James 4:1-10

<h2>Where Do Wars Come From?</h2> Where do wars come from? James isn’t asking who starts wars and conflicts, he’s asking WHERE! In a forensic examination of the motives and attitudes and desires of the human heart, James gets right to the very heart of the issue, giving us an insight into the real source of war... He says, (Amp) WHAT LEADS to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?&nbsp; Let’s see if there are any lessons for us, Sermon preached at both Ballymacashon and Templepatrick Reformed Church on Remembrance Sunday 2022, recorded at Templepatrick, and used with their permission. <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2022/12/10/where-do-wars-come-from/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">READ THE NOTES HERE</a>

Where Do Wars Come From?

"One of the stupidest beliefs ever concocted" (R C Sproul)

<h2>SECULAR HUMANISM</h2> RC Sproule writing in ‘Table Talk’ magazine in October 1993, wrote, “Secular humanism is one of the stupidest beliefs ever concocted.” In this podcast episode, recorded at Templepatrick Reformed Church, Bob looks at the history and beliefs of humanism. <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2023/03/30/secular-humanism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">READ THE NOTES HERE</a>.

Secular Humanism

Isaiah 37:1-7

<h2>What To Do When You Get Bad News….</h2>Text . Isaiah 37:1-7 What do you do when you get bad news? We have a ‘case-study’ in Isaiah 37. Hezekiah has been the recipient of some very bad news indeed. The three civil servants had reported back to King Hezekiah, and their message was the worst possible news, news that no one would ever want to hear. 36:22 What will Hezekiah, the godly King of Israel do now? This sermon was preached at Ballymacashon and Templepatrick Reformed Church, and was recorded at Templepatrick. It is reproduced here with their kind permission.

What To Do When You Get Bad News

Is repentance JUST for Conversion?

<h2>The Repentant Life</h2>Catechism Class. LD32 Q87-88 Read: 1st Corinthians 6:9-11&nbsp;&nbsp;Q.87 Can those be saved who do not turn to God from their ungrateful and impenitent walk of life?&nbsp;A. By no means. Scripture says that no unchaste person, idolater, adulterer, thief, greedy person, drunkard, slanderer, robber, or the like shall inherit the kingdom of God. The Christian life is a life of repentance.&nbsp;We are forgiven, but we are not yet perfect. That is still to come.&nbsp;The real issue is the difference between how a Christian deals with sin, compared with how an unbeliever deals with it.&nbsp;The Christian will hate his sin, loathe it.&nbsp;It will burn his conscience, it will make him weep, until he comes before the Lord and repents.&nbsp; Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2023/03/20/the-repentant-life/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE</a>.

Catechism Class: LD32Q87-88 The Repentant Life

 Ephesians 1:8-10

<h2>The Mystery of God's Will</h2> &nbsp;In this passage we see that God’s will has already been revealed to us, – it is to bring his people, and everything in Creation, together in a new heaven and earth, where Christ is glorified&nbsp;Colossians 1:18 Sermon preached at Ballymacashon and Templepatrick Reformed Church. Recorded at TRC and used by kind permission. Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2023/02/04/the-mystery-of-gods-will/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE</a>

The Mystery of God's Will

Special Episode for St Patrick's Day

<h2>REPRISE: Patrick, Roman Catholic or Reformed?</h2> In addressing this particular title, I am aware that I will probably run the gauntlet of divided opinion about the man. Many Roman Catholic people hold Patrick in such esteem that they will accept little or nothing about him which runs counter to their perceived opinion. Many Protestants have, traditionally, been so apathetic about Patrick that they have bee content to ignore him, and leave it to their Roman Catholic friends to celebrate his life in whatever way they have chosen. This paper seeks to challenge both positions and to encourage us, in this modern age, to consider our soul’s welfare, as Patrick did in bygone days. Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2021/03/13/the-real-st-patrick/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE</a>

REPRISE: Patrick, Roman Catholic or Reformed?

Why good works are part of our Christian life

<h2>Lord's Day 32 Q86 The Value of Works</h2> Our study of the catechism today takes us into an area of our Christian Faith where there is some confusion among people who claim to be Christians, yet one where we need absolute clarity.&nbsp;The Catechism helps us greatly: Q86, Since, then, we are redeemed from our misery by grace through Christ, without any merit of ours, why must we do good works? We answer, Because Christ, having redeemed us by His blood, also renews us by His Holy Spirit after His own image, that with our whole life we show ourselves thankful to God for His blessing, and that He be glorified through us, and that He be glorified through us,&nbsp;then also, that we ourselves may be assured by our faith by the fruits thereof;&nbsp; So why must we do Good Works and what will those works be? Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2020/06/13/4068/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE.</a>

Catechism Class: LD32 Q86 The Value of Works

A sermon from Matthew 18:17-19

<h2>Church Discipline&nbsp;</h2> In Matthew 18:15-17 we see:- <ol><li>The Possibility of Christian Discord. Moreover if your brother sins against you,</li></ol>So the overriding principle here is very simple.&nbsp;When discord happens in the church, we must recognise it and do something about it, and to put things right. <ol><li>The Procedure for Christian Discipline.&nbsp;</li></ol> <ol><li>The Practice of Christian Discernment. let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.</li></ol>Now here’s where this text gets really interesting.&nbsp;When a brother has sinned against you, and all the avenues for reconciliation has failed, what do you do?&nbsp;Jesus tells us right here; we are to regard that person as a heathen and a tax collector.&nbsp;Now what does that mean? &nbsp; This sermon was recorded in Templepatrick Reformed Church in 2018, and is reproduced here with their kind permission.

Church Discipline

<h2>LORD'S DAY 31 - Church Discipline.</h2> In our last catechism class we looked at The Keys of The Kingdom.&nbsp;&nbsp;Matthew 16:19&nbsp;&nbsp;We saw that our catechism instructor teaches us that the ‘Keys of the Kingdom’ is THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL, which opens the door to the kingdom of heaven for those who will come and be saved, and which closes the door of the kingdom of heaven to those who refuse to repent.There is a second way in which the ‘Keys of the Kingdom’ are employed –&nbsp;through Church Discipline. Read the <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2020/06/07/catechism-class-h-c31b-the-keys-part-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NOTES HERE</a>

Catechism Class: LD31 Q85  Church Discipline and The Keys

Ephesians 1:7-8

<h2>Grace</h2> How can we even begin to measure the extent of God’s saving love and favour for His people? It would be impossible. Grace in this sense grace is the unmerited favour of God upon sinners, – the idea of our salvation being a completely free gift – that God loves us when we were unlovable, chose us to be his, without any merit on our part, and at great cost to himself,-&nbsp;the death of his only begotten son.&nbsp; This sermon was preached at Ballymacashon Congregational Church, and Templepatrick Reformed Church and was recorded at Templepatrick. It is reproduced here with their kind permission. <a href="https://saltyscrivener.uk/2023/01/28/the-riches-of-his-grace/ " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the NOTES HERE</a>.

Grace

Christian Ethics, Doctrine and Life

Christian Ethics, Church History, Reformed Doctrine, Regulative Principle of Worship, Congregationalism, and of course, the Heidelberg Catechism are all topics that are discussed on The Semper Reformata Podcast, hosted by Bob McEvoy, the pastor of The Old Reformed Church at Ballymacashon, Killinchy, Co.Down, Northern Ireland. Find out more at https://saltyscrivener.uk/podcast/ Telegram: https://t.me/SRPodcast

The Semper Reformata Podcast

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