R.C. Sproul

Received Into the Number: A Theology of Adoption Part X- R.C. Sproul’s Doctrine of Adoption

December 26, 2020 by Chuck Ivey

R.C. Sproul possessed a once in a generation gift for communicating complex, rigorous truths with a winsome and accessible style.

Received Into the Number: A Theology of Adoption Part VII- Adoption and Systematic Theology

January 7, 2020 by Chuck Ivey

In this series, we have been looking at what God’s Word says about adoption as both an earthly call to care for orphans and as a picture of how He saves undeserving sinners in need of a right relationship with Him. You can read Parts I , II, III, IV, V, and VI here. In […]

Assurance: “How Can I Know I’m Really Saved?”

August 30, 2019 by Chuck Ivey

Examine Yourself How do you know you are really a Christian? Do you really know you are going to spend eternity in Heaven when you die? Are you sure you are actually right with a just and holy God? Can a true Christian lose their salvation? I recognize there is a danger in addressing this […]

Seven Books I’ve Read So Far In 2018 (And You Should Too)

September 4, 2018 by Justin Bullington

I read books! I told a young friend of mine the other day, “Christians are readers.” Obvious sentiment, I know, because there is no such thing as a Bible-less Christian, and, if you don’t want to be Bible-less, you have to read. This is a skill every Christian needs to hone. Thankfully, in the centuries following the […]

Allen Nelson IV

Allen S. Nelson IV is the pastor of Perryville Second Baptist Church in Perryville, Arkansas. He and his wife Stephanie have been married since 2006 and have 5 children. Besides enjoying time with his family, Allen loves teaching the Bible, reading good books, and time outdoors. He is the author of From Death to Life: How Salvation Works and Before The Throne: Reflections on God’s Holiness He is an avid Dallas Cowboys and Arkansas Razorbacks fan, which means he's always excited about 'next year.' You can follow him on twitter @cuatronelson.

George Alvarado

George Alvarado is an almost retired member of our Armed Forces (yes, he's older than he looks). He has a beautiful wife, a very tall son, and currently teaches at Pilgrim Bible Church in Washington. He is also an author, blogger, apologist, evangelist, and podcaster. He loves spending time with his family and friends, traveling, photography, and continuing his studies in linguistics and theology.

Garrett O’Hara

Garrett appears to have originated the term, but not the theology, "dispybapticalvinistic-expialidocious." He is a husband, a father of four children, a U.S. Navy veteran, and a semi-truck driver. He also holds a Th.M. in New Testament paid for mostly by the Post-9/11 GI Bill (don't tell Mikey Weinstein).

By God’s grace, Chuck Ivey grew up in a Christian home and came to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at a young age. He has been married to his wife Ashley for 20 years. They have seven high energy children by adoption (yes seven), also by God’s grace. Chuck works full time in local law enforcement as an investigator and chaplain. He serves as a deacon and teacher at Beech Haven Baptist Church in Athens, GA. Chuck is a graduate of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned a Masters of Theological Studies. Coffee and books are involved. You can follow hi...

Michael Coughlin

Michael Coughlin lives near Columbus, OH, and leads local outreaches to glorify our Lord and reach the lost with the gospel. Michael’s joys are spending time with his dear wife and children, programming computers, and studying and discussing God’s Word. He is a member of Covenant Bible Church.

Psalm 119:45-48 — A Wide Place

In verse 48, notice the repetition of the psalmist’s love for God’s commandments with is a little detail added. For what we find our delight in we will soon find ourselves giving our lives to. Is it not so with you, dear saint, that you dedicate the most time, effort, and energy toward that which you love the most? You want to know what a man loves? Direct your attention to where he spends his money, his time, and his gaze, and you will quickly know!

The Christian Letter Project – Whitefield to Wesley on Election

The Christian Letter Project at ThingsAbove is about exposing our readers to one of the greatest traditions in our Christian history: writing letters! It is our goal to publish one each Monday. We are not endorsing everything found in each of these letters nor every doctrine held by those who wrote the letters. We hope […]

Book Review — When Wright is Wrong: A Reformed Baptist Critique of N.T. Wright’s New Perspective on Paul

When Wright is Wrong is a significant contribution to the growing list of critical responses to NT Wright and the “New Perspective on Paul.” The author’s stated goal was to offer a critique of NPP from the Reformed Baptist perspective but anyone wishing to better understand and defend the “old perspective” can benefit from this book.

Finding the Gospel in the NBA Finals

Start Here The NBA Finals are upon us again. For the 8th straight year Lebron James leads a team from the Eastern Conference while the Goliath of the West, the Warriors, are looking to solidify themselves as maybe the greatest team ever to play. Here at Things Above Us, we like to talk about the gospel, […]

Full Stomach, Empty Heart: A Sermon Outline from Ruth 1, Part 1

In this post, we’ll look at a sermon outline from the book of Ruth and focus on Elimelech’s decision to move his family to Moab. In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he […]

Preaching to a Funeral Audience, part 2

If you haven’t read part 1, read that first. Christ Died for Sinners Think of any story where someone risks his or her own life for a friend or even a stranger. A man in a New York subway station falls onto the train tracks. Suddenly, some stranger jumps down and lifts the man up […]