At the Garden
Jesus’ suffering for us began in the Garden and continued as he was arrested, put on trial, nailed to the cross, and ultimately was pressed or crushed in our place.
If there is any doubt that our Savior doesn’t understand the heartaches we face in this life, this account dispels that. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see a vivid account of Jesus experiencing all the things we experience: fear, temptation, sorrow, despair, betrayal, and abandonment. Had Jesus not felt the weight of this sorrow,... Continue Reading
The Prince Who Came to Serve
In coming as a humble servant, full of grace and truth, Jesus reveals our sovereign God’s paradoxical approach to the world.
Jesus’ lowly service is a practical picture of how Jesus inverts our normal view of authority, dignity, and power. Jesus’ unselfconscious act of service was a picture of God’s upside-down approach to our world and to us. The ultimate picture of this is Jesus’ humbling himself to endure the death of the cross and bring... Continue Reading
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