Links/Blogs
What is the gospel?
Whether you are new to church or have grown up in the church, the word gospel is important but what does it mean? Gospel is simply good news. So what is the good news?
The good news is that God has made a way for you to not only know Him but to have a healthy relationship with Him. We all know the need to have healthy relationships. We also know the devastating results of broken relationships. The gospel is the good news of God restoring your relationship with Him.
That is the totality of scripture in a very simple form. To expand on it:
God made everything very good. His crowning creation was his image bearers. He made humanity in His own image to rule over all creation. He made them male and female and gave them all of creation to oversee.
You would think this would be amazing but it was not enough. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were not satisfied with their roles and desired to be like God. They wanted to be autonomous creatures, determining right and wrong for themselves, so they willfully rebelled. One would assume that would be the end. After all, what happens today when someone weak rebels against someone strong? Yet God did the unthinkable. God had been rebelled against. God was the victim, but He promised Adam and Eve a redeemer. God promised to bring forth a human who would reconcile God and humanity and heal the broken relationship. All of Scripture is about God bringing about the right circumstances for His redeemer to come.
Jesus was born of a woman - made like us in every way, yet without sin. He lived a perfect life before God and man and then did the unthinkable. Jesus offered His life for God's enemies. Jesus died for the sins of those who rebelled against God in thought, word, and deed. Jesus is the reconciliation between God and humanity and God has promised that all who believe and hope in the person and work of Jesus will be saved. Here is the good news. If would you like to know more please contact us.
For further study- What is the gospel?
Worship
Conscious of God's grace to us in Jesus Christ, we are committed to worshipping God. Worship is at the very center of our life and the ultimate goal of the Church. Therefore, we hope these articles and links will help strengthen your commitment to worship God joyfully and biblically.
ARP Governing Documents. On this page, you will find the ARP directory of public worship and the directory of private and family worship. The directory of public worship guides all ARP churches on how to conduct corporate worship.
Our Order of Service- This document is an expanded explanation of our order of service so that you understand why we do what we do.
Holy Scripture
We hold to the Old and New Testaments as given by God to be our ultimate authority regarding all things necessary for the glory of God, salvation, faith, and the life of the church. A clear and sound doctrine of Scripture is essential to maintain a healthy congregation. We hope these articles and links will help you in your understanding of Scripture as God's revelation.
Bible reading plans
Beginner- For those new to Bible reading or for those who have struggled in the past we recommend the 5x5x5 reading plan from the navigators. It will take you through the New Testament in one year.
Intermediate- For those used to reading scripture and desiring a steady pace, this plan has you read through the Bible in 2 years.
Challenging- For those who regularly read scripture we wanted to present two reading plans for you in which you read through the Bible in one year.
The first does it through a 5-day schedule. The second has you read through the Bible every day of the week with a different genre of scripture each day. You are also free to scroll down that page a pick any reading that suits your need.
Advanced- For those wanting more scripture we would encourage you to follow the M’Cheyne reading plan. In this plan, you will read through the Bible in one year plus read the New Testament and Psalms twice. The link below will lead you to the TGC page where you will find the link to the pdf. You can also find the M'Cheyne plan on the Ligonier page above.
Resources for Bible Study
Do you have doubts about Christianity? Would you like to learn how to study the Bible? Do you have questions about worship, or Jesus, or other Bible subjects? Or would you like to learn more about growing spiritually? Here you can find resources to help you understand Christianity or biblical questions, and guide you towards growth in your spiritual life.
ESV Study Bible - If you have purchased an ESV Study Bible, this site allows you to access content online.
BibleArc - BibleArc is a Bible study technique that we encourage people to learn and use. This site will show you how.
Bible Gateway - Read Scripture in dozens of translations in many languages; this site also includes reading plans, search tools, audio content, and other resources.
Ligonier Ministries - Reformed theology is clearly explained and applied.
Helpful blogs
There is a plethora of information out there, sifting through it all requires discernment and much time. Below are some that we have found helpful. Listing these sites does not mean we endorse everything found on these sites. We ask you to use discernment and examine everything through the Word of God.
Seventeen82- A blog written by various ministers from the ARP.
Gentle Reformation- Gentle Reformation is a cooperative effort by friends in the Reformed and Presbyterian faith community.
The Gospel Coalition Canada- A good site for articles to make you think. Predominately written from a Baptist perspective.
