Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Sean Morris
The Tender Love A Father Has: The Christian’s Comfort, Even In Death (Part 7) - The Heidelblog
We have been considering lately how the resurrection gives us hope right now and in the face of death. The resurrection, however, also affords the Christian a glorious hope for the future, and so today we want to give some attention to the return of Jesus Christ and our own future bodily resurrection. Resurrection Hope to Come In thinking about what Christ’s resurrection means for us when he returns, let us look again to the Westminster Shorter Catechism (WSC), this time at Question 38: Q.
The Tender Love A Father Has: The Christian’s Comfort, Even In Death (Part 6) - The Heidelblog
In considering the bona fide hope that a Christian has in the face of death, we have been thinking lately about how the resurrection of Jesus Christ grounds that confidence. In particular, we have been considering how the resurrection of Christ gives us hope both presently in life and in the face of death. The resurrection also affords the Christian a glorious hope for the future, as we consider the return of Jesus Christ and our own bodily resurrection.
The Tender Love A Father Has: The Christian’s Comfort, Even In Death (Part 5) - The Heidelblog
In our previous installments in this series, we have explored our culture’s discomfort with death, noting it as God’s judgment on sin, yet also observing that Scripture offers a wonderfully tender perspective. We discussed how believers, by God’s grace, escape the second death, which Christ endured in their place. As Lord of life and death, holding the keys to Death and Hades (Rev 1:18), Christ ensures believers need not fear death.
The Tender Love A Father Has: The Christian’s Comfort, Even In Death (Part 4) - The Heidelblog
In our previous installments in this series, we have explored our culture’s discomfort with death, noting it as God’s judgment on sin, yet also observing that Scripture offers a wonderfully tender perspective. We discussed how believers, by God’s grace, escape the second death, which Christ endured in their place. As Lord of life and death, holding the keys to Death and Hades (Rev 1:18), Christ ensures believers need not fear death.
The Tender Love A Father Has: The Christian’s Comfort, Even In Death (Part 3) - The Heidelblog
In our previous installments in this series, we began by considering the great aversion and discomfort our culture has when it comes to death. We noted the various unhealthy, unbiblical, and unhelpful coping mechanisms that are often employed in the face of death’s inevitable specter—from denial, escapism, sentimentalism, or awkward avoidance.
The Tender Love A Father Has: The Christian’s Comfort, Even In Death (Part 2) - The Heidelblog
In our previous article in this series, we observed that our culture is not one that likes to think about death. Culturally, as others have pointed out, we have done away with the traditional churchyard. No longer are we forced to walk past the graves of our family, friends, and neighbors on the way in and out of Lord’s Day worship and, thus, forced to confront our own mortality. We have sanitized death and sent it to the suburbs.
John Knox On The Lord’s Supper, Part 4: Knox’s Polemical and Pastoral Agenda - The Heidelblog
In our previous three articles, we have been arguing that, in light of the perceived softening of some Protestants’ attitudes regarding the Roman Catholic Mass, a reexamination of a classical Reformed and Protestant theological view of the Mass might be in order. We have done so briefly by observing the writings of the Scottish Reformer, John Knox.
John Knox On The Lord’s Supper, Part 3: Right And Biblical Administration - The Heidelblog
In the previous two installments, we have been arguing that, in light of the perceived softening of some Protestants’ attitudes with regard to the Roman Catholic Mass, a reexamination of a classical Reformed and Protestant theological view of the Roman Mass might be in order. We have done so briefly by observing the writings of the Scottish Reformer, John Knox.
John Knox On The Lord’s Supper, Part 2: Treatise On The Sacrament - The Heidelblog
In our previous installment, we noted the possibility of a trend among modern-day Protestants in adopting a softer stance toward the Roman Mass than would have been held among previous generations. Though not as prolific in his theological writings as men like Luther and Calvin, John Knox’s writings on the matter are instructive and illuminating when it comes to discerning classical Protestant views towards Rome and her Mass.
