Written 2008 It was a good idea my dear wife had. She is eager to exercise. I am eager to exercise. We live in rural southwest Virginia, on a rather flat road that follows the contours of the river that flows beside it. So what we have been doing of late is walking together early… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
We are inviting ten couples to come for three days of intense conversation, as well as a great deal of fun. The camp is held at the home of Highlands Ministries President, Eric Owens, in Bristol, Virginia. Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. will be your teacher. We will not only talk about how to be a… Read more »
Posted by Eric Owens
Education is the sacrament of the Enlightenment. That is, when people caught up in enlightenment thinking, whether inside or outside the church, see a problem, their means of grace of choice is ever and always more education. The priests of the secular realm are, after all, educators. Consider all the public service announcements we are… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
In the sunday school classrooms in which I taught years ago, each weekly lesson had a main idea that we repeated over and over. Platitudes such as “God loves me,” “I am special to God,” and “We are kind to one another” filled the teacher’s manual. Curiously, we did not see “God is angry at… Read more »
Posted by Eric Owens
There are any number of dangers of a steady pop culture diet. To catch our attention Hollywood must increase the tension. The struggle must get more and more dramatic, the stakes must increase. We don’t merely hope the good guys catch the bank robber. Now they are chasing down a serial killer. It is no… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
Written early 2010 I just love the way that sounds. Militant fecundity has just the right balance of obscurity and familiarity, and just the right amount of “huh?” in bumping the words together. What does it mean? Both critics and fans use the expression to mean the view that we ought to have lots of… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
Though it’s a cliché, it’s true- who defines the terms wins the debate. Before we determine how to avoid this kind of error, let’s be sure we know what we are talking about. One could argue that in the church there is a spectrum of views on the relationships between husbands and wives. On the… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
Hour 2: A red-letter day for the Amen Corner…we’re talking religion and politics with Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. A must-hear conversation on marriage, life, and the power of true conviction. http://stevedeace.com/headline/deace-show-podcast-05-14-12/
Posted by Eric Owens
We had company today. Darby my 18 year old made a pasta dish. Maili, my 10 year old set the table and poured the drinks. Erin Claire, 12, made a delicious cake. Delaney made a salad, and I made the garlic bread. Our guests were not only well fed, but were engaged in fruitful, God-honoring… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.June 20-23, Bristol, Virginia – $149
We are inviting ten couples to come for three days of intense conversation, as well as a great deal of fun. The camp is held at the home of Highlands Ministries President, Eric Owens, in Bristol, Virginia. Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. will be the teacher.
We will not only talk about how to be a kingdom-building, King-serving family, but we will talk about it in the context of such families.
Though it didn’t look like it would go that way, it turned out to be a good conversation. Concerned about some attitude problems, my dear wife and I sat down with our three biggest to express those concerns, to encourage repentance, to wash them with the Word. From our perspective the children were falling into… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
Sin complicates things. Sinners do too. Divorce exists at all, we would be wise to remember, because of the presence of sin in our world. As Jesus reminds us, “From the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8). The church has long held that there are two sins under which the aggrieved party is free… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
I’m for them. Here are just a few thoughts on the matter. First, I am happy to concede that men of goodwill differ on this issue. Second, I’m also happy to boldly suggest that virtually every Christian, from the time of Paul’s epistle to about half a century ago, agrees with me on this issue…. Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
I have heard you and the “Basement Boys” say that your wives should not submit to other men i.e. work for a man other than their husband. Is there ever a case where a Christian man should or can employ a woman? I suspect that what you heard was not couched on the Basement Tapes in quite… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
No, and to some degree, yes. One of the great blessings of the last twenty years or so is that both the Reformed church, and even Baptistic homeschooling churches, have come to appreciate this fundamental Biblical reality- God deals with families. That God promised Abraham that He would be a God to Him and His… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
It is a potent sign of the depth and scope of sin in our lives that we are able to find ourselves missing all those road signs that read- Warning- perdition ninety miles ahead and then Hellfire- next exit and then Beware of falling sulfur before stopping to ask for directions. Here is a cultural… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
One of the surest signs of our broader culture’s departure from its solidly Reformed roots is that even outside the church we raise our children with an “Arminian” perspective. That is, we are ever so zealous not to direct our children this way or that, wanting only to allow them to choose. We have embraced… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
