Post Category: Articles by Pastor Matt

This week I want to take a moment to encourage each of you to really lean into your All Saints family. We all fill our days moving from one sphere to another. We have our coworkers, our immediate family, our extended family, and our friends. If we have school-aged children, we have our school community (or maybe several!) as well. Perhaps you are involved in a civic organi...

We will wrap up our series on the ordinary means of grace by considering the hope that is ours in these means. First, when we speak of the hope that is ours as Christians, we mean a hope that is certain to be fulfilled. We aren't using the word the way it is often used in Englishto describe a wish that we would like to have fulfilled, and maybe it will and maybe it won't....

We've been considering the "ordinary means of grace" over the past fewweeks. These are the means by which God ordinarily cares for us, comforting us, building us up into the image of Christ, sanctifying us, making us ready as a bride adorned for her husband. We've discussed the Word of God, particularly the preaching of the Word. We've also looked at the sacramentsbaptism ...

God ordinarily works not only through the preaching of his word, but through the sacraments as well. In these sacramentsbaptism and the Lord's SupperGod gives us signs and seals of his promised grace toward us. In so doing, he strengthens us and builds us up for our vocation in the world until Christ returns. Our Father knows our weaknesses, and so he gives us sensible si...

The ordinary means of grace are central to our ministry at All Saints because we believe they are the answer to the question, "How does God ordinarily provide for his Church?" Are we mourning and in need of comfort? Are we afraid and in need of reassurance? Are we meek when we need to be bold? Sinning and in need of repentance? Whatever we need, it is God who provides, and...

As we continue thinking through the ordinary means of grace, the first thing we should address is the word "ordinary." Why do we call them that? Doesn't "ordinary"sound boring? It certainly doesn't sound very exciting. First, we should recognize that it's being used in contrast to "extraordinary." We're talking about how God works. God certainly can and does work in extra...

So much about how All Saints is organized and what informs the way we worship and fellowship is captured in a simple phrase, "the ordinary means of grace." Those of you who have attended the Exploring All Saints class have heard us talk about it. It is a classic expression within the Reformed faith that helps keep us anchored in what matters by reminding us what is most im...

Are you thinking about seminary and full-time gospel ministry? Head over to The Christward Collective to get some insight into how to wrestle with the question, "Is God calling me to seminary?" Pastor Matt describes seven questions you should be asking yourself and those who know you well....