Small Town Theologian

One of my deepest struggles is the fear of man (Gal. 1:10). This sin has diminished my peace and joy. I tried reading this book before but gave up. A friend/counselor/fellow pastor encouraged me to try it again but this time read it slowly and prayerfully, one chapter at a time. I took his counsel and finished the book. If you struggle with people-pleasing, with the fear of man, I urge you to follow my friend's counsel. This book is worth reading, digesting, discerning, and sharing.

https://www.heritagebooks.org/products/when-people-are-big-and-god-is-small-overcoming-peer-pressure-codependency-and-the-fear-of-man-welch.html

When People are Big and God is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man (Welch) Puritan and Reformed books at discounted prices.

"The false church assigns more authority to itself and its ordinances than to the Word of God. It does not want to submit itself to the yoke of Christ. It does not administer the sacraments as Christ commanded in his Word, but adds to them and subtracts from them as it pleases. It bases itself more on men than on Jesus Christ. It persecutes those who live holy lives according to the Word of God and who rebuke the false church for its sins, greed, and idolatries."

From Belgic Confession Article 29 in The Book of Praise: Anglo Genevan Psalter (Winnipeg: Premier Printing, 2016), 511.

Have kids? This is a fun way to teach your kids substantial theology. Grab a copy! Rev. Timothy Brindle has some great stuff!

https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/the-acrostic-of-jesus-a-rhyming-christology-for-kids-an-acrostic-theology-for-kids-9781645072041?variant=41494786244808

The Acrostic of Jesus: A Rhyming Christology for Kids (An Acrostic Theology for Kids) Let's read the acrostic of Jesus together To help you to love him, so he is your treasure. We'll read it, rap it, or sing it--it's fun! Till Jesus comes back and his kingdom has come. He's the Alpha and Omega, from A to Z; We pray you see from this book, "Jesus came for me!" The Acrostic of Jesus is...

Have you heard of the Reverends George Gregory and Adam Wells? They are faithfully ministering in small towns and have some gospel comfort for you. Listen in as they teach.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/small-town-theologian/id1564107738

‎Small Town Theologian on Apple Podcasts ‎Religion & Spirituality · 2022

If we seek to love beyond God’s boundaries of good, we end up loving evil.

When you are wronged by others, when you feel persecuted for your faith, 1 Peter 2:20-25 are very helpful. And John Calvin is really good on 1 Peter 2:23.

https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cal/1-peter-2.html

1 Peter 2 - Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Bible Commentaries - StudyLight.org 1 Peter 2, Calvin's Commentary on the Bible, One of over 125 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, by John Calvin, helps you experience his lasting impact on Christian theology and thought

This is a great song. It is based upon the unchangeable promises of God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sna3Fp4LZ9g

It Is Not Death To Die - Sovereign Grace A song about hope and a new beginning after death by Sovereign Grace in their album "Come Weary Saints".Purchase the full album here:http://www.sovereigngrac...

Struggling against sin day after day can be disheartening. But there is hope and comfort to be found and enjoyed in the gospel.

https://anchor.fm/smalltowntheologian/episodes/STT-057---Struggling-with-Besetting-Sins-with-Confidence--Hope-HC-LD-2--QA-3-5-e1co2vj/a-a77b7vb

STT 057 - Struggling with Besetting Sins with Confidence & Hope (HC LD 2, QA 3-5) by Small Town Theologian Besetting sins. They are shameful. They are unsettling. Why haven't we gotten beyond certain sins? The gospel is our confidence and hope in the face of our besetting sins. Sometimes certain theological truths, like our ongoing struggle against our sinful nature, may seem quite discouraging, but when...

If you have kids, or even if you don't, my friend Timothy Brindle released his first book in a series of theology books for kids complete with accompanying hip hop music. Check it out! I'll be using the portion on the Trinity in Sunday's Kid's Catechism Class.

https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/acrostic-of-god-9781645071846?variant=40752808526024

Acrostic of God The Acrostic of God is a joy to read and reread, and a wonderful tool to help kids absorb eternal truth about God. By giving children an alphabetical list of the titles and attributes of God written with a rhyming beat, Jonathan Gibson and Timothy Brindle make The Acrostic of God fun to read and eas...

Genesis 2:24 says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." The world is very confused about what marriage is. Rationality is replaced by absurdity when people stop listening to God's Word. This piece of news is sad on various levels. Ponder how confused this woman is about God, the law, the gospel, love, the sanctity and significance of marriage, human relationships, the purpose of life, etc. Consider how hopeless, dark, and empty her philosophy of life is. "Do what you love while you still can" is not good counsel. It's not a good motto for life. There is more hope, comfort, and joy in the gospel than in the wisdom of the world.

https://www.wtok.com/2022/01/03/woman-marries-color-pink-historic-vegas-wedding/?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

Woman marries the color pink in historic Vegas wedding With a wedding ceremony at noon on Jan. 1, Kitten Kay Sera was the first person to marry a color.