John Knox On The Lord’s Supper, Part 1: Against The Roman Mass - The Heidelblog
Historically, Protestant views on the Roman Mass, particularly during the Reformation, were sharply critical. Reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Huldrych Zwingli rejected the Roman doctrine of transubstantiation.
Lift Up Your Eyes: The PCA General Assembly 2025 - The Heidelblog
The 52nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) met this year in Chattanooga, TN. Hosted by the Tennessee Valley Presbytery, a near-record number of commissioners (over 2300) descended upon the Scenic City from June 23–27.
The Tender Love A Father Has: The Christian’s Comfort, Even In Death - The Heidelblog
A Death-Averse Culture Our culture is not one that likes to think about death. Culturally, as others have pointed out, we have done away with the traditional churchyard. No longer are we forced to walk past the graves of our family, friends, and neighbors on the way in and out of Lord’s Day worship and, thus, forced to confront our own mortality. We have sanitized death and sent it to the suburbs.
Dear Pastor, Is It Legalistic To Promote The Sabbath Day?
Question: Dear Pastor, Is it Legalistic to Promote the Sabbath? The short answer is very simple: No, not at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. But, I suspect you’d like a slightly more developed answer than that. In many ways, we come at the Lord’s Day all wrong, and we lose the race right out of the gate. Your question—is it legalistic to promote the Sabbath—seems to come at the question from the angle that the Sabbath is this restrictive, perhaps burdensome thing.
Review: Reformed Worship By Jonty Rhodes (Blessings Of The Faith Series) - The Heidelblog
Another book on worship? Well, yes. Though there seems to be a perennially voluminous output on the topic of worship (at least from among the Reformed and Presbyterian wing of Christendom), nevertheless, debates and disagreements on worship seem to persist.
Psalm 92: A Psalm For The Sabbath (Part 4) - The Heidelblog
This fourth part concludes our study on Psalm 92, which has considered how the Lord’s Day is an often neglected, yet crucial, component in the Christian’s arsenal. The superscription of Psalm 92, “for the Sabbath,” indicates that this psalm, broadly speaking, is especially appropriate to the Sabbath, or in the new covenant, the Lord’s Day. This psalm teaches that real, genuine spiritual blessing is to be found in communing with and delighting in God.
Psalm 92: A Psalm For The Sabbath (Part 3) - The Heidelblog
Over the past few weeks in our study on Psalm 92, we have been considering how the Lord’s Day is an often neglected yet crucial component in the Christian’s arsenal. It is an essential ingredient and marvelous gift of God meant for the believer’s refreshment and joy. Last time, we gave thought to how this psalm refreshes and reorients our perspective in light of eternity, helping us to take the long view and encouraging us in our dealings against sin and wickedness in our earthly sojourn.
Psalm 92: A Psalm For The Sabbath (Part 2) - The Heidelblog
Last time, in part 1 of our study on Psalm 92, we began to consider how the Lord’s Day is an often neglected, yet crucial, component in the Christian’s arsenal. It is an essential ingredient and marvelous gift of God meant for the believer’s refreshment and joy. There are a number of legitimate ways we could outline this psalm, but for the purposes of our Saturday Psalms series, we are considering it under four broad headings.
Psalm 92: A Psalm For The Sabbath (Part 1) - The Heidelblog
Many of us (ministers, elders, and church members alike) regularly give thought to how we can, by God’s grace, cultivate healthy churches. In that vein, I daresay one of the most underappreciated and underutilized tools we have at our disposal is the Lord’s Day. It is no secret that the world is full of hostility against God’s people, and together with the flesh and the devil, the world is happy to cater to us with a sin-glutted cynicism.
Gone, But Not Forgotten: The Influence Of The Scots Confession Of 1560 In The Theological Life Of Presbyterianism (Part 2) - The Heidelblog
In the previous article, we considered the Scots Confession’s (SC) influence as it pertains to the development of Scottish theology proper: first by considering what the authors of the Confession were not setting out to accomplish, then by considering what they were setting out to accomplish, and then by examining a number of the confession’s particular theological loci.
