Reformed Forum

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The True Witness (John 16) | The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth (Chapters 11–21) (Lesson 6) Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

This is the sixth lesson in Dr. James J. Cassidy's Reformed Academy course, The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth. This lesson covers the following topics:

00:00 Faithful Witness under Persecution

03:24 The Disciples' Sorrow and Jesus's Provision

08:01 Pentecost and the Giving of the Spirit

11:13 The Church's Witness and the Spirit's Work of Conviction

18:28 The Inspired and Infallible Word of God

23:49 Sorrow Turned to Joy

Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to dozens of additional video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedacademy.org/course/gospel-of-john-a-study-in-the-truth-chapters-11-21

Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/

#truth #gospel #reformedtheology #biblestudy

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

The Nature of the Church with Matthew Vogan May 29, 2026

Show notes

We welcome Matthew Vogan to discuss The Nature of the Church by John Brown of Wamphray, a concise seventeenth-century work on Presbyterian ecclesiology republished by Grange Press. Brown, a Scottish Covenanter exiled to the Netherlands, wrote with deep conviction about Christ's headship over the church, the visible and invisible church, church government, discipline, unity, and the distinction between church and state.

This conversation explores why Brown's work remains timely for pastors, elders, seminarians, and church members today. Rather than treating church government as a secondary or merely practical matter, Brown presents the church as a visible spiritual society established by Christ, governed by his Word, and ordered for the edification of his people.

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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
1:15 The Nature of the Church by John Brown of Wamphray
4:30 John Brown's life, ministry, exile, and Covenanter context
8:40 Matthew Vogan's introduction to John Brown
9:36 Brown's 32 theses and the Westminster Confession
10:54 A majestic view of Christ's church
12:33 The scope of Brown's ecclesiology
15:12 The church as a visible spiritual society
21:43 Church and state under Christ's authority
27:08 Scripture and Presbyterian church government
30:53 Brown's polemics against Erastianism, prelacy, and independency
35:00 Ministerial authority and edification
39:17 The church's spiritual government
42:14 The spirituality of the church
44:59 Key insights from Brown's work
46:06 Communion within the visible catholic church
52:21 Further reading: Durham, Gillespie, Rutherford, and Bannerman
53:55 Final thoughts on The Nature of the Church
55:00 Scottish football and closing conversation
56:57 Reformed Forum resources and conclusion

Participants

Camden Bucey
Matthew Vogan

Resources mentioned

Grange Press
The Nature of the Church by John Brown of Wamphray
Trinitarian Bible Society
Christ the Center 682: David Dickson's Sermons on Lamentations

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

The True Vine (John 15) | The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth (Chapters 11–21) (Lesson 5) May 25, 2026

Show notes

This is the fifth lesson in Dr. James J. Cassidy's Reformed Academy course, The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth. This lesson covers the following topics:

00:00 The True Vine Discourse (vv. 1–17)

17:07 Abiding in the Vine amidst the Hatred of the World (vv. 18–27)

Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/

#truth #gospel #reformedtheology #biblestudy

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

John Calvin as Counselor: Pastoral Wisdom from His Letters May 22, 2026

Show notes

We welcome Dr. Michael Mock to discuss his D.Min. dissertation on John Calvin's pastoral counseling through his correspondence. Drawing from Calvin's letters, Mock shows how the Reformer cared for people amid grief, anxiety, marital conflict, abuse, persecution, and suffering with theological depth and compassion. The conversation challenges the caricature of Calvin as cold or detached, highlighting his attention to the whole person—mind, heart, and will—and his confidence in God's providence, prayer, Scripture, and the ministry of the local church. Calvin's letters reveal a model of soul care that remains deeply relevant for pastors, elders, and church members today.

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

The Book of Daniel, Part 18 May 19, 2026

Show notes

On today’s episode of Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob continue to walk through the Book of Daniel by developing some themes in Daniel with the Book of Revelation.

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Our True Home (John 14) | The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth (Chapters 11–21) (Lesson 4) May 18, 2026

Show notes

This is the fourth lesson in Dr. James J. Cassidy's Reformed Academy course, The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth. This lesson covers the following topics:

00:00 A Word of Comfort for Anxious Disciples

05:44 Christ's Departure and Return: Preparing Our True Home

09:14 Seeing the Father in the Face of Jesus Christ

13:15 Jesus Gives His Spirit to the Church

Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/

#truth #gospel #reformedtheology #biblestudy

Confessional Reformed Renewal in Germany May 15, 2026

Show notes

In this special on-location episode of Christ the Center, Camden Bucey visits Gießen, Germany, to explore a remarkable work of confessional Reformed renewal. Through conversations with Johann, Lukas Strauß, and Philip Paul, listeners are introduced to the Academy for Reformed Theology, a growing seminary that serves students across German-speaking Europe through a hybrid model of in-person intensives, online instruction, and close partnership with local churches. The episode also traces the recent formation of a new continental Reformed denomination in Germany, the challenges of church planting in a highly secular and heavily taxed society, and the need for pastors who can preach, plant, and patiently build confessional churches from the ground up by God's grace.