“Is it ever acceptable to sever ties with an abusive parent? We struggle with the fifth commandment and dealing with an emotionally abusive parent. We have severed communications with one of my wife’s parents due to inappropriate and corrosive influence on our family. The last year has been very good for my family without the influence… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
Three things. The first is to give thanks. Like most clichés, this one became a cliché because it is a powerful and pithy truth- I cried for having no shoes, until I met a man with no legs. This does not mean that all of us should find one person who is having a harder… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
Yes, and no. There is nothing in the Bible that even hints that there is anything displeasing to God when a person whose ancestors came from Africa marries someone whose ancestors once lived in Asia. There is no prohibition against a man reared in Europe marrying a Native American. God does not object when a… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
“What can (or should) a submissive obedient wife do who wants to follow the Bible, but has a Christian husband who ignores, mistreats, and occasionally emotionally abuses her? Along with this, what if the husband insists that the wife not seek help?” God is good to us. Not only does He put us under… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
“I have more recently come to embrace the biblical idea that children are a blessing from God. Sadly, earlier in my marriage I had surgery to avoid future blessings. Now what am I to do?” It is a common temptation, when God blesses us with wisdom, for us to foolishly despair that we once… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.DENISE
Denise Sproul passed away in December 2011 after a nine month battle with leukemia. Wife, sister, daughter, mother of eight, and a friend to many both in person and through the pages of Every Thought Captive, she was an inspiration in how she lived and in how she died. She will be greatly missed until we meet again.
TENDING YOUR GARDEN
Denise Sproul, wife of homeschool speaker R.C. Sproul Jr. and mother of eight children, seeks to encourage wives and mothers to be about the business of helping their husbands to exercise godly dominion, and to help raise up in their children godly seed for the building of His kingdom.
FAMILY PRACTICE
To achieve healthy families we must turn to the Great Physician, a “family doctor” who still makes house calls. Family Practice reveals that a strong dose of the biblical concept of a covenant is as salutary for the family as for the family of God. R.C. Sproul Jr. and twelve contributors explore the implications of the covenant for fathers, mothers, and children.
ETERNITY IN OUR HEARTS
What sort of vision leads a budding Christian writer, teacher, and thinker to move his wife and young family from the city of Orlando, Florida to the hills of southwestern Virginia? Why would he leave behind one of the bustling capitals of the evangelical community in favor of a rural setting? R.C. Sproul Jr. did exactly that. In 1996 the Sprouls settled in rural Southwest Virginia, and founded the Highlands Study Center (now Highlands Ministries). This book explains the vision.
BOUND FOR GLORY
R.C.’s teachings on the nature of the covenant family, available up till now on video and audio, have proved to be extremely helpful to those who are struggling to establish their families on firm Biblical foundations. Now Tolle Lege Press has made these same teachings available in a hard back book form, well suited for passing along to friends and relatives who might benefit from this message. “There is a battle, a critical front on the broader culture war, over the nature of the family,” writes Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr.
EDENIC LANGUAGE
How we speak to one another within the sacred community not only determines the peace and purity within but is a large part of the salt and light that we are to project outward. Are we inclusive, do we draw each other in to ourselves, even when admonishing, or do we use our words to excommunicate?
The grand special effect that caught the eyes of the audience in The Wizard of Oz was color. That’s it, just color. And they were dazzled. And though there were some exciting events, the effects were not up to our modern standards. Still, as the tornado closes in on the family farm, one can’t help… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
“How would you counsel someone who has committed adultery (and subsequently been divorced by his spouse) regarding any future relationship with the person with whom he committed adultery?” Here is a classic case that illustrates the importance of this hermeneutical principle- we are to interpret the historical in light of the didactic and not the… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
Yes, of course. Happily, in every jurisdiction I am aware of, it is not even legally possible to marry outside ones race. Though there are some arguing that such should be legal, even the “gay” “marriage” movement, by and large, disdains the notion. The Bible is abundantly clear that marriage is only for those of the human race, and to extend the institution beyond that is wrong.
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
It would seem to be a reasonable corollary to the Apostle John’s affirmation that he knew no greater joy than to know that his children walk in the truth (III John 4) that there is likely no greater sorrow than to see one’s own children walk away from the church and the gospel of Jesus… Read more »
Posted by Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.
