by Derek Fekkes | Dec 11, 2024 | Uncategorized
John Mark Comer is one of the most widely-read Christian authors currently, if not THE most widely read. While formerly a pastor in Portland, OR, he now seems to be focusing primarily on his writing. I have only read one of his books, Practicing the Way, but this book...
by Derek Fekkes | Oct 30, 2024 | Uncategorized
There is, understandably, lots of conversations about politics happening right now. At work, around the dinner table, at gatherings and parties, online, and in the news. But what about in the church? Should political conversations within the church be any different?...
by Derek Fekkes | Oct 23, 2024 | Uncategorized
We spent Sunday looking at the doctrine of election, or predestination. We did this because the word and doctrine come up at least three times in Ephesians 1, which we are going through. The focus of our Sunday morning sermons is to hear and give ourselves to God’s...
by Derek Fekkes | Oct 17, 2024 | Uncategorized
Sunday morning sermons are focused on looking at and unpacking God’s word, which is entirely true and trustworthy, and so I try to keep quotes from other sources at a minimum. But there are a number of statements on God’s providence from pastors and...
by Derek Fekkes | Oct 16, 2024 | Uncategorized
We dove in to the deep end of God’s providence on Sunday, considering what Scripture has to say about this massive and important and practical doctrine. One of the things that is clear is that Scripture does not present God’s overarching providence as a doctrine to...
by Derek Fekkes | Oct 7, 2024 | Uncategorized
I have said on numerous occasions that there is a huge need for solid, Christian counselors. For individuals trained to address specific areas of the human condition, who are grounded in and led by God’s word and Spirit as the ultimate cure. At the same time, I am...
by Derek Fekkes | Aug 28, 2024 | Uncategorized
Now that I’m on this side of my first sabbatical, I have some reflections on sabbaticals, both from my vantage point as a pastor, and from the vantage point of a church whose pastor is on a sabbatical. And I want to help you think through these last few months,...
by Derek Fekkes | Mar 5, 2024 | Uncategorized
This past weekend, five of us went down to Portland for the 9Marks Northwest Conference. 9Marks is a ministry based out of Capital Hill Baptist Church in DC, that grew out of Mark Dever’s (pastor of CHBC) book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. This is an annual...
by Derek Fekkes | Jan 16, 2024 | Uncategorized
And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:11-12 As we’ve covered Hebrews 6 the...
by Derek Fekkes | Jan 9, 2024 | Uncategorized
I recently was reminded of an influential article David Powlison wrote for The Journal of Biblical Counseling almost 30 years ago, titled “Idols of the Heart and ‘Vanity Fair.’” The article proposes that the biblical category of idolatry is a more thorough, more...
