RefOC Speaker, Rev. Daniel Hyde has written a new book! (from the website): Calvinists are well known for their fighting, and on the rare occasions when the Synod of Dort is remembered, it is often highlighted as an example of Calvinist squabbling and dogmatism. But few know the real story, or why the battles at Dort were worth fighting. In celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Canons of Dort, pastor and scholar Daniel Hyde reminds us what Dort was all about: protecting and proclaiming the glorious gospel of grace!Dispelling harsh caricatures and whitewashed hagiographies alike, Hyde leads us on a patient journey through the history and text of the Canons, illuminating the fine-grained theological distinctions and simple Scriptural truths encapsulated in their ninety-three articles. Along the way, the reader will discover the startling catholicity and breadth of this foundational statement of Calvinism, and its remarkable pastoral value for nourishing Christian faith, hope, and love today.
Visit this website to learn more (click here)
Visit this website to learn more (click here)
We invite you to view two videos from our RefOC speakers discussing the doctrine of "baptism." Each video is 1 hour long and explains the Reformed/Presbyterian conviction regarding, "Covenant Baptism."
Presentation # 1:
The definition, theological trajectory, and practical implications of including children into the church with the New Covenant Sign & Seal of baptism (Rev. Christopher Neiswonger)
The definition, theological trajectory, and practical implications of including children into the church with the New Covenant Sign & Seal of baptism (Rev. Christopher Neiswonger)
Presentation # 2:
Overview of theological concerns, New Testament context, trajectory of the Book of Acts (Rev. Kent Moorlach)
Overview of theological concerns, New Testament context, trajectory of the Book of Acts (Rev. Kent Moorlach)
10 year flash back episode:
"The Glorious Reformation" from 2008!
2 Hour Youtube panel with Reformation OC Speakers: Christopher Neiswonger, Lindsay Graham, and Kent Moorlach
CLICK HERE!
The video below is of the last Reformation Service held in the Crystal Cathedral, now the Roman Catholic, "Christ's Cathedral."
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God bless!
-- Early Breakout Session: "'Election' as Taught and Treated in the Earliest Creeds and Confessions of the Church"
LINK TO PRESENTATION: http://sermon.net/communion/sermonid/1200094100
Synopsis: Sometimes, it's not enough to say, "It's taught in the Bible!" Religious groups throughout all of history have been able to justify all manner of belief because they, "read it in the Bible." But when a particular doctrine begins to be codified in the ancient creeds and confessions of the church (and then, usually in response to errors being taught about a particular doctrine), we can then appreciate with greater clarity what the church teaches and confirms for others to proclaim and believe. We will examine these creeds and confessions.
Presenter: Rev. Kent Moorlach is the teaching elder at Communion Presbyterian Church (ARP) in Irvine, Ca. He is a graduate of Talbot School of Theology and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Rev. Moorlach is a life long resident of Orange County and is married to Stephanie; they have three children.
-- First Main Session -- "Election and Intra-Trinitarian Love: Why Reformed Theology is the True 'Relational Theology'"
LINK TO PRESENTATION: http://sermon.net/communion/sermonid/1200095089
Synopsis: When it comes to the doctrine of election, are we forced to side with the 'power-God' of Calvinism or the 'love-God' of non-Calvinism? This false dichotomy has so pervaded today's church that many non-Calvinist scholars have re-named their position "relational theism." Dr. Williams builds a case that the God of John's gospel is not powerful at the expense of His love, or loving at the expense of His power. Rather, the efficacy of God's power in electing sinners flows directly from the intimacy of His love as passionately enjoyed within the Trinity. The elect are living, breathing 'love-gifts' exchanged between the Father and the Son as expressions of their infinite and unfrustratable love for one another. William's Trinitarian analysis of election not only demonstrates that Reformed theology is the true "relational theism," but also offers practical pastoral insights on how this doctrine can help our churches reflect God's love more compellingly in OC and beyond.
Presenter: Dr. Thaddeus Williams earned his Ph.D. in Theology at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, and has an M.A. in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Talbot School of Theology. He ministers at Terra Nova Church (www.ourterranova.com), and teaches at various schools, including Biola University and Saddleback College. He is driven by a passion to see the church experience a 21st century “Re-Reformation" centered on the supreme Triune God of the Bible. To that end, Thaddeus has lectured in seminaries and churches throughout Nepal, Francis Schaeffer’s L'Abri Fellowships in Holland and Switzerland, along with churches and conferences throughout the United States. He lives in Southern California with his wife and two daughters.
-- Second Main Session -- "The Five Points of John Calvin: The 5 Pivotal Events that Shaped the Life and Faith of The Great Reformer"
LINK TO PRESENTATION: http://sermon.net/communion/sermonid/1200100054
Presenter: Christopher Neiswonger received his Juris Doctor from Trinity Law and his Masters Degree in Communication and Culture from Trinity Graduate School. Christopher works in the legal department of one of the world's largest NGOs. He is also the host of the Apologetics.com Radio show heard on 99.5FM, KKLA, and speaks at many churches and conferences each year, while serving as a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church of America.