Gone, But Not Forgotten: The Influence Of The Scots Confession Of 1560 In The Theological Life Of Presbyterianism (Part 1) - The Heidelblog
Introduction In Reformed and Presbyterian circles, a great deal of attention is given to the Three Forms of Unity and the Westminster Standards, and rightly so.
The Duty of Fathers and the Second Commandment
Dads, it is our task to pursue the hearts of our children—will we teach them the truth and point them to Christ? Will we model godliness and faithfulness for them? Will we pray with and for them? Will we ensure that we are with them in that place God has ordained, Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day, to hear His Word proclaimed? Will we strive to have them in a household of faith that worships God in the ways that he has prescribed? This is our great calling.
Psalm 42: Desiring God (Part 4) - The Heidelblog
Having given this wonderful text of Psalm 42 an expositional and pastoral survey in our previous three articles, we return one last time for a fourth installment wherein we consider some further implications and applications: 1. The great Matthew Henry writes in his commentary notes on Psalm 42, Sometimes God teaches us effectually to know the worth of mercies by the want of them, and whets our appetite for the means of grace by cutting us short in those means.
Psalm 42: Desiring God (Part 3) - The Heidelblog
The Cry Of A Troubled (Yet Trusting) Heart When we left this psalm at the end of part 2, we noted that the psalmist was drawing from his spiritual reservoir, so to speak. In verse 4, we saw him drawing spiritual strength for the present from his memories of previous spiritual experiences and lessons. Even though he is in a spiritual drought (v. 2) and what feels like chaotic danger now (v. 7), nevertheless he is resolved and determined to keep on trusting God.
Psalm 42: Desiring God (Part 2) - The Heidelblog
The Prayer of a Longing Heart Last time, in part 1 of our study on Psalm 42, we began to consider how love for God’s house is the essence of true piety.
Psalm 42: Desiring God (Part 1) - The Heidelblog
One reason to love the Psalms is that they serve as a fierce rejoinder to the trendy spirituality of our age. If we are honest, sometimes (whether through the influence of our wider culture or through the influence of other Christians), we find ourselves passively defaulting to this mode of thinking that Christianity should be pleasant.
Troubled Bones And The God Who Turns: Psalm 6 (Part 3) - The Heidelblog
Having given this wonderful text of Psalm 6 an expositional and pastoral survey in our previous two articles, we return one last time for a third installment wherein we consider further implications and applications from this marvelous psalm. Inspired by the example of the nineteenth-century Southern Presbyterian William S.
Troubled Bones And The God Who Turns: Psalm 6 (Part 2) - The Heidelblog
Last time in part one of our Psalm 6 devotional, we asked whether or not the reality of sin really troubles us—not necessarily the sin we see in society, but sin in and of itself: the interruption, perversion, and warping of the natural order of the world that comes through man’s disobedience to the law of God. Or is sin, more often than not, something which is assumed? Do we have a nonchalant, resigned view that accepts sin as simply a fact of life and not something that disturbs us to our core?
Troubled Bones And The God Who Turns: Psalm 6 (Part 1) - The Heidelblog
How much does sin trouble us? I do not mean necessarily the sin we see in society. We are not thinking here specifically about the sexual revolution or the moral decay of our nation, though these are devastating. But rather, consider sin in and of itself—the interruption, perversion, and warping of the natural order of the world that comes through man’s disobedience to the law of God. Does it disturb us to our core? Or is sin, more often than not, something which is assumed?
Review: Reformed Theology By Jonathan Master (Blessings Of The Faith Series) - The Heidelblog
In the wake of the New Calvinist (sometimes called the “Young, Restless, and Reformed”) movement, the adjective Reformed gets slapped on seemingly everything. What does it mean to be Reformed? Is it simply people who hold to a Calvinistic soteriology? Is it (as this author once mistakenly thought) simply those denominations or traditions that trace their origin back to the days of the Protestant Reformation? Can the label “Reformed” be slapped on anything we wish, indiscriminately?
Psalm 22: The Psalm Of Calvary (Part 4) - The Heidelblog
Having given this wonderful text of Psalm 22 an expositional and pastoral survey in our previous three articles, we return one last time for a fourth installment wherein we consider further implications and applications. With great indebtedness to the pastoral insight and style provided by the nineteenth-century Southern Presbyterian William S.
