Jonathan M. Threlfall

Thoughts on Christian Theology and Pastoring

  • The Garden Temple

    What are we to learn from the details of this primal paradise? In Genesis 2, we are struck with its beauty and bounty. In Genesis 3, we read that humans were banished from it. And in the New Testament we discover what brought about that breakthrough so we could find our true home again.

  • Man of Dust, Man of Heaven

    It is hardly possible to exaggerate the marvel of what Paul is presenting here. Without saying that our “dust-like” existence will be completely undone, he is setting forth a vision in which our human existence will take on a new form, a form which, like Jesus’ post-resurrection body, is suited for an endless life in…

  • The Rest We Need

    God rested, not for his sake, but for ours: to teach us that all life and its activity is for delighting in a relationship with God within the work he has completed. This is why Jesus, who completed the work of our salvation, invites us to come to him for our true soul-rest.

  • “Be Fruitful and Multiply”—A Blessing and Command

    God blessed them and said to them,“Be fruitful and increase in number;fill the earth and subdue it.”Genesis 1:28 This verse is a bit like an acorn: small and seemingly unimpressive, it holds the potential of a mighty oak tree. In the mandate to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” we can…

  • Created in God’s Image

    The question, “Who am I?” cannot be answered by looking within ourselves, but only by looking outside ourselves, into the gaze of our Creator who says, “You are mine. You bear my image and resemble me so that you can enjoy a relationship with me and exercise every feature of your humanness to reflect my…

  • How God Sees His Church

    I long for Christians to see the church as God sees the church. If we did, I believe, we would value it as he values it and find a greater and more joyful confidence in what he is doing in and through the church.

  • The Goodness of Creation

    An extended meditation on the goodness of God’s creation, based on a sermon I preached on January 22, 2023.

  • The God Who Forms and Fills

    A sermon on Genesis 1:2

  • “All Things Are More Ours by Becoming His”

    My freshman year of college I memorized a poem by a 17th century pastor, George Herbert. I’ve since learned that Herbert died at age 39 as a pastor of a small country church, with never more than 100 people in his congregation. But before he became a pastor, he was a rising star in academia…

  • On a Pastor’s Duty to Protect

    This is a sermon manuscript of the second in a two-part series on the role of pastors in the church. The first part dealt with three duties of a pastor: to teach, model, and nurture. This second part deals with a fourth duty of a pastor, which is to protect the flock. When my family…