9:10 to 10:PM -- Third Main Session -- "Is 'a Reformed View of Free Will' an Oxymoron? Understanding Libertarian,
Compatibilist, and Biblical Freedom in Election"
LINK TO PRESENTATION: http://sermon.net/communion/sermonid/1200104457
Synopsis: Some have complained, 'Why does the devil have all the good rock and roll?" A more recent complaint has emerged "Why does Arminianism have all the good philosophers?" Sure there are exceptions to both complaints but, by and large, non-Calvinists have been on the cutting edge of thinking about free will. Often times objections to a Reformed understanding of election are motivated by the philosophically
defended notion of libertarian free will. Dr. Williams has debated top philosophers (e.g., Vincent Brümmer, University of Utrecht) on the question of freedom and is the author of, Love, Freedom, and Evil: Does Authentic Love Require Free Will? (http://www.monergismbooks.com/Love-Freedom-and-Evil-Does-Authentic-Love-Require-Free-Will-p-20199.html).
He offers philosophical and Biblical clarity on the perennial "free will" problem as it relates to the doctrine of election.
9:00 AM -- Early Breakout Session: "Defending the Doctrine of Election: Answering the Classic Objections"
Synopsis:
Presenter: Lindsay Brooks is a staff apologist with Apologetics.com and has
been a church musician and professional
musician for 20 years. He is a member of Communion Presbyterian Church and a
husband and father.
10:10 AM -- Fourth Main Session -- "Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God"
Synopsis:
Presenter: Rev. Daniel R. Hyde is a graduate of Westminster Seminary, Ca. (MDiv) and
Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (ThM) and is the church planter and
pastor of the Oceanside United Reformed Church in Oceanside. He is also the
author of 12 books: http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-R.-Hyde/e/B001JP85JS/ref=la_B001JP85JS_pg_1?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_82%3AB001JP85JS&ie=UTF8&qid=1350331227 He
was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church, converted in a Foursquare Church,
educated at an Assemblies of God college, and youth pastored in a
non-denominational church! Rev. Hyde was brought to the Reformed Faith while in
college and was drawn to it through its reverence, transcendence, and mystery in
both theology and worship. He is married to Karajean, and they have four
children.
11:10 AM -- Fifth Main Session: "The Effectual Calling of God's Elect to Salvation Through the Biblically Appointed Means of Preaching"
Synopsis: What does it mean "to preach the Gospel?" Many modern day notions of the act and importance of preaching go far wide of the original biblical definition and apostolic practices. The Church needs to return afresh to the Holy Scriptures as the foundation of its terminology and methodology. This message will explore the Great Commissions given by our Lord Jesus Christ in the four Gospels together with Apostolic teaching and practice set forth in the New Testament. The power of the message preached is able to bring life to those dead
in trespasses and sins. The new creation was inaugurated at the resurrection of Jesus Christ with the same power of God that is operative in the calling and regeneration of the Elect when the true Gospel is truly preached.
Presenter: Rev. David Th. Stark is senior pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church of Redding, California. He's a graduate of the
Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. He is a founding member of the Covenanting Association of Reformed and
Presbyterian Churches. In his over 30 years of ministry experience, he has planted and pastored several Reformed churches
throughout Northern California.
1:00 PM -- Sixth Main Session -- "Sovereign Divine Election and An Eschatology of Optimism"
Synopsis: In view of the rampant secular atheism which prevails in Western culture, the ascendancy of a virulent form of Islam on a global scale, and the emergence of a form of Christianity that is either shot through with naturalistic, unbelieving assumptions or is frantically caught up in an effort to package Christianity in the transitory wrappings of the ever shifting sands of pop culture, is it reasonable or even Biblical for the Church to maintain a vibrant optimism about the future global conquest of the gospel and the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ? While most Reformed and Presbyterians, subsequent to World War II, have jettisoned the historic Reformed position of hope in a future age of great
gospel advance, this message seeks to challenge the spiritual heirs of Calvin and the Reformation to consider the connection between sovereign divine election and an eschatology of optimism as a basis for hope in a period of sweeping gospel conquest which is yet ahead on the temporal horizon.
Presenter: John Sawtelle, pastor of All Saints Reformed Church in Brea, CA, is an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America and has served previously in the United Reformed Church. He has a BA in Humanities with a concentration in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from CSU Sacramento, a Master of Divinity from Westminster Seminary in Escondido, CA, and is working on his Masters Thesis n Rhetorical Theory and Criticism at CSU Fullerton. Pastor John loves to preach the Bible verse by verse in order to show God’s people the basis of their doctrinal convictions in God’s word. His life-goal is to be part of a church planting movement that plants more confessionally Reformed churches in the LA metropolitan area than there are AM/PM Mini Marts.
1:50PM -- Seventh Main Session: A Time of Q & A with the RefOC Panel
Synopsis: A moderated discussion to respond to questions about RefOC presentations and Reformed theology in general.
--> Be a part of the discussion on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reformation-OC-Conference/117827328311184
