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The Staff and Hammer

Covering topics of interest to me, mostly involving theology and leadership.

See my bio here.

The “Staff and Hammer” is a place for me to share thoughts from study and observation. The “staff” denotes the biblical metaphor of the leader as a shepherd, while “hammer” represents my ultimate goal of building up the Church. It is a repository for my thoughts that I am willing to share with whoever will read them. As such, posts will be sporadic. While I may sometimes address topics of leadership and organizational culture, my primary purpose is for the edification of the Church, so most of what I post will be along those lines. Constructive feedback is encouraged but rudeness and useless argument baiting will not be tolerated.

Latest Posts

What it Means to Be Reformed Part 3: Confessionalism

In our series on Reformed theology, we have covered the five solas and five points of Calvinism, but Reformed theology must address all of faith and life, so a Reformed church must subscribe to a historic Reformed confession.  This post will look at the meaning and importance of being confessional.

What it Means to Be Reformed Part 2: Calvinism

Last time, we began to discuss the distinctives of Reformed theology with the Five Solas that represent the core reasons the Protestants had to break away from Roman Catholicism. This post will cover Calvinist soteriology (TULIP): total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints.

What it Means to Be Reformed Part 1: The Solas of Salvation

I occasionally refer to Reformed theology as foundational to what I write. This is the first in a series that will better define what that means. This post will cover the Five Solas of the Reformation. Future posts will discuss Calvinism, confessionalism, and covenant theology.

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Links to Posts by Topic:

Leadership Topics:

Biblical Counseling Topics:

Theology Topics:

Theological Illiteracy: This series covers the problem of theological illiteracy in the American church using the 2022 Ligonier State of Theology Survey. In it, I cover the problem in general then break it down by the subjects of Scripture, God, Man and Sin, Salvation, the Church, and Current Issues.

Practical Theology: These posts apply Scripture to a variety of challenging situations:

Meditations on Particular Passages: These posts reflect come from meditating on particular passages of Scripture and the themes woven through them, normally as part of my regular quiet times.

Seasonal: These posts are pertinent to particular seasons and events in the church.

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