Let Us Never Grow Weary of the Cross
Beware when the cross and the empty tomb cannot compete with March Madness and The Masters.
Let us not wander far from sin, salvation, and judgment. Let’s not strain to make ourselves relevant to the politics, the pop culture, or the presidential controversy of the day. Christ’s death and resurrection will be relevant on its own. The message of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is still the message people need. They... Continue Reading
The Gospel From Womb to Tomb
God looked after me when I was unable to look after myself at the beginning of my life
“You may lose all your loved ones, all your friends, all your strength, beauty, and usefulness. But you will never lose the love and interest of the Lord. He comes to you through Bible reading, listening to sermons, worship services, prayer meetings, and good books. He comes to you as you reach out over the... Continue Reading
Humility – The Core Of All Empathy
Humility acknowledges that I don't have the complete picture or understand the complexity of the situation
“For the person who is anxious or depressed, they may find further guilt and shame in what we say. For the person in a difficult situation, they may be looking for hope in our words, but what if what we say doesn’t pan out? Do our words give false hope? What authority do we have... Continue Reading
Is There More Going On Than You Think?
There is more happening in your life than you really understand - God, by His Word and Spirit, is working out His purpose through sovereign providences in you life
“Do you see my point in recounting this solemn, yet glorious, narrative? Nobody would have recognized Joseph as one of Jesus’ followers. His family, friends and neighbors did not associate Joseph with the Nazarene. His fellows on the Sanhedrin were startled by His impartiality and integrity yet never, for a second, suspected a turncoat in... Continue Reading
Not the Sort of Religion I Would Invent
Christians have always been tempted to try to make Christianity more appealing
“The message of the cross is foolishness. This is the point: the very nature of Christianity is not the kind of religion that appeals to human nature. Christianity is the kind of religion whose worshipers boast of no glory and claim no rewards for their efforts. Instead, Christians confess their weakness and sinfulness.” If... Continue Reading
The Apostle’s Creed: An Introduction
The Creed is often seen as something that unites Christians
“Clearly, the Apostle’s Creed was an expression of truth meant to combat a particular heresy. But like all good creeds it unites the church in any generation around Biblical truth. So, in this series we are going to look at a valuable and enriching statement of the Christian Faith and we will do it line... Continue Reading
The Spirit and the Supper
Feeding on Christ in the Supper empowers the Christian to live the Christian life
“The Lord’s Supper is spiritual nourishment promised by the sign of bread and wine and realized by the Holy Spirit. If this empowering is the work of the Holy Spirit, it must also be said that the Spirit works through faith. In other words, this empowering comes through believing the Gospel, both as it is... Continue Reading
Who Decided What Would Be in the Bible & When? – Canonicity
The “canon” refers to the books that are contained within the Bible; those which are the word of God.
How do we know which books belong in the Bible? How do we know that these 66 books are the correct ones? How do we know we’re not missing something? And who decided what would be included in the Bible and what would not? It’s a question you hear often. And it’s one that... Continue Reading
Deep Darkness Before Dawn
The prophets are not always immediately applicable unless we broaden our view of application and consider the story behind the symbols.
My family has endured the most difficult year of our lives. We’ve experienced unexpected grief and have, at times, felt overwhelmed by darkness. But in the midst of our sorrow, we have found hope in this image from Isaiah. The picture of new life emerging from the old stump has helped us place the sorrows... Continue Reading
Marriage in a “Me” Culture
Man indeed has defined marriage according to our own terms.
We see marriage determined by our opinions on gender and sexuality, marriage for convenience, divorce because we’re bored, and websites that have profited from selling affairs to married people. So much of our world’s approach to marriage is concerned with how it affects “me,” “my truth,” and “my desires.” Just recently, my local church... Continue Reading