Christ’s precious blood not only sealed our pardon but also purchased our adoption as children of God. In one of the most sublime portions of the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Divines enumerated the heavenly privileges of our adoption. Chief among the privileges they included was the Father’s pity (WCF 12). God’s pity is not some condescending sympathy or the shallow, “bless-your-heart” of a merciless world. God’s pity is His tender compassion towards the children he cherishes.

This article reflects on the richness of the Westminster Larger Catechism, especially Question 1, emphasizing that man’s “chief and highest end” is not only to glorify God but to fully enjoy Him forever, highlighting God as the ultimate and supreme purpose of life. It argues that this goal—culminating in the beatific vision—gives meaning to all human activity and underscores the profound grace of God in allowing His people to find their fullest joy in Him.

Angels and demons are significant in the drama of redemption as agents or opponents of God’s kingdom, but they have something else to teach us as well. Perhaps surprisingly to many Christians, one of the most significant things we learn about angels and demons has to do with the nature of Christian obedience. Put simply: angels obey God immediately, cheerfully, and completely. In reliance on the Holy Spirit, this is the kind of obedience to which we must aspire. Demons also reveal something about the nature of true obedience to God, but through a negative example. The Bible’s teaching on angels and demons—far from being irrelevant or a breeding ground for idle speculation—speaks with real force, exposing our shortcomings and illuminating the shape of the Christian life.

Why should a man preparing to be a faithful preacher and pastor give special attention to the study of Koine Greek and Classical Hebrew? Does he need to know these archaic languages in order to be a faithful preacher and pastor? The simple answer to this question is yes. Every iota and dot of Scripture is the inspired word of God, finally authoritative for faith and practice, and sufficient to sanctify and perfect the people of God into Christ’s image. Since Scripture has such a high nature and role in the lives of God’s people, preachers ought to carefully study the languages in which the word was inspired, in order to faithfully bring forth its full riches. 

Few aspects of the Christian life are more neglected than the cultivation of a habit of personal and private prayer. Yet, we have powerful reasons that should compel us to come often and with confidence into the throne room of God. Our Father delights to hear the voices of his children and has chosen, in his providence, to weave their petitions into the fabric of his eternal plan.

The 19th century was a high point for missionary effort in Presbyterian and Reformed history. Those were the days of John G. Paton, William Chalmers Burns, Thomas Chalmers, and the St. Andrews Seven. However, in our day, even though we have richer resources, the Presbyterian and Reformed church is no longer the leading force in this work. Six key factors—false teaching, worldliness, fear, ignorance, a sense of helplessness, and apathy—have diminished zeal and hindered efforts to reach the unreached. A renewed commitment marked by conviction, repentance, and sacrificial action is needed to recover a bold missionary vision.

Francis J. Grimké believed the preacher's task was simple: faithfully proclaim the Word of God in dependence upon the Spirit of God. In this episode of the Dead Presbyterians Society, we explore Grimké's remarkable life and enduring reflections on preaching, pastoral faithfulness, and the power of the Holy Spirit at work through the ministry of the Word.

In this episode, we explore The Mission of Parenting by Thomas Smyth, a powerful call for Christian parents to see the home as the first mission field. Smyth challenges families to raise children not merely in knowledge, but in a living zeal for Christ’s kingdom and the spread of the gospel.

This episode explores On the Emotional Life of Our Lord by B. B. Warfield, showing that Christ’s compassion, love, anger, joy, and sorrow were true and sinless expressions of His full humanity. As confessed in the Westminster Confession of Faith, He is fully God and fully man, “yet without sin,” and His affections were perfectly ordered in accordance with His holy nature. In this way, the emotional life of Christ belongs to His perfect obedience and reveals the moral beauty of the Savior in the work of our redemption.

In this message, Ian Hamilton reflects on the life of missionary William Chalmers Burns, whose wholehearted devotion to Christ carried him from Scotland to China with a passion to see the people of China turn to faith in the gospel. Hamilton emphasizes that true discipleship means surrendering everything to Christ, embracing the cost of the cross, and living with a deep commitment to the church’s calling to bring the gospel to the nations.

In this message, Hensworth Jonas presents Christ as the divine Bridegroom whose covenant love is the true source of the church’s power. Preaching from Matthew 9, he explains that the church finds her identity, joy, beauty, and security in union with Christ, who faithfully loves, sanctifies, and preserves his bride. Jonas urges believers to reject cultural compromise and devote themselves wholly to the Lord of the church.

In this conference message, Jim McCarthy explains that Christians are called to be faithful citizens both of heaven and of earthly nations. Preaching from Mark 12, he argues that believers should render to civil authorities lawful submission, honor, and prayer while ultimately giving themselves wholly to God, whose image they bear and whose Son has redeemed them by His blood.

In this message, Jonathan Master explains that the church’s mission is clearly defined by Christ in the Great Commission: to make disciples of all nations through evangelism, baptism, and teaching. In light of Christ’s absolute authority and abiding presence, churches must not lose sight of this central calling amid modern distractions, but remain focused on proclaiming the gospel and planting faithful, disciple-making churches throughout the world.

In this message, Andy Young presents baptism as a God-given means of encouragement that directs believers away from self-reliance and toward the finished work of Christ. Young emphasizes that baptism visibly proclaims God’s grace, unites believers, and marks their identity in Christ as a sign and seal of his promises—pointing them to forgiveness, new life, and assurance grounded in God’s covenant faithfulness.

In this conference message, David Irving reflects on the life and ministry of Cornelius W. Grafton, a Mississippi Presbyterian pastor who faithfully served two rural churches for 61 years. Highlighting Grafton’s doctrinal preaching, pastoral care, courage, and humility, Irving encourages believers to pursue quiet, lifelong faithfulness—not for personal recognition, but for the glory of Christ and the good of His church.