Psalm 22: The Psalm Of Calvary (Part 3) - The Heidelblog
Along the way in our little devotional Saturday Psalm series, we have said that Psalm 22 can rightly be called “the Psalm of Calvary,” given how the Lord Jesus adopts the words of King David for himself, crying out as he hung on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” This psalm was written some three thousand years ago and some one thousand years before the life of Christ.
Psalm 22: The Psalm Of Calvary (Part 2) - The Heidelblog
As we noted last time, this psalm was written some three thousand years ago and some one thousand years before the life of Christ. According to Matthew 27:46, Jesus quotes a portion of these words as he is suffering and dying on the cross of Golgotha. In doing so, Jesus effectively adopts this prayer of King David for himself. The New Testament helps us see that this prayer of David was ultimately fulfilled by the experience of our Lord.
Psalm 22: The Psalm Of Calvary (Part 1) - The Heidelblog
Psalm 22 has been called “the Psalm of Calvary” or “the Good Friday Psalm,” for reasons which may be obvious and which I hope become more obvious by the end of this little devotional series. This psalm was written some three thousand years ago and some one thousand years before the life of Christ. And yet, despite predating his life by centuries, Jesus himself quotes a portion of these words as he is suffering and dying on the cross of Golgotha.
Review: Persistent Prayer By Guy Richard (Blessings Of The Faith Series) - The Heidelblog
“If you want to almost-instantly humble any Christian, ask him about his prayer life,” or so the maxim goes. Prayer is one of those practices of the Christian life which every Christian will affirm in importance; in practice, however, many will struggle to evidence its high premium.
Review: Covenantal Baptism By Jason Helopoulos (Blessings Of The Faith Series) - The Heidelblog
Another book on baptism? Well, yes. And while this volume may not be the polemical tour de force you were hoping to use to answer every last objection from your questioning Baptist friend, this short book will be an incredibly useful resource that you can place into the hands of a new Christian or a church visitor who is curious to learn more about Reformed and Presbyterian belief and practice regarding baptism.
Review: Expository Preaching By David Strain - The Heidelblog
Upon first glance (and given the title), readers might assume this little book is yet another how-to manual on homiletics and expository preaching. But while this volume is a brief treatment on the subject of expository preaching, it is not written primarily for the benefit of the minister, but rather for the congregant.
The Sword Of Judgment And The Shield Of Favor: A Series On Psalm 5 (Part 3) - The Heidelblog
Having given this wonderful text of Psalm 5 an expositional and pastoral survey in the previous two articles, we return one last time for a third installment, wherein we will consider further implications and applications from this marvelous psalm. With great indebtedness to the pastoral insight and style provided by the nineteenth-century Southern Presbyterian William S.
The Sword Of Judgment And The Shield Of Favor: A Series On Psalm 5 (Part 2) - The Heidelblog
In looking at Psalm 5, you might notice that there is a structure to David’s prayer. Each section begins with David directly addressing the Lord. Verse 1: “Give ear to my words, O Lord.” Verse 4: “For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness.” Verse 8: “O Lord, lead me in your righteousness.” Verse 11 “But let all who take refuge in you be glad” (NASB 1995). This is how we have been considering Psalm 5—along four thematic contours.
A Problem With Demographics - The Heidelblog
Our typical Lord’s Day morning demographic looks like a room full of sinners who recognize their need for Christ! At Providence, we don’t prioritize one ethnicity, age group, or a particular socio-economic level over another. We want all people to join us and feel welcome. But knowing some demographic data is helpful. It’s important to know the religious makeup of the community your church is located in.
The Sword Of Judgment And The Shield Of Favor: A Series On Psalm 5 (Part 1) - The Heidelblog
Many of the psalms are about justice or mercy. Some discuss both; others focus on one or the other. Psalm 5, though it has an element of mercy to it, is primarily a psalm calling for justice—God’s justice. Sometimes, psalms like this might instinctively offend our sensibilities. God is a God of love and mercy, is he not? Why, then, is there all this Scripture about law and justice and penalty, and praying that God would act severely towards certain people? That does not seem very loving.