I need to memorize this and take it to heart.

"On this side of heaven, there is nothing more beneficial that we can do with our time on the Sabbath than to begin and end the day in his blessed courts." - Chris Gordon

https://agradio.org/cancel-culture-got-to-the-evening-service-first

Cancel Culture Got to the Evening Service First We live in a day when those things that stand in the way of the prevailing narrative of the culture are canceled, thrust out from societal recognition. As much as people express concern about cance…

Christian parents, is there anything we want more than for our children to know, love, and serve the Lord? Is there anything we want for our children more than for them to glorify and enjoy God? No and no. Since this is the case, as parents, we must devote ourselves to catechizing our children. The TV is. Their school teachers are. Musicians are. Culture is. Your kids are being catechized already! Since we deeply love our children and want the best for them, we must devote ourselves to teaching the Christian faith to our kids at home. Isn't this a command of God (Deut. 6:4-9)? What "curriculum" will you use to guide you in the most important Biblical truths to teach your kids at home? The government and teachers give MUCH thought to the curriculum they use to teach YOUR kids. As Christian parents, we must give careful thought to this. Several good choices are the Heidelberg Catechism, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and even Zacharias Ursinus' Short and Large Catechism. Many people like the New City Catechism, but it does not address the sacraments which is a large flaw considering the sacraments are extremely important for our covenant kids, for their growth in the gospel and comfort in life and death. Take the initiative to lead your children in family worship at home. You can do it with God's help, and if you use a catechism like the Heidelberg Catechism, you already have your weekly curriculum.

https://www.ligonier.org/posts/blessing-catechizing-our-children

The Blessing of Catechizing Our Children The Bible is our curriculum, or the content of our prophetic teaching. We cannot give our children a better or more useful gift than knowledge of the Holy Scrip

Reach out on Facebook, and I can get you the information.

Align Life Ministries (formerly Susquehanna Valley Pregnancy Services) Formerly Susquehanna Valley Pregnancy Services (SVPS). Aligning with God to champion the gospel and the sacredness of life in Central Pennsylvania.

As a man who struggles deeply with fear, I find this simple song profound, comforting, and quite beautiful. Before you listen, meditate on Psalm 8:3-4, Hebrews 1:3, Luke 12:32, and Heidelberg Catechism 27-28. Then listen and delight in profound truths expressed simply and beautifully.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7rIvi2eKbE

Consider the Stars (Official Lyric Video) - Keith & Kristyn Getty "Consider the Stars" as performed by Keith & Kristyn Getty from their new album "Evensong" Announcing Evensong: A new project and album from Keith & Kristyn ...

Christmases come and go, but every Sunday of the year the Word of God is preached in faithful churches across the world. Every Lord's Day is a celebration of the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, intercession, and supremacy of Christ Jesus the Lord. Let us gather for the real party every week.

Thank you to Westminster Bookstore for carrying my book. It's exciting to have a book listed with authors like R. C. Sproul, Richard Phillips, and Cornelius Venema. Find great books at www.wtsbooks.com.

Confessing our sins to God is not meant to lead us to condemnation or feeling beat down but instead to lead us to comfort in the gospel. As Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he taught them to confess their sins and ask God for forgiveness because God is merciful, compassionate, and gracious.

STT 054 - Constant Confession Is Not Condemnation but Comfort (HC LD 51, Q/A 126) by Small Town Theologian Why would Jesus teach his disciples to remember their sin and need of grace and to continually ask God for forgiveness? Might it have been for their comfort? Perhaps we feel condemned when we more deeply recognize our sin and need for God's grace. Maybe we'd rather avoid thinking about our sin than....

I don't know whether Charles M. Shulz was a Christian. I do, however, think that this scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas is striking. Where do we look for comfort? In temporal things or in the gospel? What an interesting little detail. I'm not sure I've ever seen A Charlie Brown Christmas. I can't remember. I think we'll watch it as a family.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/just-drop-the-blanket/

Just Drop the Blanket | Jesus and the Charlie Brown Christmas Jason Soroski on ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ and how the birth of Jesus frees us from our fears.

