About

Personal Bio

I’m a 27 year old guy and husband to one wife. I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, spent several years lost in the ultra Pentecostal/ Charismatic wilderness, and now have found peace and rest in the great Reformed traditions. I read lots, write lots, and I love God as imperfectly and as infallibly as I can.

Statement of Faith

I hold to the fundamentals of the christian faith, encapsulated by the holy, inerrant scriptures, as well as the early creeds and confessions, insomuch as they reflect said scripture. To a lesser extent, I would hold to various articles of the reformation, with special consideration to the Westminster Confession, and then to a lesser extent of that, the three forms of unity- the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dordt. Any other theological distinctives that I have usually make their presence known through my writing and reviews, and are easy enough to see.

My Reviewing Philosophy

What I do when I review a sermon, is I mainly look to see that the law is being used lawfully, that the gospel is preached as it should, that the bible verses aren’t being taken out of context, and that historical Judeo-Christian orthodoxy and biblical theology is being preached. I tend to stay away from critiquing personal style and homiletic skill, save for a few comments here and there when something stands out to me. As well, because I am not necessarily doing this as a service to anyone, but rather just sharing my thoughts, the critiques I offer as far as subject or content are usually related to what I feel it is important to preach about and about things I like to hear about, and whether I am being taught new things. For example, if you are preaching a sermon that amounts to little more than moral deism, that sort of thing will get tagged and highlighted and ripped wide open.

As well, if I comment favorably on a sermon, it does not mean that all those pastor’s other sermons are of the same quality.Similarly, if I respond negatively to a pastor’s sermon, it does not mean that he is a bad preacher, or that he doesn’t know what he’s doing. As a rule, I tend to have so much respect and grace for any preacher who is heeding the call of Christ to preach and lead and guide the church. As such, I try to respond as gently as I can. I know far too well how easy it is to just sit back and take pot shots at a sermon that he may have spent hours or even days on, and that doing so really doesn’t help anyone. As such, when I comment on a sermon, it’s never my intent to tear down or to be dismissive of anything or anyone, but rather to simply see that these preachers are rightly dividing the word of truth, and to build them up and encourage them when I can, and to correct them in truth and love as a brother in Christ when I feel they require correction. In case anyone is wondering though, most churches in this city are doing a good job and have pretty solid preaching.

Similarly, though I may respond negatively to a sermon, that is not necessarily a reflection on  the man of God in the pulpit. While I don’t know many pastors personally, I have had interactions and communications with most of them, and for the most part they seem like a bunch of great guys. And so I would urge everyone reading this to take that into account, and extend grace and brotherly and sisterly affection towards these preachers and teachers.

Contact

Any and all questions, comments, concerns or requests can be directed to [email protected], and I will endeavor to respond to each one in a personal and timely manner.


12 Responses to “About”

  • Michael

    I smell some Chris Rosebrough rebellion…. :)

  • Rick Kirschner

    After only 10 minutes on this site I am quite intrigued by what I read. I look forward to meeting and discussing many aspects of our own outreach with Dustin…
    I appreciate your grace for pastors…
    Rick

  • robert roberg

    For quite a while I’ve been disturbed by the story of the Widow’s mites and felt like it was out of character for Jesus to be praising this whole scene which was actually what he seemed to be so strongly against. I searched the internet and found over an over again praise for the woman and a call for sacrificial giving. I was more disturbed the more I looked, and then I found your thoughts and was so happy to read what you wrote. It’s amazing how the very thing Jesus opposed became the accepted teaching for thousands of years. I plan to read more of your site. Thank you.
    Robert Roberg

  • paperthinhymn

    Thank you for the kind words, Robert.

  • dawn

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Is Sexual Purity Before Marriage Coming Back
    Book Release – Purity 101 All the Things I Wish My Mother Would Have Told Me
    You must realize that as you come of age someone or something (a group or philosophy) is going to set a standard of, or lack of, purity for you. A standard does not mean straight jacket. A standard is a set of moral and social guidelines that you set for yourself, yes yourself. You will have valuable input from family and friends but they cannot make you do anything. It is up to you what input you take in. We pray for God to guide and direct you, for that is where it all starts.
    Edmonton Alberta Canada –July 18, 2011
    When I first started The Right to Wear White weekends, my desire was to make sure that the message of purity before marriage was heard. As the years have gone by, God has helped me to understand that purity is not just about our bodies, but purity is in everything we think, feel, say and do. I also became very aware that to achieve purity, there is so much to learn, and I can honestly say, I am still learning.
    Your purity does not go way when you have a physical relationship with a man. You will keep your purity all your life. Purity began at the day of your birth and is a gift; please know if you have given that gift away in any form, you can claim your purity back today. You only have to pray and ask Jesus to recreate that gift in you, and help you to guard it from this day forward. As we say at our retreat purity is a decision then followed by actions.
    About the Author Dawn Magee
    Dawn and her husband Terry live in Edmonton, Alberta. She and her husband have two sons, Ian and Cory, daughter of her heart Laura, and one granddaughter Madison. They worship at Eaglemont Christian Church, a new church plant just south of Edmonton. They are involved in community outreaches and small group ministry, music and teaching Sunday school. They value spending time with their family.
    Dawn also is a successful free lance motivational and inspirational speaker and a sought after business and life coach. She speaks across Canada in businesses and churches. Dawn is passionate about their ministries. Together Dawn and her husband Terry facilitate The Right to Wear White, a purity retreat for moms and daughters, as well as young men, teaching them how to guard the gift of purity for marriage.
    For more information about Purity 101 What I Wish My Mother Would Have Told Me, please visit righttowearwhite.com or contact Author at Dawn Magee 1-780-497-2581

  • Tyler

    Robert is there any way I could speak with you concerning Brad Jersak. He is scheduled to speak in September and after reviewing the comments I need some additional help so I might be able to articulate my concerns. Thanks
    In His Grip

    Reply
  • paperthinhymn

    Tyler, are you wishing to speak to me, the writer and author of the Brad Jersak piece, or Robert, the commenter? Thanks!
    Dustin

    Reply
  • jeizschey

    Wow. I love the first part! That’s how I was too. God bless you more. :)

    Reply

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