What emerges is a deeply encouraging portrait of ordinary, faithful labor. The conversation highlights the need for indigenous theological leadership, German-language Reformed resources, and strong ecclesial communities where believers are not left to grow in isolation. Lucas reflects on discovering Reformed theology and using podcasting and social media to introduce it to German listeners, while Philip describes the theological journey that led his family to move for the sake of a confessional church home. Taken together, these conversations offer a vivid glimpse into the opportunities and difficulties of gospel ministry in Germany today—and a compelling call to pray for theological training, church planting, and lasting Reformed witness.

Chapters

0:00 — Introduction from Gießen, Germany
3:36 — The Academy for Reformed Theology—history and mission
7:23 — How the seminary serves students across Germany and Switzerland
13:14 — Why part-time theological training matters in Germany
16:53 — A new confessional Reformed denomination in Germany
21:43 — What church planting requires: men, people, and finances
25:59 — How the seminary is funded and how students manage study and work
28:51 — Why Germany needs indigenous Reformed pastors and literature
34:53 — Bullinger, suffering, and providence
38:56 — Lukas Strauß on becoming Reformed and serving through media
49:18 — Podcasting, social media, and explaining Reformed theology in German
58:17 — Why Reformed believers in Germany need real church connection
1:02:23 — Philip Paul on law, theology, and moving for church
1:18:09 — From Calvinism to covenant theology and paedobaptism
1:32:46 — Elder service, church commitment, and counsel for German Christians
1:39:13 — Reasons for gratitude and prayer for Reformed churches in Germany

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

True Purification (John 13) | The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth (Chapters 11–21) (Lesson 3) May 11, 2026

Show notes

This is the third lesson in Dr. James J. Cassidy's Reformed Academy course, The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth. This lesson covers the following topics:

00:00 Introduction and Placement of John 13

01:22 Jesus's Foot Washing and the Redemptive Cleansing of the Cross

13:20 Judas's Betrayal in Fulfillment of Psalm 41

20:23 The New Commandment to Love One Another

Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/

#truth #gospel #reformedtheology #biblestudy

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Cornelius W. Grafton: "Mississippi's Greatest Minister" (with David T. Irving) May 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Camden Bucey welcomes David T. Irving, President of Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, for a rich conversation on Irving's dissertation, Mississippi's Greatest Minister: A Historical Study of Cornelius W. Grafton's 61-Year Pastorate, 1873–1934. Before turning to Grafton, they discuss Irving's recent transition into seminary leadership and the growing pastoral shortage across confessional Presbyterian churches, reflecting on the need for prayer, training, and laborers for Christ's harvest.

The heart of the episode explores the life and ministry of Cornelius W. Grafton, a remarkable Mississippi Presbyterian pastor whose decades of quiet faithfulness, denominational leadership, educational labor, and pastoral endurance left a deep mark on church life in the American South. Camden and David consider why Grafton has been largely overlooked, what his ministry reveals about ordinary pastoral faithfulness, and how his life still instructs ministers and churches today.

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Chapters

00:08 Introduction and guest welcome
01:09 Mississippi's Greatest Minister and today's topic
02:03 RTS Jackson update and the pastoral shortage
08:20 David Irving's connection to Mississippi and Cornelius W. Grafton
14:06 Why Grafton has been overlooked in church history
18:14 Grafton's early religious life and spiritual maturation
23:58 Education, pastoral formation, and early ministry
29:33 Union Church, rural ministry, and a sixty-one-year pastorate
36:46 Grafton's preaching, pastoral rhythms, and churchmanship
43:18 Denominational leadership, education, and public influence
49:19 Grafton as historian and the unpublished history of Mississippi Presbyterianism
54:03 Lessons from Grafton's life and ministry today
59:09 Closing remarks and upcoming Reformed Forum events

Resources Mentioned

Participants: Camden Bucey, David T. Irving

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

The Book of Daniel, Part 17 May 05, 2026

Show notes

On today’s episode of Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob continue to walk through the book of Daniel by discussing chapter 7 and Daniel’s vision of the four beasts.

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000