Thank you to the Christian Podcast Community for recently accepting my podcast. I appreciate the opportunity to join the community as I continue to unpack the Biblical truths of the Heidelberg Catechism for the comfort and sanctification of listeners. To God be the glory.

https://podcasts.strivingforeternity.org/show/small-town-theologian/

Small Town Theologian with Jonathan Shirk Small Town Theologian a show devoted to digging into the Heidelberg Catechism and ecumenical creeds, not just to better understand foundational truths, but to seek to apply them to the rhythm of everyday life. All Episodes Jonathan Shirk Show Host Small Town Theologian Send me a message.

If you are in the Manheim area for Christmas Eve, you are invited to our candlelight Christmas Eve service at 7:00 pm. It's a beautiful service of gospel hope and comfort.

I love Grove City College, my alma mater. When I heard that Dr. Carl Trueman was headed there, I was excited. I have found Dr. Trueman to be Biblical, rational, and quite helpful. If you haven't tuned into the Mortification of Spin, I encourage you to do so. I just read the following article by Dr. Trueman on Grove City College, and once again, I appreciate his perspective. I'm thankful for what Grove City College stands for and the education it provided me, my wife, many of my friends, and the education it continues to provide many students. If you have a high school senior, they should seriously consider enrolling and studying under Dr. Trueman.

https://www.faithandfreedom.com/do-i-teach-at-a-woke-school/

Do I teach at a Woke School? “Do I teach at a woke school?” was not a question I seriously considered until one evening last week when I received an email from a friend assuring me of his prayers for me in my workplace. The reason was an article he … Continue reading

I probably should've jumped on the Cyber Monday sale when this (without the wood holder) was being sold for $40! This is a unique ESV Bible and may interest you. Beautifully done.

https://www.wtsbooks.com/collections/bible-readers/products/esv-readers-bible-six-volume-set-cowhide-over-board-with-walnut-slipcase-9781433562228?variant=9997384220719

ESV Reader's Bible, Six-Volume Set (Cowhide Over Board with Walnut Slipcase) The ESV Reader's Bible, Six-Volume Set stems from the conviction that the Bible is of immeasurable value and should therefore be treasured and read in the most seamless way possible. Constructed with materials carefully selected to reflect the beauty of God's Word, the ESV Reader's Bible, Six-Volume...

A helpful encouragement on prayer from my friend Keith Evans, Professor of Biblical Counseling at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, my alma mater.

https://gentlereformation.com/2021/10/20/why-5/

5 Reasons We Don't Pray As Christians, we often find ourselves wrestling with not praying or not wanting to pray. If you ask most believers, they’ll tell you they could always use improvement in their prayer lives. Let us therefore consider these 5 common reasons why we struggle to pray.

I love Christmas. I'm also preaching through the Ten Commandments and just finished up the Seventh. In search of a good Christmas movie, we found Christmas in Connecticut. Not knowing much about it, we watched it. To our surprise, this "Christmas classic" was built upon adultery (and lies) or breaking the Seventh. Unless I missed something or unless Felix clued Jefferson in on everything at the beginning (I don't think he did, I think Jefferson found out just prior to heading into the bedroom at the end), Jefferson acted extremely inappropriately with another man's "wife." This movie was made in 1945. If, indeed, Jefferson didn't know until the end, his adulterous heart should've been a deal-breaker for Elizabeth. Right? If he treats another man's "wife" like that, what will happen when they get married? A disappointing film that showed the adulterous heart of man, the shallowness of Hollywood even in 1945 (deciding to marry someone should take more than a few days of getting to know them), and how easily marriage is devalued. No movie is perfect, they all have moral flaws, but when the main premise of the movie is adultery and lies, well, it doesn't get me into that Christmas spirit. Any other Christmas movie recommendations?

Friends, for less than some drinks at Starbucks, get yourself something this Christmas that will warm your soul - the NEWLY PUBLISHED Heidelberg Catechism. Great for stuffing stockings! Get it for $3.99 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Heidelberg-Catechism-True-Comfort-Death/dp/B09KN2KMQY/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=the+Heidelberg+Catechism&qid=1637982499&sr=8-5

Friends, you can get your family and friends a great stocking stuffer - a book to encourage and comfort their souls. Nab a paperback ($8.99) or Kindle ($6.99) at: https://www.amazon.com/Predestined-Joy-Finding-Controversial-Doctrine/dp/B094VSTKX4/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Predestined+for+Joy&qid=1637982187&sr=8-2

I have found JC Ryle profound and eloquent at many points.

“Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.” –Proverbs 26:24

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” –Hebrews 12:2

Augustus Toplady, author of life the hymn “Rock of Ages,” explained the Arminian free Will error. The true gospel is that Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of the faith that saves the elect (Hebrews 12:2). Those elect will be saved because he sovereignty chose them to be saved before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).