Made For Worship: A Series On Psalm 100 (Part 3)—Hearts Gladdened by His Goodness - The Heidelblog
We come to the third installment of our devotional series considering the 100th Psalm. In the English Standard Version, the psalm is broken into four stanzas, since it is a song.
Made For Worship: A Series On Psalm 100 (Part 2)—Truthful Knowing - The Heidelblog
We come to the second installment of our devotional series considering the 100th Psalm. In the English Standard Version, the psalm is broken into four stanzas, as it is a song. It is rendered into five Bible verses, but four musical stanzas in this translation: Stanza 1: Worship God Stanza 2: Know this about God Stanza 3: Worship God (again) Stanza 4: Why we ought to worship God Thus, we have opted to use these four broad categories to study the majestic 100th Psalm in our Saturday Psalms series.
Made For Worship: A Series In Psalm 100 (Part 1)—Shout Joyfully - The Heidelblog
Psalm 100 is one of the absolute classics of the psalter. There is a reason that the tune to which this psalm is most often sung (at least in the English-speaking contexts of which I am aware) is called “OLD HUNDREDTH.” Like other titles of endeared familiarity—like “Old Ironsides” or “Old Glory”—it evokes a sense of stability, dependability, and close acquaintance.
Saturday Psalm Series: The Blessed Man, The Blessed Life, The Blessed Word—Psalm 1 (Part 4) - The Heidelblog
Having given this wonderful text of Psalm 1 an exegetical, expositional, and pastoral survey in our previous three editions, we return one last time for a fourth installment wherein we consider some further implications and applications from this marvelous psalm. With great indebtedness to the pastoral insight and style provided by the nineteenth-century Southern Presbyterian William S.
Saturday Psalm Series: The Blessed Man, The Blessed Life, The Blessed Word—Psalm 1 (Part 3) - The Heidelblog
As noted in our previous installments, Psalm 1 is a psalm appropriate for any season of life because we, as Christians, live in a world where sin seems normal and holiness seems weird, where wickedness is celebrated and wisdom is mocked. We need Psalm 1 for the living of these days—to recalibrate our sense of what is right, to bolster and strengthen our sometimes-weak resolve, and to point us to the Savior who does all things well and who “knows the way of the righteous” (v.
Saturday Psalm Series: The Blessed Man, The Blessed Life, The Blessed Word—Psalm 1 (Part 2) - The Heidelblog
As we noted in our previous installment, Psalm 1 is a psalm appropriate for any season of life. Why? Because you, Christian, live in a world where sin seems normal, and holiness seems weird. What your grandparents may have considered warped and demented, this world celebrates. You, according to the world, ought to be mocked (and maybe worse) for daring to question the prevailing wisdom.
Saturday Psalm Series: The Blessed Man, The Blessed Life, The Blessed Word—Psalm 1 (Part 1) - The Heidelblog
Psalm 1 is one of those passages that folks like to preach at the beginning of a new calendar year or ponder at the outset of a significant new season in life. Indeed, this psalm is particularly dear to my family. For both of my sons, this was the song I sang to them while holding them within the first hour of their life. I want them to grow up to love and serve the Lord, to meditate on God’s Law like the man of Psalm 1. But Psalm 1 is a psalm appropriate for any season of life. Why?
Psalm 1 | The Heidelblog
As we noted in our previous installment, Psalm 1 is a psalm appropriate for any season of life. Why? Because you, Christian, live in a world where sin seems normal, and holiness seems weird. What your grandparents may have considered warped and . . . Continue reading →
Give Me the Hills and Hollers, Or I Die! - The Heidelblog
In an earlier article published here on The Heidelblog, I noted that one of the things that encouraged me in terms of current trends in the Presbyterian Church in America (my denomination) was the trend of men happily taking on calls as solo pastors in various small and rural settings. As I noted in the article, my evidence was merely anecdotal and hardly representative of any hard or specific data.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Sean
Contact Sean, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack