find hardest to carry out is its communal/cooperative nature. When a baby is baptized, God’s covenant promises to him or her are witnessed by the whole congregation, the body of Christ. Two chapters in the Bible deal extensively with how the members of the body are necessary for each other's welfare: Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. Covenant youth should be trained to seek the good of the whole congregation, to work together, to build each other up. Unfortunately, the students' all-too-human nature often makes this difficult, since group projects – setting up an assembly together, putting on a drama skit, or presenting a dramatic reading of a poem – often mean that some try to ride on the coat-tails of others. This can be avoided by giving each group member a distinct role and responsibility (as in the body of Christ), by cementing the cohesion of the groups with various team-building activities, by assigning groups smaller tasks with more supervision at first, and by assigning "group" work outside the school walls. For example, students can be assigned to write up the memories of older members of the congregation, for an anthology of anecdotes about various moments in history, thus requiring them to work with people they might rarely, if ever, talk to otherwise. The most challenging part of bringing out the communal aspect of communication, however, lies in encouraging more gifted students to support their fellow learners without short-circuiting their learning. The best way to meet this challenge is to ensure that the tasks a teacher gives his or her students are meaningful and thoughtful enough to require everyone's participation. However, equally important is the kind of examples students have seen of Christian cooperation within their school, churches, and families. How well do we, as adults, model a patient attitude toward those weaker than ourselves - neither ignoring them, as our competitive and individualistic society tempts us to do, nor taking their independence from them? Conclusion As you can see, Reformed language arts education is a colossal challenge, requiring caring, commitment, compassion, and consistency. A Reformed teacher must not only teach effectively, but also model the values he or she teaches. This can only be done, with many shortcomings (with which I am all too familiar), through the work of the Spirit, by the Word and prayer, and within the communion of the saints. I would love to hear from any of my fellow saints out there whether these thoughts have struck a chord. (There, I ended with a c-word.) This article was first published in December 2014....

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"Am I A Chinese Woman?" How questions can defend the Truth

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Saturday Selections – Jan. 3, 2026

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Teaching English from a Christian perspective, as brought to you by the Letter C